HVACR contracting is a competitive business. While demand is high, so is the supply of firms and workers offering these services, so contracting businesses must do all they can to stand out. Fleet vehicle graphics are one of the best ways to do that. When people think of marketing strategies, vehicle design and decals may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, they’re often a better advertising solution than billboards, internet ads, and other media for this industry.
Small businesses like HVACR contracting firms often spend just over 1% of their revenue1 on advertising. That doesn’t leave much room for ad variety, so contractors need to prefer the most effective, cost-efficient marketing channels. Fleet vehicle graphics, specifically fleet wraps, are the ideal solution for most contracting firms.
Vehicle wraps are heavy-duty vinyl graphics that adhere to virtually any vehicle surface. They cling tightly to exteriors and are often indistinguishable from paint at a distance. However, unlike painted designs, they’re easily interchangeable. Contractors can use these wraps to decorate fleets with the company name, contact information, mottos and more. Here are a few of the most significant fleet wrap benefits when used as an advertising medium.
Photo credit: Magnolia Heating & Cooling
Fleet vehicle wraps can make far more impressions a day than other marketing channels. Unlike TV or internet ads, wraps are continuously visible to anyone who sees the vehicle. Potential customers can’t click away or change the channel. Since vans move throughout the city as contractors work, there is the potential to reach a broader audience.
According to a study by the Transportation Advertising Council of America (TACA) one vehicle advertising generates between 30,000 and 70,000 daily impressions – and those impressions have a high efficacy rate. As contractors drive to a job, everyone they pass will see their information. Passers-by will see their van-side advertisement parked in front of the building contractors are working in. Fleet wrap benefits match all the advantages of a billboard but with the added benefits of mobility. Wherever companies go during the day, they’ll advertise their services.
Photo credit: PerfectTemp Air Conditioning & Pool Heating
Fleet wrap advertising benefits go beyond the number of people they reach. They also leave a longer-lasting impression, too. Studies show that 91% of people notice truck side ads2 and can recall their details days later. These impressions are powerful enough to motivate further action, too. Two-thirds of people say their first impression of a company came from fleet vehicle graphics, and one-third based their buying decision on it. That level of memorability and motivation is rare across other advertising media.
Fleet wrap ads are often simple, portraying little more than a short slogan, attractive design, and basic contact information. This simplicity helps people remember the colorful designs. People also see it repeatedly if they’re near the vehicle in traffic, and this continuous presence helps retain information.
Photo credit: LBA Services
Another advantage of fleet vehicle wraps is that they’re non-disruptive. Many other ad types, interrupt or otherwise interfere with consumers’ other activities. Whether it’s a commercial interrupting the show they’re watching, an ad interrupting their social media feed, or a sponsor ad in the middle of an online video, they can be annoying and disruptive.
Fleet wraps have the unique advantage of being continuously visible while not interrupting anything. The average American spends 36 hours in traffic3 a year, giving them plenty of time to read a vehicle wrap when they’re not doing anything else but sitting at a light or driving behind the truck on the road. Wraps also don’t always feel like ads, but rather a vehicle design or nametag. When an ad doesn’t feel like an ad, anyone who sees it may be more receptive to its message.
Photo credit: LCS Heating & Cooling
Affordability is another enticing fleet wrap benefit for HVACR contractors. Digital advertising is the dominant strategy for most marketing campaigns today, but it comes with ongoing costs. When companies opt in for paid advertising programs, they are required to pay for clicks, impressions, or time periods, and as soon as they stop paying, those ads disappear. Fleet vehicle graphics can continuously deliver value for one payment. Once contractors pay for the original wrap, they don’t need to pay any ongoing fees to keep it on the side of their van or truck. The advertisement will remain there until the company sells the vehicle or changes the wrap. The lack of recurring expenses and fleet wraps’ high impression levels create a remarkable ROI. Vehicle graphics advertisements can deliver more than 600 impressions per dollar, almost double that of billboards and ten times cable TV ads.
Of course, vinyl wraps aren’t the only vehicle graphics method. Contractors could also paint their designs on vehicle sides, but wraps have several advantages over these more traditional approaches.
Wraps are often more affordable than paint. A basic wrap costs between $2,000 and $4,0004, roughly $1,000 less than a paint job of similar quality and size. Wraps are also easier to clean and maintain than paint, reducing ongoing care time and expenses while keeping vehicle graphics looking good.
Professionals can also remove wraps and apply new ones without damaging the paint and with minimal costs. Removing and reapplying paint is a far more intensive and expensive process. Considering all these factors, wraps are the most cost-effective way to customize fleet vehicle graphics.
Photo credit: iComfort Heating & Air
Fleet vehicle graphics are one of the most important marketing tools for HVACR contractors. Vinyl wraps are affordable, look good, make lasting impressions, reach a broader audience, and enable low-cost changes and upgrades to marketing campaigns. These benefits are hard to ignore in a sector as competitive as HVACR contracting.
Surviving as a business is about more than offering a competitive service. Contracting firms must also catch the public’s eye to let them know about the quality they deliver. Fleet wraps are the ideal medium to reach that end.
Emily Newton is the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized, an online magazine discussing the latest industry innovations and trends. To learn more, visit https://emilyjnewton.com/
1 Small Business TRENDS, https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/04/
2 Advertising Vehicles, The Marketing Power of Fleet Graphics, The Power of Fleet Graphics | Advertising Vehicles
3 Revolutionized, How Can Logistics Professionals Deal With Urban Congestion Issues? - Revolutionized.com
4 Carfax, Vinyl Car Wraps: Cost & Benefits vs. Painting, http://www.carfax.com
All you need to know about SEER Ratings and HVAC regulation changes for 2023
A regular contributor, Newton advises on the importance of automation and 5G for every contractor
Tips on what to look for when choosing a reputable HVACR Training program
All you need to know about one of the best ways for HVACR owners to advertise – investing in fleet wraps
Simple adjustments to vehicle fleet management processes can help HVACR business owners cut down costs and make life easier for their team.
