Vehicle Graphic

Vehicle Graphic

You can turn your vehicle into a rolling advertisement. Costs start at just a few dollars, and you can put your business name, slogan, phone number and web site URL in front of thousands of potential customers while you are driving along the freeway, stuck in traffic or even while you are parked. Here are some of the best ways to use your vehicle as a marketing tool.

Bumper stickers are so inexpensive that you may want to print enough for employees, friends, family members, customers and others. Publisher Susan Sabo of Small Dogs Press made bumper stickers saying, "I do bad things for love," along with the Small Dogs web site URL. The line is from one of their books, and everyone who sees the bumper sticker wants one. Sabo sells them at her web site, and gives them away at book fairs. Of course, she has one on her car, and says she has given them to all of her friends, too.

License plate frames are a favorite of car dealers and auto repair shops, but they can work for any business. You can have them custom made with your business name or slogan, along with a phone number or URL.

Magnetic signs are an easy and low-cost way to put a lot of information on your car. Put them on both sides of the car, and make sure the lettering is large enough to read, even from a distance and when the vehicle is in motion. Personal chef Sue Gaughenbaugh added an effective twist to this idea. She bought a supply of magnetic business cards and placed them around the sign on her truck. When customers see her truck in a parking lot, they can pick up a card to take with them. Gaughenbaugh started getting calls from new customers within days of putting the take-away magnetic cards on her truck.

Vinyl decals and window stickers are a highly visible way to promote your web site. Put the URL in large letters across the width of your rear windshield. After all, you never know who might be behind you in traffic. This is most effective if you have a catchy and descriptive domain name. Custom stickers are available at prices starting under $20.

You can order many of these items from local printers and sign shops. Or, do an online search for companies that can create bumper stickers, magnetic signs, decals and other promotional items.

And when you are ready to go all-out, consider a vehicle wrap. These vinyl decals look like a custom paint job and cover your entire vehicle with bright, high-quality graphics. This is not a do-it-yourself project, but you can hire companies such as http://www.coloredink.com to design and install the graphics. At an estimated cost of $3,500, this option is much more expensive than the others described here, but it will certainly make an impression on the other drivers you encounter.

When your car is a traveling billboard, the time you spend in traffic will become more productive.

Copyright Cathy Stucker. As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker can help you attract customers and make yourself famous with creative strategies that help your business excel. Get free tips and discover what she can do for you at http://www.IdeaLady.com/.

As a Graphic Designer, How much should I charge to design a graphic for a Vehicle Wrap?

I'm not sure who your client is or what kind of vehicle your designing. I have done several, mostly for a news station (SUVs, Vans, and satellite truck). Take into account that the actual wrap will probably cost your client 4-6 thousand USD on average. I would take into account how many vehicles they are going to wrap and how much money your client has to work with. If this is a small company wrapping one vehicle it would be inadvisable to ask for 2k, as it will most likely deplete their budget and they will turn somewhere else. If a large company, wrapping an entire fleet, 2-3k would be very doable. Take into account the complexity of the design. Think about the exposure of the vehicle. Is this going to be driving around a city, are people going to respond to this, or is this something in a less populated place offering a very specific thing that not everyone will care for.

I would highly recommend steering away from an hourly rate. I have had designs in the past that only took me an hour or two, so it would have been highly foolish of me to invoice them for such a short time. Instead take into account everything I have said above in conjunction with your time and ask for a single amount. Be realistic and considerate of your client. If they feel uneasy with the price, negotiate, its good to be able to explain why you are charging a certain amount (reasons above)