This article first appeared in the July 2025 issue of Australian Printer, authored by Posterboy Printing’s Daniel Edwards
I recently designed a full suite of print materials for a local plumbing business. My goal was to create a toolbox of print marketing tools that the plumbers could distribute during their workday.
We used designs and offers that are evergreen and targeted at driving short-term customer activity or building long-term brand recall. The idea was they could leverage every site visit into a marketing effort – with little effort. Promoting their business becomes an easy part of their everyday tasks.
Vehicle graphics: Plumbers’ vans are mobile billboards, wrapped in durable vinyl to maximise visibility. Parked at job sites or driven through neighbourhoods, they generate thousands of daily impressions.
This medium leverages the plumbers’ constant mobility, ensuring the brand reaches homeowners who may need services later and making it a cost-effective choice for broad exposure. I encouraged a simple design with cut vinyl over printed vinyl for its longevity in the Australian sun.
Short-term activation: The goal of this piece was to generate enquiries and drive short-term activity. A DL-sized flyer on cardstock was distributed by the plumbers to 10 houses on either side and 20 across the street from their job site, capitalising on the mobility of the work, and trying to win more work in a small area.
It featured an evergreen offer with a clear call to action – “Fix Your Leaking Tap at a Fixed Price”. This was supported by a prominently displayed phone number and QR code linking to the booking
page. I chose this focused, fixed price offer for its cut-through, over a generic message such as “call for a free quote”.
It prompts action but won’t attract too many tyre kickers. The reverse side of the flyer adds value with a plumbing maintenance checklist. If they don’t have a leaky tap, perhaps they will keep a checklist around for reference.
Magnetic flyer: A second DL-sized flyer was intentionally designed as a ‘keeper’ for homeowners – something they would hold onto for future reference. It is a heavyweight flyer with a magnet on the back and is an ‘important phone numbers’ resource. The magnet lists prefilled local contacts (police, hospital, council) and personal numbers (school, mum, dad, doctor, dentist) that homeowners can fill
in, alongside the prefilled plumber’s details in a bold ‘plumber’ field.
I selected this format for the opportunity that it may become a valuable resource of local and personal contact details that can be kept on a fridge for years.
Stickers: When plumbing issues arise, the place people go first is the misbehaving appliance, making the side of the troublesome machine the perfect place for contact details. Vinyl stickers, waterproof and UV-stable are applied to hot water systems, under sinks, and on the side of toilet tanks by the plumbers during jobs.
With clear contact details, they are designed to be discreet and respectful to avoid early removal and be noticed when homeowners troubleshoot a broken appliance. This subtle medium capitalises on tradespeople often working on systems for longer than the tenant/worker has been there.
By putting a plumber’s contact details on the system during a call, it puts those details in the perfect place at the perfect time, and will stay there for years at zero cost, generating return customers.
Mesh banners: Plumbers often work behind temporary fencing on new builds or in busy areas requiring safety barriers. Mesh banners turn temporary fencing at job sites into professional advertising opportunities. They are very easy to put up with a few occy straps.
Tradespeople generally keep them rolled up in their trucks ready for when they need them. It gives them a very polished and accomplished look for passersby and showcases the kind of work that they do. The graphic design is simple and contact details and business name are clear.
Business cards: Business cards remain essential despite the digital age. A well designed, polished card signals reliability and professionalism. Thick 450gsm cards feature key contact details on one side and a QR code on the back, linking to the booking page. Their purpose is to complete the team’s professional image as well as provide customers with an effortless path to the online booking page.
This entire print range transforms every plumbing job into a marketing opportunity. By driving short-term activation through targeted offers and fostering long-term brand recall with personalised, durable mediums, the campaign ensures the plumbers’ name is strategically placed where customers need it most. The full suite is designed to seamlessly integrate into their normal working day and allow them to promote their business with minimal effort by using one of prints greatest strengths – its physical permanence.
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