Food Truck Print Materials to Promote Your Business

Print materials are a crucial element of a successful food truck business. From custom tents and printed menus to take-out bags and truck decals, these materials play an essential role in promoting your restaurant on wheels.

Whether you plan to embark on this lucrative food business or have already started your mobile kitchen venture, these printed marketing materials can help you take your brand to the next level.

Signs and Banners

Did you know that signage has a significant impact on customers' intent to visit a store or make a purchase?

According to a 2021 study commissioned by FedEx, eight out of 10 US consumers enter a store they have never visited before based on its sign, while seven out of 10 made a purchase because of this simple marketing tool.

As a food truck owner, signs and banners are particularly crucial because they make your brand more visible to customers, helping them find your location easily.

However, the quality of your sign is critical to its persuasive power. According to the same FedEx study, 68% of consumers believe a store's signage reflects the quality of its products and services.

Thus, it's a sacrosanct rule to work with a printing specialist who can help you print signs and banners with color-accurate, professional-looking designs.

With so many types of business signs and banners, you might wonder which ones are worth the investment. As a general rule, start with the two most basic food truck signages: A-frame signs and advertising flags.

A-frame signs are excellent sidewalk advertising tools that are portable and easy to set up. They are often made from plastic, metal, or wood frames that hold replaceable signs. As a result, they are great for seasonal offers and changing prices and menus.

On the other hand, some A-frame signs have an erasable surface, i.e., chalkboard and dry-erase.

Another must-have street sign is the advertising flags, which comes in different sizes and shapes, ranging from rectangle, feather, angled, and teardrop.

If you opt for advertising flags, choose the right base attachments. For instance, if you have a grassy or sandy location with strong winds, ground stake and cross base with a water-weight bag are your best options.

Printed Menus

Menus with mouthwatering photos and enticing descriptions are a powerful marketing tool. Additionally, they are a reflection of your brand.

These are some of the most popular print materials to showcase your food truck's menu:

• Dine-in Menus. These menus come with matte and gloss lamination that you can easily sanitize or wipe after each use.
• Table Tents. These free-standing displays that are put on tables are great for promoting seasonal specials or dish of the day.
• Take-out Menus These are available in different folding options, allowing you to showcase takeaway options in an organized and mouthwatering way.
• Pocket Menus. Their small size makes them perfect for listing your snack and beverage selection.
• Placemats. Custom placemats keep your tables clean and provide entertainment for kids thanks to their writable surface.

Custom Take-Out Bags

Instead of using plain brown paper as your doggie bags, why not take your branding to the next level by printing custom take-out bags? In this way, you have a carrier for your food products while advertising your business at the same time.

Opt for take-out and delivery bags made of thick, high-density material with a bottom gusset that gives them extra strength and a defined structure.

Another excellent option is kraft paper with your logo printed on both sides. This packaging is a great choice if you're looking for a more eco-friendly take-out and delivery bag.

Kraft paper manufacturers use fewer chemicals to treat the wool pulp. As a result, this paper is recyclable and compostable.

Truck Decals

Turn your food truck into an eye-catching mobile billboard by investing in custom decals that include your logo, contact information, brand style, and, most importantly, mouthwatering food images.

Since your truck is exposed to harsh weather conditions, choose waterproof self-adhesive vinyl with UV-resistant ink. This way, your mobile billboard won't fade or peel off.

For extra protection, consider adding a protective laminate to your truck decals.

Self-adhesive decals won't damage the surface. As a result, you can stick them on the back of your truck, by the door, or on the windshield (if they don't obstruct your view).

Stickers and Labels

Custom stickers can help your business create a consistent visual identity and communicate brand values. Furthermore, you can integrate them into your overall marketing strategy.

These are some ways you can integrate business stickers and labels with your marketing:

• Use them to promote special offers, events, discounts, and social contests. Always include a call-to-action like "Buy two burgers and get iced tea for free" or "Visit us on the weekend for 10% off your order."
• Your labels should reflect your brand's visual identity, from colors and fonts to artwork and motto.
• Add QR codes or web addresses on your labels to direct customers to online surveys or feedback forms. The goal is to gain valuable insights to help you improve your products and services.

Business Cards

Despite the widespread use of digital communications, the use of business cards still has its merits. They can leave a more lasting impression thanks to their tactile feel and personal touch.

When printing your business card, always include your operating hours, locations, and contact details (and ways of getting in touch). Also, remember to sum up what you offer.

Consider using unconventional shapes like "leaf," oval, circle, or half-circle for a more memorable, eye-catching business card. You can also use a foil finish that adds shimmer to your design when light hits it or a velvet lamination to give your card an elegant vibe.

Don't limit your business card to a mere contact information card. Think dual-purpose. For example, you can use one side as a loyalty card where customers can earn stamps to get freebies and discounts.

Anywhere between six and 10 spaces for stamps can work for your food truck business. If planning to use ink stamps, choose a card light in color and with a matte finish so the stamp won't smudge off.

These are best practices when designing your business cards:

• Use templates, colors, and overall designs that reflect your brand's personality.
• Leave some white space.
• Maximize your logo.
• Proofread multiple times.

Custom Flyers and Brochures

If you want to enjoy high customer engagement and response, print materials such as flyers and brochures should always be part of your multi-channel marketing strategy. In fact, MarketingSherpa reports that more than half of consumers read print ads they receive in the mail from brands they are satisfied with.

These are some key points to ensure that your flyers and brochures create a good first impression.

• Make it simple and readable. A good rule of thumb is to keep the copy brief and to the point, which you can do by using one strong headline with a short supporting text.
• Avoid visual clutter. Use no more than two fonts; incorporate enough white space (i.e., visual breathing space of the eyes); and include simple, high-quality images.
• Include a clear call to action. Use phrases such as "Mark your calendar" and "Check out our store now."
• Use brand guidelines and tools. Consistency is the key to building brand awareness, recognition, and loyalty.

Custom Pop-Up Tents

Due to the mobile nature of your business, why not invest in a custom pop-up tent that's easy to set up and take down? Not only does it protect your customers and staff from harsh weather conditions, but it also helps you catch the attention of passersby and stand out at food events.

Opt for a tent with your brand logo printed on its canopy and is designed for indoor and outdoor use.

To ensure your tent's durability, choose a print specialist who uses aluminum frames and canopies made from water-resistant polyester fabric with reinforced strips and thread.

Promotional Items

Giving away free items may sound like a losing proposition. Nevertheless, the use of promotional items remains the "most highly viewed form of advertising among consumers," according to the Advertising Specialties Impressions Study (ASI).

If you're still not convinced about the impact of promotional items on your branding and marketing strategy, the American Marketing Association (AMA) says that on average, a promotional product is kept for around five months, generating about 1,000 impressions per month.

Now imagine that your promotional items are useful products, e.g., bags, totes, drinkware, and pens. It's not unreasonable to expect to gain over 1,000 impressions per month.

By the time these marketing products are out of use, AMA says they have given you an impressive return on investment.

Conclusion

Printed marketing materials can help strengthen your brand identity and boost brand recognition and loyalty. Moreover, they help you convey your values to your customers in a meaningful and memorable way.

If you're looking for a printing specialist who offers a wide variety of branding and promotional materials with color-accurate designs, visit UPrinting today.

Find Print Inspiration in These Stories:

• 6 Crucial Food Truck Marketing Concepts
• Promote Your Event With These Event Marketing Essentials
• Small Business Owners Share How #smARTpackaging Impacts Their Business