While it’s true that first impressions last, lasting impressions count even more when you own your own business. When it comes to marketing your business, your vehicle can be a great asset so we have some top tips to make your truck look great from Steve Grant, Director of Street Impact in Caringbah, Sydney.
Steve and his team wrapped our Hino 700 Series SS 2848 ProShift 16 high roof air prime-mover to transport a range of Toyota 86 series racing cars around Australia. Check it out!
Tip 1 - Ask your Hino dealer who they recommend
When you purchase a new truck, ask your dealer if they recommend a supplier local to the dealership. The wrap shop should be experienced in this type of work and have attained accreditation through Installation training programs with the large material suppliers.
New trucks can have the wrap applied before you pick it up and drive away, limiting any off road downtime after you pick the vehicle up. This wrap may be a partial section of the cab and extend over the body, making a great mobile billboard.
Tip 2 – Always consider the future
You may want to upgrade your logo or artwork on the truck in the coming years or even upgrade your truck, so eventually you will need to remove all artwork and wraps. The great advantage of using vinyl graphics over paint is the potential removability factor down the line. Be aware that not all vinyls are removable so make sure you think to the future and talk to your supplier about your plans.
If however, you have your trucks working in particularly hostile environments, where they will be blasted with sand and rock, sun-bleached and never washed, or if they are washed with a super hi pressure hose, then wraps may not be suitable for you.
With a bit of care, outstanding results can be achieved limited only by imagination.
Tip 3 - Ensure you have the correct artwork files
Ensure you have the correct logo or artwork files, which are generally scalable vector files such as Illustrator eps or pdf.
This will help keep your artwork costs down. Any of your required colours should have a pantone colour number as a reference. It’s ideally recommended to have this information available to ensure the colours displayed meet your brand. Most companies will help you with the artwork, just make sure you ask.
Tip 4- Choose your materials wisely
Discuss material finish and quality with your chosen supplier. You’ll get a better outcome by using the best materials available, increasing the longevity and offering a cleaner removal when required, rather than trying to save a few dollars.
Matt finishes are currently very popular and while they do look great, it isn’t as easy to maintain as gloss which is recommended. Your chosen supplier should be able to guide and advise you on what will best suit your purposes.
Tip 5 - Plan ahead before getting wrapped
While it may only take a few days to get wraps and graphics applied to your truck, it will take a few weeks to get your artwork, prints and post production completed prior to the actual installation - so make sure you plan ahead with your jobs and your business needs.
Ensure your chosen supplier has all the artwork correct and printed ready to go before you bring your truck in. Ask for an image of how the finished truck will look so there are no surprises.
Check out Steve and his team at Street Impact http://streetimpact.com.au/ or @streetimpact on Instagram.
PH: 02 9526 8999
steve@streetimpact.com.au