How You Can Use Marketing Vehicles to Drive Growth

Posted on November 8, 2022April 29, 2024 by britney

Educational

Let’s say you’re a makeup brand looking to get your newest product in the hands of consumers. Most marketing strategies (social media ads, commercials, and traditional billboards) can’t accomplish this, so what do you do? Well, many brands will attest that the best answer is to turn to experiential marketing, and specifically, to mobile experiential marketing via marketing vehicles!

So, what are marketing vehicles? Marketing vehicles are anything on wheels— buses, cars, trucks— that are branded in a company’s colors/logo and designed to provide a specific brand-to-consumer experience.

To continue with the situation outlined above, product sampling in and of itself isn’t a new phenomenon, and many companies will opt into sampling stands in malls or a storefront. However, the more cutting edge version of getting consumers to engage with your blush or lipstick takes place via promotional vehicles.

For a makeup brand, this experience might take the form of a makeover from a branded truck window, but for businesses in other industries, this might mean a mobile café and showroom, a temporary clothing shop that’s located inside a branded bus, and so much more. Because promotional vehicles are so customizable, the possibilities are truly endless.

Why Opt In to Experiential Marketing?

Experiential marketing at large is a unique, convenient, and dynamic way of pushing your business goals forward, offering a more interpersonal alternative to traditional advertising methods. Simply put, a face-to-face experience leaves a much greater impact than one of the hundred ads you scroll past on Instagram.

Especially with so much noise on social media and in the digital space, experiential marketing is one the marketing industry’s hottest trends in 2022.

But, again, it’s worth knowing that within experiential marketing, there are even more benefits associated with marketing vehicles and mobile marketing. Below you’ll learn more about the benefits of using promotional vehicles specifically, and find out which vehicle makes the most sense for your brand to utilize this year.

Benefits of Mobile Experiential Marketing Versus Other Experiential Marketing

Why are promotional vehicles such a valuable sub-tool of experiential marketing? Well, a mobile activation is a great alternative to a traditional pop-up shop for a handful of reasons. First and foremost, branded vehicles are inherently attention-grabbing, so they get brands noticed quickly. There’s nothing like seeing Chanel’s iconic rouge plastered onto a luxury tuk tuk, just take a look at the photos below!

At the same time— different from a traditional storefront— the mobility of a truck allows you to occupy unconventional and exciting locations. This results in an extra ‘wow’ factor, as walker byers stop to check out a promotional vehicle in an unexpected location.

In the case of the recent pop-up we produced for Simon Schuster’s release of “It Starts With Us” by Colleen Hoover, we were able to surprise guests by activating near the iconic Rockefeller Center.

Plus, if your marketing campaign goes beyond just one day, then the transportability of a promotional vehicle means you can reach a wider audience, which results in a bigger bang for your buck than a traditional, stand-still pop-up.

A Guide to Different Promotional Vehicles

Promotional vehicles across the board can help accomplish similar goals— brand awareness, sales increase, product release— but they also each possess unique characteristics that are important to know when you choose which your brand will use.

Some of the most common promotional vehicles are trucks, carts, double decker buses, vintage citroens, tuk tuks, glass trucks, and trikes. Let’s talk about what each of those vehicles are, and why they may or may not be the right fit for your brand promotion.

Food Trucks

Trucks, and specifically food trucks, are excellent promotional vehicles for many reasons. Via a food truck, your company can design a variety of appealing culinary experiences, like one where consumers are guided to sign up for your app in exchange for free ice cream or panini.

Or, if you happen to be a food and beverage brand, the food truck offers you all the equipment you need to serve your own product and make people fall in love. Compared to other vehicles, food trucks are also the best for heading on a mobile tour. In the case where you might be looking to target different markets, this vehicle makes it easy for you to get from point A to point B in style.

Food Cart

Food carts are smaller than food trucks and offer different advantages. The two main pros of using a food cart are the window display and parking flexibility. From the window display, you can show off a certain product or brand merch that instantly catches people’s eyes. The parking flexibility can be a real advantage, too, when you are activating somewhere like New York, with crowded and small sidewalk spaces. Keep in mind though that food carts are not as transportable as food trucks which means they might not be the best vehicle for mobile tour use.

Double Decker Bus

The double decker bus is one of the most dynamic vehicles you can use. The spaciousness of the vehicle— with the interior, exterior, and rooftop floor— allows you to implement so many different features that add to your interactive brand experience. When we worked with Laniege to promote their Water Bank Hydration Collection, for example, the brand was able to incorporate everything from a prize wheel and photo booth to a sampling station and candy wall.

If you’re looking for a truly dynamic and extensive brand promotion, this vehicle definitely suits you; however, if you’re looking for a simpler and more cost-effective approach, then a double decker bus may not be necessary to accomplish your business goals.

Trike

Also known as a bike cart, billboard cycle, ad bike, or vending tricycle, trikes are experiential marketing bikes that allow direct consumer engagement while also being environmentally sustainable. When you want to give your brand visibility in multiple, outdoor locations per day, trikes are the perfect way to do it. Some of the perks to trikes is that they don’t require a permit, they’re cost-effective, and they make the perfect accessory vehicle.

Vintage Citroen

If you are looking to exude luxury and elegance, then the vintage citroen is the obvious choice for your upcoming branded promotion. These vehicles have a truly distinctive appearance that inherently generate buzz and inspire photo-ops for social media, and are conducive to an in-person experience just as impactful. Depending on your budget, this vehicle may be the perfect choice to elevate your entire brand experience.

Tuk Tuk

Full of character and cutting edge, tuk tuks have been a high demand vehicle for many brands, especially for those within the fashion industry. Whether you want to activate indoors, at street-level, or head on a mobile tour, these charming three-wheeled electric carts are perfect for when space is limited, but you still want to turn heads.

Glass Truck

Glass trucks are valuable for high product visibility, travel, and interior design. The glass truck is one of our larger vehicles, and there’s no doubt that the openness of this vehicle creates immersive experiences that guarantees customers fall in love with your brand. Bacardi used our glass truck to create a holiday pop up shop in the heart of Times Square that featured celebrity appearances, a flash mob, and so much more.

Achieve Your Goals with a Marketing Vehicle

When you consider using the experiential marketing approach, remember the incredible value of marketing vehicles.

Promotional vehicles like the ones you learned about above can be a really helpful way to interact with your target audience and drive your company goals forward.

If you want to get in touch with your sales team and discuss your creative direction more extensively, contact us! We look forward to helping you bring your brand to life.

Top 10 Best Pop-Ups of 2023

It’s been a big year here at Food Truck Promotions. With the holidays on the horizon and the new year quickly approaching, we’ve been looking

Creating Experiences That Drive UGC

Why UGC is a Key to Successful Modern Marketing If you are interested in modern marketing, you already know that the advertising world has dramatically

Rendering of a Barbie themed pink airstream with a water slide a pool and people enjoying the event.

Come on, Barbie, Let’s Go Market!

There’s no doubt about it — Barbie is back. Everyone’s favorite childhood dream girl is hitting the big screen on July 21, and the hype

5 Holiday Pop-Up Shop Ideas to Try This Holiday Season

Posted on November 2, 2022April 29, 2024 by britney

Experiential Marketing

Once November rolls around, it’s only a matter of time before people find themselves digging through dusty, old boxes, searching for their favorite holiday decorations and prepping for a winter full of festivities. Aside from putting up a tree and exchanging gifts with family, as a company, this action-packed time of year gives your business opportunities to connect emotionally with your consumers.

Brands can choose to do this in many different ways– like with a catchy jingle or expansive social media campaign– but we’ve found that a particularly effective way to resonate with your target audience is by using experiential marketing to create a memorable holiday pop up shop.

Let’s quickly establish what a holiday pop up shop is and why it’s beneficial before we discuss holiday pop up shop ideas at greater length! We hope that by the end, this blog leaves you with exciting ideas and creative touches you can put on your holiday pop up this winter season.

What Are Holiday Pop Up Shops And Why Are They Beneficial?

Holiday pop up shops are retail stores or services set up in a temporary location during the holiday season. They’re beneficial for businesses looking to build brand awareness, expand their retail footprint, or bolster sales— and this is true across all industries. Whatever type of company you are— skincare, software, food and beverage, beauty, etc— employing this marketing strategy can give you a leg up over your competitors and even make the difference in a fiscal quarter or year.

Let’s take a closer look at three advantages:

Expand your retail footprint.

Sample your products in real time.

Connect with consumers.

Established brands use holiday pop ups to test new potential store locations, while still attracting foot traffic to their main store. If you’ve ever wondered where you should open your next store, a holiday pop up is a helpful and reliable way to find out.

Commercials and old-fashioned advertisements aren’t completely obsolete, but they can limit your marketing abilities in some important ways. For instance, a person can’t really know if they like your product through a TV or phone screen, which is why holiday pop ups are the perfect occasion to sample your products in real time and make consumers fall in love.

In the same vein, holiday pop ups make it easy to connect face-to-face with consumers. Since you will likely have your team or brand ambassadors on-site at your pop up shop, you have the opportunity to put a face to your name and, therefore, have trained and friendly representatives better communicate your product.

Now that we’ve established what a holiday pop up is and what it can help your company accomplish, let’s discuss specific ways that you can design your holiday pop up shop for this upcoming season. Our company has been helping brands execute holiday events like these for years, so we know the tips and tricks of the trade better than anyone!

5 Holiday Pop Up Shop Ideas

1. Serve Specialty Holiday Drinks

When the winter season replaces fall, people trade out tailgating and apple-picking for curling up next to a fireplace with a good book. And what’s the one drink everyone craves when it’s too cold to step outside? Hot chocolate! Whether aware of it or not, most people have an emotional attachment to hot chocolate; perhaps it reminds them of fond childhood memories, or maybe it evokes a certain cozy feeling during the holiday season in general.

Regardless, the fact that this drink is delicious, easy to make, and pulls on so many people’s heartstrings means it’s the perfect beverage item to consider serving at your holiday pop up! Here are some big-name brands that have taken our advice and used hot-chocolate as a way to attract foot-traffic and resonate with consumers at their holiday pop ups:

Chanel

Gopuff

Rose Inc

Though we’ve seen a lot of success with hot chocolate, this isn’t your only drink option. You can also decide to serve holiday cocktails, hot coffee, or anything else that you think gets consumers in the holiday spirit.

2. Customize Food and Beverages to Fit the Holiday Theme

Use the holiday spirit to customize your food and beverage items and packaging! This small detail makes your culinary component not only more enjoyable in person, but more instagrammable too, leading to organic social media traffic and growth for your brand name.

We helped Happy Socks do this by customizing cake pops to look like Christmas trees and ginger bread men!

3. Accentuate Your Pop Up With Christmas Decorations and Garlands

When you partner with Food Truck Promotions, your vehicle is already fully customizable via our wrapping and branding services. With that in mind, you can also choose to add other exterior touches that take your holiday pop up shop to the next level.

During the Christmas season, this can mean garlands, decorative gifts, and other installations specific to the holiday theme. Below are a few snapshots from companies in the past!

Compass

Lulu & Georgia

Bacardi

4. Offer Special Holiday Deals

It should go without saying that any discount, prize, or deal you can offer your consumers will go a long way. Especially during the winter holiday season, consumer spending is already extremely high, so any time people can save is greatly appreciated!

Give away bounce-back cards and discount codes that encourage people to engage with your company far after the holiday pop up ends.

5. Integrate a Social Media Feature

Most of a holiday pop up shop’s appeal is that it makes for memorable in-person experiences. With that being said, this day and age, an event like this also carries the potential to be posted on social media— especially when you implement some kind of element that encourages people to post about your holiday pop up.

Implement a photo-booth with props, a holiday pop up hashtag, or a polaroid capture moment to translate your in-person event to social media organically. This extra coverage will create more exposure and result in greater overall reach.

Wrap Up

With November in full swing, it’s time to start thinking about what your company’s holiday pop up might look like this year. Whether this is the first holiday pop up you’ve ever put on, or you’re a seasoned vet, we hope that we’ve left you with 5 excellent holiday pop up shop ideas!

If you’re interested in learning more about what Food Truck Promotions has to offer, you can contact us here and speak with our team in more detail. We can’t wait to work with you and produce a holiday pop up shop that’s a true Christmas miracle!