Increasingly stations are recognizing the “billboard value” of station vehicles in and about their markets.
            But these traveling billboards can actually impact negatively on your marketplace if their operators do not understand how important their ambassadorship is, or if you do not have a code of conduct for them to live by.
            How good is a mobilebillboard that just ‘cut off’ your best client?
            So here are a few things you may want to make certain are published in your current code of conduct. If you do not have a published code, write one and call a staff meeting to stress the importance of it.
1. Drive defensively. In fact, if you are driving a vehicle clearly representing your station, be overly courteous.
2. Keep it clean. Work out an agreement with a local car wash to ensure all of your vehicles, or any station-I.D’d staff vehicles, are kept clean inside and out at all times.
3. Parking manners. Do not park a station-identified vehicle in the “wrong place”. The wrong place includes seedy bars (even if it’s a client), handicapped spots, preferred customer locations or anywhere else that common sense tells you is not in keeping with a positive profile for your company.
4. Expose your billboard. If it’s not on the road, maximize your exposure by making arrangements to park your vehicles in highly-visible locations. And make sure all station identifiers are clear and current.
5. Obey the laws of the road (and the parking lot) and the laws of courtesy.
6. Make certain clients, your advertisers, have first option to provide station vehicles and staff-owned station-identified vehicles.
7. Keep your vehicles in safe and proper mechanical condition.
8. Smile when you are behind the wheel.
9.  possible, carry some small audience rewards with you in the vehicle to hand out at appropriate occasions.
10. Always have a cell phone or other communications in the vehicles which allow you to communicate news stories or ask questions of your studios and office.
            I started this tip by suggesting it had nothing to do with sales or management, but maybe giving a station t-shirt to a boy scout you spot doing a good deed, or allowing a client to take a preferred parking spot will generate goodwill with both your audience and your sponsors.
            `Billboards are expensive. Traveling billboards can extend your reach and create the impression your station is covering the market like a blanket.
            I encourage you to develop and monitor a station vehicle code of conduct and operations manual if you do not already have one.  If you do have one, take time quarterly to remind your staff about it.