What do consumers see when they look at your company trucks?
That's the million dollar question isn't it. What kind of message is your truck fleet conveying to potential customers? If you don't think that question is important, than you haven't looked at the research.
The American Trucking Association conducted a study which showed us that 98% of consumers said Truckside Advertising had "more impact than billboards". Wow! That's an amazing statistic considering that US companies spent 4.4 billion dollars on outdoor advertising in 2013 according to the Wall Street Journal.
What you should take from the 2 facts above is that outdoor messaging makes a huge impact on consumers. That impact will only increase considering that Americans are spending more and more time commuting to and from work. In the chart below you can see the increase in Outdoor Ad Revenue over the last 5 years.
The reason for the steady increase is that consumers pay attention to advertising while they are in their cars. The more time Americans spend in the car, the more exposure they have to outdoor advertising. What that means for you is, the more exposure they have to fleet messaging as well.
First Impressions
Often times, your trucks are the first impression a consumer might get of your company. If someone has never searched for your product or service, then the only information about your company they may have is the impression your trucks leave on them. As you know, first impressions can be very powerful.
An article in Psychology Today explains the impact of first impressions like this:
"The exaggerated impact of first impressions is related to the halo effect, that phenomenon whereby the perception of positive qualities in one thing or part gives rise to the perception of similar qualities in related things or in the whole."
You can imagine, the same Halo effect holds true in a negative way. How likely are you to draw a favorable opinion of a moving company, if your only contact with them is an old dirty truck with dings and dent? Regardless of their actual performance, it's reasonable to conclude that you would not trust them with your valuables.
The good news is that we can greatly affect consumer impressions of our business with the condition of our fleet. Potential customers are far more likely to use our products or services, if they have a favorable opinion of our brand from the onset. In fact, a study by National Family Opinion on truckside advertising reported 3 important findings about the impact trucks can have on consumers.
52% of respondents reported
an increased awareness of a campaign as a result of truckside ads.
56% of respondents said that
when they see an ad on the side of a truck, they perceive that company to be a successful one.
67% of respondents believed that
a product advertised on the side of a truck was bought and used by their neighbors.
Those findings only reinforce the idea that the condition and messaging of your company's fleet is a vital component of your brand. The amount of influence those factors have on consumers is only made greater when you consider the number of impressions your fleet will make daily.
A typical Truck Graphic will generate between 30,000 and 70,000 impressions daily. That adds up to more than 11 million impressions per year. Now multiply that by the number of trucks in your fleet, and you're looking at astronomical figures.
I hope by now you understand how the appearance and condition of your fleet reflects on a consumer's perception of your business. The goal of this article is to shed some light on just how big of an impact it can really make. Looking at your fleet as an extension of your brand, will help you create and maintain a positive impression. There is no other medium that can reach as many people for as little cost.
So my question to you is: What kind of impression is the condition of your fleet leaving on potential customers?
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