“Will you pay me to wrap my vehicle”- this is a question that we hear every once in a while. Typically, people read something on the internet about how companies pay hundreds or thousands of dollars just to put an ad on your car for a specified period of time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t actually happen… Well, at least not in Utah.

At times, in very large metropolitan areas, big companies will contract with a bunch of drivers to be brand representatives. This is typically a short-term promotion and you generally have to be in with the company to even get considered. Big companies do not do this often because it can be expensive and they have no way of controlling how the drivers drive. Since the drivers are representing the brand, it can be a risky proposition. Consequently, these opportunities are very few and far between. In Salt Lake City, these opportunities are essentially non-existent.

Now that is not to say that this type of situation couldn’t happen in Salt Lake City. Here is a list of ways you can get paid to wrap your car.

1. Find a company that uses non-traditional advertising: Think about who is doing all of the guerilla marketing these days- energy drink companies, action sports suppliers, sports teams, etc. Don’t think that KPMG is going to be your gold mine.

2. Be prepared to show documentation of how good of a driver you are: insurance certificate, driver’s license, a note from your mechanic- anything that shows how you are a good and safe driver.

3. Find the right person to talk to: This is the tricky part but it is not impossible. Scan Linkedin to find who the relevant people are. They can be marketing managers, designers, or sometimes the vehicle fleet managers. Oftentimes if you connect with the wrong person, you can ask for their advice on who to speak to.

4. Act like a salesman: Once you have the right contact, don’t just call up the person and ask them to pay you to wrap your car. Explain the benefits of a wrap campaign. Tell them why they should wrap your car as opposed to wrapping one of their own vehicles. Tell them you already have a wrap vendor lined up and let them know what the price of a vehicle wrap is.

5. Take what you can get: if you get offered $10 to wrap your car- take it. Companies often have very little incentive to wrap your car versus wrapping one of their own. Don’t try to hold out for more.