Does Vehicle Wrap Advertising Work? The Impact on Customers and UK Regulations
In today’s competitive advertising landscape, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to capture the attention of potential customers.
Vehicle wrap advertising has emerged as a dynamic and creative form of outdoor advertising that transforms vehicles into mobile billboards. However, before diving into this marketing strategy, it is essential to understand its effectiveness and the regulations governing it in the UK.
In this article, we will explore the world of vehicle wrap advertising, assess its potential impact, and shed light on the regulations that businesses must adhere to when implementing this form of advertising in the UK.
What is Vehicle Advertising?
Vehicle advertising involves utilising vehicles as a medium for promotional messages. There are various types of vehicle advertising, including:
- Mobile billboards
- Vinyl wraps
- Magnetic signs
- Roof-top displays
These methods allow businesses to leverage the mobility of vehicles to reach a wide and diverse audience. It is a form of traditional advertising that has been in use since vehicles were invented.
The Benefits of Vehicle Advertising
Vehicle advertising is an effective way to show off your business on the move. The benefits include widespread reach, cost-effectiveness, attention-grabbing designs, local targeting, and non-intrusiveness. We will explore each benefit in greater detail.
Widespread reach
Vehicles travel far and wide. Depending on your business, wrapping your own car in your business information will hit your local target audience.
For example, if you are a window cleaner you will regularly drive around a particular area cleaning windows. On the side of your truck, you can have your contact details so that even when stationary potential clients can see your phone number and website.
If we look at a more widespread example, Sky TV wrap their engineer’s vehicles in their latest offering. Potential customers can see that Sky operates in their area and can view a few key offerings. So, the next time someone is looking to change their package they will consider Sky.
How Effective Is Vehicle Wrap Advertising
To determine the effectiveness of vehicle wrap advertising, businesses employ several methods to measure brand awareness, recall, and impact on consumer behaviour.
Surveys are the most accurate way to determine how effective an advertising effort is. When a customer has used your service send them a short survey. Most surveys will ask, how did you discover our service? However, this is unlikely to result in a customer referring to a vehicle wrap. So, a question that asks, have you seen our vehicles in your local area before? Will give you a better idea of brand recall and brand awareness.
Online analytics provide insights into audience awareness and recall. Tracking website traffic, social media engagement and search engine activity offer valuable data on the effectiveness of these campaigns. If you use Google Analytics or Google Search Console you can see how visible your brand name is on Google, as well as how many more people are searching for your company. It is important to note that this will only show you overall brand awareness, not how effective your vehicle ads are.
Additionally, monitoring incoming calls and analysing GPS data can help evaluate the number of impressions and exposure generated by vehicle advertising.
Vehicle wrap advertising has demonstrated several positive impacts on consumer behaviour. It enhances brand recognition by creating a lasting impression on viewers. Memorable vehicle ads can influence consumers’ decision-making process and increase purchase intent. Moreover, targeting specific regions through vehicle advertising helps businesses penetrate local markets and gain a competitive advantage.
Advertising on Vehicles Regulations in the UK
Businesses must comply with specific regulations when implementing vehicle wrap advertising in the UK. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) sets guidelines for advertisements. In regards to motoring advertisements, Section 19 of the CAP Code gives thorough guidance on motor vehicle advertising.
On-vehicle advertising should take into consideration three parameters:
- Truthfulness
- Clarity
- Accuracy
Additional considerations include:
- Decency and offensiveness are also taken into consideration to maintain societal norms and avoid offensive content.
- Safety considerations play a vital role in these regulations, as ads should not distract drivers or compromise road safety.
- Legal considerations in the form of obstructing any registration details, or permits for local authorities.
Of course, if an advertisement obstructs the view of the driver, it will be considered illegal and may lead to a significant fine for dangerous driving.
Conclusion
Vehicle wrap advertising presents an exciting opportunity for businesses to enhance brand visibility and reach a diverse audience. However, its effectiveness relies on factors such as the quality of the design, target audience, and accurate campaign measurement.
To ensure compliance and road safety, businesses must adhere to the regulations set forth by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and vehicle licensing authorities.
Vehicle advertising is a fantastic way to get your business known locally or nationally, just ensure your business is following guidance.
Featured image credit: Abdul N Quraishi – Abs / Shutterstock.com
Image credit: Dr David Sing / Shutterstock.com
