How Silent Guard Won the 2021 SAMMY Award for Best Vehicle Graphics Design
Silent Guard elected a sleeker vehicle wrap for its branding makeover in 2020, citing an overall desire to be solely accountable for the company’s image.
Silent Guard of Somerset, Ky., rolled out a marketing makeover in 2020 and President/CEO Dwight Sears is most pleased with the results.
“After 12 years of the same vehicle look, it was important that we got this right,” he comments. “I really think we did.”
Mind you, swapping out the company’s highly recognizable — and highly personalized — vehicle graphics design was no small notion. After all, not only did it prominently incorporate a portrait-like image of Sears along with this wife, Barbara, but the wrap design was honored with a SAMMY trophy in 2018.
The new look decidedly accentuates a “less is more” appeal. Gone is a lot of verbiage that once spelled out the company’s breadth of services. Most prominent now is larger display of the company’s name inside the same octagon-shaped logo, which still features the tag line, “More than just security.”
The company’s unique, non-descript sentry remains as a central focal point of the logo, although it is no longer illustrated with the likeness of a rifle and bayonet. Why the marketing refresh when the company’s former branding and reputation in the community had proven so successful? Sears cites an overall desire to be solely accountable for the company’s image.
“Over the past several years, we have relied on many of our manufacturing partners as being a true partner when it came to marketing. So many times, these partnerships have actually cost us money. For example, when a partner decides to change their logo, name or in the case of our exclusive access control, intrusion and video partner of 25 years, they announced that they were closing their doors. It forces many of us to spend funds that we never budgeted for or that we even have.”
The makeover, he continues, is about “focusing more on who we are compared to what others want us to be. Our customers have embraced the changes and our reviews and media interactions have all increased many times over.”
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
About the Author
Rodney Bosch, Senior Editor
Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.
Related Content
Security Is Our Business, Too
For professionals who recommend, buy and install all types of electronic security equipment, a free subscription to Commercial Integrator + Security Sales & Integration is like having a consultant on call. You’ll find an ideal balance of technology and business coverage, with installation tips and techniques for products and updates on how to add to your bottom line.
A FREE subscription to the top resource for security and integration industry will prove to be invaluable.
