The reasons why air travelers are a most desirable target group for advertisers are obvious. They represent the best of both worlds for marketers: millions of affluent consumers who spend one to several hours within a limited space in an airport.
Clear Channel Outdoor started managing advertising properties in airports 40 years ago. Its division Clear Channel Airports now owns ad space in major airports in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asian Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and throughout the Caribbean.
Airport advertising has always been big, but digitizing posters and billboards has given it an unprecedented boost in recent years.
Clear Channel Airports (CCA) was one of the first companies to recognize the potential of installing networked digital advertising displays in airports, and today it is the largest and most successful digital out-of-home (DOOH) network operator in this marketplace.
The Largest Company in DOOH Airport Advertising.
Clear Channel Airports manages advertising at 270 airports worldwide. Of these airports, 112 have digital assets, with over 2100 screens connected in a network.
CCA’s portfolio includes four of the top five, six of the top ten, and 26 of the top 50 airports in North America, more than all other airport ad firms combined.
According to Jon Sayer, president, Clear Channel Airports, CCA’s advertising network reaches 80 percent of all North American passengers daily, and touches more than one billion passengers worldwide each year.
CCA sells its advertising services both through agencies and directly.
Above Competition: Each Campaign is Unique.
Sayer says creativity is a big factor behind CCA’s dominance in the space: “We never waver from our approach. We partner, innovate and deliver comprehensive media programs that are custom-designed to meet the objectives of our airport clients. This is what differentiates us from competition.”
Clear Channel Airports has won more awards and accolades than any other firm in the industry, including numerous Airport Council International awards for theming, the creation of a “sense of place,” amenities that improve the passenger experience, and the promotion of tourism and economic development for cities that host the airports.
The Measure of Success.
Successful campaigns result in repeat CCA advertisers. In order to measure the audience and campaign effectiveness, Clear Channel Airports uses ticketed passenger numbers provided by ACI and FAA and applies those numbers against other data points. The airport screen networks create massive captive audiences with extended dwell times, allowing the company to conduct custom, data-rich ad effectiveness studies. Airports are also the perfect venues for interactive mobile campaigns via NFC, QR codes, and Clear Channel Connect capabilities. Mobile engagement makes it easier to measure consumer interaction. The resulting extensive data is used for modifying campaigns to maximize impact.
Jon Sayer says CCA’s top three advertiser categories are travel (hotels and airlines); financial services (credit cards and investment banking) and electronics (smart phones and tablets).
Content: How CCA Does It.
“CCA’s content model is a one-minute loop broken into 6, 10 second segments,” Sayer explains. “We also have slightly longer loops in bag claim locations where there are extended dwell times. The vast majority of our screens play full-screen advertisements. One exception to this is when we incorporate advertising with airport communication services such as bag belt displays. In these cases the amount of advertising will be reduced to allow room for the bag belt and flight information. Meanwhile, ClearVision, our Airport TV Network, is entirely different,” clarifies Sayer. “ClearVision’s content loop is a mix of entertainment, news, sports and weather, and allows for full-screen commercials and partial-screen ads running next to network content.”
What’s Ahead?
Sayer sees the future of Clear Channel Airports in leveraging evolving analytics to further improve campaign effectiveness and in deeper integration with mobile. The company is also determined to keep exploring new possibilities arising from technology advancements.
Clear Channel Airports recently joined the Digital Place-Based Advertising Association (DPAA), the trade body that connects leading digital place-based and digital out-of-home networks with ad agencies and brands.
To find out more about Clear Channel Airports, click here.
