Skaalen Retirement Services — 2026 Billboard Campaign (2025-12-08)

Overview

During a Google Ads strategy review, a conversation with Chris (Skaalen contact) surfaced a new offline marketing initiative: a billboard campaign timed to Skaalen's 2026 awards, placed on roads leading to nearby retirement communities. The initiative emerged organically from a discussion about competitor campaign performance and how Skaalen actually generates awareness and calls.

This was discussed in the ^[1].

Background: Google Ads Review

Melissa presented a Google Ads strategy review (assisted by AI/Cloud analysis) that included several recommendations:

Competitor campaigns were generating high impressions but very low conversions — recommendation was to turn them off.
Chris pushed back, noting that smaller local competitors were generating calls and that Skaalen was seeing brand recognition benefits even without direct conversion attribution.
The consensus was that much of Skaalen's inbound is driven by referrals and brand recognition, not direct search conversion.

This reframing shifted the conversation from pure performance marketing toward brand presence — which led directly to the billboard idea.

Billboard Campaign Initiative

Concept: Place billboards on roads leading into and out of retirement communities that compete with or neighbor Skaalen facilities.

Timing: Tied to Skaalen's 2026 awards (e.g., "Best Nursing Home" or similar recognition).

Messaging direction: Something along the lines of:

"Skaalen — Winner of [Award Name] [Year]"

Audience targeting logic: People leaving competing retirement communities (residents' families, prospective residents) who may be frustrated or evaluating alternatives will see Skaalen's award recognition at a high-consideration moment.

Status as of 2025-12-08: Melissa is gathering cost estimates for billboard placement.

Key Decisions

Competitor Google Ads campaigns may be paused or restructured given poor conversion data.
Billboard campaign approved in principle by Chris; cost research underway.
Strategy leans into award credibility + geographic proximity to competitors as the core message.

Action Items

[ ] Get billboard placement costs for roads near target retirement communities (@Melissa Cusumano)

^[2]
^[1]