How Digital Screens Are Changing the Face of Marketing in Your Town with Kenzie Coltrin

Topics discussed in this episode with time stamps

00:00 – 00:43 “Ones with words. Those are hard. If you think of it as the outdoor billboards just brought inside, ones that have too many words, you’re not going to get the message across.” — Kenzie Coltrin

00:44 – 01:03 Welcome to Peppershock Media’s Marketing Expedition Podcast

01:04 – 02:30 About Kenzie

02:31 – 12:51 Marketing Essentials Moment: Digital Out-Of-Home Advertising

12:52 – 14:22 Welcome to the show, Kenzie!

14:23 – 15:53 Introduction to Phoenix Digital Marketing

15:52 – 17:32 Description of Indoor Digital Billboards

17:33 – 20:03 Types of Businesses Using Digital Screens

20:04 – 22:35 Customization

22:36 – 24:20 Cost and Budgeting

24:21 – 27:13 Scaling and Exposure

27:14 – 29:20 Host Partnerships and Screen Placement

29:21 – 29:57 Poderific, baby! Whether you’re looking for a podcast studio to rent or need help with the entire production and distribution of your podcast, we gotcha covered.

29:58 – 35:40 Parenting Challenges and Rewards

35:41 – 40:48 NSAC Campaigns and Clients

40:49 – 42:20 Agency Challenges

42:21 – 43:40 Media Sales Experience

43:41 – 44:28 Reach out to Kenzie

44:29 – 00:00 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

44:51 – 46:31 Word-of-Mouth Mixers and Networking

46:32 – 47:21 Thank you so much, Kenzie! Share this podcast, give us a review, and enjoy your marketing journey!

47:22 – 48:09 Join the Marketing Expedition Community today!

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Meet with Rhea Allen

Full Transcript

261 — How Digital Screens Are Changing
The Face of Marketing in Your Town

Intro
Rhea Allen: Welcome to The Marketing Expedition Podcast—an auditory journey
through the latest in marketing, branding, and advertising. I’m your Marketing
Expedition guide, Rhea Allen.
Rhea Allen: On this episode, I’m talking with Kenzie Coltrin, Senior Account Executive at
Phoenix Digital Marketing in Boise, Idaho. She has nearly a decade of experience in
media, advertising, and strategic business development. She specializes in helping
local, regional, and national brands grow through innovative marketing solutions,
including digital and indoor billboard advertising.
Kenzie is known for driving revenue growth, building high-value client relationships, and
creating customized, results-driven campaigns. Her background spans multimedia
sales, partnership development, and full-funnel marketing strategy.
Outside of work, she’s married, a proud mom of two, and loves skiing, golfing, running,
and everything Idaho outdoors.
We get to partner with Kenzie, and you’re going to hear a lot more about digital
out-of-home advertising and how it’s changing the way local brands show up in the real
world.
Marketing Essentials Moment
Rhea Allen: Before we jump in, it’s time for your Marketing Essentials Moment—the
basics you need to keep building your brand and your bottom line.
Today, I’m digging deeper into digital out-of-home advertising, also called DOOH.
DOOH is advertising that appears on digital screens in public places—airports, shopping
centers, restaurants, gyms, convenience stores, entertainment venues, and those large
digital billboards you see while driving.
It’s “out of home” because it’s not on your personal device—it’s in the physical
world—but it’s digital. That means creative can be updated, scheduled, and optimized.
You can use QR codes and interactive elements, and it’s easier to update than printed
signage.
For example, when we promoted the Canyon County Fair, we used a
countdown—changing the message as the event got closer. With digital, you can
update creative quickly if you’re set up to do it.
The flexibility also lets you get strategic about time of day, location, and audience
behavior—and how DOOH fits into a multi-pronged campaign.
If you use a QR code, you can drive people to a specific landing page, capture
first-party data through a form fill, and continue marketing through email. If they visit
your site, you can retarget them through pixels and cookies. You can also use
geotargeting and “find me, follow me” style messaging.
These screens show up in micro-moments—when people are standing in line, waiting
for food, sitting in a lobby, walking through retail, or working out at a gym. Those
moments can turn into something bigger.
DOOH works best as part of an omnichannel strategy. If someone sees your message
on a digital billboard during their commute, then sees the same message in their coffee
shop, then hears your brand mentioned on a podcast, then sees you later on connected
TV—that repetition builds familiarity and trust.
Because DOOH is audio-agnostic, your ad must communicate without sound. You can
use motion and movement, but the message has to be clear at a glance.
When you build DOOH ads, keep it simple—especially for roadside billboards. If
someone is driving 65 miles an hour, they can’t absorb a crowded design.
My rule: five words or less for fast-moving environments.
Focus on:
• One clear message
• One brand identifier (logo or brand name)
• One call to action
• A QR code and/or a short vanity URL
Long URLs are a waste—people won’t type them. Use a short link or drive to a simple
landing page you can track.
Also plan for ad fatigue. Consistency matters, but you can refresh the message while
keeping your logo, CTA, and landing page consistent.
Measurement can include awareness lift, QR scans, vanity URL visits, and landing page
conversions.
Now, let’s get to it.
Interview
Rhea Allen: Welcome to The Marketing Expedition Podcast. I’m your host, Rhea
Allen—President and CEO of Peppershock Media, and founder of The Marketing
Expedition Community. Today we have Kenzie. Welcome to the show.
Kenzie Coltrin: Thanks, Rhea. I’m excited to be here.
Rhea Allen: Let’s start with your background. How did you get to where you are
now—sitting on this couch?
Kenzie Coltrin: I’ve been in the media industry for about 10 years. It started in college. I
had a professor, Justin Barnes—he wasn’t my professor at the time. I worked at a gym
at 5 a.m., and he would come in and walk laps. We connected, and he said, “I want you
on my ad team, so you’ll need to add a minor.”
So I did, and I realized I loved advertising and media. I became the advertising manager
at the University of Idaho for student media. That led to working at Channel 6, which we
share. I worked there for several years, took a short break in a different industry, and
then came back into marketing.
Rhea Allen: And now you’re helping local businesses again.
Kenzie Coltrin: Exactly.
Rhea Allen: Full disclosure: Kenzie and I were already planning to get together for wine
on a Friday—so we’re doing both. Cheers.
When you were at Channel 6, you were in media sales and learned what it takes for
advertisers to get on TV and in digital. What brought you to Phoenix Digital Marketing?
Kenzie Coltrin: What piqued my interest is that we’re bringing something to the market
that no one else is doing here: indoor digital billboards, commonly called digital
out-of-home. I like trying something new and being first. I want to get my clients’
messages in front of consumers in a different way.
Rhea Allen: Describe what people see when they walk into a venue. I know there’s one
across the street from us at Boise Fry Company.
Kenzie Coltrin: You walk in and see an advertiser’s message. It’s a 15-second spot with
no sound—an audio-free visual message. Sometimes there’s a QR code people can
scan. It’s usually a call to action, but more often it’s about visibility and brand
awareness. After 15 seconds, it flips to the next message.
Rhea Allen: And there’s filler content too—not just ads. What else runs?
Kenzie Coltrin: Weather, fun facts, quizzes, trivia—things that keep people engaged.
Rhea Allen: As you’re standing in line or waiting for food, you see the messages rotate.
How many advertisers are on a screen, and how long is the loop?
Kenzie Coltrin: It’s a 15-minute loop—usually 45 to 50 advertisers, depending. If
someone is there longer than 15 minutes, they’ll see messages multiple times, which is
great for frequency.
Rhea Allen: And Phoenix is local, but the network is nationwide.
Kenzie Coltrin: Yes. Phoenix is part of MTV 360. We have over 5,000 screens
nationwide, and it’s growing quickly.
Rhea Allen: If someone wants to do this in their hometown, what’s the process?
Kenzie Coltrin: They can look up what’s available locally, or I can help connect them
with the right people. Many screens also have a banner at the bottom showing who to
contact.
Rhea Allen: What types of businesses are ideal hosts for screens? And do hosts get
value from having a screen on their wall?
Kenzie Coltrin: Restaurants are common. Also doctor’s offices, chiropractors, dentists,
gyms, barbershops, salons—places where people sit and have time to look at a screen.
Hosts do get value. In the Treasure Valley, it’s a trade: they host the screen, and we
give them advertising on screens around the area.
Rhea Allen: That’s a nice partnership.
What about competitors? Can you customize what runs on each screen?
Kenzie Coltrin: Yes. If a chiropractor hosts a screen, we won’t run another chiropractor’s
ad there. Same for restaurants, salons, and other categories. It’s essentially a
non-compete.
Rhea Allen: How often can creative be updated?
Kenzie Coltrin: If the client provides the creative, we have more flexibility and can
update more regularly. If we create the creative, it’s updated quarterly. Many clients
bring their own creative, so we have more room to adjust.
Rhea Allen: Or they can come to Peppershock, have us create the creative, and then
send it to you.
Kenzie Coltrin: Absolutely.
Rhea Allen: How long have you been in this role?
Kenzie Coltrin: Phoenix has been around since August of last year, so we’re not even a
year old locally. The concept is proven nationwide. I’ve been in this role about four
months.
Rhea Allen: You’re already rocking it.
Kenzie Coltrin: I see the screens everywhere now. And shout-out to Bailey—she’s the
one handling a lot of the host outreach. She’s incredible.
Rhea Allen: I saw her at Talking Waffles at 7:30 a.m. I promised Bailey Reese I’d come
support, and there were screens there too.
Kenzie Coltrin: Yes—two screens at Waffle Me Up.
Rhea Allen: From a cost perspective, what’s the average range people should budget
for?
Kenzie Coltrin: It’s about $75 per screen per month, and it’s tiered—when you add more
screens, the price goes down, eventually closer to $50 per screen. Nationally, it’s
around $20 per screen for nationwide campaigns.
We don’t want budget to keep people from trying it. We work with folks based on what
they want to accomplish.
Rhea Allen: Can people do one screen, or do they need to do 10?
Kenzie Coltrin: We offer 10-pack, 20-pack, 50-pack, and 100-pack options. Right now,
we’re nearing 100 screens locally. While we build to 100, we’re doubling exposure on
the 50 screens—so advertisers get extra frequency until we hit that full inventory.
Rhea Allen: And because of competitor restrictions, you may not be on every screen.
Kenzie Coltrin: Correct.
Rhea Allen: Since this podcast is global, what are some key cities with lots of screens?
Kenzie Coltrin: California and Florida have a lot. Major markets typically have screens.
Some more historical areas—like around Washington, D.C. and parts of Virginia—can be
harder because of aesthetics and older buildings.
Rhea Allen: Let’s talk creative. What performs best, and what needs “Peppershock
love”?
Kenzie Coltrin: Ads with too many words struggle. Image-heavy creative tends to do
better. If it’s video, slower is better—simple, short, and clear. Less is more.
Rhea Allen: It doesn’t have to be static. Motion can help, as long as the words are large
enough to read quickly.
Kenzie Coltrin: Exactly. No tiny font at the bottom.
Rhea Allen: What about screen sizes and orientation?
Kenzie Coltrin: In the Treasure Valley, most screens are landscape and range from 45 to
55 inches—around 50 inches on average. Other markets vary.
Rhea Allen: Placement matters too—like at Boise Fry Company, you can see it while
ordering and in the dining area.
Kenzie Coltrin: Placement has a big impact. We recommend locations, but we lean on
hosts. It has to make sense in their space.
Rhea Allen: What about bathrooms?
Kenzie Coltrin: We don’t have any here yet. It could happen as the medium grows.
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Back to the interview
Rhea Allen: I want to know more about you. You’re a mom.
Kenzie Coltrin: Two kids. My son, Crew, is almost five. He’s sweet, has a huge heart,
and he’s starting kindergarten this year.
My daughter just turned one. She’s a wild child—she started walking at eight months
and she’s running now.
Being a mom has been the most rewarding and challenging thing I’ve ever done. It’s
taught me a lot about myself.
Rhea Allen: It comes naturally over time. You figure it out as you go.
Kenzie Coltrin: Thank goodness for Google and ChatGPT.
Rhea Allen: You went to U of I and did NSAC. I teach NSAC at Boise State right now.
What was your client?
Kenzie Coltrin: Taipei—frozen Chinese food in the to-go style box. They’ve changed the
packaging since then, but it’s still in stores.
Rhea Allen: Did you like it?
Kenzie Coltrin: It was okay. My degree is nutrition, so the sodium levels were tough for
me. But for college students, it makes sense.
Rhea Allen: What was your campaign concept?
Kenzie Coltrin: We went the funny route. Our theme was “mad scientist.”
Rhea Allen: My students’ client this year is the NFL. We’re doing a public presentation
after competition.
Kenzie Coltrin: That’s exciting.
Rhea Allen: Spec work can be painful. You give away so much, and sometimes you see
your ideas show up later.
Kenzie Coltrin: Heartbreaker.
Rhea Allen: At Channel 6, you did TV and digital buys.
Kenzie Coltrin: Yes—turnkey. TV commercials and digital.
Rhea Allen: I worked at Channel 6 when I was 15. Later I worked at Channel 12, where I
met my husband and business partner, Drew.
Kenzie Coltrin: Boise is such a small world.
Outro
Rhea Allen: This has been a great conversation. How can people reach you for indoor
screen advertising?
Kenzie Coltrin: Visit Phoenix Digital Marketing. You can also email me at
Kinsey@phxdigitalmarketing.com. I’m happy to talk and learn more about your goals.
Rhea Allen: Any final words of wisdom?
Kenzie Coltrin: Hone in on your gifts, use your time wisely, and share what you have
with others.
Rhea Allen: Thanks for showing up to our monthly Word-of-Mouth Mixers. That’s how we
met. And you did all the right things with your raffle tickets.
The “R’s” are:
• Ratings / rankings
• Reviews
• Recommendations (like LinkedIn recommendations)
• Referrals
• Reconnects (coffee, conference call, or cocktails)
And it’s all reciprocal—give in abundance and you’ll receive in abundance.
For everyone listening: share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a
five-star ranking on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Until next time, enjoy your marketing journey.
Rhea Allen: Thanks for listening to The Marketing Expedition Podcast. Subscribe on
iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Want one place to get the latest marketing tips and trends? The Marketing Expedition
Community is where people like you gather to build relationships and learn what’s
working now.
Start your adventure at themarketingexpedition.com.