Reach New Heights with Airport Advertising

With travel restrictions easing following the pandemic, people are ready to return to exploring the world. In April 2020, right around the beginning of COVID-19, airports hit a low of about 90,000 daily passengers. Now, we are experiencing a travel boom, seeing an average of two million daily passengers in the United States, which is much closer to the pre-pandemic level of around 2.5 million. Because all air travel begins at airports, this resurgence of flying comes with a wealth of advertising opportunities within.

Not only are flyers an affluent crowd, but being in ‘travel mode’ often lends itself to a certain type of spending. Research has shown that 73% of flyers surveyed like to treat themselves to indulge at the airport. This indicates that travelers tend to ‘splurge’ while on vacation, making OOH and DOOH ads at airports an extremely successful means of getting your product in front of an audience that is already looking to buy. Additionally, flyers are essentially a captive audience for extended periods. In an environment where there is so much waiting, ads are often a welcomed distraction. Extended times spent on-board and at gates offer marketers ample opportunity to get the undivided attention of these travelers through unique and memorable messaging.

Further, airports transfer a perceived value of trust and prestige onto brands that advertise and sell within, with 71% of flyers expecting to see prestigious brands advertised at the airport. This shows that flyers hold brands that market themselves in this environment as luxury and that a positive association exists between flyers and advertisements at airports.

Mixing an affluent and captive audience together creates the perfect recipe for positive brand affiliation, driving sales, and increasing brand awareness. If you are looking to connect with a wealthy and interested audience in a new and innovative way, advertising within an airport could be an excellent addition to your marketing mix. If you are interested in learning more about airport advertising, how it can benefit your brand, and how to get started, reach out to the media experts at Alpha Tango today.

What is OOH and DOOH Advertising?

Before we can explain just how effective airport advertising can be, it is essential to understand the ins and outs of OOH and DOOH advertising. OOH (out-of-home) advertising is any kind of marketing visual or messaging consumed outside of the home. A few examples of OOH advertising include:

Billboards
Vehicle Wraps
Posters and Wallscapes
Murals

Airport advertising, of course, would fall under OOH advertising, as you are exposed to the messages while going about your travels. It might include any of the above while you are within the airport; from taking the shuttle, to walking through terminals, to sitting at your gate, any advertising that you see within an airport environment will essentially qualify as OOH messaging. Airport advertising, transit advertising, and OOH advertising in general are all extremely successful means of reaching a broad audience. However, DOOH (digital out-of-home) has significantly influenced the airport advertising game.

Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

DOOH (digital out-of-home) is digital advertising that is consumed outside of the home. DOOH ads offers advertisers much more ease and creativity when it comes to promoting themselves, especially at airports. Before the invention of digital displays, static ads required a lot of time, money, and effort to maintain and change. These ads also had no way of collecting data in regards to how many people potentially saw or interacted with the ad. However, with digital ads, marketers can now change, alter, add, or take away from campaigns in the blink of an eye. Not to mention, the creative opportunities are endless with DOOH ads, as the platform allows marketers to create messaging that is interactive, dynamic, and constantly changing. As mentioned previously, some of the more innovative DOOH systems even provide advertisers with insights and analytics regarding how many people interacted with or potentially saw the ad.

Different Kinds of Airport Advertising:

Essentially, every step of the airport experience presents a different advertising opportunity. This is because OOH and DOOH advertising offers marketers several different innovative options to choose from. The media experts at Alpha Tango can help you decide which medium would best suit your campaign and advertising goals, but here is a general list of some of the airport advertising options available to you:

Digital video screens – Digital displays and screens can be placed in several locations across an airport, such as terminals, gates, baggage claim areas, and more. Digital video screens can display videos, images, websites, or audio for travelers walking by. You can compile a few screens into a larger display for a bigger, more impactful delivery.

Digital kiosks – Kiosks are digital displays placed in high-traffic areas that are typically used to provide information or services to those on-site. There are several different uses for digital kiosks within airports; some might assist flyers with ordering food, tracking their flight, or purchasing items. Regardless of its primary function, most digital kiosks offer marketers several opportunities to place ads within.

Banners –Banners are static graphic displays that can be placed in several different areas within an airport. You will typically see banners while walking between terminals, but you may also see them wrapped around columns in baggage claim areas or within bathrooms.

Digital restaurant tablets – Most restaurants within airports have integrated tablets or digital payment methods into their services. Digital ads, games, and Wi-Fi access can be placed within these tablets to catch flyers’ eyes and attention during down-time.

Luggage pushcarts – A luggage pushcart is a trolley that helps travelers or personnel move large quantities of luggage around the airport. Additionally, luggage pushcarts are used to place luggage within the plane. While airport goers push their carts around, your ad will be exposed to hundreds of travelers in unique places.

Baggage claim displays – We all know how annoying it is to have to spend 20-30 minutes waiting for your checked luggage at a baggage claim. While it is irritating for flyers, this captive audience is very receptive to ads during this dwell time; in fact, distractions are often welcomed while waiting around.

FBOs – Fixed Based Operators (FBOs) are commercial businesses allowed to operate on airport grounds to provide services to the airport. 75% of airports in the United States (with more than 3,000 feet of runway) have at least one FBO attached. There are ample opportunities to advertise within an FBO, often to an even more affluent and prestigious traveler as well.

In addition to these tried-and-true methods of airport advertising, there is room to create your own unique display or advertising setup. Therefore, if you have an idea you want to bring to life, or are curious to learn about other forms of advertising within an airport, the media experts at Alpha Tango can help.

How Can Airport Advertising Help Your Brand Soar?

Unless you have advertised in airports before, you may not be aware of some of the distinct benefits available within. Not only can airport advertising greatly increase brand exposure, but it is a cost-effective and unskippable way to deliver outdoor messaging.

Traffic – According to the Bureau of Transportation, U.S. airlines carried 674 million passengers in 2021, about 82.5% more than in 2020. Thousands upon thousands of people spend time in airports every day, meaning that this channel is a proven way to reach a diverse and broad audience.
Constant Delivery - When asked how often they noticed digital airport ads, 54% of study participants responded “all” or “most” of the time. Ads within airports are ever-present, and constantly telling your story to thousands upon thousands of travelers passing by.
Cost-Effective – Advertising within airports is a cost-effective option because the ROI is extremely high. In essence, you are really getting a bang for your buck due to the amount of foot traffic an airport gets. Of course, the key to pricing is location. The more popular of an airport you advertise within, the more expensive it will be. Additionally, the more desirable locations will cost more than less-frequented areas of the airport.
Creativity – as mentioned earlier, there is no lack of opportunity to get creative when it comes to airport advertising. Let the media experts at Alpha Tango help you choose which method will serve your goals and brand messaging the most.

A Welcomed Distraction – a captive audience is a receptive audience; long dwell periods, extensive wait times, and long periods of sitting around allow your ads to be a welcomed distraction for travelers. As previously mentioned, those at the airport are also typically looking to indulge and enjoy while going about their travels. This is a great opportunity to market to individuals already looking to spend.

…and many more! Schedule a consultation today to discover how airport advertising can boost your unique strategy and story.

The airport is a marketing environment like no other, as advertisements are an expected and enjoyed part of the journey. If you are interested in learning more about airport advertising, reach out to the media experts at Alpha Tango today. Our team has extensive experience in strategizing and supporting powerful OOH and DOOH campaigns in airports and FBOs, and can deliver results for you. Contact us today to get started.