We’ll remember 2020 as the Year of Staying Home. What we first thought would be three-weeks of confinement to thwart COVID-19’s spread ultimately mutated into year-long, in-home detention for many. However, though most of us have become increasingly ensconced in our homes, vehicle-fleet operators required to make deliveries to consumers sheltering in place remained relatively busy. An unemployment surge last spring triggered an economic slowdown, but, as jobless numbers steadied, economic activity grew – particularly certain staples, such as coffee and cleaning products, that are essential to maintaining some semblance of quality of life when sequestered in the home.
Since early last year, the promotional powerhouse that walls of vans, trailers, and box trucks provided have primarily gone to waste! With a hidebound population that was less likely to be driving and unable to see their promotional messages. But, as the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines widens among the people, barriers to re-engaging in public life will disappear. As we begin to feel more comfortable circulating to frequent stores, gyms and restaurants, and other common destinations, fleet graphics’ impact will again resonate. Fleet owners and operators must be prepared to capitalize.
The data supporting fleet graphics’ bottom-line impact is compelling. Here are several examples:
An American Trucking Association study found that 98% of consumers believe fleet graphics create a positive image for the company they represent. In comparison, 96% found fleet graphics to be more impactful than other forms of out-of-home (OOH) media.
A Nielsen advertising study indicated that OOH advertising generates nearly fourfold more online activations per ad dollar than TV, radio, and print. Also, Outdoor Advertising Assn. of America research found that each dollar spent on outdoor media resulted in almost $3 in sales, which provides a higher return rate than other forms of advertising.
An ARD Ventures study revealed that vehicle wraps capture 30,000 daily impressions. The American Trucking Assn. Conducted a study that, when fleet wraps are navigating streets in large urban areas, the number of average daily impressions rises to a stratospheric 65,000. Think about that. While your fleet of vans, trailers, and box trucks deliver the product to your customers, your brand is registering with thousands of potential customers. Every. Single. Day.
A 2019 Nielsen survey revealed that 64% of respondents noticed vehicle wraps in the past month, and 44% of those surveyed observed vehicle wraps within the past week. That’s more than any other transit media and even exceeded poster billboards. This broad exposure leads to tens of thousands of impressions per day that can help companies build brand awareness and/or reinforce their brand image.
You could fill copious printed pages or GBs or hard-drive space to the benefits that printed fleet graphics provide for your business. Think in terms of your brand, your business, and how it is perceived. As vaccinations move forward, and people feel more confident to move about or follow their jobs’ migration from home-based into offices, society becomes more mobile. The number of impressions your fleet graphics will generate will resume and perhaps even exceed pre-pandemic levels.
As social and economic activity normalizes, how will your present your brand? Will prospective customers see your brand fail to capitalize through unadorned fleets? Or with cut-vinyl letters that make your brand appear obsolete and antiquated?
One pre-pandemic study indicated that the average consumer drives an average of 159 miles per week. Keep in mind that this average includes home-based entrepreneurs and stay-at-home parents who do little driving. Many millions of citizens drive, or soon will drive, considerably further on their weekly commutes to work or trips for goods and services. You need to be prepared.
The previously mentioned statistics address the far-reaching visual impact that branded fleets provide. Don’t forget about their unmatched cost-effectiveness. According to data by OAAA and 3m, vehicle wraps deliver an average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) of 77 cents. For high-volume fleets, the CPM averages 48 cents! That’s more than 1,000 impressions per $1 spent for single-vehicle wraps and more than 2,000 impressions for fleet graphics.
There’s no better investment you can make in your business than upgrading your brand through a new fleet-graphic campaign. As more citizens receive vaccinations and more companies resume pre-pandemic operations, economic demand pent up for the past year by economic challenges and social restrictions will be unleashed. Be ready to capitalize.
“Being ready” for our return to economic normalcy will likely mean more than the status quo for your brand. The “new normal” for U.S. consumers is likely to differ from the habits they had before COVID-19’s outbreak. As purchasers develop new habits, competitions for their dollars intensifies.
It becomes more important than ever to grab their attention when there’s an opportunity.
Could you make the most of our opportunity? Consider giving your company’s brand a complete refresh. When was the last time that you updated your company’s logo or slogan? There’s no better opportunity to reinvent your company and its image. What better way to unveil a new logo and brand story than through its fleet graphics? This cost-effective medium is ideal for revealing a new corporate image in an image-forward, customer-facing platform. It’s a perfect catalyst for reimagining your brand; these logos and taglines can be readily repurposed as collateral for websites, tradeshow graphics, stationery, apparel, and countless other potential promotional opportunities.
There’s no better chance for companies to seize the opportunity to make an impression on current and prospective customers than when they’re driving. When they’re home, consumers are besieged by commercial messages. They’re likely viewing content from more than one source at a given time: a TV, laptop, phone, etc. Competing stimuli simultaneously bombard them with commercial messages. When
