Mobile Wraps: Are They Worth the Investment?
Virtually every American travels in an automobile each week as either a driver or a passenger. Locally, fleet vehicles such as Comcast and Franz Bread are a common sight along local streets and highways. Sure, these mobile wraps are eye-catching, but how does an investment in vehicle advertising measure up for a smaller business, for whom each dollar spent is carefully weighed against its potential return?
3M reports that a company would need to pay over $130,000 in other advertising methods to generate the exposure that a $4,000 auto wrap generates. That’s a massive saving!
Vehicle wrapping offers an excellent opportunity to reach commuters on the highways and city streets. Unlike traditional media, which only reaches a target audience with specific interests or at a particular location, vehicle wraps have the ability to achieve a range of demographics because they are always moving. Studies show that consumers who see a message repeatedly show higher advertiser awareness, brand recall, and purchase behavior.
Vehicle Wraps Cost vs. ROI
The actual out-of-pocket cost for a wrap depends on a lot of factors, mostly the size and shape of the vehicle, as well as the amount of design work necessary. For a full-color change wrap, most passenger cars (including SUVs and minivans) run about $2200-$4000, while larger vehicles like commercial vans and box trucks run about $2800-$6000. According to the Transportation Advertising Council, mobile wraps generates between 30,000-70,000 daily visual impressions. This results in an estimated cost of around 4₵-23₵ per thousand impressions. By contrast, it is estimated that outdoor signs cost $3.56 per thousand impressions and newspaper ads cost $19.70 per thousand.
Design Process
When thinking about the design of your mobile wraps, take the extra time to lay out the sides and determine what information to include. Too much information on the sides clutters the advertisement and can leave the consumer wondering what they just saw. Understand that commuters who are stuck in traffic are very likely to read your wrap when sitting behind your vehicle, so be sure to include a copy on the back.
Because vehicle wraps keep your business’ logo and message moving, rather than leaving it stuck on a billboard or building, they are an excellent way to share your message with otherwise unreached populations.
If you are still not sure if a full auto wrap is within your marketing budget, keep in mind that NW Sign Solutions offers partial wraps and cut vinyl applications, too. Our designers can work with you to ensure you get the most impact for your dollar.m
