Dynamic Duo

Dynamic Duo

This unlikely team is reinventing the billboard

by Jill Abrahamsen

Calvin McNeely and Zach Yelle were born generations apart but they work together famously. In fact, McNeely instantly thought of Yelle when he was looking for a partner in his new franchise business, Runningboards Marketing.

The men’s skill sets complement each other perfectly. McNeely, a retired government contractor and entrepreneur, has more than 40 years’ experience launching and running businesses. Yelle is a whiz at technology and has a background in marketing, social media, videography, and graphic design.

When McNeely proposed the idea and partnership, Yelle says he was all-in immediately. “It was a no-brainer for me. It’s such a great concept.”

As their first move, the pair looked for reasons not to launch the mobile business. And they couldn’t find one. So they dove right in and now are offering investors the opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

The business model is essentially a hightech digital billboard on wheels, but with extraordinary advantages. “We can hit our clients’ target audiences easily,” McNeely says. “Instead of waiting for the right folks to drive by, we go where they are and present the ads at the right time of day. Say we have a scrubs company advertising, we’ll drive by hospitals during shift changes. Or, for a swing-set company, we can drive past schools at drop-off and pick-up times. It’s a game changer in terms of target marketing. And wherever we go, we turn heads. The vivid graphics cannot be ignored.”

EASY OPERATION

Their proprietary software “RBM Velocity” that runs “DAV” (pronounced Dave) was devised with franchising in mind. “While it’s a sophisticated system, it’s very user-friendly for the franchisee to operate. They can get ads up in seconds,” McNeely says.

The vehicles have 12-by-6½-foot ads on the right and left sides, and a 6-by-6-footer on the back. “We can run different ads on each, either for the same or different clients. There are so many possibilities,” he says.

RECURRING REVENUE

With a subscription-based advertising model, franchisees enjoy long-term contracts and recurring revenue. The business model goes beyond advertising, though, with creative options for additional revenue streams. For example, they provide entertainment at birthday parties, weddings, graduations, and other special events. “On one side, we can have a movie playing; on the other, video games for kids or a rotating photo montage. The possibilities are endless,” Yelle says.

For more information, visit www.RBM-franchise.com.