If you’re already using vehicles to go between jobs, clients or to deliver items, you may as well make use of it! Think of vehicle signage as a moveable billboard to shout about your business.
When investing in new signage for a company, we usually think of fascias, a few window vinyls, or maybe a decal for an internal wall. But have you considered expanding your branding outside of your property? We are talking about vehicle graphics, car signage and transport advertising of course! As one of the most impactful, versatile, and striking ways to get your branding or advertising in front of as many people as possible, vehicle graphics are a huge opportunity for businesses. In this guide, we’re taking a look at why they’re so effective and beloved by small and large businesses alike.
What are Vehicle Graphics?
Vehicle graphics are a type of visual marketing that sits on the side of your car, truck, lorry, bus or taxi (or milk float – they are making a comeback!) which serves the purpose of either directly advertising your product or displaying your brand assets on the vehicle to increase brand recognition across a wide geographical area.
Types of vehicle graphics and wrapping
There are a few different ways that you can add graphics to a vehicle. The choice of signage will depend on the intended purpose, budget, and personal preference of the business or individual, as well as the type of vehicle it will be going on. Let’s take a look at the most popular forms of vehicle graphics:
Vehicle Wraps
A full or partial vehicle wrap is one of the most popular forms of vehicle signage and both types can be made up of text, images, and branding elements.
A full vehicle wrap involves covering the entire vehicle bumper to bumper to gain attention from every direction.
Partial body wraps can cover anything from a quarter to three-quarters of the vehicle. They work particularly well on neutral-coloured cars, making them stand out with minimal additions to the car itself.
Vinyl Lettering & Decals
If you are less eager to fully or partially cover your entire vehicle (some businesses and sectors work better with a more classic, minimal branding choice), or if you want to try out vehicle graphics without having to fully invest in a full wrap, you could always choose kiss cut vinyl lettering or decals.
This involves the use of vinyl lettering to display a business name, logo, or contact information on the side or rear of a vehicle. It can be an extremely cost-effective way to promote a business and brand your vehicles at the same time, with minimal effort.
Window Decals
These are vinyl graphics that are applied to the windows of a vehicle. They can include text, images, and branding elements, and can be attached on either side of the glass. There are some regulations about where you can and cannot place window graphics (especially at the front of the vehicle), to ensure that they do not impact the driver’s visibility or create a safety hazard.
There are also options for rear window graphics and decals, with vinyl choices made with contravision, to ensure that the glass can still be seen through from inside the vehicle.
Livery Graphics
Vehicle graphics can also help to brand vehicles when a business has a fleet of delivery trucks, cars or transport means. They can either all match or be branded slightly differently, depending on their routes, jobs or purposes. The much-loved Ocado delivery vans are utilised in this way, with customers getting notified of what particular vehicle design to look out for.
These are just some of the types of vehicle signage available. There will be other ways to use your vehicle, fleet or transport as a form of advertising, such as physical signage that is attached to the vehicle in some way (boards fitted to a pizza delivery car roof, for example) but these are far too varied and bespoke to cover in their entirety in one blog post!
Why small businesses should consider vehicle graphics
Now that we’ve looked at the what, let’s look at why you should consider investing in vehicle graphics and car signage for your business. If you’re unsure about whether it would be worth investing in car signage, it helps to think about how often customers or potential clients see your vehicle: The average UK driver spends a huge 25 days of the year in their car, so just think how many views your car signage will get within its lifetime.
Increased Brand Awareness
Vehicle signage can help to increase brand awareness by displaying the business name, logo, and contact information on a moving vehicle. This can help to attract attention and create a memorable impression on potential customers.
In the same way, as television adverts work for global brands, getting your name out and about and seen will help build brand recall and recognition for your company, meaning that the public will remember you the next time they need your particular service. Plus, it can aid in building your standing within the community by raising your physical presence as a local business.
Cost-Effective Advertising
Vehicle signage is a cost-effective advertising option compared to other traditional advertising methods like billboards or TV commercials. Compared with traditional OOH advertising – which is usually only short term and which will have to abide by the rules of the company lending out the ad space – you can easily see that vehicle graphics give you more for your money: When you consider the number of eyes vehicle signage gets in front of and knowing that once the vehicle signage is installed, it can continue to reach a large audience without any additional cost.
Targeted Advertising
Vehicle signage can also be used to allow businesses to reach a targeted audience within a specific geographic area. For example, a local plumbing company can display its logo and contact information on its service van, which can be seen by potential customers in the local area.
Professional Image
Vehicle signage can help small businesses create a professional image by displaying a cohesive and consistent branding message across all vehicles in their fleet. This can help to build credibility and trust with potential customers, especially as it shows longevity and investment in your business.
Mobile Advertising
Unlike stationary advertisements (either on your premises or in the form of posters and billboards) car signage and vehicle graphics are not constrained to one location, time frame and customer type. As the vehicle drives around, it will be exposing your brand to a whole different demographic, and a more diverse range of people than simply those who are walking past your store.
Fully flexible
If you own the vehicle you have complete creative control over what your graphics will look like, and thus how your business will appear. Put as much or as little information, imagery, colours and patterns as you wish, and leave it on your vehicle for as long as you like. Also, car signage has the extra benefit of being utterly flexible. Unlike your main fascia sign, or logo design that will become a huge part of your brand awareness campaign, car signage can be easily altered, replaced or removed entirely.
Commonly asked questions about vehicle signage:
Will vehicle graphics and signage damage my paintwork?
When applied correctly, any vehicle wrap or signage will not affect your paintwork. In fact, the vinyl coating could help protect it, as it will act as a buffer between the debris of the road and your paint underneath.
How long does vehicle signage last?
Well-made, high-quality vinyl wraps and decals will last a minimum of five years, with many lasting much longer when properly cared for.
Which type of vehicle can I put signage on?
Pretty much any vehicle can be used for advertising, with wraps and signage. This ranges from electric scooters, cars of all sizes, taxis, vans, lorries, trucks, and buses… we’ve even been known to create decals for boats and racing cars! There will be some legal guidelines and caveats for the types of exposure some vehicles will get, but we can guide your options on these points.
How do I remove vehicle graphics?
In a word, don’t – get the experts to do it While some signage may be temporary in nature and easy to peel off, if there’s even a slight chance that you are not sure, please don’t attempt to remove them yourself, you may ruin the paintwork of the vehicle. Instead, get in touch with whoever installed the imagery and ask them about it or get them to remove it themselves.
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Have we convinced you of all the benefits of vehicle graphics and car signage? If you’re already using vehicles to go between jobs, clients or to deliver items, you may as well make use of it! Think of it as a moveable billboard that will shout about your business while you move from place to place. Get in touch with us today to get started.