[Mike Finley]

With all the fruity advertising methods that have been in the news lately - people renting out their foreheads, casinos buying bread with the shape of Jesus on it...

It got me wondering that with everybody so concerned with the new buzz word "mindshare" and trying to get it anywhere they can, how come I don't see companies using one of the older, more established and proven methods, mimicking what you see at Nascar, which is buying space on somebodies company vehicle for their company logo? Is any of this going on but I just didn't know?

It seems a contractor with 10 vans running around town would be a good place for Dewalt to buy some space on those vans and have their logo running around town being shown off, not only to civilians in the neighborhoods the vans drive in, but think about the associated tradesman that the van deals with daily seeing it. Contractors are always going to Home Depot and lumber yards, what better to have then people walking by a parking lot full of vans with their logo on them?

Stores used to get free signs from CocaCola if they put the Coke logo on them, you still see these everywhere. Why wouldn't Milwaulkee pay for your company logo to be put on your truck if you put theres on it too?

Anybody ever seen this before or approached a manufacturer about this?

 

[ProWallGuy]

Mike, good question. I had two sponsors back in the day of tourny fishing, but never, ever thought about it for my company.

 

[Nathan]

Thats a great thought Mike. I'm always amazed at what Coke buys advertising on but then again I have a few cokes a day so I guess its working.

I try to get people to understand the idea of "branding" when they advertise on this site. A lot of advertisers are looking for direct sales from placing a banner on ContractorTalk.com, but I think its better for them to build their brand. Then someday when you need a custom truck bed you will call www.truckcraft.com or when you need some cool clothes and tools for contractors you try www.duluthtrading.com.

This type of advertising pays off for years verses direct sales advertising which only pays off the month you post it.

 

[slickshift]

Why no sponsorships?

It's a great idea, it's just one step removed from being viable to the marketing dept.

When I was the delivery systems mgr. for a furniture retailer, we could get some of the manufacturers whose product we sold to pay for the partial truck painting, if it included their logo
With 4 or 5 of them doing this we didn't have to pay a dime
They didn't pay us, except for the paint or graphics

But the thing is, we sold their products

The prime customers of contractors are generally not consumers of the products that the contractors use
Your not selling any DeWalt saws

For a sponsership, you'd have to prove to marketing that you reach a minimum number of people visually, much easier to do if you are in a car zooming around the Waterford Speedbowl, or fishing or cycling on TV

I'd still try it, if you can get a rep to release the funds from marketing then cool
But the most I think you'd get is a few vinyl graphics

I still think it's worth looking into, maybe some local reps would bite and get the funds

 

[Mike Finley]

You have these car wrap people who wrap your car in advertising and make your car payment. Their paying 300-400 a month for one person to drive to work and back!

We have out here a company that gets advertisers to basically do a bill board on their trailer. They pull a trailer around town with a bill board on it!

It just gets me when you see so many gimicks or tricks advertisers are throwing money at that it just seems logical to do sponsorship like this, but what do I know?

As for having to use the product in order to have it as a sponsor? Well that's been a question forever. How many times to people look at a celebrity endorsement and think, he/she doesn't use that? The advertising company shouldn't be concerned whether the plumber uses a Dewalt tool, as much as they should be concerned with having 10 trucks out everyday in Chicago getting their logo out there I would think.

 

[slickshift]

As for having to use the product in order to have it as a sponsor? Well that's been a question forever.

Heh heh
But it still works lol


My thinking was to get $ out of marketing you'd have to go through Manufact. Reps. and they don't have the mechanism for that sort of thing
They don't deal will that type of adverts

If you can say "Billboard on I-95, Product Placement on Fix My House, or Inside Cover of Sunday Magazine", that's (usually) a different (marketing) dept. and it would be easier to get $ out of them if you could say things like that

Things like fishing rods or skateboards have a mechanism for this
They are used to sponsoring people

You have these car wrap people who wrap your car in advertising and make your car payment. Their paying 300-400 a month for one person to drive to work and back!
We have out here a company that gets advertisers to basically do a bill board on their trailer. They pull a trailer around town with a bill board on it!

These are the people to talk too
How did they end up doing this?

it just seems logical to do sponsorship like this

I agree
Let's find the right people to talk to

 

[mdshunk]

That already exists to some extent. I know that in the HVAC trade, York, Carrier, Bryant, whoever, will all pay the lion's share of having your truck lettered if you display their logo to their specs also. I've seen some carpenter's trucks with "The Lumber Yard" logos big and bold on their trucks, so I suspect that this might be a similar deal.

 

[Humble Abode]

That already exists to some extent. I know that in the HVAC trade, York, Carrier, Bryant, whoever, will all pay the lion's share of having your truck lettered if you display their logo to their specs also. I've seen some carpenter's trucks with "The Lumber Yard" logos big and bold on their trucks, so I suspect that this might be a similar deal.

I have also seen Paint Contractors trucks with Shewinn Williams logos on the door, I always assumed SW paid for their decals...

 

[Grumpy]

For the same reasons I do not put google adwords or offsite links on my corporate website I too will not put someone elses logos on my trucks.

Ok There are exceptions to every rule. I have National Roofing Contractor's Association logo's on my trucks. I might place manufacturer's logos on my trucks... but these are priducts I sell. Only if I sold dewalt tools would I put Dewalt's logo on my truck.

Last comment on the subject. Logos, specifically stickers, are like the movie "field of dreams" (I think it was called). If you build it they will come. If you pass out stickers they will be displayed. Rather than paying someone to put a sticker on their truck, all they hav to do is pass out a few with each tool and you bet you will see their logos on peoples trucks before a year's time.

 

[mdshunk]

I have seen contractor's polo shirts with the Anderson Window logo and "Acme Window" below it. I can only guess that Anderson paid for part of the shirts.

 

[Mike Finley]

MD, and Humble, thanks.

See I knew I wasn't that smart! It is out there I just haven't seen it. Thanks for the info.

 

[Grumpy]

I have seen contractor's polo shirts with the Anderson Window logo and "Acme Window" below it. I can only guess that Anderson paid for part of the shirts.

My suppliers hand out manufacturer shirts all the time. I have a bunch. Some manufacturers who have certification programs even give out a few as part of the certification.

 

[Mike Finley]

My suppliers hand out manufacturer shirts all the time. I have a bunch. Some manufacturers who have certification programs even give out a few as part of the certification.

Are you talking about a shirt with the workers name on it or just a generic shirt with the company logo of the company giving it away?

 

[Grumpy]

A generic shirt with the company logo giving it away. I have tons.

 

[Richard Kaller]

With all the fruity advertising methods that have been in the news lately - people renting out their foreheads, casinos buying bread with the shape of Jesus on it...

It got me wondering that with everybody so concerned with the new buzz word "mindshare" and trying to get it anywhere they can, how come I don't see companies using one of the older, more established and proven methods, mimicking what you see at Nascar, which is buying space on somebodies company vehicle for their company logo? Is any of this going on but I just didn't know?

It seems a contractor with 10 vans running around town would be a good place for Dewalt to buy some space on those vans and have their logo running around town being shown off, not only to civilians in the neighborhoods the vans drive in, but think about the associated tradesman that the van deals with daily seeing it. Contractors are always going to Home Depot and lumber yards, what better to have then people walking by a parking lot full of vans with their logo on them?

Stores used to get free signs from CocaCola if they put the Coke logo on them, you still see these everywhere. Why wouldn't Milwaulkee pay for your company logo to be put on your truck if you put theres on it too?

Anybody ever seen this before or approached a manufacturer about this?

Mike,

Now that is thinking outside the box and your idea certainly has merit.

Best of luck…Richard