Advertising on the Go: Mobile ads

After deciding a roadside ad wasn’t in her budget, King sold her SUV, bought a used, midnight blue Volkswagen Beetle and transformed it into an ad mobile.

King is among a burgeoning number of businesspeople who have boldly bedecked vehicles with flashy colors, slick graphics and well-placed contact information to boost visibility and, ultimately, sales.

“Unequivocally, it’s the best marketing move I ever made,” she said. “In my business, top-of-the-mind awareness is everything.”

Her smiling face adorns both sides of the car, right next to the large white letters broadcasting her name. Her phone number and Web address beckon buyers and sellers from the front and rear fenders.

King even incorporated the car’s nickname into a catchphrase on both doors: “Go ahead ... Bug Me about real estate.”

King said the mobile ad campaign is part of a larger strategy to build her reputation as a real estate agent who’s serious about selling homes. She said the car, which is a great conversation-starter, has become a fundamental part of her image.

Paying for awareness

King spent about $700 on the design, production and installation of the removable adhesive decals. She supplied a rudimentary concept, and a graphic designer at Sign Pro did the rest.

But the cost – and quality – of mobile advertising is on the rise. Digitally printed vinyl wraps like those produced at Springfield-based Transport Graphics are gaining popularity, and a four-figure price tag is commonplace. Elaborate wraps for larger vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, can top $10,000.

Dan McNeil, who owns a Cartridge World franchise on South Campbell Avenue, said he drove to Tulsa, Okla., to save money on a full vehicle wrap for his Chrysler PT Cruiser. Local companies quoted him about $5,000 for the work, but Signs & Stripes in Tulsa did the job for about $2,000, McNeil said.

Cartridge World recommends vehicle wraps to its franchisees as a relatively low-cost form of advertising, said McNeil, whose car primarily doubles as a sign for his store. Parking the yellow-and-blue car along Campbell increases visibility for the strip-mall store, he said.

“You probably never would have noticed the store at all,” McNeil said. “It’s a way of putting a sign out there that’s not really a sign but truly is a sign.”

Pat Wand at Wand’s Jewelry employs a similar strategy with a restored 1956 Divco milk truck parked outside the East Battlefield Road store in Battlefield Marketplace. He said the antique car is now synonymous with his business.

“I just thought it would be good advertising, a good eye-catcher,” Wand said.

Wrap it up

Each month, Transport Graphics produces 15 to 20 partial wraps and three to four full wraps, said Adam Walker with Kendall International, a Springfield ad agency that handles the company’s public relations.

Transport now employs more than 30 people at its 25,000-square-foot production facility on East Trafficway to handle the growing demand.

Walker said Transport offers a “cost-effective solution” for small- and medium-size businesses that can’t afford to spend $50,000 on television ads. Wraps can be extremely effective if done right, he said.

“It really boils down to good design,” Walker said. “Most people put way too much stuff on it.”

Mike Green, owner of Aztec Computer Outfitters in Springfield, worked with Transport to advertise his business on a jet black Hummer H1 he bought in 2000. Costly maintenance recently prompted Green to sell the military-style SUV, but he said advertising on Springfield’s streets paid off.

“I had people literally tell me they bought a computer from me because they were behind me in traffic,” Green said.

When driving the customized Hummer around town, Green said his driving habits were safer and more deliberate. He shared two rules for the road: Careless driving sends the wrong message to prospective customers, and red lights provide a captive audience.

Saddlebrooke developer Clyde Lorance said he, too, is phasing out the last of five H2 Hummers he bought to market the master-planned community in southern Christian County. Lorance had decals specially made for the Hummers, which he said led to a “ridiculous” rumor that Saddlebrooke residents were required to own one of the gargantuan SUVs.

“In the early stages, I certainly think it benefited us,” he said, suggesting the Hummers have outlived their usefulness. “It was perfect timing.”