Watchfire® Case Study: Watch What Happens.
CATEGORY :: Yellow Dog Express - Utica, Ohio
Background
Yellow Dog Express is located about 40 miles northeast of
Columbus, Ohio, in the small rural community of Utica. It's a
Marathon gas station and convenience store combo owned by Brian and
Jo Walters, who bought it from Jo's father over
twenty years ago. The Walters love their shop, but running it
hasn't always been easy. "It's a demanding business," Brian Walters
said. "It gets tough at times."
Competition is fierce, and their biggest competitor - a gas station and convenience store that's part of a 150-station chain - sits right across the street. "They keep us on our toes," Walters said.
Results
In 2008, Brian Walters began researching LED sign brands.
Impressed by Watchfire photos and information he
found online, Walters contacted Watchfire who put him in touch with
Kessler Sign Company in Zanesville to complete the sale and conduct
the install. Now, motorists who pass by Yellow Dog Express
are greeted by full color video commercials, promotions, store
specials and more.
"The impact of the sign was direct and immediate. It started making a difference the day it was installed. It's been an absolute positive...the single biggest and most effective investment that we've made."
--Brian Walters, Owner, Yellow Dog Express, Utica, Ohio
:: SIGN SPECS ::
19mm Color LED
Matrix: 48 x 96
6 Lines x 5" Characters
3'4" High x 7' Wide
Case Study
When Jo Walters' father bought what's now known as the Yellow Dog
Express in 1959, it was a modest gas station with two mechanic's
bays. It remained that way until Jo and her husband, Brian, bought
it in 1987. Eventually, the service bays were replaced by a
convenience store, and a drive-through window was added to let
customers shop from their cars.
Brian Walters marvels at how his father-in law ran the business for nearly 30 years without changing anything. "We've had to redo it every 10 years just to stay afloat," he said.
Survival is tougher for the Walters partly because in the mid-80s a 150-station franchise set up shop across the street. Looking at the bright side, Walters says, "They've taught me a lot. For one, they really pride themselves on keeping relevant messages on their reader board."
Walters updated his own reader board tirelessly over the years. "It was effective," he said. "But I realized it would be more effective if I wasn't limited to one message at a time." That's when he began researching LED signs. "I knew an LED would let me communicate more things in a bold fashion."
Mike Davis of Kessler Sign Company showed Walters several different Watchfire LED sign models. "I proposed a few different units, both monochrome and full-color," Davis said. "Once he saw full-color graphics with his products on it, he was sold."
But Walters' wife wasn't sure. "She agreed with my thought process," Walters said. "But she wasn't convinced we should go full-color." After a few conversations, the couple decided to go with a dynamic full-color LED message center. "Five minutes after the LED sign went up, the impact was obvious," Walters said.
Walters knew the sign was making an impact, but he wanted more evidence it was increasing sales. He implemented three promotions and advertised them exclusively on the Watchfire sign. "Those three programs continue to generate more than the cost of the sign," Walters said. "The monthly profit we make from them is significantly more than what we paid for the sign."
Adding that his ATM business has increased 23% since advertising
it on the sign, Walters says he's certain the sign is paying off in
immeasurable ways. "Any other business increase from the sign is
just a bonus. It's doing its job - and then some."
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