What to Consider When Putting a Logo on a Vehicle
by Cono Fusco
When you are looking at the many ways available to promote your business, you may consider the idea of placing your company's logo on the side of vehicles as a form of direct marketing. There is no doubt that it can certainly work as well, if not more cost effectively, as an ad would, but before making this kind of investment, it is good to know the pros and cons of having your company's moniker on the side of its cars and take both into consideration.
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It isn't difficult to imagine why many businesses opt to place their logos on the sides of their company vehicles. Unlike most forms of advertising, once the initial cost of having the design printed on the car is paid, there is no charge for renting the space. If you are considering this as a way of promoting your own business, you probably realize the benefits this can have in promoting your own business. You would have what is, essentially, a small billboard for your company that is not limited to just one location. Since your vehicles drive from one location or another, it also means that your logo will be highly visible. And unlike other forms of advertisement, there is no recurring cost. You could hardly expect that same kind of exposure from a simple sign or local ad.
The logo on your company vehicle can also act as an extra deterrent from thieves who may be seeking a less noticeable vehicle to steal. Often, carjackers prefer to steal vehicles that will be able to sneak by police unnoticed. That is not the case with a car that bears a company's logo across the side, and if the car is seen out at strange hours or in areas it wouldn't normally travel to, it can raise police suspicions.
In the same way it prevents theft, the logo on your car makes sure the vehicle can't be confused for another of the same make or color. Having your design on a car can also be a way of tracking employees while on work hours without the costly addition of installing a GPS tracking system in the vehicle. That logo can help someone spot employees who are not where they are supposed to be. In the same way, it is an obvious sign to customers that the person driving up is actually a representative of your company and not someone merely claiming to be.
Additionally, by putting your company's logo on your vehicle, you can guarantee that your employees' work gets attributed to your business. For a company focusing in electrical work, for instance, there will be no confusion that they are separate from the construction company or the contractor that hired them, nor would they be mistaken for a different electrical company. Since customers often try to hire the companies they know have done good work in the past, it is incredibly important that those businesses get credit where it is due..
Since your logo makes these cars obviously part of your company, you would need to ensure that they properly represent you whenever they are in a vehicle that bears the logo. By simply being in that car, they become representatives of your company. Should they be involved in a traffic stop or behave poorly while on the road, they can leave a very negative impression of your company on the public.
Another potential drawback to having your design placed prominently on a company vehicle is that it could open a business up to commercial, rather than residential, fees. Some services, like using a landfill, can cost more if you are obviously a business rather than a private resident. Though, if your employees regularly make trips to the landfill as part of your business, its operators would probably soon realize that they are not residents.
The logo could also have some impact on the resale of your vehicle once you are looking to upgrade. You will not want to risk someone unaffiliated with your company driving a car with your logo on it. Just as with your employees, their behavior on the road would reflect upon your business. To prevent that, you would have to get the logo removed before you sell it, which would be an added expense. Even if you aren't looking to sell the car, but it has been in a fender-bender, you may find the logo needs retouched.
There are both positives and negatives to putting your logo on a vehicle. However, the cost savings on advertising combined with the customers that your business could draw from this totally different sort of "mobile marketing" can easily override any cost to have the logo removed or retouched.
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