Top 5 Tips on Getting the Most from Your HVACR Truck Wrap

Take this personally: your brand stinks. Or, it may be nonexistent, which is even worse. But don’t panic. Dan Antonelli can help. Antonelli and his company, Graphic D-Signs, a small business advertising agency based in Washington, NJ, have come to our attention recently through the amazing work they’ve accomplished in the area of truck wraps. He's brought new brand life to a variety of small business types: HVAC, landscaping, drapery shops and garden centers.Recently, we published a truck wrap photo gallery of the amazing work Graphic D-Signs has accomplished for other HVAC businesses. It got zillions of hits, and we thank you for that!

Among the problems Antonelli finds with small businesses, is that they start with a logo design that perhaps wasn’t professionally done in the first place ("nephew art"), and they try to integrate it on their trucks. Many times, that’s where the flaws within that brand are magnified, such as with legibility challenges that make brand images difficult to read or discern from a distance.

"Most of the clients we do vehicle wraps for, 98% of the time we recommend that they rebrand, because the current visuals for that brand will not translate well for the wrap medium," Antonelli says. "We just don’t want to be responsible for something that will deliver a poor return on investment.

"So, starting with a good brand is one of the most important steps they need to consider. We look at what they have to start with. If it’s not going to work, that’s what we’ll advise them to develop new visuals. That's where we function a little bit differently than most sign shops. Sign shops have to do what they ask, and a lot of them aren’t in the position to recommend a comprehensive brand strategy."

The cost to wrap a van is $2,400 to $3,000. More vehicles bring a lower cost per vehicle. Fees to design a company logo and wrap can range from $1,000 to $10,000. It's an investment in your business.

Of course, you can always have your nephew do it as a high school project for a couple hundred.

Today, we give Antonelli the floor to hear his 5 tips behind successful truck wraps, to make it one of your best investments. Graphic D-Signs does more than just wraps. They're services include full-service brand consulting. Find them at graphicd-signs.com

His article begins at the upper left. — Terry McIver

Shown above, Timos Air Conditioning & Heating, Palm Springs, CA.