Car magnets are thin, durable, and customizable images that can be attached to the side of any magnetic vehicle. Some car owners use these magnets as a quick and simple way to customize their vehicles. However, the usefulness of car magnets is apparent in the field of advertising. If you’re looking for a cost-effective technique to improve brand awareness, then investing in magnets should be one of your first considerations. Here’s why:
Car Magnets Are Difficult to Ignore
Modern consumers are conditioned to ignore many forms of advertisements. They change the channel when a commercial comes on television. They use ad-blocks on their computers. They even pay premium fees for ad-free versions of their favorite apps. There are very few mediums left where a company can advertise without being easily ignored.
By contrast, drivers are conditioned to be constantly aware of other vehicles around them. If you’re driving and a nearby car has a large, colorful magnet, then you’re very likely going to notice it. Research from various sources indicates that at least 91 percent of people surveyed notice vehicle advertisements like wraps and car magnets.
The bottom line is that if you put an advertising magnet on your vehicle, then it’s going to get noticed every day that it’s on the road.
More Impressions at a Lower Cost
Research shows that vehicle signage can get more than 50,000 impressions in a single day in a metro area. That number can go as high as 70,000 in the right areas. That is a huge number of impressions for a single vehicle considering the much lower upfront cost.
The cost per thousand impressions (CPM) of a particular strategy is a good indicator of how cost-effective it is. Certain advertising methods have such a high CPM that it’s nearly impossible for a small business to make a big impression using its platform. According to WebFX, the average CPM on YouTube is $9.68. That’s a daily cost of $484, or a monthly cost of $14,520, to get the same 50,000 impressions as a car magnet.
Portable Advertising Makes Branding Easier
Portability is almost always a hindrance in marketing. Advertisements tend to stay right where you put them. If you invest in a billboard, then only the people who drive that route are going to see your message. If you invest in a TV commercial, then only the people in the target area watching that specific channel will see the advertisement. These messages can reach a lot of people but they can’t travel outside of their target location.
Car magnets are the ideal form of portable marketing. You can take a vehicle advertisement anywhere there is a street or a parking lot. Is there a big event taking place in the next town? Is there a storm keeping drivers off the road in your local area? Does your target audience live in a specific region of the town? If so, then you can crank up the vehicle and move your advertisement where it needs to be.
This portability makes it a lot easier to experiment with your marketing strategy. You can easily travel to different areas and measure your results. And even when you’re traveling from point A to point B you will still be advertising your brand. Over time, you can formulate mobile advertising strategies that would be impossible to replicate with any other medium.
Are Magnets Better Than Other Forms of Vehicle Signage?
It’s clear that using your vehicle to advertise your brand, but is using a magnet really your best option? It certainly has its advantages in many different areas.
The biggest alternative to a car magnet is a vehicle wrap. A wrap is definitely an effective branding tool, but it is not nearly as affordable as a magnet, nor does it offer the same amount of flexibility to change your message.On average, a single car magnet will cost less than $100. The average cost for a full vehicle wrap is between $1,800 and $6,100. That’s a huge difference in terms of upfront costs.
A vehicle wrap is considered a permanent modification. Most wraps are designed to last at least 10 years. What happens if you want to change your message, your advertising strategy, or your brand design during this time? You’ll have to pay thousands of dollars to have the old wrap removed and a new wrap installed. Meanwhile, a car magnet can be replaced in a matter of seconds at a fraction of the cost.
Using magnets provides flexibility to your advertising campaign that wraps cannot. You can change your magnet during certain events, seasons, or sales. You can experiment with different designs, formats, and imagery until you find an approach that works.
Car Magnets Are a Smart Tool for Branding
Advertising your brand and building awareness requires multiple strategies all working together at once. Car magnets can make an affordable and reliable addition to any advertising strategy. Their flexibility, portability, and durability make them a smart investment.
