The biggest obstacle for a small business is brand recognition. Large corporations get their brands out to the consumer through expensive ad campaigns, but most small business owners cannot afford those flashy campaigns. Smaller businesses and new start-ups have to get creative when it comes to finding advertising opportunities that they can afford.
One of the more creative and most affordable campaign options is car wrapping. This simply means you go to a professional service to turn your vehicle into a moving billboard. An actual billboard over a popular highway may be out of your budget at this point, but you can still get that level of exposure in your local community.
Wherever the vehicle goes, you gain exposure for your brand. Others will get so used to seeing your company vehicles that they will think of you first when they need a company offering your products and services. Stationary billboards grab attention with flashy colors and interesting text, but they are limited to the people that drive by their location. Your moving billboard will get tons of attention from a variety of streets and neighborhoods, and it can be every bit as flashy and eye-catching.
The most obvious way to use car wraps to benefit your business would be to wrap all vehicles used for business purposes. How often do you see company vehicles with logos and other designs that catch your eye? Even when the advertisement is for a company you are very familiar with, these cars still tend to grab your attention. If you happen to need services or products offered by a company and their moving billboard was in front of you at a stop light, there is a good chance you would give them a call.
A good example of this is the Geek Squad car you have no doubt seen out on the road. Best Buy is a large corporation with a substantial advertising budget, but they still make use of car wrapping to ensure branding in local communities. Wherever the Geek Squad heads, people see that brand name. You can guarantee they get business from their car wraps, or the company would not continue to pay for this type of advertising.
Many small businesses don't have company vehicles, but that doesn't mean this form of creative advertising is off limits. Many small business owners have their personal vehicles wrapped with their logos and branding information. If you are wrapping a personal vehicle you actually have an advantage because you can get more creative and really make your design stand out. Even if you have business vehicles to be wrapped, you may choose to wrap a personal vehicle in a splashier, more fun design.
Many of the traditional forms of advertising for small businesses have become outdated and useless. For instance, newspaper ads do not get much attention since most people are now getting their news online. Advertising through the internet is catching on around the world, so companies have to get creative with their local offline promotions. Car wraps are an affordable option that will never go out of style!
