Using branded vehicles is one of the oldest marketing techniques known to man. It can be a low-cost way to spread your brand in your community and some companies have used it as their main marketing tool for years.
Too many people make mistakes when trying to brand tier vehicles, however, and end up not getting the results they hoped for. Making mistakes is normal, but make too many and you could end up spending much more money than you can afford.
Tips using branded vehicles correctly
Here are some tips for using branded vehicles correctly. And always remember the fact that there is no reason why you shouldn’t hire marketing professionals to help you. At the end of the day, if you do not know much about properly branding vehicles, the smart choice is to work with someone that does.
Tip #1. Know the Rules of Sound Branding Design
Commercial vehicle wraps can be an effective way to boost brand awareness, but only if they’re designed correctly. The most important part when branding your vehicle is clarity. If people are able to know immediately what your product and service are about and how they can reach you, half of the job will already be done.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to tell your business’s whole story or cramming on as much information as you can. Keep things clean and simple and focus on providing information on how people can get to you.
Also, it is very important to understand the fact that printing quality does matter. In order to save money, way too many companies choose lower quality print jobs. They think it is not important since what is printed will be clear enough from a distance.
The problem though is that low quality printing never looks great when you are close to the vehicle. This low quality will reflect pretty badly on your company and you surely do not want that.
Tip #2. Make Things Interesting
Simple doesn’t have to mean boring. Playful design with nice graphic elements presented properly can make a strong statement while still looking professional. The most important part is not overwhelming and confusing people with contrasting messages. You also have to consider your line of business.
Cartoonish pictures might work great for a plumber or delivery service, but not so much for a firm that handles infrastructure projects. So, take the time to think about the artistic direction for your branding, and look at best practices in your field.
Obviously, several things have already been done and it is quite difficult these days to stand out. However, with the help of a branding specialist, this becomes simple.
The important thing here is to conduct a good market research. When you want to make your branding interesting and appealing, you need to have your target audience in mind. The minimalistic approach is definitely one that works but there are always some small elements you could add in order to make things very interesting.
Have your designer come up with several options so you can choose the very best one. And make sure the designer works based on the report of the research team for the best results.
Tip #3. Use All Parts of Your Vehicle
One thing you shouldn’t forget is that vehicles are 3D objects, and every part besides the top and bottom will be visible to most of the public. One of the biggest mistakes people make is not properly branding the back of their vehicle. However, they fail to realize how many people will be looking at their vehicles from the back and from how long.
Do not underestimate how powerful that can be. Just branding the back properly with your contact information could significantly boost visibility with drivers who are trailing you and waiting behind you in traffic. You never know when you will get some business simply because you had your phone number on the back of a company truck.
Also, there is no real limitation in regards to what you can put on the back of the vehicle. Be creative with this part too for the best possible branding results.
Tip #4. Make Sure that the Information is Visible from a Distance
The easier your information is to read from a distance, the more people you’ll be able to reach. This is why you need to use thick and highly visible fonts if you want to make the best impact.
Anything that’s cursive will be too tough to read. Sans serif fonts are usually best and fonts like Arial and Helvetica are perfect for this application. If you want to stand out, let the colors and other style elements do the work.
A very good and experienced designer will easily be able to choose the best possible fonts so that all important information is visible from a distance. Just make sure that you do not add too many elements since this would make even perfectly chosen elements too cluttered.
Tip #5. Use Professional Images
If you’re going to be using images on your vehicles, you have to make sure that they are taken professionally. The company you’re working with may be able to enhance them a bit, but poor pictures will reflect poorly on your brand and any imperfection will be amplified.
A very common mistake is choosing free stock imagery. This is an error because several other brands will most likely use it. The same can go for the paid images since there are never limits on how many can use the images you buy.
Whenever possible, try to shoot your own photographs. This is basically the best way to guarantee the uniqueness of your designs.
Conclusions
Branded vehicles can be extremely powerful, but they can also fall flat if you don’t know how to design them properly. This is why you will need to take your time and be ready to make some adjustments until you find something that works.
As already hinted above, there are different ways to improve the efficiency of your vehicle branding. However, at the end of the day, the most important asset is the staff you have working on your brands. Invest in people and the best designs will become reality.
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