Advertising impact at the airport: studies and tips from Media Frankfurt

Advertising that works: How brands make a lasting impression

In an age of increasing sensory overload, it is becoming ever more important for brands to stand out from the crowd. Airports offer unique opportunities in this regard: international audiences and a wide range of touchpoints along the passenger journey attract attention and strengthen brand presence.

Studies carried out at Frankfurt Airport demonstrate just how effective this can be: unaided brand awareness stood at 38 percent among people who had been exposed to the campaigns tested – compared with 25 percent among those who had not been exposed to the advertising.

But what makes advertising at the airport successful? And what are the key considerations when it comes to design?
 

What airport advertising can do for your brand 

Building brand awareness: Repeated advertising touchpoints throughout the passenger journey help to anchor brands in people’s minds and ensure they remain top of mind when it comes to purchasing decisions. 

Strengthening brand image: The airport’s international, premium environment promotes a positive perception of the brand. Comparative studies show that airport advertising performs better than digital outdoor advertising in urban areas, particularly in terms of its impact on brand image.

Encouraging purchasing interest: Travellers’ generally positive mood creates favourable conditions for impulse purchases. Studies show that intentions to buy, use or download are around 20 percent higher. According to analyses by Media Frankfurt, advertised brands in duty-free shops achieved sales growth up to five times higher than that of their respective product categories.
 

Why design is crucial

Visibility alone is not enough. For an advert to attract attention and stick in the memory, the image must also be compelling.

To this end, Media Frankfurt used the AI-powered analysis tool AeroVisionAI to analyse 100 advertising scenes from various sectors and compared the results qualitatively with more than 30 cases from Digital Airport Walk studies.

Five key recommendations can be drawn from this:
 

1. Make your brand recognisable early on

Place your logo so that it is clearly visible and large enough. In digital adverts, the brand should be featured early on and maintain consistent branding.

2. Give your product a clear place

Clear product imagery, easy-to-read text and strong contrasts draw attention to what matters most.

3. Use faces strategically

People and faces can enhance the emotional impact and the likelihood of the advert being remembered, but they can also distract from the product. In digital adverts, it is therefore advisable to strike a balance between scenes featuring people and those focusing on the product.

4. Adjust the contrast to suit the surroundings

In the airport scenes examined, light-coloured backgrounds often worked well. The key is for the subject to stand out from its surroundings and for important elements to catch the eye immediately.

5. Reduce visual complexity

Opt for clear visual layouts, short text and a clear focus. Your message should be understandable at a glance.
 

Understanding the impact of advertising and improving it in a targeted manner

Which adverts stick in people’s minds? What works particularly well? And where can a campaign be improved?

Using a range of market research methods, Media Frankfurt’s Data & Customer Insights team provides answers:

• AeroVisionAI: An AI-powered analysis reveals which elements of an advert attract attention and where the design could be improved.
• Digital Airport Walk: A virtual tour of an airport is used to investigate how advertising is perceived and what impact it has on brand image and purchasing interest.
• Brand uplift surveys: Interviews conducted directly at the airport reveal how the campaign affects brand awareness, purchase intent and understanding of the advertising message.

This enables advertising campaigns to be evaluated on a sound basis and developed in a targeted manner.
 

What can airport advertising do for your brand?

Would you like to harness the potential of airport advertising for your brand, or fine-tune your next campaign?

Our Data & Customer Insights team supports you with research findings, design recommendations and appropriate methods for measuring success.

Get in touch now to find out more