Anyone use "bandit" signs for advertising?

[bullheimer]

yeah baby! my 07 matrix gets 36 mph uphill or down, can close it up water tight with an 8ft ladder inside the car (top of it on the dash) and i can carry a 24ft extension ladder in it too because unlike every other hatchback out there, my back window opens up. obviously have to put one end of the ladder on the dash as well. can put a 4footer in on the back seat sideways or in the back. i can carry up to five ten foot 1/2" pvc pipe in with the doors and windows closed, three 3/4" pvc pipes same way, or anything you want ten foot long with the ends on the dash. i don't generally like to drive with the back window open, but i can. if i do i generally tie the window down to the ladder with elec. tape. for those who want to look less like the flying burrito brothers, they sell ladder racks.

i highly recommend the 07 because they got bigger and mileage dropped down to 34 in 08. i am not sure if the newer models retained the opening window in the hatch either. there are alot of cooler small vehicles out there now too like that mini box truck ford has. i should have my matrix paid off this year too but right now i think there might be a tow truck out there looking for it.

more than big enough to carry everything one need to wire a complete house. oh yeah, the back seat folds down completely flat, not at some stupid angle, as well has it has a hard covering on the backs of the seats, so you wont scuff up some soft junk like what was in other cars i looked at. and ten tons of headroom and the seats are great for long trips. nothing bad about the car except the cheap plastic dash parts and worthless 'carpet'.

 

[KVA]

yeah baby! my 07 matrix gets 36 mph uphill or down, can close it up water tight with an 8ft ladder inside the car (top of it on the dash) and i can carry a 24ft extension ladder in it too because unlike every other hatchback out there, my back window opens up. obviously have to put one end of the ladder on the dash as well. can put a 4footer in on the back seat sideways or in the back. i can carry up to five ten foot 1/2" pvc pipe in with the doors and windows closed, three 3/4" pvc pipes same way, or anything you want ten foot long with the ends on the dash. i don't generally like to drive with the back window open, but i can. if i do i generally tie the window down to the ladder with elec. tape. for those who want to look less like the flying burrito brothers, they sell ladder racks.

i highly recommend the 07 because they got bigger and mileage dropped down to 34 in 08. i am not sure if the newer models retained the opening window in the hatch either. there are alot of cooler small vehicles out there now too like that mini box truck ford has. i should have my matrix paid off this year too but right now i think there might be a tow truck out there looking for it.

That right there might be part of your problem with getting work. I don't know any electricians that are in business that work out of a car. It really doesn't matter what you drive it's about your skills, but when the majority drive trucks or vans it makes you look ????

To me if you look professional you get treated like a professional. A car may be good for just doing estimates to save on fuel but to show up to work in a car no way...again just my opinion.

 

[kwired]

yeah baby! my 07 matrix gets 36 mph uphill or down, can close it up water tight with an 8ft ladder inside the car (top of it on the dash) and i can carry a 24ft extension ladder in it too because unlike every other hatchback out there, my back window opens up. obviously have to put one end of the ladder on the dash as well. can put a 4footer in on the back seat sideways or in the back. i can carry up to five ten foot 1/2" pvc pipe in with the doors and windows closed, three 3/4" pvc pipes same way, or anything you want ten foot long with the ends on the dash. i don't generally like to drive with the back window open, but i can. if i do i generally tie the window down to the ladder with elec. tape. for those who want to look less like the flying burrito brothers, they sell ladder racks.

i highly recommend the 07 because they got bigger and mileage dropped down to 34 in 08. i am not sure if the newer models retained the opening window in the hatch either. there are alot of cooler small vehicles out there now too like that mini box truck ford has. i should have my matrix paid off this year too but right now i think there might be a tow truck out there looking for it.

more than big enough to carry everything one need to wire a complete house. oh yeah, the back seat folds down completely flat, not at some stupid angle, as well has it has a hard covering on the backs of the seats, so you wont scuff up some soft junk like what was in other cars i looked at. and ten tons of headroom and the seats are great for long trips. nothing bad about the car except the cheap plastic dash parts and worthless 'carpet'.

If I get one of those can I pull my 14,000 lb rated trailer (fully loaded) with it?

 

[renosteinke]

For the past year I've been in an unusual role: I've been playing customer! I bought a house, and I need various contractors.

My experience has been - and, yes, I'm not being either fair nor logical - as follows:

"Bandit signs:" See them. Generally think nice things about them. Completely ignore them.

Work trucks: Recognize, but don't look too close. Part of the problem is that the information I seek is usually limited to small print, on the front doors - and I'm never in a position to read it.

Enclosed work trailers: Extremely positive reception. Ditto what was said about the need to be able to read from the rear. The key is a clean, uncluttered view.

Regarding the use of vehicles to get around sign ordinances: Yup, it's a common ploy. Still, I tend to ignore such signs like any other - only really noticing them when they're in traffic, or obviously at a job site.

One poster mentioned having a fairing to cover his ladders. I think that's a brilliant idea- ladders are one of the worst offenders when it comes to cluttering up the view of the signage. Even when the ladder is nowhere near the lettering, it's a distraction.

 

[kwired]

For the past year I've been in an unusual role: I've been playing customer! I bought a house, and I need various contractors.

My experience has been - and, yes, I'm not being either fair nor logical - as follows:

"Bandit signs:" See them. Generally think nice things about them. Completely ignore them.

Work trucks: Recognize, but don't look too close. Part of the problem is that the information I seek is usually limited to small print, on the front doors - and I'm never in a position to read it.

Enclosed work trailers: Extremely positive reception. Ditto what was said about the need to be able to read from the rear. The key is a clean, uncluttered view.

Regarding the use of vehicles to get around sign ordinances: Yup, it's a common ploy. Still, I tend to ignore such signs like any other - only really noticing them when they're in traffic, or obviously at a job site.

One poster mentioned having a fairing to cover his ladders. I think that's a brilliant idea- ladders are one of the worst offenders when it comes to cluttering up the view of the signage. Even when the ladder is nowhere near the lettering, it's a distraction.

Signage on vehicles and trailers is probably intended to get noticed more so when at the jobsite than while traveling down the road. When people are on the road they are not paying attention to that kind of thing unless there is a need for the information on the sign and they happen to notice it. Same goes for permanent billboards. They are only to get attention of those that are looking for information it contains. Many others read it but quickly forget they even saw it. Then there are big corporations that want signs, ads, in many places just to remind you they are there. The more you see their name the more likely you remember their name when the time comes to select their products or services. Think about McDonalds, Budweiser, Nike, Pepsi, Coke, you see or hear those names so many times they stick in your head, even Aflac, not everyone knows what it is, but they remember the name.

 

[renosteinke]

kwired, I appreciate your view.

I wasn't speaking 'in general,' nor was I quoting from some marketing book. Instead, I was presenting my 'feelings' as I actively go about being a customer. That is, I am now part of the 'target' audience, and I spoke of what appeals to my heart.

Do with the data as you will.

 

[cowboyjwc]

There's a study and I wish I knew what it was called, it was brought up when I was the president of the local historical society and our park is on a side street off of a main road with a 45 mph speed limit.

The jest of the study was how far away and what could be see at a certain speed on a certain size sign. So you stick a 3x2 sign on the road and it says "ABC Electrical for all of your lighting needs call 555-1212", all they might see is "ABC El......" Now if you can stick them around town at intersections where people are stopped and have time to read them, then that's another thing, but most jurisdictions have some sort of ordinance about that too.

 

[hurk27]

Advertising is allot of creativity, the more crazy you make a slogan or put something funny that will make people talk about it the more people will remember it, don't believe me just watch the commercials during the super bowl, many years ago we had contractor who had on his trucks "Let us remove your shorts" with a cartoon of a dog pulling down on a girls shorts like in the old copper tone signs I can't even remember the name of the company but I will always remember that slogan.

Over the years I have seen some good ones, and the better they are the more you hear people talking about them.

 

[renosteinke]

Hurk, your comments remind me of why I so strongly urge folks to read "My Life in Advertising / Scientific Advertising," by Claude Hopkins.

There's a lot of assertions made about advertising, and the industry gives itself all manner of awards. Mr. Hopkins did the unthinkable: he actually measured different theories. Some of the 'conventional wisdom' you hear was validated; much was proven to be either irrelevant, or simply wrong.

Of note is that his measure was in sales - not in retention, popularity, or what folks thought. He'd run an ad and track the results. More sales = better ad. Seems pretty plain, but done quite rarely.

I'd go into more detail, but that would deprive you of the pleasure of being surprised yourself.

 

[aldismiller]

I have not used this technique yet but have noticed it many a times. It is a cost effective and people notice it and it definately leave impression the minds .

 

[PetrosA]

In my experience, yard signs are great when you're at a job that other contractors may need to find. The signs work great as markers for the correct driveway . Most of the signs I've seen though have way too much information on them and there's no way drivers will remember it all, let alone figure out which of the 60 words are the business name. The yard signs that stick out the best in my memory are the ones that say YARD SIGNS - $3.99

 

[renosteinke]

Playful idea ....

Put your sign among the political banners this Fall, saying something like:

"Joe's Electric: A Ceiling Fan in Every Room!"

"Joe for Best Electrician EVER"

"Let There Be Light! Call Joe"

"Joe knows the Common Volt"

 

[cowboyjwc]

Or you could do the old Burma Shave type signs:

"Not enough light...."

"for you to read?....."

"Call Joes Electric....."

"For your power needs...."

 

[aldismiller]

Yard signs are most common tool for advertising . The common mistake which most of the people do that is, writing too much information about the company or the product. Marking it too wordy. The best way to attract customers is to write some catchy slogans which are capable of describing the whole story abot the product or the services or the company.

 

[220/221]

I would never use anyone that advertised this way. It's illegal where I live but people still do it.

It used to be a huge problem and the city paid people to drive around and take down signs. Every telco pole had like ten thousand roofing nails in it. The new law and publicity/enforcement has helped a lot in the last decade.






I like the signs with poor spelling, grammar of just flat wrong words. Yeah...I'll call this guy