Article: Vehicle Wraps, Vehicle Graphics, Fleet Graphics

Move Your Message with Vehicle Wraps

For businesses looking to reach a broad audience with a vibrant, cutting-edge message, vehicle wraps are a perfect solution. You've seen them before—you're driving down the street or strolling along the sidewalk and you see a car, truck, or bus that looks as though it has been given a very expensive and mind-boggling custom paint job. Then you notice the design carries an advertising message, emblazoned in bright bold colors, encompassing every inch of the vehicle, even the windows.

It's not an expensive custom paint job. It's a vehicle wrap—a high-resolution, custom-made vinyl graphic that is applied to a truck, car, bus, or just about anything that moves. Wrapping a vehicle is like applying a big durable sticker over the vehicle’s exterior surface. The full-color printed vinyl is applied directly over the existing paint. The wrap is very durable, but is removable when it’s time for a new message or the vehicle is to be sold.

Wraps are designed by professional graphic designers working closely with the client. The wrap is printed on a solvent inkjet printer using a digital CMYK process that prints full color images onto premium wrap vinyl. The inks are specially designed not to fade for up to three years. Once the vinyl wrap is printed, it’s laminated with a gloss or matte overlaminate to help protect the surface from scratches and other damage.

It usually takes about three or four days to apply the wrap to the vehicle. This allows enough time for detailing the vehicle, applying the wrap, and allowing it to cure prior to the vehicle returning to service on the street.

Increase Your Exposure With Vehicle, Fleet, or Bus Graphics

Why go with a vehicle wrap? It’s a highly cost-effective moving billboard. Nothing gets your message before the public more clearly or more quickly than company vehicle wraps. Mobile advertising can be a highly effective form of outdoor advertising, reaching more consumers at a lower Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) than any other form of outdoor advertising. Just one delivery truck with an attention-getting vehicle wrap has the ability to generate millions of marketing impressions per year! The United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration reports there are seven million miles of roads and highways in the U.S. Every mile can be yours with a mobile graphic message.

The consumer demographics are impressive. More than 95% of Americans can be reached by media targeting vehicle drivers and passengers. According to the Arbitron Outdoor Study, heavy commuters and people who drive a lot of miles have attractive socioeconomic profiles, including higher incomes, higher education, and higher numbers of children in the family.

Drivers and passengers are just some of the people who see and remember vehicle wraps. The other big target group is pedestrians. Imagine you wanted to target only people who shop at high-end stores. To reach this audience, just have your wrapped vehicle cruise down the most exclusive shopping street in town. How about racing fans? Send the vehicle to the racetrack, or better yet, follow the race circuit from town to town. College students? Send the wrapped vehicle on a tour of college campuses. With a mobile graphic message, there is no better way to target and reach a specific consumer demographic.

With a vehicle wrap, each and every day a company’s message is seen by thousands of potential customers. There's no spam filter for vehicle wrap. Consumers can't turn it off, fast forward, or change the channel. There are no pop-up blockers, and consumers don't have to click on a link to view it. Unlike junk mail, it can’t be thrown in the garbage, and unlike a telemarketer, customers can’t hang up on it. It’s right there in plain sight, and most people can’t help but look.

Billboards are stationary. On a highway location, chances are the same commuters will see the same message over and over again. With mobile graphics, the message travels and is seen by new prospects every day. Businesses can target special events, audience segments, or locations at a fraction of the cost of other advertising media. The flexibility and mobility of mobile graphics provides for a cost-effective and broad-reaching advertising and marketing message.

Flexibility is key. The message can be sent almost anywhere, anytime. When marketing requirements change, the vinyl can be removed and a new wrap applied. The information can be updated at any time with a partial patch or a replacement panel.

For Businesses, Non-profits, Civic Organizations

A sole proprietor could place a car wrap on his or her company car—the one they drive home every night. Retail stores wrap their delivery trucks so that every delivery reinforces their message. Fleets provide maximum coverage throughout a market area. Those looking to advertise while hauling goods or equipment choose a trailer wrap.

No other form of advertising offers a lower cost per impression than mobile graphics.

Stephen Hoey is President of KDF Reprographics, Inc. located in Rockleigh, New Jersey, and Warwick, NY. KDF's Color Graphics Division specializes in wide format services including banners, posters, wall murals and vehicle graphics, cut vinyl, trade show displays and more. He can be reached 888-533-2667, Steve@kdf-comp.com or on the web at http://www.kdf-comp.com/.