INFORMATION RELEASE
July 15, 2001
ROADMARK ANNOUNCES LARGEST TRUCK ADVERTISING PROGRAM IN AMERICA
"TRAILER TRUCKS AS MOBILE BILLBOARDS"
Roadmark, Inc. (Webster, MA), after more than a decade of research and development, has established the largest network of trailer trucks in America for advertisers to use as 'mobile billboards'; over 48,000 trucks and growing. Roadmark's portfolio includes some of America's most prestigious truck fleets; mainly wholesale food distributors (Supervalu, Fleming, C&S Wholesale Grocers, etc.) and a variety of contract carriers (Cardinal Logistics, Swift Transportation, Yellow Freight, IFS Courier, etc.), all of which have dedicated local routes in populated urban areas during daytime hours.
Over the past ten years, Roadmark has established contractual relationships with truck fleets whose 'modes of operation' meet stringent criteria for delivering a clients advertising message accurately within a defined geographic area or populated marketplace. Not every truck fleet is ideally suited for advertising use" says Scott Campbell, President of Roadmark. "Truck fleets in our portfolio have known, daily-repeated, dedicated routes in populated cities and towns 'where the people are'. This provides potential advertisers the ability to achieve accountable and verifiable circulation of their 'mobile billboards' with strategic accuracy. Advertisers simply 'rent space, print graphics'; we coordinate the routing of their mobile billboards, by trailer number, with dispatch operations in any market they choose, nationally".
Established in 1989, Roadmark evolved as a spin-off company of New England Transit Advertising. Approached by a regional wholesale grocer to initiate a fleet advertising program, Roadmark immediately realized the value of wholesale food distributor fleets as potential 'advertising message delivery systems'. While many truck fleets are long-haul, random dispatch vehicles, food distributors are localized with daily repeated route structures which make numerous load deliveries in close proximity (supermarkets, C-stores and other retail businesses) travelling congested interstates and city streets.
With that kind of 'neighborhood circulation', those trailers make great billboards. When you know where they are going and can validate where they have been, trailers offer the pronounced advantages of mobility, size and motion that stationary billboards can't offer. Mobility provides the ability to target and the motion of an eight-foot by forty-eight foot trailer graphic (both consciously and subconsciously) attracts the attention of viewers everywhere along the route that trailer travels.
Roadmark is a 'vehicular advertising' management company with offices in Webster, MA and Scottsdale, AZ. They are contracted to provide turnkey services (sales, clerical and total operations) for private truck fleets, public transit systems and charter bus companies, nationally.
In addition to truck advertising programs; Roadmark manages wrap-around graphics for Peter Pan Bus Lines (America's largest privately owned stage line; competitor to Greyhound in the northeast), Cape Cod Transit (Cape Cod's only outdoor advertising) and bus advertising programs for many public transit systems throughout New England. (Refer to web site(s) www.busads.com and roadmarkinc.com).
Vaughn Anderson, Operations Manager for Roadmark, states "We assist clients with planning their advertising campaigns; everything from graphic design, message content, circulation, graphic production, applications/removals and whatever is necessary to help them meet their specific objectives. We act as liaison between the client and fleet operators, managing every detail from start to finish. We share a percentage of client advertising revenue with each fleet, retaining a portion for our turnkey services. Our primary objectives are to economize outdoor advertising for our advertising clients and provide comprehensive management services to our fleet operators so they can profit with a minimal amount of complexity to their mission (providing transportation; people or products)".
In 1994, Roadmark was selected to manage third-party advertising on all of Continental Baking's Hostess/Wonder step-vans and distribution trailers. Roadmark was selected over many other big names in the transit industry because of their credentials as a ground-breaking leader in the fleet advertising business. Shortly after the program was launched, CBC 'pulled' the program when they were bought-out by Interstate Brands. Roadmark began searching for other select fleets in top-ranked advertising markets until they had solidified a prime network of high profile trucks. Through the late 90's, Roadmark prompted 3M and the Traffic Audit Bureau (NY) to fund and conduct fleet advertising studies so advertisers would have credible and current data about truck advertising. In 1999, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America validated those studies and the 'methodology' used pronouncing select fleets offer strong outdoor advertising value.
Based on study results, Roadmark trailers generate about 20,000,000 consumer impressions a year (per trailer), based on typical truck mileage and 'mode of operations'. The average rate for a trailer (outfitted with message and graphics) is only about $800/month (space cost, not including production). That translates to about $0.48 CPM (cost per thousand impressions); far less than most other forms of advertising media. Even with production costs (which may vary depending on mural or sectional messages, street side, curb side or rear), truck advertising can be very inexpensive. Like any form of media, truck advertising has its attributes and limitations, but with those kind of validated numbers, it can work well for certain types of advertisers.
Hans Kissle Salads (New England's leading supplier of prepared salad products to the grocery industry) is a good example of Roadmark's 'message delivery' ability. Barbara Brown, Sales Manager for Hans Kissle says "Roadmark's program with Supervalu Wholesale Grocers allows us to deliver our product and message, all in one load. It makes us look like we are being massdelivered all over New England, but our 4c/p graphics and company logo stimulate interest and awareness of our products, our name and the image we want our company to have with both consumers and the retail merchants who we want to buy, sell and promote our products. It's one of the most affordable ways for us to gain fame with outdoor advertising or any kind of consumer (and trade) promoting".
Tom Haley, Marketing Manager for Supervalu (New England) explains "We asked Roadmark to initiate and manage our program so we could offer our clients the added value ability to promote their products where their products were being delivered and sold. For a nominal cost by comparison to other media choices, trailer ads become an enhancement we can offer them and the advertising revenue we receive allows us to become more cost competitive on rates we charge for distribution services; a major selling point when distributing for brand corporations".
To obtain more information about truck advertising, study data for mobile media or Truckside Advertising Council of America members, contact the Outdoor Advertising Association of America @ (202)833-5555.
INFORMATION RELEASE
February, 2001
Issued by: Roadmark, Inc.
801 Beacon Park
Webster, MA 01570
Ph. (508)949-6500
Fax (508)949-1099
e-mail - roadmark@aol.com
web site - www.roadmarkinc.com