Wide Format Imaging

Start Local, Expand Global

Seattle, WA-based Autotize was launched in 2001, with the business plan of offering advertising on vehicles for third parties, such as major tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. “That worked well for a couple years during the dot-com boom, and then went bust,” said Chris Cunningham, owner of Autotize.

The next step was working directly with corporate clients, business owners, mortgage companies, real estate firms and energy drink makers to wrap vehicles.

“The company evolved into that area, and then 3M came out with a campaign promoting window graphics for auto dealerships," Cunningham recalled. “That opened my eyes. Using the new perforated vinyls with digital images of the new vehicles the dealerships were offering supplanted the old painted windows they had been doing. That really got us going with the auto dealers. We would do the front windows, and then go into maintenance and wrap their courtesy shuttles and delivery vehicles.”

Autotize later began serving large national property management firms to produce graphics for windows of the companies’ apartment communities, to promote the availability of apartments to potential renters driving by. “We also did work for property management companies to promote available retail space,” Cunningham said.

Arresting images and the medium’s versatility are two factors that help sell would-be clients on window graphics. Street-level billboards featuring colorful graphics and compelling messages on empty storefronts are very eye catching for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. And the availability of both opaque and perforated vinyls adds to the attraction. The former can be used with empty retail spaces, while the latter let occupants inside see through windows that look opaque outside. Autotize uses perforated vinyl materials about 80 percent of the time, he says.

Landlords who are not able to rent out store space appreciate the chance to gain some additional revenue by using their store windows as billboards. And, Cunningham added, in this economy, “the inventory of vacant storefronts is definitely there.” Finally, there’s the ease factor. The flat glass surfaces make for easy installations, he says.

Unlike some other providers, Autotize focuses its marketing efforts on key clients that have retail space and are looking to promote a new brand or an image. “That’s how we started out on a national basis with US Cellular,” Cunningham said, noting his company handled a national rollout for the cell phone service provider. It gains other large national clients through its website.

However, Cunningham believes shops just starting in window graphics should start by servicing clients in their own backyards before adding out-of-state clients.
“We’ll do any type of storefront window, with lifestyle photos of families for windows,” he added. “We don’t serve mom-and-pops, but good-sized local, regional and national companies. It all comes down to the size of window graphics requested.”

Jeff Steele is a freelance writer who specializes in the field of business management, marketing, and protocol, especially as they apply to wide-format printing firms. Contact him at scribsteel@ameritech.net.

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