Something special
Much has been said and written about the opportunities for growth
in the vinyls market, with many sign-makers having moved into this
sector in order to take on in-demand work such as vehicle wrapping. But
once you are established in this area, what is the next step?
Offering something that your competitors do not is a sure-fire way
of standing out and securing new customers. Vinyl allows sign-makers to
be adventurous with their work; there is a whole range of products
designed to help you add more value to wrap projects.
How can you race ahead with vinyl wrapping?
With this in mind, what are some of the latest vinyl materials
available to the market and how can sign-makers, and other businesses
active in this sector, to help them shift up a gear and move ahead of
the pack?
Keeping up with trends
Avery Dennison is one of several suppliers in this market, stocking
a plethora of materials for wrapping applications. Esra Boro, product
line marketing manager for wrapping and signage at the company’s EMENA
business, says both colours and effects are crucial in all types of
vinyl work.
“The market evolves all the time, and there is a strong appetite
for ever-more ‘pop’ and new, exciting visual experiences,” Boro says,
adding: “On-trend colours and options that suit a wide range of tastes
are at the heart of our R&D efforts.
“We want installers to be able to both respond to new demands and
also to drive them by surprising their customers. That’s why Avery
Dennison invests continuously in the innovation and development needed
to maintain our position as a trusted brand.
“Quality wraps give installers three crucial benefits: a more
professional finished result, and pride in that result; reassurance that
customer complaints will be few and far between; and much better
productivity.”
Looking at the latest materials from Avery Dennison, Boro points to the
six new Supreme Wrapping Film colours that were recently released to the
market. The company has also launched a new ‘self healing’ paint
protection film in the form of Avery Dennison SPF-XI.
Avery Dennison recently added six new Supreme Wrapping Film colours to its range ”
Speaking about the latter, Boro comments: “This is a high-end material
that can eliminate scratches at ambient temperatures. It’s complemented
by a new range of automotive window films for high performance,
non-reflective and infrared applications; we now offer a complete
solution for aftermarket vehicle customisation applications.
“A number of new products are in development, including not only
some outstanding new colours but also more in our paint protection
range.”
Extra revenue
Also active in this market is Pyramid Displays, a company that
provides vinyl to end-users to support them with their various display
projects. Graham Scanlan, an account manager for the north west of
England at Pyramid Displays, says that by offering a wider range of
effects to customers, you are able to stand out from the competition and
bring in more business as a result.
Additional vinyl effects can help create extra revenue, according to Graham Scanlan, an account manager for the north west of England at Pyramid Displays
Scanlan expands: “Additional vinyl effects can create extra revenue
by offering your customers something unique and also there can be a
possibility to widen the applications that these vinyls can be used for.
This tends to follow trends lead by market research by the
manufacturers.”
However, Scanlan also issues a warning to the sign-makers and other
companies operating in this market, saying that if they are to take on
work that requires extra effects, they must ensure they are working with
high quality materials in order to deliver exactly what the customer
wants.
Scanlan says: “There are a number of factors when considering a
good quality vinyl against a cheaper budget version and this mainly
applies to cast vinyl apposed to calendared vinyls due to the cost and
time involved to replace if a failure occurs.
“One thing that can be overlooked is the integrity of the
manufacturer and their spec or data sheets. Is the film you are buying
at a budget price, what it seems or are there smoke and mirrors at play?
Cast is cast and calendared is calendared.”
As to how you can identify the higher quality vinyl products,
Scanlan says there are a number of attributes for sign-makers to look
out for. Firstly, quality films are, in the main, made to a higher
specification and will offer better gloss levels, higher performance and
consistency.
Scanlan also notes that some films offer unique adhesive systems
that make easier application and removal of the films – all of which are
backed up by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Working with confidence
Elsewhere and Grafityp has a wide range of vinyl options available
to the market, specialising in self-adhesive sign-making vinyl, digital
print media, laminates and automotive and deco wrapping vinyl. Head of
marketing Graham Jones says that a commitment to high quality materials
will benefit users in the long run.
Jones expands: “High quality materials will give you the confidence
to know that the finished result will look excellent for a longer
period and less likely to fail. Using quality vinyl will also speed up
productivity and are easier for fitters to work with. This means your
team and customers will be delighted with the result. Grafityp only
sources the highest quality materials for the production and
manufacturing of their vinyl ranges.”
(Above & below) Grafityp says that vinyls offer certain advantages over print, including the ability to create effects such as mirror, prismatic, reflective and textures
In terms of special effects in vinyl, Jones says that there are a
number of major benefits in adding this to your service offering. One of
the key advantages is how special effect vinyl differs to printed
effects, in that the user can create effects such as mirror, prismatic,
reflective and textures, whereas with print, this is not possible.
Jones comments: “Some of these effects cannot be reproduced using
printed media. Some special effects vinyl has to conform to certain
standards such as chapter 8, RA1 and RA2.”
As to how Grafityp can support sign-makers and other businesses
looking to add or enhance their special effects vinyl services, Jones
points to one of the latest additions to the Grafityp portfolio in the
form of a printable wrapping vinyl and a new ultramarine colour.
O Factoid: Vinyl Wrapping on cars can arguably give you more impressions per dollar or pound than any other outdoor advertising initiatives (Graphiti Wraps) O
The new product uses Grafityp’s new slide air escape adhesive
technology, which, according to Jones, allows for a lite contact that
facilitates graphics to effortlessly slide over the surface until firm
pressure and heat are applied, thus making it easy to install graphics.
While there may be a lot of competition to consider in the wrapping
market, the message from manufacturers and suppliers here is that by
adding special effects vinyl to your service offering, you can
differentiate your business.
