Are You Going My Way?

Denise M. Gustavson Editor-in-Chief With 20 years of experience in the visual communication markets, Gustavson has in-depth knowledge of the issues, challenges and technologies of the industry. Reader feedback is always encouraged. Email: dgustavson@napco.com

When you think transportation, what immediately comes to mind? You could think about mass transit — buses, trams, trains, planes. Or maybe you go right for logistics and picture the fleets of box trucks, commercial vans and tractor trailers flooding America’s highways and by-ways. Or maybe you stay closer to home and imagine all of the sedans, mini-vans, SUVs and family-friendly vehicles parked outside our homes.

Whatever mode of transportation you consider, they all share one quality: they can’t be ignored. It’s in a driver’s best interests to pay attention to the road and what’s on it in order to watch out for danger. Ignoring a vehicle — if it is wrapped in an advertisement or not — can be very dangerous to the driver and those around them.

Consider this: according to the American Trucking Association, a single intra-city truck with graphics can generate up to 16 million visual impressions in a year. In fact, study after study ranks mobile media as the most cost-effective and influential advertising media available.

But how influential is it really? A study by ad agency RYP & Becker Group found:

• 97% of survey respondents recalled the ad on the truck.
• 98% thought the ads created a positive image of the advertiser.
• 96% thought fleet graphics had more impact than billboards.

Since we’re already outside, why not think outside of the vehicle? According to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), out-of-home (OOH) advertising revenue rose 4.5% in 2018 compared to the previous year, accounting for $8 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2018, OOH spending was up 7.2% compared to 2017. This represented the greatest quarterly growth since before the Great Recession of 2008 and also marks a record high for OOH, with 35 consecutive quarters of growth. And this increase was experienced in all four of its primary formats — billboards, street furniture, transit and place-based.

Similar to vehicle graphics, OOH signage is very difficult to ignore. It can’t be fast-forwarded like a television commercial, you can’t use an ad blocker on it and you can’t throw it away. All of these qualities make both vehicle and fleet graphics, as well as OOH signage, ideal parts of any marketing campaign.

In this transportation-focused issue, you’ll see some eye-catching examples of vehicle, bus, train, tram and plane graphics that may give you inspiration as you work with brands on their advertising campaigns moving into the summer months. Also, the OOH industry is ripe with creativity, so think outside the box the next time you’re asked to dress up a transit stop.

Something to note: the trend toward customization and personalization in consumer products like mobile phone covers and apparel are also impacting the vehicle graphics market — and your ultimate customer. Are you set up to provide mass personalization to a consumer market? Have you already implemented Web-to-print and e-commerce for your B2B customers? Can you expand that to encompass a growing B2C market opportunity? It’s certainly worth consideration, especially if it gives you access to the millions of new content creators with a desire for personal expression.