Speedpro Template

Wrap Cost

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:52:57 EST

It seems like every conversation I have about wraps quickly gets to “What does it cost?” The short answer to that question is $2,000 to $3,000. From a monthly perspective, a wrap with w 3-year life span runs $56 to $84 per month.

Most advertising people would tell you that the best way to look at the cost of advertising is the cost per thousand impressions or CPM (M is the Roman numeral for thousand). A low-cost ad that no one sees is cheap, but a waste of money. You want people to see your ad and solicit your business, so the real question is how much does it cost per person that sees it. An Arbitron Study recently cited the following CPM for these types of advertising:

Prime Time TV ad                                                                                                    $20.54
Newspaper ad (1/4 page, Black and White)                                                       $11.66
Prime Time Cable TV                                                                                              $11.31
Radio (morning drive, 60-second)                                                                          $5.92
Billboards                                                                                                                    $1.78
Wrapped Vehicle                                                                                                         $.70

The net is that while a wrap can be a large out-of-pocket investment, it is a very cost-effect way to advertise your business.

Get started on the Quote process by calling or emailing us at 615.445.3688 or MarketingNashville@Speedpro.com!

How to Make Your Wrap Pop

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:04:49 EST

We get many questions about how to make sure a wrap “pops” or stands out. First, here is what not to do:

Create a busy background – this approach usually creates confusion
Use a lot of text – a wrap is not a yellow pages ad and text is boring

The best way to make your wrap pop is to use visual branding.

First, select an image that is consistent with what you do and creates an emotional connection with your customer. In our case, we use “Hue,” our Dalmatian puppy with the colored spots, to connect with our customers. Hue is the primary thing people remember about our wrap because of the emotional connection he creates.
Now make this image as large as possible to make it pop. A couple of great examples from our portfolio include Big Frog T-Shirts (large frog), Parkerson Construction (large lightning bolt – they do disaster recovery), and Mid-Tenn fence (illustrated puppy).

Not only will this approach make your wrap pop, it will build your brand as well. If you add this visual branding element to your business cards and other marketing materials, it will help your customers connect your wrap to these items and create a consistent communication of your brand.

Vehicle Wrap Process

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:21:08 EST

Vehicle wraps are a high-impact way of advertising. Here are 5 steps we take in our Vehicle Wrap Process:

Design. This is often the longest step in the process. Some clients have an agency design their wrap and some have us do the design. If we do the design, we have an initial conversation to understand your objectives, what logo files you have, etc. Then we draft a design and get your comments. Once you are happy with the design, this phase is over.
Paneling. Here, we take the design and translate it into panels that we can print based on your vehicle’s shape, size, etc.
Printing. Printing takes about a day and we print your design in panels on vehicle wrap material. Once printed, the ink must cure for at least 24 hours.
Laminating. We put a protective UV laminate over the panels to protect the ink from minor scratches and from the sun’s UV rays. This step prolongs the life of your wrap and makes it easier to remove.
Installation. This step takes about a day. We get your vehicle by 5pm the night before and are usually done by 5pm the day of installation.

At this point, your wrap is complete and ready for pickup. Once the design is approved and we have a deposit, the rest of the process above takes about a week.

The Install Process - A Quick Overview

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:18:55 EST

I often get questions about how a wrap is installed. Here’s a quick look at the installation process:

We ask you to deliver your vehicle to us by 5pm the night before, clean but not waxed. This allows us to ensure that the vehicle is dry when we start and is in a temperature-controlled environment.
The install starts the next morning with a wipe-down to remove any dust or other things that might interfere with a good installation.
The wrap is “peel and stick,” like a large decal. To get it to conform, heat is often used to make the wrap more pliable.
We use an adhesive promoter in tricky areas to improve the wrap’s ability to stay adhered to the vehicle. Areas that pop up can freeze and become brittle and the wrap will fail there first.
Panels are overlapped where necessary, usually by ½” to 1”, creating a nearly invisible seam.
The window perf is usually installed last. It is aligned with the graphics on the body of the vehicle and we use adhesive promoter around the edges as this is where the perf is most vulnerable.
The wrap is completed by the end of the day for most vehicles. Some complicated installs may take an additional day.

We are always happy to provide more information, but this should give you a good snapshot of the installation process.

Vehicle Wrap Materials

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:37:21 EST

One of the keys to a great looking, durable wrap is using the right materials. Here is a short guide to wrap materials

For the wrap material going on the painted metal surfaces of your vehicle, look for 3 key characteristics: cast, blockout, and air release. Cast is a process that produces a very pliable material that can conform to the curves of your car. Blockout ensures that your paint color will not show through the wrap, even in the white areas. And air release allows for installation without leaving air bubbles under the wrap. Air bubbles not only look bad they reduce the life of your wrap as well.
Ensure that the wrap material is covered with a UV laminate. Again, the laminate should be cast. The laminate helps reduce fading and protects the ink from scratching. It will also make removing the wrap much easier (and less expensive).
For your windows, you want perforated window film (window perf) with an optically clear laminate. The window perf allows you to see out of the window while extending the graphic across the windows to increase the impact. You also want an optically clear laminate. Regular laminates can create a foggy view out of your window. Additionally, not using window perf causes vision issues when it rains in addition to letting dirt build up in all of the small holes.

Your wrap provider can provide more information, but these three tips are a great start.