Why Branding Is Important for your Company?

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Creating a great brand is an essential component to helping your business become successful. Why is branding so important and how does it help the success of your business? Essentially a great brand is what will help you stand out above any and all competition. Branding promotes recognition, makes your business stick in the mind of its consumers, and draws in new customers.

What Your Brand Should Say

You might be asking, what exactly do I want my brand to say about my business? Simply put, your brand is a promise to your customers and should say these things about your business:

Quality: We take the time and put in the necessary effort to fulfill the consumer’s expectations.
Experience: We possess the expertise needed to professionally complete your project.
Credibility: Consumers can trust we will get the job done correctly and will honor our commitments if we fall short of expectations.
Reputation: Consumers think highly of our business and the work we do.

Now that we know this, what are the steps to building your brand and making that promise to your customers?

Develop a Brand Message

You need decide the message that you want to convey to consumers about your brand. The message that you give to your customers needs to stand true with your company in order to work.

Create a Logo

Your logo design should be eye-catching and easy to read. During the design process, remember color schemes and font choices do matter. Your logo should be versatile enough to be used on something as small as a business card or on something as big as a billboard or vehicle. Once your logo is created, put it on everything; business cards, social media, company vehicles, shirts and everything else you can think of!

Incorporate Your Brand

Your brand goes much further than just your logo design. Your brand is also represented by how you and your employees answer the phone, how employees dress, the cleanliness of your office and email signatures, essentially everything that goes in to a business.

Stay Consistent

Lastly, you must stay consistent and true to your brand. Not doing so creates room for your brand to fail.

10 Pieces of Advice Before Investing in a Vinyl Wrap

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Have you ever spent way too many hours researching and comparing information about something that you wanted to buy? Have you ever experienced pressure to feel peace and confidence with the decision to spend money on something new? We understand the stress and risk of purchasing something that you may not know everything about. We want to help you feel secure in your decision to invest in a vehicle wrap and trust that you will receive the quality of which you are paying for.

The goal of this article is to help reduce time spent researching and increase your knowledge about the vehicle graphics industry. Here are 10 things to consider before investing in a wrap.

Certified installers: Are the installers applying the wrap certified? If a certified installer delivers unsatisfactory results they can have certifications pulled from them. Non-certified installers have nothing to lose when it comes to being held accountable for their quality of work. Shadow Graphix is 3M Preferred, Avery Dennison certified and 3M Knifeless Tech Systems certified. We take the time to go through as many certifications as possible to ensure a quality result every time.

Quality of materials: What material do they use? Don’t hesitate to ask the company about their material and how they believe it compares to 3M or Avery. Shadow Graphix uses only 3M or Avery materials because we believe it is they are highest quality materials in the industry.

Subcontractors: Is the company using outside certified installers to come in and complete the project? If so, this will affect the wrap warranty. 3M-preferred installers provide a 2-year warranty for failures of 3M materials.

Expectations: What are your expectations of the vehicle wrap? Do you want it to look like paint? Do you want the door jams wrapped? We can relate to the mindset of having a vision and knowing exactly what you want. Therefore, be honest about those things with the company you’re engaging. There are different levels of getting a wrap installed. Your expectations play a role in that, as well as the time and energy put in to provide exceptionally detailed work.

Price: Cheap prices could mean cheap quality. If the company’s prices seem to be exceptionally lower than other companies you have researched, treat that as a sign that you should look in to the other aspects of the vehicle graphics industry.

Accreditations: How many accreditations does the business have? Shadow Graphix maintains accreditations from Better Business Bureau, Masters of Branding and Paint is Dead. These accreditations hold us accountable to be a business of integrity.

Warranty: Do they stand behind their warranty? Certifications with 3M and Avery provide warranties for the material and printers called 3M MCS warranty and Avery ICS warranty. This helps to ensure the best possible product and service is provided. If anything goes wrong, 3M and Avery will help us make it right.

Specialization: Are they an exclusive wrap shop, or are they a window tint or sign company? If the shop you have chosen to do your wrap is a tint or detail shop, meaning they do not specialize in vehicle wraps, then that may not be the most experienced company to invest in.

Experience: How long has the company been in business? Shadow Graphix has been in business for 24 years and understand the industry at a competitive level to other experienced vehicle graphic companies.

Google ratings: Can you find them on Google? Check out what Google says about the company as well as the reviews left by customers. It may be a red flag if Google doesn’t have any information on them.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully this advice can be used as a tool for you to have the best experience possible when getting your vehicle wrapped. We encourage you to ask the questions necessary that will help you trust in the company you are investing in. At Shadow Graphix, we are very passionate about the vehicle graphic industry and hope that you will be able to share that passion with us from receiving a quality vehicle wrap. Contact us today to get started on your next vinyl wrap install.

5 Benefits of Color Change Wraps

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Have you been thinking about purchasing a new vehicle? Does your vehicle need an updated look? Are you tired of the same color vehicle that you’ve had for a few years? Well, if you have answered yes to any of these questions, Shadow Graphix can give your vehicle a whole new dramatic look. We focus on vehicle wraps of all kinds at our shop in Indianapolis, IN.

If you were considering purchasing a new vehicle, why not give your old vehicle new life with a vibrant color change wrap? Tired of the same boring color? Spruce it up with a new color, we offer over a hundred stunning colors to choose form. If you want to update your vehicle, we have a wide array of finishes to choose from as well. Glossy, matte, metallic, brushed steel, reflective, chrome, glow in the dark, textured, pearl and more. With so many options, your vehicle will look transformed with a simple color change wrap.

5 Benefits of Color Change Wraps

Low maintenance: After we add a color change wrap to your vehicle, it is best to hand wash your car. We will provide you with the proper types of solutions to use on your wrap as well. If you do use an automatic car wash, make sure it is a brushless one. You don’t want to rip the wrap after it has been installed.

Less expensive than paint: A color wrap change is less expensive than a paint job and can also be removed by a professional if you ever want to change it. Not only can it be less expensive, but also the wraps last on average; 5 to 7 years.

Resale value: If you add a color change wrap, this will not only keep the manufacturers original paint, but it will keep the resale value as well. If you paint the car, the next person, may not like the color that you choose. A wrap can be removed back to the original color at ease.

Protection: When your vehicle is covered with a color change wrap, it is protected from the normal wear and tear, such as dirt, rocks, weathering, snow, ice, etc. The original paint will not be affected by long sun exposure when covered by a wrap. Think of your wrap as a shield to your vehicle. Once it is removed, if you choose to do so, the vehicle paint will look the same as the day it was applied.

New look: With a stunning array of colors to choose from, your vehicle will be transformed to look like a new car. Unlike paint, you get the exact color you pick out. Sometimes the colors dry different and or there could be an error with painting. When you choose a color change wrap, you avoid all of these possibilities. You will know what your vehicle will look like before it is even wrapped.

When choosing a color wrap company, make sure you choose a company that takes pride in their work and has experience. At Shadow Graphix, we have over 23 years wrapping vehicles all around the Indianapolis area and beyond.

We are also certified in:

  • 3M Preferred Installer
  • 3M Architectural Endorsed
  • Avery Dennison Certified Installer
  • Knifeless Accredited
  • DI-NOC Endorsed
  • Lowen Certified Installer
  • Wrapify Certified Wrap Installer

If you are interested in creating a whole new look for your vehicle, contact us today for an exciting color change wrap. Shoot us your ideas and we will design and install a wrap to make your vehicle stand out!

7 Easy Tips to Protect Your Vehicle Wraps

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When you purchase a vehicle wrap you want to maximize the return on your investment. This is endless advertising after your wrap is installed, which is awesome for your business. However, maximizing your return on investment means more than just showcasing your vehicle.

What do we mean by this statement? Well, taking care of your vehicle wrap is a huge part of maximizing your ROI. After all, this is your company brand that is plastered all of your vehicle. This needs a fresh clean look, which can extend the life of these wraps.

It’s amazing to see how many vehicle wraps on the road that are not being taken care of. It is very simple to maintain these wraps, although many people tend to put this on the back burner. Did you know that if properly taken care of, your vehicle wrap can last a solid 5 to 7 years? That is a long time for your vehicle to look fresh, even paint tends to fade before this.

We wrap everything from cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, trailers, semis and boats, but in the end they all need the same proper care to maintain their look. It is very important to clean them and preserve your wraps for years to come.

For most Indianapolis companies, the vehicles that do get wrapped are cared for by your staff. Do they know how to care for them after they are in their possession? You have to keep in mind, this is your brand that they are driving around. It would be a disservice to your company to have a dirty and or scratched up wrap driving around the city. Many staff will take great care of them and pride in their company. While others may not consider the vehicle theirs or they may not know how to care for them. Others may not even realize the wraps are dirty.

Give your staff a guide on how to clean the vehicle. Sometimes people are just unaware of how to take care of them and would be proactive with instruction.

Here are a few tips to keep your vehicle wrap maintained:

  • Keep your wrapped vehicle clean, wash it once a week or more if it is exposed
  • Try to park under a shaded area if the vehicle will be exposed for a long period of time.
  • If you can keep this vehicle in a garage when it rains, sleets and or in extreme cold.
  • Clean bird droppings, dirt, and difficult stains quickly. Letting them sit may cause damage to wrap and difficulty to remove after a long period of time passes.
  • Do not power wash your wrap.
  • Hand washing is best, however if you do bring it through a car wash, only go to an automated brushless car wash. We suggest hand washing because it is safer and more thorough.
  • Wipe off oil and fuel spills as quickly by hand washing the area as best you can.

Think of the big investment you’ve made in your vehicle wrap and how important this is to display your brand. Your business receives endless advertising through this wrap, therefore it is important to make it look great and for a long period of time. If you have any questions on how to maintain your vehicle wrap, we would be glad to help. Feel free to give Shadow Graphix a call or shoot us a message via our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.