Indoor Advertising

Helping Advertisers Grow.

Ruben Garcia

Leveraging Generative AI to Boost Your Profitability: Key Insights for IBAA Members

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In a May 16th, 2025 presentation to IBAA members, Kent Lewis, Executive Director of NextNW, shared valuable insights into how generative AI can transform business operations and marketing strategies to improve profitability. As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, staying ahead of technological innovations has become crucial for sustainable success in the indoor advertising industry. Here’s what you need to know about implementing generative AI in your business.

The Promise of Generative AI

Generative AI offers numerous opportunities for businesses looking to optimize their operations and boost their bottom line. According to Lewis, these opportunities include:

  • Increased Efficiency: Generate more output or save significant time on routine tasks
  • Enhanced Quality and Consistency: Maintain higher standards across all content and communications
  • Data Synthesis: Rapidly analyze and summarize large volumes of data for actionable insights
  • Workflow Optimization: Streamline low-value activities to focus human talent on high-impact work
  • Dynamic Pricing and Personalization: Create customized experiences that resonate with clients
  • Revenue Maximization: Leverage AI tools to identify and capitalize on profit opportunities

Navigating the Challenges

While the benefits are compelling, Lewis also addressed several challenges that organizations must navigate when implementing AI technologies:

  • Legal and Compliance Issues: Including copyright concerns, intellectual property questions, and data privacy and security considerations
  • Content Accuracy: Managing AI “hallucinations” that can compromise content quality and factual accuracy
  • Integration Complexity: Effectively incorporating AI tools into existing business processes
  • Keeping Pace with Evolution: Continuous monitoring, testing, and training as AI technology rapidly advances
  • Human Element: Balancing automation with creativity and meaningful human interaction
  • Ethical Considerations: Addressing monetization strategies and preventing disinformation

Seven Strategic Applications for IBAA Members

The presentation outlined seven key strategies for leveraging generative AI in business and marketing operations:

1. Research and Inspiration

AI can identify trending topics relevant to your advertising clients, analyze keywords for maximum impact, and perform competitive analysis to identify market opportunities.

2. Content Creation

Generate compelling ad copy, social media content, blog posts, articles, and FAQs that speak directly to your target audience. Lewis emphasized the importance of effective prompts and using AI filters to ensure quality.

3. Website Optimization

Enhance your digital presence with AI-generated SEO elements including title tags, meta descriptions, ALT text, technical code improvements such as structured data, and link development strategies.

4. Data Analysis and Reporting

Leverage AI to develop detailed customer personas, automate spreadsheet analysis and formula creation, and set up conversion tracking to measure campaign effectiveness.

5. Content Personalization

Deliver tailored experiences across email campaigns, websites, social media, and advertising. For IBAA members specifically, AI can personalize member communications and renewal notices to improve retention.

6. Process Automation

Streamline repetitive tasks including member segmentation, asset management, policy summaries, and ad inventory management and analysis—allowing your team to focus on strategic initiatives.

7. Customer Service Enhancement

Implement AI-powered chatbots across digital channels to provide 24/7 answers to common questions and deliver personalized placement recommendations to advertising clients.

Bonus: Sales Process Integration

Lewis also highlighted how generative AI can transform sales operations through:

  • Automated prospect list generation
  • Sales script development
  • Meeting transcript analysis
  • Creating personalized follow-up emails
  • Streamlining proposal and RFP responses
  • Document proofing
  • Replicating successful management approaches

Implementation Recommendations for IBAA Members

To successfully integrate generative AI into your operations, consider these practical steps:

  1. Start Small: Begin with one or two strategies that address your most pressing business challenges
  2. Test and Iterate: Monitor results and refine your approach as you gain experience
  3. Maintain Human Oversight: Always review AI-generated content before publishing
  4. Stay Educated: Keep up with evolving best practices through the resources shared in the presentation
  5. Focus on ROI: Prioritize applications that directly impact revenue or significantly reduce costs

Going Premium

While free AI tools are extremely helpful, they are limited to prompts and singular inputs. To get the most from AI platforms, consider investing in a premium account in order to upload documents on which the AI bot can learn. Pricing plans for the top four platforms are outlined below. 

Claude (Anthropic)

  • Claude Pro: $20/month or $168/year (saves $72)
  • Features include: Priority access during high demand, higher message limits, early access to new features, and ability to create custom Claudes

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

  • ChatGPT Plus: $20/month
  • ChatGPT Team: $30/user/month (annual billing)
  • ChatGPT Enterprise: Custom pricing
  • Plus features include: Access to GPT-4 models, plugins, DALL-E image generation, browsing capabilities, and priority access

Microsoft Copilot

  • Copilot Pro: $20/month
  • Copilot for Microsoft 365: $30/user/month (requires Microsoft 365 subscription)
  • Features include: Advanced AI capabilities across Microsoft apps, priority access to newest models, enhanced image creation

Google Gemini

  • Gemini Advanced: $19.99/month (often bundled with Google One AI Premium plan)
  • Features include: Access to most capable Gemini models, larger context windows, multimodal capabilities, and integration with Google Workspace

These prices are current as of October 2024, but subscription costs and plan features may have changed since then. We recommend checking each provider’s official website for the most up-to-date pricing and feature information.

Conclusion

As generative AI continues to transform the advertising industry, IBAA members who thoughtfully implement these technologies stand to gain significant competitive advantages. By balancing automation with human creativity and strategic thinking, indoor advertising businesses can enhance efficiency, improve client relationships, and ultimately increase profitability. You can listen to a podcast summary of this presentationon NotebookLM.

The presentation reinforced that generative AI should be viewed not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a powerful tool that amplifies what your team can accomplish. By embracing these technologies now and developing organizational competency in their application, IBAA members can position themselves for continued success in an increasingly digital landscape.

For more information about Kent Lewis, visit his website or connect with him on LinkedIn.

IBAA Board of Directors Meeting 2024 Recap!

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The IBAA Board of Directors wrapped up a meeting at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas on March 19-20, 2024, where they set the stage for exciting changes and opportunities to grow Indoor!

The board discussed boosting membership outreach, planning for future PSA involvement and big news on an opportunity to represent our industry via Ad Council. 

Board members also represented the industry at the adjacent  Bar & Restaurant Expo. We brainstormed ideas for the next IBAA Member Sponsor Conference and proposed shared virtual learning opportunities for members and partners.

We’re thrilled to announce Brandon Zunker of Drip Media as the new IBAA President!  He takes over the role from Ruben Garcia (Johnny Boards), who now serves as IBAA Treasurer, succeeding Tim Shoemaker (Headlines Indoor). Tim remains an integral part of the team, and we appreciate his dedication to keeping our financials on track.

Deborah Johnson of Whizz Advertising rounds out the board as IBAA Secretary, while John Jolley of Big Guys Inc takes on the role of IBAA Vice President. Both contributed their valuable insight at the meeting.

We’re honored to announce that the IBAA has been invited to join the Ad Council Trade Association Advisory Committee (TAAC)!

IBAA Executive Director, John Koenig will work alongside other national media trade association leaders to collaborate on spreading positive Ad Council PSA messaging, meanwhile boosting the IBAA’s profile.

The TAAC brings together industry executives from across the media ecosystem to share perspectives on challenges and opportunities in their fields. As part of the committee, the IBAA will:

· Connect with Industry Leaders: Join forces with other trade association leaders across the industry for collaboration and networking.

· Access Comprehensive Resources: Gain access to well-researched messaging and campaign materials to empower and support association members.

· Tap Into Expert Insight: Benefit from Ad Council teams, expert advisors, and valuable resources like campaign research, best practices, and case studies.

· Be Recognized: High profile acknowledgement as a member of the Trade Association Advisory Committee on the Ad Council’s website, alongside other esteemed committees.

· Gain Year-Round Media Coverage: Leverage ongoing press opportunities throughout the year for enhanced visibility.

· Share Thought Leadership: Showcase IBAA expertise and industry knowledge.

· Highlight Successful Partnerships: Present our successful partnership case studies at Ad Council Board meetings and industry events.

We’re looking forward to participating in the TAAC and sharing details with IBAA Members as it progresses!

A big thank you to the IBAA Directors for their hands-on leadership and steering the IBAA. 

We’re excited to expand the reach and impact of Indoor Advertising!


Cheers!

John Koenig

Director

Indoor Billboard Advertising Association (IBAA)

1816 NE Alberta Street, 7th Floor

Portland Oregon 97211

503-998-3465

www.indooradvertising.org

2023 IBAA Conference Wrap Up! More Indoor and Celebrity Sightings..

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IBAA Members, Sponsors, and Friends!

Big thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to our IBAA Conference last week March 26-27th at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas!

It’s always added value to get input from speakers, Zoom presenters, and long-term members sharing stories. 

(We also had the good fortune to cross paths with actor Bill Murray!)

No matter that we’ve been doing it for now 24 years, it’s always re-energizing to return post IBAA conference with new views on how to stay top of mind.

We continue to prove that Indoor Advertising is more relevant than ever, especially in this ‘overstimulated’ media era with constant buzzing from smart phones, social media, streaming s and pop ups etc. It’s obvious that our advertising cuts through the clutter, demands attention, and influences shopping behavior. It’s the real “Nature” of indoor that is the selling point.

Special thanks our keynote speaker Paul Crowder, Business Director at Billups, who got us up to speed on media buying trends, and staying top of mind with agency buyers, and what’s new for 2023 in Out of Home relevancy, and the media buying landscape.

We had a partnership opportunity shared by Chris Risch, COO at Terraboost, which allows members to resell “wellness station-kiosk billboard” space via their network in over 30,000 supermarkets, drug stores, malls, and other trafficked venues. 

Alex Mauritz, CEO, Barcast.tv and Text Rebates, shared his liquor brand text rebate loyalty programs, and an opportunity to resell their concept to your existing or potential clients. His firm also offers our members the ability broker/re-sell bar venue place-based television campaigns to your existing or new clients via their relationship with Atmosphere.tv.

“Geofencing” and the ability to target your client or venue partner message to smart phones proximate to an area audience, is a perfect tie-in with our medium. Scott McIntosh, CEO at Digital Treehouse, shared his Geofencing service partnership with long term IBAA Member Ruben Garcia, President of Johnny Boards, adding color commentary on their relationship and how members might add Digital Treehouse’s service to maximize ad budgets, or provide value to locations. You can link to Scott’s presentation here.

We also had “boots on the ground” discussions in a round table format with input from newer Indoor Members on their challenges ramping up markets during the return to ‘normal’ post-Covid, and it was revitalizing to share stories find out what’s ‘selling’ and new angles. Also we covered how to best leverage the implementation of “digital displays”, indoor television, and traditional “static” indoor boards to sell a buffet of media offerings.

Many of us attended the complimentary Bar and Restaurant Expo, which we tied in with our gathering. It was apparent from the energy, the amount of brands, and attendees at the Expo this year, that socializing is back in business and it bodes well for our medium with this important segment industry partner.

Happy to announce we’ve elected Ruben Garcia, Johnny Boards as your new IBAA President, and also new IBAA Member, Brandon Zunker, of Drip Media as your new IBAA Vice President. 

Gratitude to previous IBAA President John Jolley, Big Guys Inc, for staying active on our board with the title of IBAA Past President. Also thanks to Deborah Johnson, Whizz Advertising re-elected as IBAA Secretary, and Tim Shoemaker, Headlines Indoor, our IBAA Treasurer who keeps us legit. We had a big help from David Turner, MacMann & Tate, who pulled together our event.

I’ll have to share the Bill Murray story later, or if you’d like to catch up with the source, reach out to John Jolley and he’ll get you up to speed with a very very “short story” about his encounter.

(We’re hoping Bill takes John’s offer to come speak at the 25th Annual IBAA Conference next year! Stay tuned).

Here’s to keeping us rolling out more Indoor and sharing ideas.

Reach out with questions and stay in touch!

Cheers!

John Koenig

Director

Indoor Billboard Advertising Association (IBAA)

1816 NE Alberta Street, 7th Floor

Portland Oregon 97211

503-998-3465

www.indooradvertising.org

2022 IBAA Conference Re-Cap! Thanks for Joining Us in Vegas…More Indoor Advertising Ahead!

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Thanks to all the folks able to attend and support our IBAA 2022 Conference and shindig March 22-23rd in Las Vegas!

With the head spinning past 2 years, it was invigorating and inspiring to reconnect with members who’ve done their share of pivoting, re-booting, and that other overused word, ‘navigating’ the indoor advertising landscape.

Just seeing members who are always long term friends ‘in person’ was refreshing.

Knowing we’re all a phone call or email away from getting solid advice and input from a fellow IBAA-er is always the big payback for belonging to our group, and we had a few ‘first timers” in attendance who can now attest to that value.

(Another added value was being able to rattle each other over our March Madness loyalties and give each other friendly grief and bet on a few games. I’m certain most of our brackets are beyond busted-hah!)

Tying our event with the Bar & Restaurant Expo provided good synergy, and our attendees were able to check out the expo center free of charge and connect with brands, and other add-on ideas that might fit relationship offerings for their venues and clients.

I’d like to thank our conference sponsors and speakers who provided us ample content with many of us are looking to add new avenues to connect with our indoor and socially active audiences.

We had a keynote sponsorship and presentation from uRhere – SellrTV with place based interactive digital tablets placed in liquor stores and dispensaries and a no cost opportunity for IBAA members to add a digital advertising sales platform. They also shared an opportunity to convert static board locations to digital via a partnership sales relationship. Big thanks to Tom Miller CEO and John Wheating Director of uRHere-SellrTV for sponsoring our group.

Another place based venture and insight was shared by Alex Mauritz and Keven Stefanek of Barcast.tv and Barpoints with their program of advertising content on television screens in bar venues, liquor stores, as well as customer loyalty program app and text rebate rewards which add value and tangible ROI information in real time to advertisers.

As we get closer to a post-Covid return to some “normal” in Out of Home media buying, we we’re lucky to have keynote speaker Paul Crowder, Business Director at Billups get us up to speed on agency media buying trends, the status of “programmatic” advertising, as well as how to position ad inventories to land agency work. Paul’s attended our conference previously, and was an open book on how Billups works with clients to track down the best placements for OOH locally and nationwide.

The word “pivot’ might be the other overused word of the pandemic, but we wrapped up with a roundtable discussion on what adaptations members have made to stay relevant over covid lockdown venue closures, and what members have continued to keep as part of their offerings now that the world is opening up.

Ruben Garcia, IBAA Past President and CEO of Johnny Boards shared his experience on maintaining relevancy in his market by accessing ample PSA budgets, and working directly with nonprofit and government organizations that needed messaging over the Covid shut down period, no matter that social venues were closed. Ruben shared his ‘pivot’ story and his work doing place based media externally, which he’s now leveraged those clients into his indoor portfolio.

I’d also like to thank Randy Levine from Valley Industrial Products for sponsoring our catered lunch and continued long term support of the IBAA. Valley Industrial Products has supplied many of our IBAA Members with pressure sensitive tapes which do a rock star job of keeping our Indoor Displays on walls despite the brute force attempts of folks to try to wrestle displays down.

Kudos to Tim Shoemaker, IBAA Treasurer and CEO of Headlines Indoor, as well as David Turner of McMann & Tate Advertising, for pulling together many of the behind the scenes details of our gathering.

As the children’s song goes “…the more we get together…the happier we’ll be…”, the best portion of our conference year in and year out, is our ability to gather and share stories of what’s working and also preach the intrinsic value of our medium of indoor-restroom and placed based captive audience advertising.

We’ll continue to keep the IBAA focused on keeping Indoor Advertising relevant and top of mind for agencies and advertisers and our captive readers.

For those unable to attend, we’re open to suggestions on IBAA Conference 2023 and we’ll look for similar tie-in events, or activities to bring the group together.

Please feel free to reach out with questions and thanks again for supporting our industry… it means a lot!

Cheers!

John Koenig

Director

Indoor Billboard Advertising Association (IBAA)

1816 NE Alberta Street, 7th Floor

Portland Oregon 97211

503-998-3465

www.indooradvertising.org

IBAA Conference 2020 Postponed

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3/12/2020
We’re postponing our March 29-30th IBAA Conference with the concern for health and safety of everyone. 
We’ll look at other dates and options once we’ve a clearer picture.  We’re all in this together.
Thank you for the support of Indoor Advertising.
Sincerely,
John Koenig IBAA Director
& the Officers and Board of the IBAA
Join us for our 23rd IBAA Conference and also attend the Nightclub & Bar Show!

Register now and join us March 29th-30th as we’ve scheduled our 2020 IBAA Conference to coincide with Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas, and have free NCB Expo Passes for early bird IBAA registration!

We’ll be hosting our IBAA Conference at the Plaza Hotel & Casino with a beverage reception on the evening of Sunday, March 29th, followed by IBAA content the full day on Monday, March 30th.

The Plaza is a newly renovated hip mid-century modern outpost located on Fremont Street, and voted best hotel in Downtown Las Vegas. We’ve a link with discounted room rates for attendees on 3 nights (3/29-3/31) so you can stay longer and take in March Madness as well as the NCB Show. Discounted Room rates $54-65 per night (plus tax/resort fee)

Here’s the added value-we’ve secured free entries to the NCB Show (a $99 value) limited to the first 8 to register for our Conference (Access to the NCB exhibition hall on all 3 Days, access to a workshop, swag and all related parties happening at the NCB Show located in the Las Vegas Convention Center).

Our industry is aligned with the bar, beverage, and restaurant industry, and here’s a chance to check out what’s new, access potential advertisers, new venues, and ancillary add on products for your operation. The show runs 3/30-4/1 and you’ll have ample time to check out the Expo and related seminars, as well attend our IBAA meeting on Monday, 3/30. It’s a short hop from the Plaza to the Convention Center and the NCB Expo Hall.

IBAA Conference Early Bird Registration runs until Jan 10th, 2020 for a mere $195 ($225 after), and includes exhibit hall NCB pass for first 8 registrants (must be a current IBAA member or sponsor, one pass per party).

Registration includes our happy hour beverage reception on the evening of Sunday 3/29 and the IBAA Conference content the full day on Monday the 30th. Monday ramps up with an Indoor Firm only breakfast, followed by speakers, sponsor content (frame suppliers, digital display ideas, ancillary ad opportunities), advertising sales trends, and more ideas on growing your indoor advertising opportunities from industry experts. We’ll have a catered lunch and post conference happy hour networking.

*Register for the IBAA Conference at this link

(If you’d rather pay-register via check (or Venmo) let me know and I’ll forward an invoice)

*Book Your Rooms at the Plaza with discounts applied at this link

(or dial 800-634-6575 and use the code SBILLA)

We’ll be scheduling our content, speakers and round table sessions.

If you’re interested in sponsoring and presenting to our group, reach out and we’ll make it happen!

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Las Vegas!

Cheers!

John Koenig
Director
Indoor Billboard Advertising Association (IBAA)
1816 NE Alberta Street, 7th Floor
Portland Oregon 97211
503-998-3465
www.indooradvertising.org

IBAA Conference 2019! March Madness Recap+Thanks for Attending!

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Hope your NCAA Brackets are just as successful as our 2019 IBAA Conference at the Golden Nugget!

Thanks to all who attended, sponsored and presented in Las Vegas. March 19th and 20th!

I always return to my desk post conference reinvigorated about our industry and the shared opportunities as a group. 

This conference in particular we really dug deep into what is working in Indoor, how to best keep our individual market offerings at the forefront of media opportunities, and how to stand out to agencies, clients, and our readers in an even more cluttered media environment.  

We hit on agency buying tools with Craig Miller, from Kantar Media/SRDS with ideas to individually and collectively share in raising the profile of Indoor with Out Of Home Media buyers and core agencies.  

Delving into the future of indoor, Brian Wyatt, New Ad, shared his company’s growth has evolved from from indoor and restroom media, to full experiential place-based advertising with static boards, to digital offerings, to lifestyle sampling and cutting edge technology.  

We tied into the future of indoor, thanks to our sponsor Digital Treehouse’s Scott McIntosh for explaining Geofencing, and how his firm partners with indoor companies to add mobile tech to our place based billboards, our relationship with venues, and amplifying our ad messaging, while presenting new revenue opportunities to build relationships and brands.  

As a more Indoor-Restroom firms are adding digital displays to their billboard placements, it was key to have Jefferson Cooper from sponsor Trusign sharing their bullet proof digital signage in person. We had real-time input from AllOver Media’s Tony Jacobsen, who is utilizing the Trusign system in his venues, and has grown from being an industry leader in static indoor displays, to the forefront of place based restroom digital signage.

Indoor is really ‘social media’, and we were able to get up to speed on the changing landscape of social applications thanks to Kent Lewis from Anvil Media. Kent hit on how to best utilize Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and other platforms to add impact to ad campaigns, go viral amongst our captive ad readers, and also build brand loyalty with clients. He also dug deep into how to best use these tools to access media buyers, budgets and generate social media buzz.

The IBAA has collectively been networked thanks to our shared belief in ‘giving back’ to share messaging that can lend a hand, and also build awareness for the validity of Indoor and Restroom advertising to agencies. Input from member markets is that Public Service Advertising (PSA) campaigns are some of the better long term clients and big believers in the power of our captive audience and its use in changing reader behaviors and raising awareness.

Big thanks to James Baumann, CEO of Goodwill Communications, for giving his agency perspective on the trends in PSA campaigns, and how we individually, and as a group can help. Building our local advertiser base alongside of local, regional and national PSA messaging lends more credibility to our industry, and also leverages long term paying PSA campaigns from our local market agencies and advertisers.

I’d also like to thank Randy Levine and his firm Valley Industrial Products, for sponsoring our event and sharing some information about their adhesive products that members have been using to keep their frames on the walls in some of the countries roughest bar and restaurant venues. 

Speaking of frames, thanks to Snap! Display Frames and their continued solid support and sponsorship of the IBAA

I’m grateful to our IBAA Officers and Board for helping pull together the event, especially to David Turner, Johnny Advertising, for coordinating the site and details; IBAA Treasurer, Tim Shoemaker (Headlines Indoor), for keeping things paid; and Past IBAA President Ruben Garcia (Johnny Boards) for printing materials, AV, and website support.  

I’d also like to extend gratitude to IBAA President, John Jolley (Big Guys Inc);  IBAA Vice President, Deborah Johnson (Whizz Advertising); and IBAA Secretary Brok McFerron (Billygoat Group); for all their support over the past year.

Aside from the content, the big payback in belonging to the IBAA is the shared experience of operating in our industry, being able to make a phone call to other members, having friendly free input, and building relationships.   

We’ll be working this year (and the year after that and so on) to keep on doing things correctly and growing Indoor Advertising!

Reach out with questions and stay tuned!

Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

Cheers!

John Koenig
Director
Indoor Billboard Advertising Association (IBAA)
1816 NE Alberta Street, 7th Floor
Portland Oregon 97211
503-998-3465
www.indooradvertising.org

John Koenig
President
Water Closet Media