Running a successful business in the ever-evolving and competitive market is no easy feat. To stand out from the crowd, businesses must adopt innovative and eye-catching marketing strategies that captivate the target audience. One such strategy that has gained significant traction in recent years is vehicle branding. It allows businesses to turn their vehicles into moving billboards, getting their message across in a unique and attention-grabbing manner.
Vehicle branding effectively transforms your company’s vehicles into mobile advertisements, creating impact, on-the-go visibility for your brand. Any type of vehicle can be branded, from cars, vans, and trucks to buses, boats, and even planes, allowing you to reach a wider audience beyond your local storefront or online presence. Additionally, vehicle branding is a cost-effective marketing strategy since branded vehicles tend to have a longer lifespan than traditional advertisements, such as billboards or print ads.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look deeper into the world of vehicle branding and provide insights on how our printing and design expertise can help you make a splash in your industry.
A Comprehensive Guide to Vehicle Branding for Your Business
The Advantages of Vehicle Branding
1. Cost-Effective Marketing
Vehicle branding, which turns your company’s vehicles into mobile advertisements, is a cost-effective marketing solution. Traditional advertising methods like radio ads, billboards, and television commercials often require substantial investments for limited exposure. In contrast, vehicle branding involves a one-time expense followed by years of constant advertising.
2. Wider Reach
Branded vehicles travel through various locations, dramatically improving your brand’s visibility beyond your local area or online presence. As a result, your company can reach numerous potential customers who might not otherwise hear about your products or services.
3. Long-Lasting Impressions
Vehicle wraps and graphics instantly capture attention and leave a lasting impression on those who encounter your branded vehicle. These mobile advertisements are an excellent way for businesses to increase brand recognition and establish a strong presence within their target market.
Selecting the Right Vehicle Branding Method
1. Full Wraps
A full wrap covers the entire exterior of your vehicle with eye-catching, custom-designed graphics. This method offers maximum exposure for your brand and is ideal for businesses seeking to make a significant impact with their advertising. The wrap transforms the vehicle into a moving billboard and safeguards the paintwork underneath, preserving resale value.
2. Partial Wraps (Partial Vehicle Branding)
Partial wraps are a more budget-friendly option, as they only cover specific areas of your vehicle. Businesses can still make a strong impression with a well-designed partial wrap, even with limited budgetary constraints. These wraps allow companies to showcase their logos or promotional messages while maintaining a professional, polished look.
3. Decal Graphics (Vinyl Stickers, Partial Vehicle Branding)
For businesses wanting to keep things simple, decal graphics let you display logos or contact information on various parts of your vehicle. This option is suitable for businesses that don’t want to commit to a full or partial wrap but would still like to capitalize on the vehicle branding opportunity.
Design Tips For Your Branding your car
1. Prioritize Your Messaging
Emphasize your most important brand messages in the design. Don’t clutter the vehicle with multiple messages or themes; keep it focused and straightforward for maximum impact.
2. Choose the Right Color Palette
Color is a vital component of vehicle branding design. Ensure your color choices align with your brand guidelines while also ensuring visibility and contrast against the backdrop of your vehicle’s color.
3. Incorporate High-Quality Images and Logos
Employ high-resolution graphics and logos to convey professionalism and competence in your industry. Blurry images can tarnish your reputation and fail to leave a lasting impression on your target audience.
4. Don’t Neglect Typography
Typography plays a crucial role in how your branded vehicle is perceived. Naturally, it should be legible from a distance and embody your brand’s style. Avoid script or hand-drawn typefaces that often become illegible when viewed from afar.
Maintaining Your Vehicle Branding
Regular Cleaning
Ensure your vehicle branding stays pristine by frequently cleaning the exterior to remove dirt, dust, and debris. Neglecting this can negatively impact your brand image, and the wrap’s durability might be compromised.
Pros and Cons of Vehicle Branding
Vehicle branding is a great way to increase awareness and get people talking about what you do. It’s a great way to get your company and message out there. The wrap can also include phone numbers, social media handles, and QR codes. However, before you brand a car or van, you might want a better idea of what can be achieved and learn about potential downsides.
What are the benefits of vehicle branding?
Here, we explain what makes a branded car or van such a great investment.
It gets your company noticed – There’s no simpler way to advertise than with vehicle branding. Every time you drive, your vehicle will be seen by pedestrians and your fellow drivers alike. Whether you’re in a small town surrounded by homes, on a busy highway, or simply parked up, your brand will continue to be seen. That doesn’t stop until you drive into a garage.
It’s the cheapest form of advertising – You only pay for a wrap once, and it’s highly affordable. Contrast that with pay-per-click advertising, which can run into hundreds or even thousands per week – with no certainty you’ll even reach the right people. A branded vehicle doesn’t cost you anything per view. Our article on wrapping ROI vs traditional advertising looks at this in more detail.
Vehicle branding is durable – A branded wrap protects the paintwork beneath from dirt, bird droppings, and light scratches. But how long will your vehicle branding last before it must be replaced? A well-applied vinyl wrap can survive more than 5 years when taken care of. For advice on maximizing its lifespan, check out our guide on wrap aftercare.
Branding builds trust – Like it or not, white vans have a poor reputation. Branded vans and cars explain what you’re about, and so they put people at ease. It’s much less faceless, and it also makes the company look much more professional.
You can generate actual data – It’s not for everyone, but by putting unique contact data on each vehicle, you can see how many leads you’re getting from each wrap. This can help you decide which locations get you the most profit. For example, if more calls are coming from a branded vehicle in one town, you’ll know to travel there more often
What are the downsides of vehicle branding?
An article on the pros and cons of vehicle branding should list the downsides too. Take a look and see if any of these might put you off.
You’re not ready for the attention – Too much, too soon, and you might not be able to screen the calls. To make the most of your wrap, you’ll ideally have a way to qualify your leads and sift out the time wasters. If you just want as many inquiries as possible, then you won’t have a problem.
It’s an indicator of financial status – To be clear, there’s no evidence to suggest that branding a vehicle increases the chance of theft or vandalism. Still, it’s something to be mindful of. If you’re concerned, you can add a notice stating that no equipment is stored in the van overnight.
There are small-scale alternatives – Not everyone needs a lot of inbound inquiries. You can still build trust with a printed magnetic vehicle decal for cheap. These are very budget-friendly, allowing you to showcase your logo on the move at very little cost.
Vehicle branding takes a professional – If you do go for a vehicle wrap, you’ll have to look after it. You’ll also need to prepare the surface beforehand by cleaning it thoroughly and taking care of any major defects – especially if you want your branding to last for years to come.
What materials are used in vehicle branding?
Vehicle wrapping is done using sheets of vinyl. This synthetic material also used for printed lettering, sticks to the bodywork, and is easily removed.
How much does it cost to brand a vehicle in Kenya?
The average cost of vehicle branding in Kenya is between Kshs. 18000 and Kshs. 65000. For wrapping a fleet of 3 or more vehicles will usually net a per-vehicle discount, giving you money off the full total.
Partial Branding (half wraps) are cheaper, and simple graphics (like signwriting and a logo) can be as low as Kshs. 6500.
The cost of vehicle branding is determined by the type of vehicle as well as its size.
Need help branding your vehicle?
It all starts with a vehicle template and the help of a graphic designer. The designer uses the template to show how your vehicle will look with the branding applied. This needs to be accurate, as it’s then used by the installation team. So, what should you do?
Spend just 30 minutes with one of our in-house designers! They’ll create your template from scratch and present a 3D render so you can see how your vehicle will look once it’s fully branded. This is all shown to you live on screen.
Summary
Though the vehicle branding process may seem cumbersome, those who embark on this innovative marketing strategy can reap significant rewards.
By prioritizing visibility, incorporating well-crafted design, and selecting the right branding option for your business, you can extend your reach, create lasting impressions, and ultimately increase revenue.
Partner with our experienced team of graphic designers and printing professionals to bring your vision to life and transform your business vehicles into powerful marketing tools.
Get in touch with us at Azuri Promo Shop Ltd today to discuss your vehicle branding project!
