By Cassandra Balentine
Part 1 of 2
Digital print provides a practical marketing solution for many environments. Vehicle wraps and wall graphics are popular applications utilizing the latest in digital printing and media. However, once print providers start thinking outside of the box, the possibilities are endless.
We commonly report on the latest trends in terms of more “traditional” wrap applications, such as cars, walls, and floors. However, untraditional items are wrapped in digitally printable vinyl for marketing or decorative purposes.
One-Stop Operation
Based in Lexington, KY, Beasly Digital is a print provider specializing in design and marketing. The company is unique in that it is owned by a car dealership for the primary purpose of outfitting police vehicles and any other print-related items that a dealership may require.
About five years ago, the shop opened with one printer and one employee with the goal of establishing a one-stop print operation. Today, it has achieved that, operating with ten employees, consistently graphically servicing at least three vehicles with wraps or graphics at any given time. In addition to its vehicle work, the company offers consulting and design, window graphics and tinting, cut-vinyl lettering, banners, signs, posters, large format prints, invitations, brochures, business cards, variable data, layered forms, stickers, commercial building graphics and tinting, asphalt application, and specialty films.
To produce this variety of jobs, it relies on two 54-inch printers from Roland DGA Corporation for wide format work, and a Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc. bizhub PRESS for promotional items.
Because of its connection with the dealership, the shop often handles graphics for larger jobs, such as downtown trolleys, the local minor league baseball team, and an annual horse event. This is in addition to its work for the owner’s Ford and Mazda dealerships.
Molly Hodgdon, manager and creative director, Beasly Digital, says the goal is to never turn down a job. Whenever a new order is submitted, the design and production team sit down with the account manager to figure out the best way to make it happen. On the rare occasion it is something the team can’t properly handle internally, they rely on local partners to help get the job done.
Establishing a Niche
In addition to traditional vehicle wraps, the company recently produced a boat wrap. The client was professional bass fisherman, Sean Murphy. Since Murphy competes in a lot of fishing competitions, he likes to stand out. Each year, he refreshes his boat with a digitally printed vinyl wrap. He initially found out about Beasly Digital last year when he needed a remotely printed boat wrap installed locally. When the time came this year, he commissioned them for the entire job, from design to install.
Hodgdon notes that from this experience, the company is hoping expand into boats as a niche, and have completed some wraps for Murphy’s peers. It is also working on houseboat wraps, which need to be wrapped partially inside of the water.
In addition to boats, Hodgdon notes some other interesting wraps they have done, including fire trucks, tow trucks, and even a vending machine.
New Territories
In addition to providing quality core work, Beasly Digital enjoys looking at each job as a new opportunity. “Every single job is different when you look at it. You can’t even expect that one vehicle wrap will be the same as the last,” says Hodgdon. She adds that one customer may be a bit picker than the next; or special requirements need to be considered.
Next week, the second part of this series looks at how 12-Point SignWorks hit mainstream audiences with an instrument wrap for musician Kelly Clarkson.
Click on the link above to get more information on the vendors mentioned in this article.
Apr2014, Digital Output DOUW1404
