The Takeaway
Jack’s Donuts ran a program on five digital boards near its Utah locations to build name recognition and drive store traffic. Chief Brand Officer Dave Nantz managed everything through Blip’s self-serve platform. Two campaigns delivered 30,432 blips and roughly 399,864 estimated impressions at an average cost of $0.13 per blip, and the exposure translated into steady store traffic.
Why Jack’s Donuts Turned to Billboard Advertising
Jack’s Donuts is a family donut chain founded in Indiana in 1961 by Jack Marcum, Sr. Today, his grandson runs the business and is expanding to Utah and, soon, California. Classics like tiger tails, caramel nut rolls, and applesauce donuts anchor the menu.
Building recognition in a new state is different from serving loyal Indiana customers. The team wanted an out-of-home program that could put Jack’s name in front of Utah drivers before they had a reason to search. Traditional out-of-home would have added friction. Blip let Dave Nantz, the Chief Brand Officer, run the whole thing himself.
How Jack’s Donuts Built Its Billboard Campaign
The team ran two flights across five digital boards near retail locations in Utah.
- Boards selected: Five digital billboards near Jack’s Donuts locations in Utah, so the ad and the shop were part of the same drive.
- Creative approach: Two rotating designs. One led with the logo and the city locations. The other led with the logo and the value statements: “Cut by Hand, Iced by Hand, Made in Store.”
- Set-up ownership: Dave managed the creative and campaign settings inside Blip. He described the platform as “simple and extremely user-friendly.”
- Budget approach: Two campaigns priced at an average of $0.13 per blip. Spend followed delivery.
The Creative
The strongest artwork for a small chain usually leads with the logo and one memorable line. For teams building their own, Blip’s billboard design guidelines cover what reads at highway speed.
What Jack’s Donuts’ Campaign Delivered
The five boards delivered 30,432 blips across two campaigns, resulting in an estimated 399,864 impressions at an average cost of $0.13 per blip. Jack’s Donuts reports that the exposure translated directly into more store traffic and, from there, into sales.
That is the pattern a well-placed board tends to produce for a family chain opening in a new state. Boards close to the shop catch drivers in the moment when a breakfast or a coffee stop is still an open question. The bar for the creative is low. The bar for the placement is the whole game.
Blip reinvents an old way of marketing and makes it so that anyone can run a billboard campaign from their own computer. Having billboards near our retail locations was a huge value and has helped us spread the word about our donuts.
Dave Nantz, Chief Brand Officer of Jack’s Donuts
Why This Campaign Worked
- Boards near the door: Five placements near Jack’s Donuts stores in Utah, so the message reached drivers who could act on it.
- Two designs in rotation: One location-led, one values-led. The rotation kept the same drivers attentive throughout the flight.
- Self-serve ownership: The brand office managed the campaign directly, without an agency or a long back-and-forth.
- Consistent spend: Pay-per-play at $0.13 per blip meant the flights could keep running instead of front-loading.
What Bakery and Cafe Owners Can Take From This Campaign
Independent bakeries and small chains can put these ideas to work:
- Buy close to the storefront: A board on the same commute as the shop tends to drive more walk-ins than a scattershot regional buy.
- Rotate two designs: One location-led, one values-led. Give the same drivers something new to notice each week.
- Own the campaign in-house: For a marketing team that already handles social, the same person can handle Blip.
- Judge results by walk-ins: Track store traffic during the flight against the same window in prior weeks.
Run a Bakery Billboard Campaign Like Jack’s Donuts
Pick boards near your locations, rotate a location’s design and a values design, and run the flights straight from your own account.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jack’s Donuts’ Billboard Campaign
How many billboards did Jack’s Donuts use?
Five digital billboards near its retail locations in Utah, across two campaigns.
How much did the campaign cost per play?
The average cost per blip was $0.13. Blip prices pay-per-play, so the cost per blip varies by board and market.
Did the campaign lift sales?
Jack’s Donuts reports that the exposure translated directly into more store traffic, which the team measured against typical baselines at the same locations.
What kind of creative works for a bakery billboard?
One logo, one line, and either a location’s cue or a values cue. Save the menu for the shop window.
Do I need an agency to run this kind of program?
No. Dave Nantz managed the campaigns directly through Blip’s self-serve platform without an outside agency.