A perfect stranger and a partial wrap.

[JR's]

A perfect stranger and a partial wrap.

I saw a partial wrap in the parking lot yesterday. This thing was sweet not overly done the logo stood out (which their logo stated what they did) and the contact info clear and precise.
Sorry I did not have my camera with me.

I went into subway and I saw a man with the same logo on his shirt.
I said is that your truck out there it looks really nice. He said yes, but he messed up on the front bumper where it meets the hood. I said well it looks good to me and he said yeah you have to be really close to see the mistake. Then he said it was really expensive. I asked more expensive than your yellow page ad and he said not even close and I get more calls from my truck signs than I do the Yellow Pages. He did not know I was a sign painter. I said well it really is not that expensive than but he did not understand what I meant.

I think we as a group are underselling our product. A sign, a banner, vehicle advertisement, should not be materials plus labor plus mockup equals price. It should be more because it does so much more. We shouldn't feel bad that we are charging X when it only cost X to produce. In the jewelry business on some items there is a 500% markup.

And we feel bad that we are getting 25 two 50 percent markup.
I guess what I'm trying to say is don't sell yourself short your product could be working better than the Yellow Pages ad the radio or television.

JR
　
　
　

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

"In the jewelry business on some items there is a 500% markup."

You're missing a zero there. I've seen 5000% in MAJOR quantity.

 

[JR's]

Wow I thought 500% markup was a lot. I guess it's all about perceived value.

And we have sign people afraid to charge what something is really worth.
And if you charge market price you have other sign guy's beating you up thinking you're robbing the customer.

I just don't get it.

JR

 

[Blazingsun]

"In the jewelry business on some items there is a 500% markup."

You're missing a zero there. I've seen 5000% in MAJOR quantity.

I can 2nd this, my wife Sells Jewelry and you would be Shocked at the markup...

So just remeber the next time you by a ring and they give you 75% off the price and you say Hey thats a great deal... just remember it really isn't because they are still making a ton of cash on it...

 

[Letterbox Mike]

And we feel bad that we are getting 25 two 50 percent markup

You should feel bad if you're only marking things up 25-50%!

I agree with what you're saying though. There's a difference between selling a commoditized product and a custom service and the two demand different price points. A vehicle wrap should cost alot more than just time and materials plus markup because it's an effective piece of marketing collateral and there is Value in that.

Alot of people don't understand or know what the true value of the services they sell are. Figure out what unique value you offer your client, learn how to sell that value, and you'll be able to demand a much higher price...

 

[MikePro]

Just had a seminar that touched on this topic at the ISA show.
Just ask your clients what their advertising budget, annually, is.... and how much bang for their buck they think they get.

now, say for a car wrap that lasts 10 years... lets say 6 even. Just imagine how many people see that car, see your ad, and divide that number by the price of your car wrap and you get, what... fractions upon fractions of a cent per impression.
can't beat that with a radio/tv ad, that is, unless its got Brooke Burke in it. (yes, i'll admit... she's gotten me to watch DancingWithTheStars)
... but hell, i can print that too. Just sign this hold-harmless agreement.

 

[TrustMoore_TN]

Just had a seminar that touched on this topic at the ISA show.now, say for a car wrap that lasts 10 years... lets say 6 even. Just imagine how many people see that car, see your ad, and divide that number by the price of your car wrap and you get, what... fractions upon fractions of a cent per impression.
can't beat that with a radio/tv ad,

I have to say that I never expect my customer who understands the value
of vehicle wraps would ever keep the same wrap for 5+ years. If he truly understands the advertising value of what a wrap can do for him, then I expect to see him back in 12-18 months to replace his old wrap with his new advertising message. Can you tell me honestly that the ROI on a wrap is more
than 6-9 months for a small business?

I take the time to explain these concepts to our customers and let them make the decision if a wrap is right for them. That's how we bring value into the equation.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Your problem is that your customer doesn't perceive the wrap working for five years. Most customers are in the mindset that they have to be "doing" something for advertising to work. They pay the monthly yellow page bill....they're "doing" their advertising for that month. They pay the local radio station for this months ads....they're "doing" their monthly advertising. They pay for a vehicle wrap....it's a big assed one time expense then they're over it.

They know it brings in business, they know it's better than their other advertising, but their minds just can't grasp the long term value. Same thing works with tools. Guys will buy a $200 drill and spend the next 10 years using it every day while bitching at how much it cost. They keep forgetting that the $50 drill they were using before only lasted one year.

Read almost any small business marketing or branding book and they almost all mention the phenomenon.

 

[andy]

A mate of mine has built his entire business on two vans with "old fashioned" cut vinyl graphics... he does no other kind of advertising whatsoever.

Normally I don't do vehicle graphics anymore but I was pestered into submission in this case. I'll admit that I pushed the boat out a bit, adding more colours, drop shadows and reflective bits into the design, the larger van took all day to install as a result.

The results are pretty staggering... from worrying about where the next job was coming from my mate is now moaning about how much work he's got on and is now fretting about how he can do it all. As far as I'm concerned this is confirmation of job done.

The main difference in this job?

My mate gave me a copy of his logo, a brief description of the kind of things he wanted to promote.... and then buggered off and left me to design what I wanted.. he didn't actually know what the final design was going to look like until it went on the paintwork.

As a result the message is in it's undiluted format.... I designed a mobile advertising message and that's what he's got.

I bet most of your customers can't resist tinkering with your original designs, designs that you've created to drag in business and get the phones ringing. Most punters start using their own taste and arty farty ideas... which dilutes the advert you designed and make it much less effective.

My pet hates are lists of teeny weeny letters which no one can read along with naff colour schemes and pointless arty farty elements which no one but the client can make sense of.

 

[G-Artist]

wrapswrapswraps got it!!! Furs and jewelery usually start at a 1000% markup as a norm. At least it did many years ago when I was in retail.

The constant ad is a two-way street. If the driver is an ass he can alienate quite a few folks therefore drive away business (no pun intended).

While a great sign or graphic may make your client a millionaire by attracting the hordes who see it, that really shouldn't be a big factor.

Let's say the same graphic is on two signs. One is placed on the customer's building to identify his place from the 50 others in the same strip complex. It doesn't attract as folks are going to that industrial complex to seek him out. His company car or fleet partial wrap will alert folks to his business. But it is the same art. Aside from a few adjustments, there was no more extra effort in one than the other and I am sure that cost was recovered in your bill.

Should someone charge more for a trade show print than one being used on an office wall? More for a printed piece of vinyl going on a vehicle than on a disposable sign substrate?

If yes, watch your back because you'll lose business to those who don't think like that.