As the cost per customer acquisition is constantly increasing, this article is aimed at exploring some Tips for Building Custom Marketing Trailers, as an option to reach a larger targeted audience at a much lower cost. Before we begin, let’s explore some of the ways companies are utilizing marketing trailers:
- Display/Educational: showcasing products and having brand ambassadors/experts onsite to demonstrate the product uses, and answer questions
- Marketing/Brand Awareness: create a fun atmosphere to reach your audience (examples include product samples, live music/food, games, interactiveness)
- Training: companies have found that when it comes to investing in training and continual product education, traveling to employees/dealers/distributors is much more cost-effective than hosting training at the company headquarters. A custom-built training trailer is a great way to reach a larger attentive audience at a lower cost, without the downtime of travel.
- Experiential: all about creating an experience. In today’s market, all buyers are used to immediate gratification, so bringing an experience to your customers creates a lasting impression, along with a social media presence (free PR!). Your visitors are likely to whip out their cell phones, take pictures/videos, and post on social media outlets. Just a tip…. have your handles and hashtags ready to go!
Tip #1: Trust your builder. Have you done your research, extending past a quick google search on ‘marketing trailer builders’? Have you talked with past customers that worked with this specific builder? How do the finishes and the craftsmanship of each builder differ? Did you visit the builders’ fabrication facility? Be informed, and understand all aspects of the process, so you can protect yourself, and have a stronger partnership with the builder.
Here are a few sample questions to ask your builder. Click here for the full list of Questions You Need to Ask Your Food Truck Builder
How does your process work – from beginning to end? Some builders overpromise and under-deliver, and to top that – are late on delivery. It’s important that your builder can clearly identify the entire build process – from design, engineering, exterior build-out, interior build-out, paint/graphics, training, and delivery.
Who will my contact be throughout the process? Who will answer design questions? Technical questions? Billing questions? This type of clarification is imperative to ensure your questions are answered in a timely manner.
Will you design and engineer my food truck? Many builders still have the ‘back of the napkin’ mentality, which has worked for them in the past until it doesn’t. Understanding the engineering and design mechanisms that go into building a food truck is important. Not all builders have in-house design and engineering services, so that will be a differentiator
between those that offer innovative solutions and those that just can’t get there.
Do you offer a warranty? Most builders do offer a warranty, but to what extent? The industry standard is three years on craftsmanship. It’s important to understand how the warranty work is completed – the process, where the warranty work must be completed, expected downtime while work is being completed, etc.
Tip #2: Understand your goals and objectives of this trailer. Will this trailer be a long-term project that will continuously be upfitted to meet various objectives or products, or will the trailer be set out to accomplish one goal? Have a plan in place to measure your goal performance, so you have a means to analyze the performance and ROI of the custom marketing trailer.
Tip #3: Take Field Trips: check out other companies’ custom marketing trailers, and how they operate. This is a great insight to the good, bad, and ugly. If the tour operator is up to chatting with you, be sure to ask the important questions… what would you change? Who was your builder, and how was that experience? What happens if something needs to be repaired on the trailer? How is customer service? What parts of the trailer are your favorite? Least favorite?
Tip #4: Logistical Plan: a trailer does require a crew to tow, set up, operate, and maintain the unit. Do you have a team in place who will be operating this trailer? If so, be sure they have the builders’ policy easily accessible, as well as the contact with the builder, to ensure all of their questions can be answered in a timely and effective manner.
APEX Specialty Vehicles has extensive experience building custom marketing trucks and trailers for national brands. Check out the Friends of Public Radio (FPR) Multipurpose Food and Marketing Truck that APEX designed, engineering, and built.
Specialty trucks and trailers can be built for a variety of uses – from food service and catering to mobile retail stores. APEX recently had the opportunity to partner with NPR for the customization of a custom truck that doubles as a food truck and a mobile broadcast studio. Let’s check out some insight into how NPR launches Multipurpose Food Truck!
As a leading builder of high-end food and marketing trucks for national restaurants and brands, APEX welcomes a challenge. The NPR offered a great way for our entire company to push the envelope, everyone from engineering and sales to production and fabrication. Each department truly became an innovative source for ideas to bring this vision to fruition. The truck incorporates many features that are unique to custom food trucks and truly haven’t been done before. One feature is the baggage compartment that opens as a single piece, which offers a sleek and innovative design element. In addition, custom lighting is mounted below the truck and a purple LED glow can be seen underneath. Another very cool design feature is the stairs and doorway into the mobile broadcasting studio. When the door is opened, the stairs automatically come out and down for easy accessibility and efficient functionality. Unlike most custom builders, we have a full-time staff of 4 engineers that ensure your project is moved along from a vision to fruition. Continue reading Friends of Public Radio (FPR) Multipurpose Food and Marketing Truck here!
-We hope you found these tips for building custom marketing trailers helpful. If you have specific questions, feel free to call APEX – 816-853-3360