Six compelling reasons why you should invest in fleet vehicle graphics (and how to get them right)

Fleet vehicle graphics are a type of marketing that uses vehicles for advertising your brand, business, service, and products.

In other words, you’re using your fleet of vehicles to do the work for you to get the word out about your business through adding a graphic decal or full wraps on your company cars, trucks, buses, and even trailers.

This is another kind of ‘mobile’ marketing where you spread the word about your business to potential customers as you pass by them, or while waiting at the traffic light, parking your vehicle. These are all excellent ways for your target audience to see you.

However, pasting a decal and calling it a day isn’t going to create the buzz you want. Turning your fleets from just methods of transportation, to generating lead machines, requires a thoughtful process and some creative juice. Here are six reasons why you need to invest in fleet vehicle graphics.

1) It creates confidence and trust in your business

A well-designed vehicle graphic for your company fleet gives customers confidence in your craft and service.

Think about arriving at your customer’s doorstep with a blank white van versus a van with smart-looking graphics to advertise the business. Having well-displayed and beautifully designed graphics on your van will help you create confidence, as customers will take you seriously since it creates the perception that you mean business.

It shows the effort you put into your brand and image, which translates to the confidence that you’d get the job done professionally. 

2) It can deter thieves

While you may think that a vehicle with flashy graphics will attract the attention of thieves, it’s actually the other way around. Having graphics on your vehicle means that you have an easily identifiable vehicle, which is a big NO for thieves.

They are looking for inconspicuous-looking vehicles that can easily blend in. A theft-deterrent vehicle could also mean cheaper insurance premiums.  

3) It builds credibility for your brand

A professionally designed vehicle signage also gives your business credibility. You’re seen as more trustworthy. Your vehicle stands out among competitors, and would have a higher lead generation rate since these vehicles act as a mobile advertising billboard for your brand.

Looking for ideas for your fleet vehicle graphics? View these fleet vehicle graphics for some inspiration. 

4) It helps to widen your reach to non-customers

Having a good customer base is essential for any business, but to grow, you must also expand your customer base. This means reaching out to your non-customers.

For services such as plumbing, electricians, and gas, customers aren’t going to come to your office because the requirement for these kinds of things happens only when there’s a need.

If your vehicle is driving through a neighborhood en route to a customer’s house, you can get thousands of views and also calls on the very same day, as someone in the neighborhood could have the same problem and needs an immediate fix for their gas, heating, plumbing, or electricity.

The idea here is to boost your presence to anyone that may need your service. 

5) Get more impressions

A wrap on a trailer or bus can generate millions of impressions each year. If your business has a fleet of vehicles, and it’s constantly driven around town, and none of them have any form of graphics related to the business on the vehicle’s body, then you’re losing out on reaching new customers, increasing your brand presence, and creating awareness of your product or service.

Essentially, you’re decreasing your bottom line and missing countless opportunities.

6) It’s cheaper than conventional advertising

Vehicle advertising has the cheapest cost per impression compared to other types of traditional outdoor advertising. The investment you make to get your vehicles adorned with graphics is relatively small compared to the thousands of visual impressions you’ll get in a day.

This type of mobile advertising makes a huge impact, creating useful leads compared to other forms of outdoor advertising and graphics. Nobody will walk up to a white van and ask for a business card. 

And four thing you need to remember when creating fleet vehicle graphics

Convinced that fleet vehicle graphics might be a good idea for your business? Here are four things you need to remember when creating them.

1) Have a consistent message across all platforms

The kind of messages and content you have on your website, social media channels, and other forms of advertising and marketing should carry the same kind of look and feel. It shouldn’t be detached, so customers see the same style and aren’t confused with what your business has to offer.

You may tweak the content to fit the platform, but otherwise, the branding, the tone of voice, the tagline, etc. needs to have the same message, so that the conversion process of the customer won’t be fragmented.  

2) Hire professionals to do it

A solid design and good branding are what make an effective fleet vehicle design. To get this done, you need to reach out to professionals who can help you get the job done the right way. 

3) Keep your design simple

Your vehicle is going to reach plenty of people as it drives through neighborhoods, stops at the coffee place, or is at a customer’s house for a repair.

You need to remember that your customers will only have a few seconds or minutes to see your vehicle whizz pass, which means you need to make your design simple yet memorable. Don’t be too text-heavy and have flashy graphics that distract from your Call-to-Action statement.

4) Show people

If you’re planning to use photos on your design, then make sure it shows just one person (or a few people) and not a large group of people, which can make the design look distracting.

You want your customers to identify with your brand, and the person who would be knocking at their door when they ring you up for your service. Having a human face helps with the recognition of the brand.

At the end of the day, if you have space for advertising, use it. If this is your first time investing in fleet vehicle graphics, then start with something simple, easy to read, and memorable. The main objective here is to start with something simple and build on it.  

Photo by Joel Muniz