But they see their trucks as a way to literally drive their images home and feel truck ads would adversely affect their efforts. Like everything else that identifies their stores, their trucks reflect a carefully considered-and, often, a carefully researched graphic concept. They employ the same logo design, the same color scheme, the same thematic line across the board -on their signs, in their ads, on order forms, on uniforms, for instance. Coordinating a store's look makes good marketing sense, because of the positive image echo factor. There's a decided benefit when people see your store the same positive way in many different contexts.
Most stores consider truck care and operation integral parts of their image effort too.
That's wise because, while you may never hear praise for your spotless trucks, you're apt to hear about a dirty one-and even more apt to hear about one that leaves an acrid smoke screen in its wake. And while everyone appreciates courteous drivers, you're apt to hear quicker from customers and potential customers about the careless or arrogant ones. To steer clear of these kind of image injuries, many stores have strict maintenance programs that include regular truck cleanings. Their trucks never leave the garage without basic checks-gas, oil, tire pressure and the like. And the better.