One of the most interesting types of billboard structures is the “wallscape” – in which the billboard is affixed to a masonry wall or similar fixture. By using the wall to hold the sign up, you save an enormous amount of money over a monopole, I-beam or wooden structure. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to successfully put together a wallscape deal.
Welcome to the Billboard Mastery Podcast, where you will learn the correct way to identify, evaluate, negotiate, perform diligence on, select the construction type, build, rent the ad space and operate billboard signs. And now here is your host – the guy that built from scratch the largest privately-owned billboard company in Dallas/Ft. Worth – Frank Rolfe.
Life is made up of colors and there’s a science to their selection when it comes to billboard designs. How colors interact with the human mind has been a big part of the research of the billboard industry as well as many other applications. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the science of color to help create more effective billboards.
Billboards are massive and immovable. As a result, once they’re built, they’re built. Since the cost to move a billboard – even an inch – is thousands of dollars at best, it’s important to understand some simple tricks to make sure you’re not making a mistake in sign placement and construction. And that’s what we’re gong to explore in this Billboard Mastery podcast.
America is always expanding, and with that growth comes new opportunities to build billboards. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the fast-expanding markets known as “exurban” and “supercommuter” and how to spot these hot advertising markets in advance.
Billboard revenues are increasing in the U.S., after many years of weak performance due to a number of factors including competing advertising products, Covid, and corporate distractions from marketing to such initiatives as DEI. Now, suddenly, billboard rates of return are increasing. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we're going to explore why the sudden shift has occurred and if it's a fad or a permanent change.
So the property owner wants too much ground rent. What should you do? How about just telling them the truth? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore one of the most powerful negotiating tools you have at your disposal: telling the truth in the strongest possible fashion.
The standard billboard ground lease involves trading the right to place a sign on the land in exchange for a monetary payment. But how do you decide that that amount should be? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some techniques that help steer you towards a land rent that is fair for both parties.
The majority of billboards in the U.S. are located on leased land. But a tiny fraction are cases where the sign owner also controls the land underneath, which gives them unique stability. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the strategies used to own the land as well as the sign.
Thoughts On "Founder Mode" Elon Musk is known to go into a period of intensity when he starts a business called "founder mode". It’s all about time management and focus. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we're going to review what “founder mode” is and you how can adopt its attributes to further your billboard business.
After you’ve gone to all the trouble of getting your billboard ground lease signed up, you want to take all the steps possible to protect your creation, right? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore two different ways to better safeguard your ground lease and how to get those accomplished.
If you have a vacant billboard then your number one goal is to find an advertiser and fast. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore two “built-in” lists of advertisers that have perhaps your best odds of success.
Albert Dunlap was a corporate raider and turnaround expert on public companies in the 1970s through 1990s. He had one simple motto: “sell, sell, sell and cut, cut, cut”. Although his life ended in scandal when there were allegations of accounting fraud at one of his projects, he was heralded as the original powerhouse in restoring profitability to companies that had run out of steam. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review how “Chainsaw Al’s” philosophy can be utilized by every billboard owner to increase profits.
To build a billboard you need a ground lease. And to get a ground lease you have to convince a property owner to agree and sign it. But what do you do when the owner says “no”. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the next steps when a property shoots your presentation down.
A billboard is nothing without a paying advertiser on it. And the types of advertisers have changed over the years and are still evolving. However, there are many attributes of successful billboard advertisers which always remain the same. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we explore what those traits are.
One of the big risk factors with billboards is extreme weather. But is there a way to strengthen signs to better withstand higher wind levels? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the methods that be used to make signs stronger and to mitigate the risks from heavy storms.
Most agreements have a definitive start and end date. But a good billboard agreement should never have the latter. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss how to construct leases that never end.
Billboards are only one segment of the “out-of-home” advertising industry, but the business model is the same in all of the options. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review additional concepts to apply the billboard concept for continuous cash flow
Billboards are all about being read. And the typestyle you chose for the advertisement can have a huge impact on how effective the sign will be. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore he world of typestyles and review what science tells us about what the correct lettering should look like.
With inflation and a troubled economy, many advertisers are trying to economize and one of the best ways to facilitate this is with a “combo” sign framework. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review how a “combo” sign can be a blessing in tough times and what the key tips are to make them successful.
When it comes to negotiating a winning billboard ground lease with the property owner, there are a number of different styles and strategies. But probably the most effective is the concept of “inclusive” negotiation. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore what “inclusive” negotiating is all about and why it is probably your best shot at getting great deals done.
Blockage can kill a billboard’s value, but are there methods to bring those blocked signs back to life? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss the science behind dealing with obstructions and share stories of signs that went from blocked to un-blocked using effective strategies.
While you want the advertisement to be dominant, you don’t want the billboard structure to be seen at all. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the different methods to make the billboard structure virtually disappear with the goal of convincing the property owner that the sign will not interfere with the appearance of their land and buildings.
There are many spots you can place a billboard on – including walls, benches, and telephone poles – but there’ one place that most cities in the U.S. have outlawed: building roofs. What used to be one of the mainstays of billboard placement has been blocked from new construction for decades. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore what happened to roof mounts and why it’s unlikely to ever change.
Most people think of billboards as being big, but sometimes they come in a smaller sizes. When buying or building a billboard, when do you hit a level in which the sign has no economic value? And how do you rent signs that are smaller than their competitors? In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to apply science to the issue of smaller signs.
When you are trying to persuade someone, how you express numbers is an extremely important part of your success – and that’s particularly true in the billboard industry. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the importance of the optics of numbers and how to get what you want by manipulating them.




