The Takeaway
Pepper Entertainment uses an event billboard mix to promote 30 to 60 shows a month across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Southeast, and Mountain West. Blip’s self-serve pricing lets the team run flights in markets like Sioux Falls and Grand Junction that traditional providers’ high minimums would rule out. The result is what VP of Marketing Kyle Heino calls a “hidden weapon” for smaller-market ticket sales.
Why Pepper Entertainment Turned to Billboard Advertising
Pepper Entertainment produces live music across the Midwest, the Great Lakes, the Southeast, and the Mountain West. Their budgets vary by show, and many are too small to hit traditional billboard providers’ minimums.
Marketing Manager Analisa McKelvey put it plainly: “The fact that I don’t have to do a minimum buy of $1,000. When I have shows with budgets that are pretty low, it’s an easy way to get extra impressions.”
The team wanted a partner that let them run in the specific markets where shows were on sale, at the specific times when spend actually moved tickets. Blip’s on-demand pricing lets them add a flight to any campaign, at any budget.
How Pepper Entertainment Builds Its Billboard Campaigns
Every tour breaks into three phases. Blip fits into each one on the budget that the show can actually support.
- Boards selected: Placements chosen show by show. Rural Iowa, Sioux Falls, Grand Junction, and Eugene are all in the rotation because Blip has inventory that Pepper’s traditional partners do not.
- Creative approach: Blip’s on-platform specs flag any upload that doesn’t match the board size, keeping every flight visually consistent. Analisa: “Each board tells you what size you need.”
- Campaign phases: Announcement, middle, and closing. When budgets are tight, the team focuses on closer-to-show flights that maximize impressions when they matter most.
- Cross-channel role: Radio, TV, social, email, and Blip. Boards add out-of-home consistency to a mix that already runs across every other channel.
The Creative
Show art, date, and venue. Blip’s tools flag any file that misses the spec before it goes live. For other promoters planning their own, Blip’s billboard design guidelines cover what works at driving speed.
What Pepper Entertainment’s Campaigns Delivered
Blip has become part of Pepper’s playbook for shows in markets that other providers effectively ignore. Sioux Falls, Grand Junction, and other smaller cities host productions like the REO Speedwagon show in Eugene and multiple Billy Currington dates. Each of those benefited from a flight sized to the show’s budget rather than a minimum.
The broader outcome is operational. Pepper can pair Blip with radio, TV, social, and email without renegotiating a contract each time a smaller-market show gets added to the tour. VP of Marketing Kyle Heino calls it a “hidden weapon.” That is what a flexible on-demand platform is supposed to unlock for a promoter running 30 to 60 shows in a given month.
We have our normal big players in all the markets. But to run a campaign on them, sometimes it’s just not feasible for the budgets we have. The fact that I don’t have to do a minimum buy of $1,000, when I have shows with budgets that are pretty low, is an easy way to get extra impressions.
Analisa McKelvey, Marketing Manager, Pepper Entertainment
Why This Approach Worked
- No minimum spend: Pepper can run any show, at any budget, in any market Blip serves.
- Smaller-market inventory: Sioux Falls, Grand Junction, and rural Iowa placements would not be feasible on traditional plans.
- On-platform creative checks: Blip flags off-spec files before they go live, so a promoter with dozens of concurrent shows keeps a consistent look.
- Fits an existing multi-channel mix: Radio, TV, social, and email keep running as usual; boards slot in beside them.
What Event and Concert Promoters Can Take From This Campaign
Promoters running multiple shows can use this pattern:
- Buy show by show: A flight sized to the specific show avoids overspending on quiet weeks.
- Concentrate on the close: When budgets are tight, weight impressions toward the days right before doors.
- Use smaller markets Blip serves: Rural Iowa, Grand Junction, and Sioux Falls are all reachable on Blip when they are not on traditional plans.
- Keep spec discipline: Let the platform flag off-size files so your creatives stay consistent across dozens of concurrent shows.
Run an Event Billboard Program Like Pepper’s
Buy show by show, weight your spend toward the close, and use the small-market inventory your regular provider doesn’t cover.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pepper Entertainment’s Billboard Campaign
How does Pepper Entertainment use Blip?
Show by show, across the Midwest, Great Lakes, Southeast, and Mountain West. Placements are chosen based on the show’s market and budget.
What minimum spend does Blip require?
None. Pepper adopted Blip because it removed the $1,000 minimum buy required by traditional providers.
What markets does Pepper run in?
Anywhere its shows are on sale, including smaller markets like Sioux Falls, Grand Junction, and rural Iowa that traditional partners cannot serve at a workable budget.
How does Blip fit alongside radio, TV, and social?
Blip slots into an existing multi-channel mix. Every phase of a Pepper campaign, from announcement through closing, can pair with a matching flight.
Does Blip check the creative for spec?
Yes. The upload flow flags any file that doesn’t meet the board size requirement before it goes live, helping keep campaigns visually consistent.