It’s what I do
As I have said before, I am in the business of making your business look better. It’s what I do. If you were to hire me, part of my job would entail helping you find the right ways to market your business.
For my business, I have a sticker that I could put on my truck if I wanted to. It is my (former) logo, custom made by a company who does such work. I say could, because I have never done it. I’m not really in the business of getting business on the highway. Plus, my driving record could probably prove that I wouldn’t obtain much business even if I was. While I am not a fan of window stickers/car decals/magnets for my business, I might recommend them for you and your business if I knew it would attract the right clients. Who knows.
What I wouldn’t do though is any form of the following:
- I wouldn’t put any sort of advertising on your car if it isn’t a professional looking vehicle. Meaning, if we are fighting for window space with your ‘Calvin, doing anything inappropriate to any other brand,’ it ain’t happening.
- I wouldn’t allow you to over-do your advertising. Nothing scares me more than approaching a vehicle from the rear and seeing a full auto-wrapping of one of those tacky Glamor Shots that Realtors still think are OK to use. Not cool. The pictures, the 80’s bangs, the fake teeth or the Fathead-sized image they combine to make.
- And worst of all, I wouldn’t let you put your business name, number, contact info, website, dog’s name, services, your name, email, or any other form of text on your car in those 70’s style mailbox sticky letters than can possibly only be found at WalMart anymore. Sad. I’ve seen it happen. On more than one occasion. And thank goodness for 1-megapixel camera phones so I can share this goodness with you.
Each of the photos below have been taken, by me, sitting in my truck wondering how someone actually thinks it is a good idea to advertise in such a manner. And then spending 5 minutes looking at all the cars around me wondering if that person(s) would be one that would call a number from one of these mailbox sticker ads.
And just so you know what letters I am referring to…
Advertising at its finest:
The first mini-van was happy to let me know that if I am tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck I should give them a call. Nothing says debt free like a green Ford Winstar. Oh how I wanted to call this number so badly just to hear the story.
The second mini-van (sensing a pattern here) is an older Chevy Lumina wagon that if I remember correctly was advertising child care.
Now don’t get me wrong, mini-vans can useful in business. My grandfather has been driving one for about 10 years. But he runs a print shop and has to deliver printed materials weekly. And for as long as I can remember, he has seen the importance of a real sign or proper lettering on each of his work vehicles. But the effectiveness of the cheap, un-aligned, multi-font stickers is on the same level as allowing your 13 year old daughter to do your auto advertisements in shoe polish. It isn’t.
Again, my job is to make you look better, let me do my job.