MANSFIELD, Texas — Texas Trust Credit Union has initiated a new outdoor advertising strategy, which includes replacing billboards with two Jeep Patriots that were custom wrapped to raise visibility of the $796 million credit union.
Texas Trust said the idea of "roaming billboards" began with the realization the CU was paying $600 per month in gasoline for one of its community relations officers.
So management decided to make that money work harder.
"Our community relations officers are out and about every day," said Amber Danford, SVP of marketing. "When we analyzed the cost of gas compared to the cost of a billboard, the decision to wrap a vehicle made perfect sense."
Danford said generating visibility in a dense metropolitan market is not easy, adding, "Our newly wrapped Jeeps give us more exposure than a static billboard and provide a practical service, too."
Wrap A Jeep
Texas Trust purchased two 2012 Jeep Patriots, completely wrapping each vehicle. The credit union's website address is prominently displayed on the back and each side of the jeeps. A 3D design was added to one of the Jeeps, creating an illusion that the credit union's "Cash the Eagle" mascot is riding in the back with the tailgate open.
The Jeeps primarily are used by the credit union's community relations officers and its community financial education coordinator.
According to Danford, TTCU still is "relatively young" in its market, and therefore has to be creative in how it generates visibility. "The wrapped Jeeps give us great exposure in the community, and enable us to get involved in school and community parades," she said.
Cost Per Impression
Texas Trust said it quickly discovered the wrapped Jeeps provide a "significant" benefit over traditional forms of advertising, reaching more consumers at a lower cost per impression than any other form of outdoor advertising.
It cited research by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, which found one vehicle wrap can generate 30,000 to 70,000 impressions daily. Fleet vehicle advertising is said to boost name recognition 15 times greater than other forms of advertising.
"We no longer fight over whose car we have to take to an event. Now we fight over who gets to drive the Jeep," said Danford.
