Vans and cars emblazoned with your company logo and colours can be powerful marketing tools, therefore fleet marketing is worth considering as a way for promoting your business.
The background
The estate agents of Foxton’s are well-known in the south east for zooming around the streets in their branded green Mini Coopers. The vehicles both advertise the company’s services as well as adding to their flashy go-getting image. Fleet marketing is also an idea that the service sector has utilised to great effect for many years; plumbers, electricians, home-delivery companies all use branded vans to stand out from the rest of the traffic. Signage and livery companies offer full vehicle wrapping services where they will cover your vehicle in printed vinyl containing your colours and logos. This can have the effect of making it look like nothing else on the road and will promote your business wherever it goes. Livery companies estimate that about 80% of vans are white so you are going to attract attention.
Getting a livery
If you are getting a livery then you need to be sure you are happy with your own branding as the time and cost of replacing it if you decide to re-brand is a headache you could do without. Liveries are just another element a brand design agency can throw into the mix. Once you have the graphics then the signage company will be able to create the vinyl sheets which they will add on to your vehicle. If you are already using a leasing company then they may recommend a company for you to use and might be able to negotiate a deal on your behalf, however you can go direct. A list of some in the market can be found here http://www.fleetdirectory.co.uk/livery_and_graphics.
Vinyl wrapping is cheaper than painting and it also means that initially you can order white vans and brand them at your leisure. Find out if your livery company offers cheaper deals for repeat service as you may be adding more vehicles to your fleet as you grow. Check that the livery company will offer to remove the signage when the time comes to dispose of the vehicle. You should be able to sell your van free from your branding and with its (white) paintwork unblemished and this will help maintain its residual value. Also, it would obviously be a bad idea to allow anyone outside your company to drive a branded vehicle. Criminals are known to use such vans and this can cause complications.
Top tips
• Spend plenty of time and if necessary money getting your branding right
• Train your drivers to handle customers
• Log how many calls you get as a result of your vehicles presence, but using some form of code
• Aim for uniformity in your fleet, as it will project a stronger image