What Do I Need On My Van?
It is most important that your brand is memorable
One of the questions we hear most frequently regarding vehicle livery is “what information do I need on my van?” For most people the answer seems to surprise them – your business name is all you need!
Obviously this is a little bit of an oversimplification but it cuts to the truth of the matter, your branding is the most important thing to consider when having a vehicle sign written or wrapped.
While it is worth remembering that your company vehicles are essentially moving billboards it is also worth considering how people are likely to remember you. It is entirely possible that someone will have need of a plumber at the exact time that they see a plumber’s van with a phone number on the side which they may note down and call.
However, chances are most people will be seeing your vehicles at times when they do not have immediate need of your services. With that in mind it is far more important that your brand is memorable.
Consider these extras - but don't over do it!
Keep It Simple
How can you make your brand memorable on a vehicle? Keep it simple.
People are likely to see your vehicles for a short amount of time so your message needs to be clear and effective.
Lots of bullet points with what services your offer are likely to go unread, but worse can add a lot of “Visual noise” meaning people are less likely to read anything on your van.
Use Colour
Company colours are key.
The most recognisable vehicles on the road are those that have the body of the van in a company colour.
White vans are easier to acquire and far easier to sell on once they need replacing so considering a vehicle wrap is often a better option than a custom paint job as the wrap vinyl can be removed when it comes time to sell the van on.
Having a digitally printed wrap opens up a huge amount of options and can be used to some very clever effects.
It is worth keeping in mind that these high end finishes are more expensive than a more basic option but if you want something that looks really professional it is always worth paying the extra.
Contact Info
This is the obvious one, if you are going to include extra information this is one of the most obvious.
When choosing your contact information it is always worth considering how you get the most enquiries to make sure you aren’t wasting space with an obsolete fax number.
Social Media
This is more of a subset of contact information but can be a little more succinct as it only needs the social media logos with your specific details as an optional extra.
Slogan
This can be particularly useful if your business name doesn’t make it obvious what you do (e.g “Joe Blogs Plumbing” is fairly obvious, but “The Local Plumb Company” could be taken as something to do with fruit, so adding “Reliable plumbing service” should clear up any confusion).
Bullet Points
This is my least favourite information to feature on vans, but some people insist on putting a list of every single service they offer.
It is fairly unlikely that many people will read much of this list, but if it something that you really want featured on your van it’s best to try to be as concise as possible and include no more that 3 bullet points.
To Wrap Things Up
As with most design choices it is often a case of there not being a right or wrong option for your vehicle signage, just opinions and preferences.
However, it is definitely a good idea to invest in good branding and design to tie every aspect of your company’s identity together and not make the mistake of forgetting that a vehicle should be an extension of the branding.
