Airplane trips can be anxiety-ridden for obvious reasons.
So it makes sense that Pepcid was on hand, providing 100,000 two-count samples of the chewable tablets for heartburn relief to passengers at New York’s JFK, Chicago’s O’Hare and Newark, NJ’s Liberty International airports.
Each sample included a coupon for the product. Banner ads over magazine racks drove visitors to request the freebie at the Hudson News newsstands.
“The [airport] is a new approach for the brand and was identified as a good match for the Pepcid Complete product,” says Luis Morales, marketing associate for Johnson & Johnson Merck’s Pepcid brand. “It’s chewable and all you need to take is one.”
For Pepcid, he adds, uncluttered sampling environments like airports “make the brand experience more memorable.”
Welcome to the world of airport marketing.
Following 9/11 the U.S. government urged air travelers to check in at least two hours before flights. Since then a unique out-of-home opportunity to connect with consumers has presented itself.
Thanks to tighter security, 46% of airline travelers are spending more time in airports, according to a recent Arbitron study. After passing through metal detectors, the average wait in North America is 90 minutes.
“People are stuck and they don’t have anywhere to go,” says Brad Jersey, president of Airport Marketing Income (AMI), an agency that runs airport marketing programs.
What better time to find new customers?
Pepsi, for instance, is kicking off a program this month in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport where it will provide free 4-ounce samples of its new G2 Gatorade, SoBe Life Water, Tava and Nutra Soda from on-site kiosks. AMI also is running 30- and 60-second audio spots for the beverage that will be broadcast over the terminal’s public address system.
The appeal lies in the fact that airline travelers come from all walks of life: It’s the democratization of the airways.
“There’s a captive audience,” says Kathy Krieger, director of food service for Pepsi Americas. “You get a diverse demographic. This offers a unique experience for them.”
Promotion at airports “allows corporations to bring their brands into what has long been thought of as a difficult environment to do work,” Jersey adds. “And it enhances the passenger experience.”
Often people consider samples as added value or goodwill from a brand, notes Dave Bidwell, president and CEO of marketing agency MS3. “There aren’t a lot of distractions while waiting for a flight to board,” he says.
Enterprising companies are thinking about previously untapped airport areas to advertise, such as screening checkpoints.
SecurityPoint Media is running the SecureTray pilot program — which places ads inside the bins where passengers store their shoes and laptops — at 11 U.S. airports. Sony, Rolodex and online shoe seller Zappos.com are participating. SecureTray launched last June with the approval of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security.
“Airports are a great place to be because the travelers moving through tend to have high disposable income, and also are [more likely to be] early adopters of new technology,” says SecurityPoint Media president Joe Ambrefe. “But this is an elusive audience. It’s a good opportunity to catch them with a branding and awareness message.”
Since the program started, more than 160 million travelers have experienced it, according to Ambrefe. As a result of the exposure, he continues, “clients report a significant increase in their Web traffic.”
Portable electronics typically carried by harried travelers, such as PDAs, laptops and cell phones, often run out of juice. Hence, Samsung’s mobile charging stations are now showing up at various airports.
“Airports are becoming cathedrals with the opportunity to elevate your brand,” says Robert Cilia, executive vice president of sales and marketing for JCDecaux North America, of which Samsung is a client.
Where better than an airport to get someone interested in taking a vacation? In January the Mexico Tourism Board set up two displays resembling traditional Mexican estates outside two gates at Miami International Airport. It was the tourism promotion agency’s first airport campaign.
During the January event, reps handed out branded premiums, including 10,000 coloring books, 20,000 postcards and 10,000 luggage tags. A 42-inch plasma screen displayed images of Mexico, and tourism information about the country was distributed.
“Since the booth was bright, large and colorful, it attracted the attention of visitors and travelers, and positioned Mexico in the minds of people passing through the airport,” says Teresa Villareal, director of the Mexico Tourism Board.
Did it work? Many visitors said they were impressed with the displays, with some expressing an interest to visit the country, according to Villareal. The board is exploring the idea of expanding the concept to other airports this year.
But not every airport is open to commercialism. Orlando International Airport, for instance, prohibits marketers from running programs in public spaces. While this airport may be ideal for advertisers, the idea isn’t flying with its operators.
“People who are constantly hawked or promoted to is not the kind of image we want,” says Carolyn Fennell, a spokeswoman for the airport. “The idea is to make travelers feel comfortable and relaxed. We want to keep things free-flowing.”
Although airports are a good place to target the masses, challenges still exist. For one, companies need approval to run such a program from the TSA, airport, airline or other authority, which can take more than 30 days. Security is another issue.
“You have to realize that when you’re working with the federal government you have to get security clearance,” JCDecaux’s Cilia says. “You have to respect that.”
Airport promotions also take time to execute. Jersey says AMI spent four months to get 50 brand ambassadors screened to circulate samples post-security for herbal supplement Airborne.
“Most people give up,” he adds. “The challenges are always going to be there. But things are starting to become a little more flexible.”
For more articles on event marketing, go to www.promomagazine.com/event.
