Economize Those High-Cost Vehicle Tours
It’s time to step on the gas. Brand-tour marketing may be expensive, but there’s never been a better time to hit the road.
That’s because for the first time in about 10 years, road travel is expected to be way down, 30% or more, and that translates into big bargains.
Lower rates or added value can be had for vehicles, display assets and space at fairs, festivals, NASCAR events, malls, home and garden events and other venues as brand-tour marketing companies work to secure the business.
“There’s a general softness in display space marketing. Agencies and brands need to take advantage of that and negotiate hard for the space,” says Brad Harris, vice president of strategy for Next Marketing.
For example, the typical 53-foot display space at NASCAR that cost $40,000 last year can be had this year for $25,000 and $35,000, he says.
That’s big savings. But there’s more. Here are five other ways for marketers and agencies to chip away at the costs:
- DOWNSIZE
Tractor trailers can be a huge expense. Try parking that big rig and leasing one or more street-legal cars or trucks. Because the vehicles fit in any metered parking spot, they don’t require multiple parking spaces or special permits like the big trucks do.
“A handful of quarters gets you a great parking space versus spending tens of thousands of dollars for a tractor-trailer spot,” says Sean Conciatore, vice president and creative director for Stage Active Brand Marketing.
- DO THE UNEXPECTED
It’s not the size of the vehicle, it’s what you do with it that matters. A small vehicle can be tricked out to make a big impact. Remember the Smart Cars that Lindt converted to look like Easter bunnies and used to buzz around cities sampling Lindt Gold Bunny chocolate candies around Easter time?
“Our tactic was to bring something small enough to go through cities and do some guerrilla sampling stops, but that had enough presence so you could engage 100 consumers,” Conciatore says.
- TRY SPOT GRAPHICS
Instead of developing a full-vehicle wrap, use spot graphics on each side of the vehicle, the back and the doors. This can save big on the production, installation and removal of the wrap. The average wrap for a big rig can cost $15,000 to $20,000, compared to $3,000 to $4,000 for spot graphics.
“If you’re wrapping a vehicle, 80% is not your logo anyway, it’s color or design,” says Matthew Glass, CEO, Grand Central Marketing. “If the important thing is to put on some words or logos, you can do that without having the whole background designed with colors and graphics. Anyone can put the smaller decals on.”
- MAKE SURE THERE IS A LIFT GATE
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it will help cut down the load-in and load-out time. A lift gate eliminates the need to rent a forklift or ramp, or to hire additional staff to handle heavy equipment.
- MAXIMIZE YOUR SPACE
For a small investment you can outfit the interior of the vehicle to best utilize the height and depth of the truck when packing. In some cases, careful packing can mean one vehicle instead of two.
— PATRICIA ODELL
