Carolina Bauer, Account Manager at Media Frankfurt, answered our three questions on destination marketing at the airport.
You have just returned from the ITB trade fair in Berlin. What were your impressions?
There was a lot going on in a great and inspiring ambience. It was evident how much everyone was looking forward to the first live fair after Corona. After all, the tourism industry thrives on personal contact. It was nice to see that a surprisingly large number of visitors from Asia were again on site. And: The booking situation is better than many expected. In the conversations, I could hear that holidays are simply THE luxury that people still want to afford, even if they have perhaps tightened their belts a little. Many destinations are now also present with their advertising campaigns at airports like Frankfurt.
What do customers expect here when people are already travelling anyway?
That's exactly the reason: at the airport you meet people with an affinity for travel - whether they are travelling for business or pleasure. If you are present here, you can inspire people, generate attention and arouse desire for the next holiday in an emotional environment. The great thing is that destination advertising on the "airport" platform is continuous throughout the year. For example, the most important time for destination campaigns for long-haul destinations is summer, as these tend to be in season in winter. European destinations are usually advertised in spring, when bookings for Easter or summer holidays are due. It is often a good idea to address travellers with different motifs at several touchpoints at the airport in order to arouse curiosity about new destinations.
Digital advertising media at Frankfurt Airport can now also be booked programmatically. But that sounds a bit complicated ...
Admittedly, programmatic sounds a bit technological at first, but this entry hurdle can be easily overcome. After all, the programmatic approach opens up completely new possibilities, especially for travel providers and tourism boards. Depending on the campaign objective, the advertising messages can be targeted even more precisely to the respective target groups or markets – especially when special events such as a World Cup or the Olympic Games are taking place in a country. The big plus: almost 64 percent of all intercontinental flights pass through Frankfurt Airport, making it the hub for all regions of the world - for example, it is here that the majority of travellers from the Middle or Far East are reached. Travel providers who want to address special target groups at selected times or occasions can benefit from a programmatic approach to their campaign.
