How Out-of-Home Ads Elevated PubNub: A Surprising Playbook for Developer Tools

When we started at PubNub, we faced two big challenges: an unusual name and a solution-awareness problem. Developers didn’t know they needed us, and they didn’t even know we existed.

So, we took a bold step for developer tools at the time: out-of-home advertising. While not completely unheard of (Twilio’s “Ask Your Developer” campaign had already made waves), it was still uncommon. Today, billboards for dev tools, cybersecurity platforms, and AI startups are everywhere in Silicon Valley, but back then, we were one of the few.

We bought a half dozen billboards in Silicon Valley, along with Muni bus and BART ads. Around major tech conferences like AWS Re:invent we expanded to airport displays and geo-fenced mobile ads. The gamble was big—so did it pay off? Yes, and in ways we didn’t fully expect.

1. Quality Leads

Uber came in as an inbound lead, and when we asked how they found us? The answer was: billboards. This was particularly satisfying because Uber was always my go-to example when explaining PubNub. I’d tell people, “You know how you can see the Uber car turning the corner in real-time? That’s what PubNub can do. If the car seems delayed on the app, it’s because it’s using client-server architecture. With pub-sub architecture like ours, the latency would be in milliseconds.”

2. Recruiting

Developer talent was scarce, and competition was fierce. After the billboards launched, we saw a significant uptick in applications from skilled engineers. To this day, I question the notion that “developers don’t pay attention to ads.” Clearly, they do.

3. Investor Interest

Our CEO, Todd Greene, started getting unsolicited calls from VCs who had previously passed on investing. The ads had given us a level of visibility and credibility that made them reconsider.

4. Employee Morale

There’s something energizing about seeing your company’s logo plastered on a billboard or transit ad. Employees felt proud, and at tech events, people began saying, “Yeah, I know PubNub. I’ve seen your ads on BART.”

What Didn’t Change: Website Traffic

One thing we didn’t see a big spike in was website traffic. I had hoped for a clear 10% increase, but that wasn’t the case. The bump in inbound leads and job applicants was measurable, but the impact on overall traffic was hard to see from the graph. However, this wasn’t a deal-breaker for us. We cared more about quality leads than vanity metrics like traffic.

Why We Took the Risk

As VP of Marketing, I made the call to invest in a brand campaign—something not every Series A startup with eight figures in ARR would do. But we were building a new category, and out-of-home ads are an effective tool when you can target key tech hubs or massive trade shows with 50,000+ attendees.

A Balanced Approach

It’s important to note that out-of-home advertising wasn’t our primary strategy. We relied on content, community, and developer relations, supported by strong lifecycle marketing programs. Hackathons, conferences, and performance marketing were key drivers as well. However, in a world where most dev tools companies were zigging, our zag stood out.

Bonus Tips:

1. Inspect Your Billboards: PDFs from Clear Channel and Outfront Media looked great, but some billboards were hidden behind trees, buildings, or sound barriers. Always lay eyes on the actual boards before committing.
2. Make it Legible: So many billboards include lettering that it too small to read from the freeway. Or too much writing that driver’s can’t catch as they’re driving by at 70MPH. Keep it short and in as large a font size as you can make work.
3. Graffiti Protection: If your billboard gets tagged, the company is obligated to replace it. We caught this once, and they fixed it promptly.

A Funny Story

We started with 10 designs and narrowed them down based on feedback from the exec team, employees, and a few customers. But the day before we had to finalize the designs, I wanted one more outside opinion. I walked into a nearby coffee shop and asked a random patron for feedback. He agreed, and to my surprise, he gave me 20 minutes of insightful input. As we wrapped up, I asked what he did for a living. Turns out, it was Jyoti Bansal, founder and Chairman of the Board of AppDynamics (acquired by Cisco for $3.7B just one day before their IPO)! Talk about a lucky break.

In the end, our out-of-home campaign didn’t just build awareness—it brought in leads, talent, and investor interest, all while boosting team morale. If you’re thinking of doing the same, remember: sometimes zigging when others zag can deliver unexpected rewards.