We are thrilled to have Jennifer Enders-Toft, Omaha’s self-proclaimed “Billboard Lady,” share insights on how businesses can leverage billboards to enhance their marketing strategies.
Tell us a little about your background and how you became an expert in billboard advertising.
I didn’t take the usual path to land into the marketing and advertising world. I worked in restaurants for 16 years after college (bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish) and it really was a great life. But the long hours, working holidays, and managing a large team started to take its toll on my marriage when we started a family. I wanted to look for a job with more traditional hours during the week. A friend suggested the sales world and after kissing a couple of different media toads, I landed with Lamar Advertising in 2014 and never looked back.
The expert part took a minute. I moved into an industry with media and sales professionals who had been working in advertising for 20+ years. It was intimidating, to say the least – but I was all in to learn the product, learn the business, and sell billboards. Sales is all about relationships and being able to talk to people. When you have a great product like billboards – and the gift for gab – we were a match made in heaven.
What are the key advantages of billboards as part of a business’s marketing strategy?
The key advantage of outdoor advertising is a high visibility medium that builds brand awareness and reaches consumers. Billboards are a large format, pure form of advertising that cannot be blocked, skipped, or viewed by bots. You cannot ignore it, change the channel or turn it off. Out-of-home (OOH) is the real thing. Consumers are steadily on the go, seeing out-of-home ads along the way. Not only do consumers notice out-of-home ads, but they take action after seeing them. 80% of consumers have noticed an OOH in the last month. You cannot get that kind of exposure from any other mass media. Another advantage is that billboards not only work alone, but they reinforce all other types of advertising; digital, print, TV, radio, social media, and direct mail. Billboards are the exclamation point for any marketing campaign.
Billboards are a large format, pure form of advertising that cannot be blocked, skipped, or viewed by bots. You cannot ignore it, change the channel or turn it off.
How do billboards compare to other forms of advertising in terms of reach and cost-effectiveness?
One of the things I hear all the time is “Billboards are so expensive” when in actuality, billboards have one of the lowest CPMs of any traditional media outlet; with only banner ads and mobile coming in lower. Our billboard inventory in Omaha and the surrounding areas reaches 3,000-839,000 eyeballs in one week. There is no other mass media format that can deliver those impressions. When a media can deliver those impressions, the cost to reach a thousand people is much lower. As I referenced earlier – billboards boost the reach of other media formats. OOH advertising can increase the reach of radio campaigns by up to 45%, TV campaigns by up to 18%, and mobile campaigns by up to 316%. These numbers show how adding billboards to other media components is a proven booster.
What factors should a business consider when deciding the location for their billboard?
When considering an outdoor advertising campaign – the first three things to think about are time frame, target audience, and budget. Having a grasp of who you want to reach, for how long, and what you want to spend are key bullet points to get the ball rolling on finding the best locations.
Can you provide some examples of industries or types of businesses that benefit the most from billboard advertising?
Any business or event can benefit from utilizing billboards as part of their marketing strategies – but the top industries in our market are financial institutions, education, legal, performing arts and entertainment. Close behind are restaurants, HVAC and political.
What design elements make a billboard stand out and effectively capture the audience’s attention?
The success of a billboard relies on the creative. Visual content is king and once we find the location – it is all about the message. Contrasting colors and legible font are two important elements when creating effective outdoor, but the key to effective out-of-home design is BREVITY. Less is more on a billboard with no more than 8 elements as the general rule of thumb. The average viewable time is around 7 seconds, so the copy must be a simple, clear and concise design. Adding extensions that extend beyond the perimeter of the sign, LED lighting, and 3-D props are three elements that give a WOW factor to capture the audience’s attention.
The success of a billboard relies on the creative. Visual content is king and once we find the location – it is all about the message.
How can businesses measure the success or ROI of their billboard advertising campaigns?
OOH produces a strong ROI – $5.97 per $1 spent. Measuring ROI is difficult to determine in all mass media outlets. As much as we would love to have consumers know where they saw the ad or how they heard about it – the reality is that most consumers don’t recall. To measure the success of a campaign – a client needs to analyze brand metrics, track performance (website clicks, phone calls, new sales inquiries, etc.), and customer feedback. But at the end of the day – if you have sales growth from the time you put up your billboard – it is working and doing its job. Lamar has audited impressions for our locations, and I can tell you who is seeing your board and how often.
Are there any common mistakes businesses make regarding billboard advertising, and how can they avoid them?
The biggest mistake businesses make regarding billboards is with the design. You cannot put a print ad on a billboard. You do not need a phone number – no one will call you from the car. The consumer is going to Google the name of your business so your design must showcase the name of the business. Unless your business has a vanity phone number such as 1-800-DIVORCE, leave the phone number off the billboard. Use contrasting colors. Red on black does not show well.
You cannot put a print ad on a billboard. You do not need a phone number – no one will call you from the car. The consumer is going to Google the name of your business so your design must showcase the name of the business.
How has the billboard advertising industry evolved with the advent of digital billboards, and what opportunities do digital billboards present for businesses?
The evolution of the digital billboard has changed the landscape of outdoor advertising. There is no other media that can put the client in control of its advertising. With nothing to print and endless digital capabilities – digital boards can be used in so many dynamic ways: countdowns, live date feeds, social media updates, weather triggers, and more. The ability to immediately update messaging, rotate between designs, or schedule creative by day are just a few of the impactful strategies used in digital campaigns.
What trends do you see shaping the future of billboard advertising, and how can businesses stay ahead of these trends?
As far as the trends – out-of-home advertising is the only mass media that has grown since 2020. Lamar has continued to increase its footprint and has two more digital boards coming in early 2025. I see the advertising trends moving towards OTT, Digital, and Billboards, and a diversified portfolio is the way to go with your marketing strategy. First of all – strong branding and SEO are a must for your business. Second of all – utilize a media mix of different marketing tools so you can reach your target audience in multiple places to increase your reach and frequency. Finally – please reach out to connect. I welcome every opportunity to expand my network and work to help others!
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your expertise with us.
Here’s where you can reach Jennifer:
Jennifer Endcrs-Toft, jenderstoft@lamar.com, 402-216-9502
Are you Ready to Elevate Your Brand?
At Little Guy Branding, our mapping sessions are designed to be collaborative and data-driven, laying the groundwork for a stronger, more compelling brand. Ready to take the next step? Contact us today to schedule your mapping session and start your journey toward brand excellence!
