Bethann‘s Story
It might seem odd that a marketing agency would offer tangible goods and services like decals. Here’s how it started:
The business was founded with the intention of being a local, reliable resource for all things marketing, branding, publicity, and advertising. I had personally managed both large marketing budgets and zero-dollar budgets for startups. I knew a lot of resourceful ways to spend (or not spend) money to accomplish marketing goals. Traditional marketing and advertising standards only take you so far in rural America—which just so happens to be what I know best.
Then came the day a client asked for help finessing their logo. The font was a bit dated, but it was familiar and recognizable, so we simply cleaned it up. They were so pleased with the updated look, they asked us to overhaul the decals on their fleet to match the refreshed branding. That moment gave birth to our style guide process.
We provided print-ready art to the decal installer of the customer’s choice.
Soon after installation, we received photos of the finished product and… it was underwhelming. The vinyl colors didn’t match the branded colors. (Sidenote: there’s printed vinyl and colored vinyl. They are NOT the same thing!) The logo had reverted to the original design, and the end result was a complete disappointment. The client naturally wanted to know who messed it up.
We reached out to the installer and discovered that, since the vinyl they had in stock was a close—but not exact—match, they went with it without getting approval first. They had loosely followed the concept of the new design but didn’t have the latest software to implement the use of our licensed fonts. So again, they used a “close” match.
The installer claimed no responsibility for the shoddy work. I started calling installers until I found one who could provide print-ready, color-matched, exact-design, premium vinyl. When I explained the situation, they said, “You know, you could install it yourself and actually make money on it”.
After several jobs working for free or at our own expense, we learned the trade and mastered the craft. Today, virtually all decal installations are done by us—unless it’s a full wrap or requires a lift!
We love adding clear, well-designed vinyl to storefronts, interiors, and fleets to maximize brand awareness. And honestly, we love a break from our screens. It’s nice to have some variety in our work!
Reach out for more information on how BA Marketing can help you with decals!