I know some of you do not put your logos or advertise your business on your vehicles. Currently I do not but am thinking about plastering my truck with logo and phone number etc... I would like to hear from everyone the pros and cons of doing this.

Ain't broke just badly bent

Some, including us, don't have them for a variety of reasons. A few reasons including the sane and insane would be.

- folks can't call you in for poor driving
- customers know their neighbors don't know why you are there (maybe they don't want them to)
- commercial clients again like restaurants might not want patrons knowing your there because of critter issues

Up front I'd admit we didn't logo originally because we opened our business ended up with enough calls to suit us and
didn't see a reason to at the time. We also had some folks say they liked that we didn't for the neighbor reason above.

However, this year we are going to do it for a few simple reasons.

1) I know I lose work that I want to do in my area to the folks who are well labeled on their vehicles.

2) While the internet marketing is great, the rolling billboard is an easy to find and call source.

3) Cost is low to logo if you just want number and name, even simple magnetic sign, or you can spend a bunch on
a serious vehicle wrap and go all out to draw more looks and attention.

******

Ultimately these are both personal and business decisions, but remember advertising is ultimately how those
folks find you to pay you and without a good base of advertising you may sit waiting and wonder why haven't I tried
the old tried and true logo on the vehicle!

Either way good luck!

Justin

One truck is logo'd the other one isn't

Nicely visible Rick! Great example of how easy to see all your info and clearly what you do!

Here's the deal with advertising. If you live in an area where having a wildlife control guy taking care of your problems means that you are now living high on the hog and that the neighbors will be envious, go with the advertising.

This is not our case. Nobody wants to have the neighbors know that they have pest or animal problems. This is true whether you live in a subdivision, apartment building, or the state capitol. You don't get bragging rights for critters.

When I answered the phone would talk to people behind me or who saw truck and called right then and there. Schedule jobs or do inspections/set ups for neighbor of customer without even moving my truck (good manors to park your service vehicle on street and ask permission to use drive). If you are servicing someone for wildlife it's a good bet someone else in that neighborhood has wildlife issues as well and if I am OK for their neighbors...Name recognition is priceless, Seeing your service vehicles time and again in "Their" neighborhood makes you a part of their "community". Marked trucks and uniforms offer a sense of security to customers and makes you more approachable to those who may need your service. I want potential customers to know what we do. Truck wraps/graphics pay for their self very quickly and continue to offer that moving billboard and on and on...

If the exterminator, septic service, plumber or any other service provider in your area runs marked vehicles I see no reason not to.

And as usual, I agree with Rick. We do have one vehicle that does have advertising. It's our oldest and when it gets replaced, I'm hoping to go with Rick's design. I am still extremely unhappy with the MPG on any of the new vehicles that we are looking at. We have 8 company owned vehicles now and we will need two more.

For one thing, I think a Fusion or a Prius would look pretty dumb with a ladder rack. Okay Charles, we do have uniforms and I'm sure that you do well with signage. Here's what I consider the "dead giveaway" in our area; I have never had anyone ask me why our trucks aren't marked but I have had many people who said that they were glad that they weren't. Different strokes.

If you're not sure which way to go run magnetics, OH here it comes "magnets mean you're not committed to your business" I say B.S. when I ran my magnets full time I only picked up one or two extra jobs a year so it really didn't pay to lose my stealth mode which I so often need. Now when I haul a deer or antelope carcass my state permit says I have to have signage, so I slap 'em on and go down the road. I had signs made that are exactly the size of my fold out work tray on my contractors top, I stick them to the bottom, they stay flat and clean. A set of three signs will run $150-180 depending on size so it's a cheap experiment to see which way to go.

Rick, that's a sharp truck just as eye catching as Christian's zebra stripes.

I have had a couple customers ask during initial phone call if my trucks had decals and that is the main reason I left one bare.

It adds to the public ( credibility) of our company.

Words of wisdom there.

After a year or two, you'll have a better understanding of what works best in your area.

I just bought a new Tacoma about four months ago so I have not gotten my cap lettered yet, but when I had my old truck lettered I would get a lot of jobs from people walking by my truck while I was working in a neighborhood or at a gas station. I have only had one customer that wasn't thrilled that I had mobile advertising, she didn't want anyone to know I was trapping beaver from the lake that everyone there lived on. In reality I don't think anyone really cared.

Steve has the right idea. The only one that thinks the neighbors will talk about her is the customer. But she's the one that writes the check so keeping her happy is priority number one.

I'm also not thrilled to learn about our employee's driving habits from people that will never become customers because our name is plastered all over the side of our truck.

If that's giving our company credibility, I'll stay incredible.

I raise you and be supercalafragaincreadadle.,,,,,,,,,,,

I feel the same way. I letter/logo my trucks and have a set of white magnets for times that discretion is required.

I didn't have mine lettered, most of my customers asked why it wasn't. Now it is lettered with a "take a card" sticker with magnetic cards that disappear like crazy. Only problem I have is washing the truck, have to keep it clean now it's lettered.

U ever gonna show up at a convention so some of us can meet u? Free drinks

Pulling traps out of trucks, bringing wildlife in traps back to truck, taking traps up and down ladders...sorta figured neighbors would have an idea what we were doing at home with or without lettering on trucks.

True! And I'd rather the neighbors know it's a licensed, insured, and trained company handling the job rather than the customer's brother-in-law, Billy Bob, who just picked up a couple traps at HD. I handed out SIX business cards during one stop at the end of a cul-de-sac yesterday. Included neighbors and a delivery driver. Will have a built in testimonial from the happy customer who had my fully lettered truck sitting in her driveway.

If you are going to letter your truck, the most important surface is the tailgate area. I've had 4 trucks with various amounts and types of lettering, from cheesy magnetic signs on the doors to professionally installed lettering on the sides and/or rear. The one that pays the best dividends is the one with rear door lettering. It scored our first call on the way from the lettering company's location, and the second call within an hour of that. Those two calls paid for the entire lettering job. I regularly get calls for appointments while waiting at stoplights, and have yet to get a call to report my superior driving skills.

All my cages have covers and I always back into the driveway or park in the alley, you would never know if I was the cable guy or an electrician. Of course this requires a completely none leaking truck.

Now when it comes to hands on capture I put on full camo and face paint, put the catch pole in my teeth and belly crawl through the yard,
aka Rambo Wildlife Control.

Now when it comes to hands on capture I put on full camo and face paint, put the catch pole in my teeth and belly crawl through the yard,
aka Rambo Wildlife Control. [/quote]
...more like Carl the Groundskeeper, is what I'm envisioning. ("Don't worry, little gopher, it's just your friend Mr. Rabbit, not a plastic explosive or anything...") tee hee.
Good points there. Excellent observations, Kevin. And to the guy who remarked that he didn't want other drivers calling to report bad driving in your company's trucks (Wink?): your tech's need to learn how to drive, safely and courteously. Their driving reflects badly on your company. Who needs that?

That's the thing for me I don't want to be mistaken for the cable guy or electrician (in this area most all of them - even the sub contractors for Time Warner Cable use magnetic signs - I want potential customers to know that I am in the neighborhood.

I offer a needed service, am proud of what I do and want to advertise it to potential customers in what ever neighborhood I am in and most of them are mid to high income areas and never am I questioned about lettering or get push back even when working for the mega-rich.

Down side - Trucks must be clean (not really a down side).

Must be a courteous driver (hot summer months I load up extra diet coke, juice boxes, waters and so on in cooler and pull in front of broke down cars - where they can see logo - and offer them drinks which has resulted in both radio and TV interviews).

Can get attention from bunny huggers - usually at gas stations for some reason - but I can handle that. When it is the nosey neighbor who is the bunny hugger and confronts me I like to hand them a card and let them know we are concerned about the wildlife as well and if they see animal in trap or have any concerns just call us. Have never had card refused.

Have heard of vandalism to truck - never issue here, but it's insured. But if it did happen it seems like the perfect opportunity to contact one of our reporter "friends" to do a story on the hard working business, helping people in the community with wildlife in their homes, being attacked by wackos.


Old & in the way - the plus side far out ways the possible negatives in the areas I service. Very effective marketing that pays for it's self quickly and continues to offer that bang for the buck for the life of vehicle. How many miles you drive a day and how many potential customers see you? Somewhere I have a marketing fact sheet that gives you a idea based on population of just how many people vehicle lettering can reach. I will see if I can find it as it is an eye opener. Look around your service area. Are the bug guys running marked trucks? If so I would say you are Ok to as well. Customers see a pest as a pest and don't care if it has four or eight legs. I have never understood this alleged stigma associated with wildlife in home (except commensal rodents)when the PCO truck in drive could mean roaches, bed bugs and other vermin that has a real stigma associated with filth. Have heard speakers tell operators at meetings to use unmarked vehicles and I think some of it has to do with outdoorsman attitude. I feel no need to hide what I do for a living...Now when I fur trapped or am targeting a big buck with bow on open land I was/am very low key.

Not what I was looking for but gives you an idea.


Information from 3M tell us that "research has been able to determine the effectiveness of moving billboards, or fleet advertising, through the study of Global Positioning Systems installed in trucks and traffic counts". This specific study was completed by the Traffic Audit Bureau (TAB), which is an independent non-profit organization that authenticates the circulation of out-of-home advertising such as billboards.

In the recent trial, one truck reached an estimated 40,585 people a day in Chicago, where an average Chicago billboard reaches about 48,000 people. While the exposure is comparable, the cost for fleet advertising is half that of traditional outdoor advertising, or 70 cents per 1,000 impressions, according to TAB.

"Fleet advertising represents a unique media opportunity. It is less likely to get lost in the clutter or blend in with the background, as other out-of-home advertising can sometimes do," said Bob Swanson, advertising manager, Seiko. "If used strategically, fleet advertising, by its very nature, has the potential to be more dynamic and captivating.

Impact

Unlike traditional forms of outdoor advertising, vehicle advertising goes to where the people are. One wrap can leave impressions at a parkade, at a shopping mall, at a local restaurant, and on the highway.

A recent poll shows that:
•90% of travelers notice graphics on wrapped vehicles.
•75% of consumers form impressions about a company based on the fleet graphics.
•30% of consumers base buying decisions on impressions they receive from company vehicles.


These numbers show that we are a very visual society, driven by effective advertising and marketing. Vehicle advertising caters to all levels of business and projects the message like no other form of advertising can.

this is how my truck used to look

Having your business name on the door gives you a more professional look. Mine is just a magnetic sign on the door but it gets folks attention. I've had people ask me about the sign and when I tell them what I do, it surprises them that there are people who do this kind of thing. Then they ask for a card and a potential customer is born.

Along with that I have a couple shirts and hats made up with the business name. The shirts also have trappers association patch on one sleeve and educational patch on the other. I like to look the part.

Thanks for the thoughtful responses everyone. I will be lettering my truck very soon. I would appreciate seeing some more examples of your vehicles if anyone has the time to take and post pictures. Rick, I like the look of your truck. Who designed the graphics, you or graphic designer?

Not the best pics but I keep it simple

This is one of those topics like pro-con NWCOA, everybody has their my way or the highway point of view, I'm neither I see both advantages. Now here's a tip with your signed truck, whenever there is an ag/farm show or home improvement show go down there at the crack of dawn and park your signed spare truck in the nearest spot to the main entrance. My spare truck has a semi-permanent sign bolted to the back of the ladder rack, the sign has a skunk in the cocked, loaded and ready to fire position, very graphic and in your face. The skunk catches your eye and draws people over to take a fridge magnet I leave on the tailgate.

As for myself I'm never out of uniform, even working around the house. Once a shirt is too worn for public viewing it becomes a lawn mowing/painting shirt.
I even have Big Sky underwear. Be grateful I can't post pictures.

Mr Schmidt, if we ever see each other again I'll tell you a story about the old timer that held up traffic for twenty miles doing 50 in a 70mph zone. He had traffic so backed up I couldn't see the end of the line. When I finally passed him I made sure he got the phone# off of my truck. We had a talk.

Dave same here logo's on everything. Only exception is when we go to casino or out for a night on the town (if I am going to be drinking) or if I don't feel like answering questions about wildlife. Immediate family members all have polo's, button down shirts and hat's as well as business cards. Even had those flat brim trucker hats done up for nephews.

Marketing is marketing just about everywhere.

Old & in the way
We are in the middle adding new trucks and revamping our truck graphics with the Road Board company. A lot of back and forth trying to get the "look" we want. We sent picture of truck and they do their graphic stuff and then we make changes and so on and so on...But it is painless and easy to see what you are going to end up with. Went with a local "graphics/tint company at first and their lack of artistry set me off so we went with Road Boards $897 each truck including art work/install and all design/concept work. Following picture is their first draft and all we did was explained what it is we do and they come up with a starting concept. We are on third of fourth draft now and still tweaking stuff. If you have them around you I highly recommend them GREAT customer service and they are not afraid to tell you your ideas are "wrong" from a marketing angle or hard for customers to get the info they need quickly.

This is getting to be a really wonderful topic and to carry further what Salys said to Schmidt, I'm old enough to be the 50 mph driver, but I get really ticked at people my age giving us all a bad rep! If the speed limit is 70, you better be going 80.

Also Mr. Schmidt, since my employees don't get any tickets, I don't care about their driving habits. They all drive the same unmarked Ford vans with ladder racks like 18 thousand other companies in this area so how is this going to reflect badly on our company?

P.S. When one of our guys was driving the Advertising Van, we got a complaint from an old lady about his driving habits, so we called him on the carpet. It seems that this old lady was getting a lot of horn noise from her fellow drivers and was actually in the wrong when she tried to take on our van and chickened out.

P.P.S. I also think that it's terrible that some ethnic groups are sold vehicles that don't contain turn signals. I think that this is something that our president is finally capable of handling.

i had to white out the name and logo of the other company i used to be with and i had to take the wrap off...so right now it looks like this until i can get it painted and fixed up as i rebuild my own business here in central Iowa

Last time I rode with dad he was in his early 80's, when he put the pedal to the metal in his '76 Cutlass it laid you back in the seat.

Agree with Kevin 100%. Having gone through several trucks over the years, when I get a new one the lettering guy is contacted before I even pick it up. I get so many calls from people who saw the truck, I can't imagine why anyone would think the negatives outweigh the positives.

On one job several years ago, I had to borrow a truck (non-lettered) due to the job location and circumstances. It was a college campus with a beaver problem on their lake. The beavers chewed down ALL of the 35-year old white birch trees at the apartment complex on the lake, and were plugging the spillway constantly. I was instructed to do the trapping program in 100% stealth mode, as there were five different animal rights groups on the campus. The facilities director said I probably wouldn't have any tires or windows left on my truck if any of them noticed me on the property. You know, those "tolerant, open-minded" college students. I had to drive around the edge of a grassy clearing and hide the unmarked truck behind some pine trees near the shoreline in a brushy area. Removed the entire colony.... no one had a clue.

But the other 99% of the time, I park my truck in the most obvious places. Working in large cities like Springfield (IL) I'll make sure I drive IN TOWN instead of using any by-pass routes, as the stoplights and low speed roads are where you pick up the callers for business. Tail-gate is the most noticed "billboard" but sides are also always lettered. No magnets.... permanent signage.... indicates a serious business and not a fly-by-night like you see with roofing companies that storm-chase. Can't say I would ever hire a roofer with magnetic signs on their truck. Just my opinion. (NOT an atttack on Muddawg!)

Tailgate shot: Basic, but easy to read and gets to the point.

I love this discussion! This is not about who's right or wrong, but knowing your customer. I started my business 26 years ago with a pick-up truck that my dad practically gave to me. I could hardly afford the gas, much less having it lettered.

The fact that my advertising was non-existent, did not deter me. When I started, the major franchise company was already in place and all of their vehicles are prominently marked. ( At this time, they only had one )

26 years later, the major franchise company has had four owners and has added one vehicle. We have eight vehicles and are about to add two more. Only our oldest vehicle has lettering and it is the least driven.

We have become a major player in the industry without vehicle advertising because we know our customer's preferences. With the kind of money that we pay for advertising, I would not deter anyone from having their truck lettered. But it's not for everyone!

P.S. When one of our guys was driving the Advertising Van, we got a complaint from an old lady about his driving habits, so we called him on the carpet. It seems that this old lady was getting a lot of horn noise from her fellow drivers and was actually in the wrong when she tried to take on our van and chickened out.

P.P.S. I also think that it's terrible that some ethnic groups are sold vehicles that don't contain turn signals. I think that this is something that our president is finally capable of handling.[/quote]
Some time ago, when I did wildlife control for the world's worst PCO, I was called on the carpet for "bad driving". Seems a woman had called the 800 # from the back of my truck and complained about something I was doing. I explained to the so-called service manager that the woman was an extremely belligerent, aggressive driver and that my mistake was to fail to outguess her as to how I could get out of her way: at least once, I changed lanes so as to give her as much room as possible, only to have her follow me into the new lane!
Wink, seems more like demographic groups are sold vehicles without signals rather than ethnic groups.
Another point on lettering: KISS Make it too fancy or too much info. and it's sensory overload. By far the most important information to have on any of your advertising is your business website and phone #. These should be at minimum 3" high on your vehicles.