Advertising on 4 Wheels

The magazine for today’s electrical and systems contractor WWW.IECI.ORG Innovation. Education. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 Success. Marketing and the Electrical Contractor. iMarketing Building Customer Loyalty through Marketing How Do I Write a Marketing Plan: Goals and Action Plans Successful Marketing: How to Make Your Company Stand Out from the Competition

Special Feature Advertising on FourWheels By Christian D. Malesic, IOM A s jobs are scarce and the new economy puts pressure on small business owners, it is fiscally prudent to cut costs and trim overhead. The natural inclination may be to cut the advertising budget, as it is one of the largest overhead line items and may seem to have little impact on the business model. This is exactly the wrong approach! Now is the time to advertise, to capture market-share, and to gain top-of-mind awareness. Perhaps the best value for the advertising dollar, especially for the electrical contractor, is on company vehicles. 16 | November/December 2011 | www.ieci.org

Special Feature Make a Statement just a decade ago, when they would need to be there is a gray and some mediums have qualities of hand-painted. In many cases, once your design file each, which can be enhanced based on the specific The days of a rectangular magnet affixed to the is saved electronically, the cost for additional vehicles message. Radio and TV can be either lead genera- truck door are long gone. So, too, are vinyl letters drops significantly as designs only need to be tion or awareness, depending on the particular ad neatly displaying the company name and phone tweaked to accommodate various vehicle makes and content. number. To get noticed today, contractors must think models. Ensure you receive a copy of the electronic boldly and loudly. Marketing is about getting noticed. design file before paying for the work to ease any As you might expect, vehicle advertising does Marketing drives business. Marketing makes the necessary transitions if you switch providers. not make the phone ring. It builds awareness of your phone ring and the cash register ching. Take full brand. This is problematic for some owners since advantage of the advertising space you have already Oddly enough, the price is not determined as the only true way to know if the awareness cam- purchased….your service van. much by square foot as it is by labor to trim out paign is working is with detailed before-and-after curves, latches, windows, etc.; this concept is easily marketing studies, which most will not do. Thus, it Modern technology has evolved and almost understood by the contractor. Thus, a large box truck comes down to marketing faith. It is easy to prove anything you or your graphic designer can conceive with 8’ x 12’ sides and an 8’ x 8’ rear door can usually that awareness campaigns work in general – name can cover your vehicles. Think of your vehicles as a be wrapped for less than an SUV or even a typical the first fast food chain and first soda pop that come moving billboard. Of the six basic sides of the vehicle, cargo van. Comparative shopping vehicle advertising to mind. If you said McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, you potential clients will see all but the undercarriage as to other marketing mediums makes it crystal clear that join over 70 percent of Americans who have been your electricians travel from job to job. Make a dramatic this is surely the best bang for your hard-earned wooed by those firms’ awareness campaigns (actu- impact on all five visible sides with lots of color to paint buck to spread the word about your firm. When you ally, no matter what your answer to the above ques- a mental image of the quality work your company does. consider that most construction vehicles will be tion, some firm has wooed you). used in the company for at least six years, there is Unless you are professionally trained and have really no other type of marketing that comes even When a potential buyer has been influenced by the experience to back it up, do not try this at home! close when comparing options side-by-side and a strong awareness campaign, they might not Even an average graphic designer can take your adjusting for the longevity of the medium. remember your firm’s name when they are trying to best ideas and make them “pop.” The human mind decide which electrician to call. As they open the tends to think linearly and symmetrical, yet is drawn Vehicle (1 wrap) # of Times . . . . . . X 1 phone book or go on the web, however, they will say to that which is not. Just as you have spent years Average Life . . . 6 years to themselves “these folks are good, I will call honing your craft; so, too, has the graphic designer. Cost . . . . . . . . .$4,000 them.” In doing so, the consumer will probably not They have learned how to place images ‘out of kilter’ Total Cost . . . . $4,000 openly realize they have thought so because of your and to use both dimensions (sometime with the awareness campaign, but they will call. appearance of using the third dimension) to capture Phone Book (1/4 page) the scattered attention of passers-by. Average Life . . . . 1 year Awareness advertising fuels future business and Cost . . . . . . . . .$5,400 # of Times . . . . . .X 6 growth. As contractors, we are in a prime position to The true sign of success is when the kids in the Total Cost . . . $32,400 fill the roads with our logos and what we do. Don’t car next to your van are yelling “mommy, mommy” be afraid to scream from the highest mountaintop and pointing your way. Direct Mail (5,000 piece) via your vehicle fleet. You have an untapped array of Average Life . . 3 months moving billboards at your beck and call – use them. The Value Equation Cost . . . . . . . . . $1,800 # of Times . . . . . X 24 Total Cost . . . $43,200 Christian D. Malesic, IOM is a founder of CM Squared, Vehicle advertising is much more affordable Inc., Full Service Electricians, in Harrisburg, than it was just five years ago. Though the computer Radio Campaign (10 spots) Pennsylvania, and has served as its president/CEO technology and design software has been available Average Life . . 2 Months for the last 14 years. He has volunteered as the for many years, the printing presses did not catch up Cost . . . . . . . . . $1,100 # of Times . . . . . X 48 Central Pennsylvania IEC Chapter president, vice until recently. Most vehicles can now be completely Total Cost . . . $52,800 president, and apprenticeship & training chair. He wrapped for an all-in price of under $4,000 (including currently serves on the IEC National Board of design, printing, and application), compared to $7,000 Lead Generation vs. Awareness Directors representing the Northeast region. To receive notice of the newest articles written by Advertising is divided into two general cate- Christian, follow him on Twitter @CDMalesic. gories: lead generation and awareness. Lead gener- ation is a type of advertising that entices potential www.ieci.org | Insights | 17 buyers to inquire about your firm’s services. Classic examples of lead generation advertising are direct mail, telemarketing, phone book listings, and trade show booths. These lead-producing mediums are best served with call-to-action oriented messages such as “call now” or “available only for the next three days.” Awareness mediums are sources that aid in helping the public remember your name. These are image-enhancing, reputation building, and top-of-mind oriented sources. Traditional awareness mediums are billboards, web sites, and wall calendars. Of course, with any black and white