By Morten Gotterup, Clear Channel Airports
The arrival of a Covid-19 vaccine in the U.S. in late 2020 bodes well for the health and financial recovery of many Americans headed into 2021. And where our global economy is concerned, it also clears the runway for pent up air travel demand to return, as exhibited by the more than one million passengers who passed through TSA checkpoints over Thanksgiving and the nearly 4 million people who traveled through security checkpoints from Saturday to Monday during the Christmas holiday — the most in a three-day period since mid-March.
Yes, it is taking time to rollout immunizations to all Americans, but this is a signal, that, as Churchill opined, we’ve passed the “end of the beginning” and the “beginning of the end” is nigh.
Thinking about our own air travel recovery, it’s important to take stock of other areas of the world already experiencing the recovery for which we long. For example, in Australia, where there are fewer than 50 active Covid-19 cases, they saw a domestic holiday boom as their travel restrictions eased. The scale of Australia’s recovery suggests air passenger traffic, which has taken a global hit by the crisis, can quickly recover when the risk of the virus abates.
Airports and airlines will obviously play a key role adapting in a changing world to ensure passenger safety as leisure and business travel ramps. And as we work to do our part to ensure the success of our nation’s airports, we’ll be adapting, too, to help our brand partners reconnect with these air travelers throughout these treasured spaces.
Here are a few ways Clear Channel Airports (CCA) is evolving its solutions, and portfolio, to help brands leverage the airport space and power their recovery.
A new way to measure airport media impressions and reach B2B decision-makers
In the past, airport advertising providers followed a decades-old methodology to estimate how many times a passenger saw an ad in an airport. But with the demand for greater transparency in campaign performance and delivery growing among brands, CCA introduced a new, third-party validated audience impressions methodology to provide advertisers a more precise analysis of a consumer’s journey within an airport. We’re bringing this new methodology to the nation’s most sought-after airports throughout 2021.
This industry-first data integration represents a major shift from a traditional methodology that measured campaigns solely by passenger count. We’re applying a more sophisticated approach to measurement by taking a deeper look into audience behavior and a consumer’s likelihood to consume ad media in an airport. In fact, we discovered that the previous estimated impressions delivery for airport advertising underrepresented the audiences that brands reached, suggesting the space was undervalued.
By comparing historic passenger counts in six of the nation’s top airports against the industry’s third party source for audience measurements, the data revealed airport campaigns are delivering impressions at a much higher rate—even up to eight times what was previously reported, in some cases.
The new methodology also factors in the placement of each media display, along with a traveler’s time spent and movement throughout an airport, to render projections of overall impressions, which has never been done before. This innovation raises the bar on measurement with greater transparency, accuracy and results for brands. It also helps them understand the true reach and impact of their campaigns for future optimization.
And just weeks ago, we introduced a more effective way for brands to reach highly coveted B2B audiences as they leverage our CCO RADAR solutions for campaign planning and measurement. In this new partnership and data integration with Bombora, the leading provider of B2B intent data, our customers can more strategically plan their campaigns by identifying and reaching key business decision-makers via our roadside and airport displays. Reaching these audiences remains especially relevant as Covid continues to dramatically impact work behaviors, travel patterns and the traditional media channels used by B2B advertisers.
This integration means advertisers can plan their OOH campaigns to most efficiently reach small business owners, C-level executives, government influencers, key business decision-makers and more. And as air travel continues to rebound, brands can leverage these solutions to also reach business travelers who have made their way back into U.S. airports.
Modernizing brand experiences in world-class airports
The rollout of these industry-first data integrations were timely, as CCA recently won the largest airport advertising contract in the U.S with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).
Through this 12-year partnership, CCA plans to reimagine the entire media program at coveted airports in the greater NY/NJ metro areas, including John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark Liberty International (EWR), and New York Stewart International (SWF) Airports. Combined, these airports have historically welcomed 140 million passengers annually.
Prepare for takeoff in 2021
The rollout of a new audience impressions methodology, coupled with sophisticated B2B audience targeting, paired with the transformation of one of the country’s most significant airport ad networks, will provide brands one of the most innovative ways to connect with consumers as they rediscover the joys of business and leisure air travel.
We’re excited to bring these opportunities to bear, as we believe they change the game in airport media for our customers at a pivotal moment in history. Offering measurable, transparent and modernized digital networks for our advertising partners delivers the solutions they need most to reach their consumers, and ultimately, power their business recovery.
[wpforms id=”9787″]
Paid Advertisement
