As a business owner, you need to spread the word in order to impact the market. Billboard advertising is one traditional channel, with even small billboards costing $2,000-$4,000 a month in Sydney. At the top end of the market, the grain silo billboard overlooking Anzac Bridge costs $250,000 for just 28 days.
Big businesses pay huge amounts of money to advertise on billboards, bus shelters, public transportation, and other locations with foot or vehicle traffic. However, these traditional broadcast channels do not work for all businesses or industry sectors.
If you operate in the construction and engineering space, you need a solution that works for your market and leverages your existing resources.
How many large vehicles do you drive around the city? How many vehicles do you have parked on the side of the road while traffic crawls past? Vehicle signage is an easy, affordable, and highly effective way to boost brand visibility. Why deal with expensive billboards or inefficient bus shelter ads when you can use the resources already at your disposal?
When you work in the construction and engineering sector, long multi-month projects are the norm. Whether your vehicles are driving around the city, sitting in traffic, or parked in a public space, you can benefit from the power of passive brand recognition.
If you're involved with renovation, landscaping, asbestos removal, or similar complex projects, your vehicles can be parked on residential streets for months on end. Vehicle signage is a great way to enhance the visibility of your business in the local community. Word of mouth from neighbours and passers-by is highly effective, as can the kudos you get from working with a local resident.
Don’t underestimate the power of your vehicle as a billboard, calling card, or source of referral.
Like everything else in business, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to vehicle signage. You need to consider the overall purpose of the signage, the likely locations of the vehicle, and the parts of the vehicle that will be viewed the most. If you want potential clients to sit up and pay attention, you need to make smart decisions.
What are you hoping to achieve from the signage? Do you want potential customers to contact you after seeing your vehicle, or do you want to reinforce branding across the fleet? Do you want potential clients to see the side of your vehicle while parked or the tail of your vehicle while in traffic?
Like everything else in branding, consistency is the key to market impact. From utes and vans to small trucks and semi-trailers, you should aim for consistency across all of your road assets.
In order to be effective, vehicle signage needs to be large enough to make an impact and clear enough for the details to cut through. Common elements include a logo, tagline, web address, and phone number — with each highlighted with strong graphics and colour combinations.
Word of warning — there is no place to hide!
Vehicle signage can leave you exposed because the world knows where you work. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, you need to make sure that your team's driving skills and worksite behaviour match the values you are trying to portray.
However, when you're proud of what you do, visibility can only help you to thrive.
For more information on how to use your vehicle to build awareness, please get in touch with Susan at Living Lines.
T: 0410 590 737
E: susan@livinglines.com.au
For more information and branding advice, contact article author and branding expert, Susan Jones, director of Living Lines branding agency on 0410 590 737.
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