Increasing awareness
Even in the more established commercial market, Halpin says further education is needed.
Despite the premium price for vehicle wraps compared to other wide-format printing applications, market demand remains high, especially among small businesses that need to get their name out to the public quickly.
“Very often, the client is not aware of the intricacies involved in producing a commercial vehicle wrap,” he says. “They do not realize how long it takes from beginning to end, including the time required to design the art. They think the entire process can be done within a few weeks. It’s important to educate clients about the multi-step program before getting their vehicle wrapped expediently.”
Halpin says these false assumptions also plague new players in the industry, which can lead to false promises to clients.
“Inexperienced companies tend to drop their prices to get work, but vehicle wrapping is a very difficult business to stay in,” he says. “There can be an intense amount of time spent on artwork, a few days of production and then anywhere from eight to 30 hours to install, depending on the size of the vehicle. As well, you are using premium cast vinyl. If you don’t charge enough, ultimately, you won’t last. Installation in the wrap industry costs a lot more than in the basic sign industry.”
Despite the premium price for clients, Halpin sees sufficient market demand, particularly among small businesses that need wraps to get their name out to the public quickly.
“If you divide the price of the wrap by four or five years, that’s pretty cheap advertising,” he says. “Our clients sometimes admit they’ve made a lot of money from a wrap. Maybe we should give away our wraps for a percentage of our clients’ sales!”
Megan Kranzler is the graphic design co-ordinator for Oracal, which manufactures pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) films and industrial tapes for signage, vehicle graphics and related applications. For more information, visit www.oracal.com and www.vehiclewrapz.com.
