Can anyone connect me to a Bill Board Company

Question

This is a long shot but I wanted to know if anyone could put me in touch with any bill board companies that could make use of my commercial sites in the Los Angeles area. My assumption is that bill board company could be nationwide. Also it seems like everybody resorts to direct mail for their marketing campaigns. Is there a reason why Bill Boards or even Vans are not used very much. Thanks in advance

Theresa W. · Answer

Hi @Annunciata  R.

I love billboards - they are the ultimate cash cow.  The problem is that they are difficult to come by.  With Ladybird Johnson and the Highway Beautification act in the 1970's, billboards became so severely regulated, new permits are extremely difficult to come by.  Most of the existing billboards are leased by a handful of companies.  A fellow investor I know receives $7500/mo for each of the two billboards he owns.  Enough money to forgo using his commercial building for anything else.  But I digress...

I'd start with the county or city planning office instead of calling the media leasing companies.  Almost all communities have a sign code that restricts or limits new billboards because the original federal act withheld funds to states that did not adopt billboard regulations.  If you can get a new billboard permit (and it's a big IF), the companies will happily snap up your lease.

Something to get you started quickly is to look at the online municipal code for your community.  Find the sign code chapter and there should be a section that addresses billboards.  Best of luck on your projects!

Dev Horn · Answer

Here's a quick reality check.  Billboards on the freeway in LA go for about $30,000 per MONTH.  Here's some outdoor pricing I got from CBS OUTDOOR for LA County about 6 months ago:

AREA:  Los Angeles County

SHELTERS

• Individual (NET) Unit Cost:  $1500
• 3 – 5 Units (NET) cost      per unit:  $900
• Production costs: $100 per ad + shipping and       handling

• Production costs: $100 per ad + shipping and       handling

POSTERS

• Individual (NET) Unit Cost:  $1,500 - $4,000
• 3-5 Units (NET) cost      per unit:  $1,200 - $2,500
• Production costs:        $150 per ad + shipping and handling.

• Production costs:        $150 per ad + shipping and handling.

BULLETINS (Surface   Street)

• Individual (NET) Unit Cost:  $3,500 - $6,500
• Production costs:        $750 per vinyl + shipping and handling
• ***This ballpark range does not include Sunset       Blvd. inventory.

• Production costs:        $750 per vinyl + shipping and handling
• ***This ballpark range does not include Sunset       Blvd. inventory.

BULLETINS (Freeway)

• Individual (NET) Unit Cost:  $8,900 – $25,000+
• Production costs:        $750 per vinyl + shipping and handling

• Production costs:        $750 per vinyl + shipping and handling

*Pricing may vary by location.

*All pricing is per 4 weeks.

*Unit Cost pricing does not include cost of production.

CBS OUTDOOR 1731 Workman Street · Los Angeles, CA 90031 · Phone:  (323)222-7171

Jon Holdman · Answer

Most billboards have a name in small(er) letters somewhere on the edge of the board.  A lot of these are owned by the big media companies.  Here are two that own signs here in Denver:

http://www.milehighoutdoor.com/

http://www.cbsoutdoor.com/markets/marketsearch/denver

Both have pictures on their web site.  Look at those.  At the bottom of most sigs, in the center, is either "Mile High Outdoor" or "CBS".

Rob Pene · Answer

I've actually seen the We Buy Ugly Houses digital billboard ads showing in Orange County while I'm driving on the 5 North headed toward LAX...I've also see a similar ad by the same company on the billboards around the Carson area on the 91 East

Mike S. · Answer

I have seen billboards of the we buy houses variety, its usually done by franchises with larger budgets that buy in bulk nationwide.  As far as the vans and block trucks with ads, I believe there are rules against that in L.A.

Annunciata R. · Answer

Hey Jon, you were right! I just drove past a few bill boards 15mins ago and I saw clearly some of the promoters names (without even having to stop) on the bottom frame. Dont know how I have missed this before now! Thanks for that tip. Thank @Mike Wadsley  I was more thinking about leasing part of my own commercial lots for the purpose of an additional income stream.

Mike Wadsley · Answer

As an alternative, consider a car magnet.  Vistaprint offers them starting at $12 each.  For $24, you can be a mobile billboard permanently without paying the maintenance of keeping your billboard sign up.

Annunciata R. · Answer

Thank you @Jon Holdman  are you saying that if for instance AT&T are being displayed on the bill board for about a month, I should park my car (where safe to do so) and look closely for additional details (on the billboard) of who actually leases the bill board from the land owner temporarily to AT&T? I am assuming that it will be really tiny as I have never seen more than the advertised company on any Bill Board.

Jon Holdman · Answer

If you simply drive around and look at billboards you'll see phone numbers.  Its likely there are just a few big companies who own the bulk of them in any area.

The homevestors guys use them pretty extensively around here.  I think cost is the issue for small operations.  You have to have enough work going on to justify the large outlay for a billboard campaign.

Can anyone connect me to a Bill Board Company

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