Are vehicle wraps effective ?

Are car wraps a good investment for your small business??

When you think of marketing techniques, the use of vehicle graphics may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, you may want to give car wrapping more consideration based on the following statistics:

• In the US today, “individual vehicle advertising generates between 30,000-70,000 daily vehicular impressions,” according to ARD Ventures.
• “Mobile advertising generates 2.5 times more attention than a static billboard,” says Perception Research.
• “Messages on outdoor mobile billboards have a 97% recall rate,” RYP & Becker Group indicates.

Based on these metrics, it’s easy to see why small business owners would want to consider choosing vehicle wraps over more traditional forms of advertising.

How does a car wrap work?

When a car is wrapped, a layer of plastic vinyl coating is stuck over the top of the vehicle’s paintwork.

• Taking accurate measurements of the car then choosing colours, finishes or graphics to fit.
• Printing and laminating the vinyl to protect it from scratches/abrasions and UV damage.
• Applying the vinyl to your vehicle.

It can be a fiddly job that won’t look great if it’s not done correctly, so car wrapping should be done by a professionally trained technician. They will be able to properly prepare the surface of your car and ensure the plastic layer is cut to fit each panel.

Disadvantages of car wrapping

It’s easy to ruin a car’s looks with badly applied car wrapping. Cheap services or materials can result in the wrap looking bubbled, thin, cheap and ragged at the edges. Unskilled fitters may leave deep scratches in the car’s paint when they cut the vinyl to size.

If the vinyl is not properly fitted then water could become trapped underneath it, leading to rust. In the event of water damage, you may also find the paint is removed alongside the wrap when it is taken off.

Even if you have a professional car wrap, you may still face issues. Bird poo can corrode the vinyl much more easily than regular paint. You may also find that the brushes and bristles used in a car wash degrade the wrap, so gentle and regular cleaning is advised.