08-01-2015

Your van is a mobile billboard.

This was true back in the 1960s where vans would advertise businesses using vinyl stickers. And it’s especially true in today’s modern age of advanced material technology for vinyl wrap sheets, ink and printing.

According to Richard Davies, trade marketing manager for 3M: “The market has moved on from large trucks and more into the van sector. New films and technology make it easier to wrap the more complex shapes of a van compared to the relatively flat sides of a truck.”

Apparently though, van operators are still relatively unaware of vehicle wrapping and the benefits it can offer.

This is same, since the modern wraps offer van users unlimited choice as to how to adorn their vehicle; from a simple company logo all the way to a complete full-body wrap that can dramatically impact everyone who sees it.

A few important resources and considerations for turning your van into a mobile billboard:

• Think about who will apply the wrap before you choose the design
• Talk to other van owners who have wrapped their vehicles to get their opinions
• Consider online resources like 3M-owned site: www.wrapyourcurves.co.uk
• Use a qualified wrapping company to get a professional finish

When you’re considering a company to wrap-up your van, ask to see samples of the colours and the film that will be applied to your vehicle, to make sure it fits your expectation.

In talking about his own experience, Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director of Dominos Pizza, said: “We spend around £1,000 per vehicle to have it wrapped. With 70 vehicles in our fleet, it’s a considerable expense, but when you compare it to traditional billboard advertising it’s a bargain.

“Our vehicles are on a five-year lease plan and the combined mileage of the fleet is 2.1 million miles per year.

They are on the road 365 days a year. If we were to buy the equivalent billboard space in static sites all year round, I don’t think we’d see any change from £2 million.

“It’s hard to evaluate the impact our wrapped vehicles have on awareness of the company and our brand, but now we have our vehicles wrapped we wouldn’t be without it.”

In other words, your van is mobile billboard. Make sure you put something valuable on it.