The Takeaway
Build-A-Bow wanted more local awareness in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The brand ran one campaign on three digital billboards with a single image and one short line of copy. Traffic to its social accounts rose 19%. When the team spent more during a local basketball game, social traffic rose 35% and sales rose 15%. The campaign delivered 8,133 blips at an average of $0.01 per play.
Why Build-A-Bow Turned to Billboard Advertising
Build-A-Bow is a custom bow tie company with a purpose behind it. Alex Hart-Upendo started it after being bullied at school for being autistic, and turned that experience into a business.
He runs workshops teaching people to make bow ties, and the products go to charities including Saint Jude’s, Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, and Her Foundation. He also wrote a book, and gives 20% of the proceeds to reading programs in underprivileged schools.
The business grew on referrals, word of mouth, local events, and paid online ads. All of those depend on someone already knowing the name or already being online when you reach them.
Alex wanted more people in his own city to know Build-A-Bow existed, and he wanted sales to follow. That gap is what billboard advertising for small business owners is good at closing, and retail store billboards close it because they reach people who are simply going about their day. Blip has written more on billboards in retail.
How Build-A-Bow Built Its Billboard Campaign
- Boards selected: Three of the boards across Wisconsin, all in Kenosha, close to where the brand’s customers live.
- Creative approach: A large bow tie image with one line: “Is my bow too big?” Alex led the creative direction himself.
- Campaigns run: One campaign, with extra spend added later during a local basketball game.
- Budget approach: Pay per play, at an average of $0.01 per blip, so spend tracked delivery.
Adding budget around the basketball game is the decision that separates this campaign from most first attempts. The boards were already building recognition. Increasing spend when the town was already out and moving meant the extra plays landed on a bigger audience than a normal weekday would have given.
The Creative
The board showed a large bow tie and asked: “Is my bow too big?”
It is a joke, and it works because the picture does the explaining. A driver understands the product without reading a word, and the line gives them a reason to smile and remember. Plenty of boutique advertising ideas fail by trying to show five products at once. If you want a hand getting to one clear image, the billboard design guidelines are worth a read.
What Build-A-Bow’s Billboard Campaign Delivered
The campaign ran as one campaign on three digital billboards and delivered 8,133 blips. Each blip is one eight-second play. The average cost per blip was $0.01, and the campaign recorded 4,026 estimated impressions.
After launch, traffic to Build-A-Bow’s social media accounts rose 19%. Social accounts are where this brand sells and tells its story, so that lift is the number that mattered most to Alex.
Later that week the team put more money behind the boards during a local basketball game. Social traffic rose 35% and sales rose 15%. The billboard also became something people in Kenosha talked about, which is the kind of result that never appears in a dashboard.
These figures come from the periods the boards were live, alongside the brand’s existing referral and online activity, so treat them as what happened during the campaign rather than proof that the boards alone caused every visit.
Blip helps businesses gain visibility and connections, which is so important. Brand awareness lets others know about your business and makes connections to boost your business. Blip was absolutely amazing and cheap. Also, it works. I saw my analytics go up! If a 13-year-old can do it, anyone can do it.
Alex Hart-Upendo, Founder, Build-A-Bow
Why This Billboard Campaign Worked
- The product was the picture: One oversized bow tie explained the business faster than any sentence could.
- Local depth: Three boards in one city gave the same residents repeated exposure instead of one glance each.
- Timed spend: Putting extra budget behind a local basketball game reached people who were already out.
- A clear place to go: The brand lives on social, so social traffic was the honest measure of whether the boards were landing.
- Control over spend: At $0.01 per play, Alex could keep the boards live and still add budget when it mattered.
What Retail and Boutique Owners Can Take From This Campaign
- Lead with the product: The strongest boutique advertising ideas put one recognisable item on the board and stop there.
- Plan around local events: Games, festivals, and market days concentrate your audience. Adding budget then costs the same per play and reaches more people.
- Measure where you actually sell: If your storefront is Instagram, watch social traffic rather than waiting on till receipts.
- Work out your own numbers: Small business billboard cost comes down to price per play multiplied by how often you want to be seen. Blip’s notes on digital billboards for small businesses walk through sizing billboard advertising for small business budgets rather than accepting a rate card.
Run Retail Store Billboards Like Build-A-Bow’s
Pick the boards nearest your customers, put one clear image on them, and set a budget you are comfortable with. Submit your campaign for review and start displaying after approval.
Frequently Asked Questions About Build-A-Bow’s Billboard Campaign
How many billboards did Build-A-Bow use?
Three digital billboards in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in a single campaign that delivered 8,133 blips at an average of $0.01 per play.
What results did Build-A-Bow see?
Traffic to the brand’s social media accounts rose 19% after launch. During a later push around a local basketball game, social traffic rose 35% and sales rose 15%.
What did Build-A-Bow’s billboard ad say?
It showed a large bow tie with the line “Is my bow too big?” Alex Hart-Upendo led the creative direction himself.
What is a realistic small business billboard cost?
With Blip you pay per play rather than by the month, and Build-A-Bow’s campaign averaged $0.01 per blip. Small business billboard cost depends on how many boards you choose and how often you want your ad to run, so you set the number rather than accepting a fixed rate.
Does billboard advertising for small business owners actually work?
It works when your customers are local and your name is not yet familiar. Build-A-Bow saw social traffic rise 19%. Billboard advertising for small business owners builds recognition through repeat exposure, so give the campaign enough weeks for the same people to pass the board several times.
Are retail store billboards worth it for a small shop?
They help most when your customers are local and your name is not yet familiar. Retail store billboards build recognition through repeat exposure, so give the campaign enough weeks for the same people to pass the board several times.
What should a boutique put on a billboard?
One product, photographed large, and your name. Most boutique advertising ideas get weaker the more you add, because a driver cannot read a list.
Do I need a contract to run a billboard ad for my shop?
No. There are no contracts and no minimums with Blip. You choose the boards, the schedule, and the spend, and you can adjust the campaign as your needs change.