What would you pay for access to both sides of an advertising billboard alongside the busiest highway in your service territory? How much thought and effort would you put into choosing the right message to promote your portable sanitation business on that valuable signage?
That’s how you should treat the blank canvas on the sides and back of your service trucks’ tanks. Vacuum tanks offer a unique opportunity to promote your business to thousands of people every day. If you’re just slapping your name on the side, you aren’t taking the best advantage of an asset.
And just like with your other advertising, you shouldn’t be afraid to update your tank. To enhance your professional image, you might strip off the graphics — and maybe the paint — and start from scratch every several years as the tank starts to look dated or rough around the edges.
Here are a few ideas to jumpstart or refresh the advertising on your vacuum tanks:
WHAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR TANK?
Distinctive colors
The color scheme of your truck and tank can be very important, and while basic white can be pleasing to the eye, you should think about the message you want to convey.
Recently, a restroom contractor told me that he switched from the basic white he’s used for years because that’s the same look most of his competitors chose. He wanted to stand out from the rest, and he didn’t want someone to see a badly maintained white truck and assume it was his.
Another pumper I talked to has been running all-pink trucks for quite a while. When I asked why, he explained that the bold color is so memorable that people started calling and asking if he was the guy with the pink trucks, then hiring him for no other particular reason. Any way to get a leg up, I guess.
I’ll also put in a pitch for a more classy looking paint scheme, like a crisp maroon over gold or metallic blue over silver. Some passersby might assume that because you went the extra mile to create an awesome look for your truck, that you will provide them the same care in service.
Basic contact information
Make sure your business name is in clear, bold lettering and easy to read from a passing vehicle. You might ditch plans for a cursive-style typeface that will be more difficult to read.
Your standard seven-digit phone number doesn’t cut it today. Because route drivers frequently cross through different area codes on a daily basis, you now want to include your area code in a phone number listing. And you want to include all of your phone numbers, including 800 numbers and cell phone numbers so customers can reach you, even as they’re passing you on the freeway.
And if you have a Web site, that address should be part of the standard information you include on your tank. This is a good argument for short Web site addresses.
Professional logo
Most small business owners gasp when they learn how much a professional logo from a graphic designer costs. But a simple, clever logo — if well-used — is worth every dollar you pay, and more. Think of a logo as a long-term investment, something that will be a cornerstone of your marketing and advertising plan. How to come up with that winning logo is the topic for another column, but suffice it to say that a snappy logo on your tank will attract customers.
List of services
If you offer diverse services, you may benefit from listing those services somewhere on the sides or back of the tank. Now, there’s no room for a huge laundry list, but narrow them down to the top three or four services. Let’s say one of them is grease trap cleaning. Now that captures the attention of the restaurant owner in town who, when seeing your truck roll by, thought you only serviced portable restrooms.
Certifications, licensing and memberships
It’s time for building instant credibility for your company. If your drivers are certified technicians, through to the Portable Sanitation Association International or a state agency, listing that builds your professional image. Are you a member of the local Chamber of Commerce or other professional trade or civic groups? These affiliations are also likely to sway potential customers your way. Even listing required wastewater licensing sends the message you’re doing things the right way.
Something that’s yours and yours alone
Unique approaches to tank advertising show you’re creative, clever, and go the extra mile to win over customers. I once saw a septic pumping truck with a tank gauge that looked like a clock with a moving hand to show the level of contents. Inside the clock face read “It’s Time!’’ I’m sure that truck draws many a double-take.
Your unique touch might be full tank and truck vinyl graphics of an American flag or of a beautiful landscape to convey an environmental theme. It might be as simple as a catchy tagline that describes your business, like “We’re quick, clean and dependable.’’ Some contractors hot rod it up with flames. You’re only limited by your imagination.
WHAT SHOULDN’T BE ON YOUR TANK?
Rust and grime
Do you want people to think you’re a budget-priced outfit before they dial your number? Then ride around with a tank that’s rusting at the seams or has unsightly rust lines running down from the top manway. And keep your tank washed. Even the most professional graphics and logo lose impact through a thick layer of dust and dirt.
Bathroom humor
Some of you will part ways with me on this one, but I argue you should ditch graphics of a skunk or an outhouse, and lose the “Number One in the Number Two Business’’ slogan. These images might bring a chuckle to some of the folks who drive by your truck, but they won’t build your professional image or help you charge more for the environmental services you provide. Aren’t there more critical messages you’d like to share on this valuable advertising space?
Political statements
While everyone’s entitled to their opinions in politics — and religion for that matter — is it smart for a small business owner to plaster those opinions on a work truck? This is America, and you certainly have the right to put your opinions out there any way you want to. But do so knowing that you may be turning off as many potential customers as you’re turning on. Appealing to the broadest audience possible means remaining neutral. You might vehemently disagree with someone politically, but you probably still want to provide for their portable sanitation needs.
Too much information
Just like advertising, you want to focus on the most important messages, and not turn your tank into a confusing jumble of words, numbers and graphics that passersby won’t be able to digest. Remember, this isn’t NASCAR, and the goal isn’t to work as many images as possible onto your tank.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you have anything to add to the list? Do you disagree with any of my suggestions? Has your truck been designed with effective advertising in mind that you’d like to share with readers of PRO? Send me an e-mail with your responses, or send a digital photo of your truck and we might publish it in an upcoming issue.
The bottom line with tank advertising is this: You’ve already bought the truck. The exposure that rolling billboard can bring to your company is invaluable. Don’t waste any more time turning your tank into your best vehicle for advertising.
