We usually think of “company cars” as part of a fleet or something you get when you’re an executive, but if you own any car as a business, even a small one, that counts too. Such company cars spend a lot of time on the road, which if you’re smart about it can give you a good opportunity to turn them into advertisements for your business. Every journey your staff makes (even if it’s just you), will then become a chance for potential customers to see your brand, remember your name, and hopefully get in touch when they need what you're offering. It's passive marketing that works while you're just going about your normal business operations, and if you do it right, the return on investment can be surprisingly good. Here are three ways to turn your company vehicles into effective billboards that might help your business grow, even a little bit.

Detailing & Wraps

You'll notice that a clean, well maintained car with professional graphics is going to help draw the eye much more effectively than a dirty vehicle with faded stickers slapped on the side. Investing in a proper vinyl wrap that covers the car in your brand colors, logo, and contact details looks very polished if your branding is nice, and shows you take your business seriously. The wrap protects the paintwork underneath too, which helps you to keep the vehicle's resale value when you're done with it. Getting the car detailed on top of that can help keep it looking sharp, because there's no point having great branding if the vehicle itself is covered in mud and grime. As such, it’'s worth budgeting for professional cleaning every few weeks so your mobile billboard stays effective.

Private Reg

Adding a private reg to your company vehicle makes it stand out and easier to remember, which can be pretty effective for brand recall. If you can get a registration that relates to your company name or what you do, people are more likely to remember it when they see you driving past or parked up somewhere. It's a small detail but it adds a level of professionalism and personality, and it’s fun too! You'll also find that memorable plates become talking points as well, and that word of mouth can bring in business you wouldn't have otherwise. Spurious? Perhaps. But memorable, and that’s what marketing should be.

Great Driving Conduct

There’s one thing to remember if you do brand yourself, and that’s having your name all over any car means every bit of bad driving gets noticed and potentially reported or complained about, which can damage your reputation even if it’s not you driving. Your drivers need to understand they're representing the company whenever they're behind the wheel, so cutting people up, parking badly, speeding through residential areas, or being aggressive on the road is something of a major anti-advertisement. That’s not what you want after following the advice above. As such, it's more than sensible to have a conversation with staff regarding driving standards before you put company branding on their vehicles, and make it clear that their conduct matters, and what the measures of accountability are if that doesn’t happen. Then, you set the standard personally.