Picture this; you’re driving to and from work; most likely stuck in traffic and as your foot stomps down, firmly onto the brake pedal, hands on the wheel, your gaze starts to wonder. Huh… a billboard catches your eye and to your left, a brightly coloured car with a distinctive font slashed across the side of the vehicle. The colour, the font, the brand – instant recognition. You’re hooked.
Throughout the drive all you’re thinking of is this particular brand – whether it’s a popular soft drink on the way back to the office after a client meeting or an addictive pizza brand on the way home after a long day; your consumer-angled approach to 21st century living is kicking in. You’re bound to make a quick pit stop at the nearest shopping outlet to satisfy that craving. The power of instant satisfaction is a great benefit for both the tempted consumer and the marketing team of any major brand.
Brand awareness is a big deal in the cluster of products available on the market and finding ways to get your name out there is vital in our current lifestyle. Vehicle branding could be an effective marketing tool for your company to adopt; here are some pointers to help you decide whether vehicle branding is a good strategy for your company:
Grab attention instantly
Sticking out like a sore thumb is a great characteristic to have in the swarm of vehicles piled on the busy roads these days. You don’t want to blend into the crowd here, get yourself noticed with vibrant colours, large legible font and clear contact details. Remember your target market here is behind the wheel so you don’t want to give them too much to read or present them with an ad that misleads them of your services.
Unless there is a passenger with them, writing down a full address, a contact number or email address may be a little bit tricky for them to remember off the bat so let your marketing team guide you on the most effective ways of staying top of mind!
Familiarity = trust
It’s a known fact that the more familiar your become, the more positive talk there is about your brand and the more trustworthy you are, the more your consumers will be willing to convert! Every conversion is valuable so spending a portion of your marketing budget to instill that sense of trust with your customers is vital.
Vehicle branding promotes familiarity; in the sea of cars and frustration at any hour of the day you’re bound to leave a hopeful impression on your public and give your fellow drivers a spot of relief upon seeing your logo out there with them. First impressions are the most lasting but surprisingly recurring impressions are unshakeable!
Keep it professional… always
As already established, good impressions stick in your memory quite effectively but so do the bad ones. Seeing as your branded vehicle will be representing your company, note that the individual driving your car is a personal representation of your brand too. As the owner or top level employee of a company; conducting yourself in as professional and law abiding driver is essential. If your employees are the ones driving your name across the country; your success and failure is in their hands.
Some of the most important points to keep in mind when driving a branded company vehicle include; prudent driving skills that follow the rules of the road, controlled reaction to other drivers or driving obstacles, refraining from eating or smoking during travel and restricting the use of technology while running the vehicle. Keep these things in mind to keep your drivers and vehicles safe at all times.
Elevate your company name
Show your clients your personality by customising your vehicle branding to its maximum potential. Choose company colours that make an impression, keep the tone light and fun and whatever you do connect with your consumers! Everyone is a potential client; you just need to let them know it!
So whether you’re a fresh start-up running your own gourmet ice-cream business in need of a branded ice-cream van, an established self-employed fitness instructor with a company design on your daily car or a corporate giant with images of your products on your delivery service vehicles; your name is out there and people know about you!
Unlike billboards, bus shelter ads and other stationery outdoor marketing tools; fixed in one location, mobile adverts give users that element of suspense and this tool will wear out. Now even though repetition is an effective marketing tool to make impressions on potential and returning clients, surprise creeps up on customers very positively.
Park your vehicle in targeted locations, switch it up every now and then, make them miss your brand and increase your awareness with the public by wrapping your vehicle in an eye-catching skin for more exposure and ultimately, more return.