Marketing in the Air

Have any of you travelers noticed the new ways that marketers are reaching you on flights? Maybe I have become more sensitive to it lately as I discuss communication and marketing more often…and just have not noticed it as much before.

On a recent flight I opened up my tray table and there was a Verizon ad staring right at me. Good use of space and everyone who opens their tray table is going to see it. How about those Visa announcements that a few airlines are making towards the end of the flight? Personally, I am not interested and try to tune it out – but as I look at the flight attendants walking down the aisle with brochures after their 5 minute long spiel, I notice how effective it really was. Passengers are practically forced to listen and tune into these announcements – when their attention virtually cannot be focused anywhere else…and the flight attendants seem to get many people to sign up for these cards. The same promotional Visa card stands are up in terminals with free giveaways such as t-shirts for those who sign up, but you do not see nearly as many people (if any) signing up at those booths. Although I have not stuck around long enough to see how many people do approach these stands...but you get the picture.

Anyway, I found this interesting. Has anyone else noticed this...or any other new forms of marketing while up in the air?

 

Happy New Year!

~ Maria

Comments

[FRANK Kanonik]

I travel mostly on USAirways and they have a LOT of advertising while you're captive in the air.

Actually, it goes well beyond the flight. During the process of buying a ticket, USAir tries to cross sell you a rental car and a hotel room. Even your boarding pass jacket has advertising on the back of it!

I don't mind the additional advertising messages that are presented to me. I can tune them out easily. And if keeps the fare prices down, I'm all for it. I like the idea of marketing a particular product to the right (sometimes captive) audience.

Printers can even use your example to customize their marketing pieces to a segmented audience.

But it can also go a bit too far...USAir has announced that the outside of their barf bags are available to companies for advertising their products! I'm not sure that I would want my company associated with such an unpleasant experience :)

keep the learning coming!