Study shows fliers still react to advertisements they see in airports

STILL GOT IT: A VW van display campaign in Austin-Bergstrom Airport

Forty two per cent of frequent fliers take action in response to advertisements they have seen in an airport, with 19 per cent going on to buy. This is according to the results of a consumer insights study carried out by Nielsen on behalf of Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO), an American advertising company. 

The the study showed 80 per cent of frequent fliers noticed advertisements and 42 per cent took action that included visiting a website, going to a store or learning more about a product/brand/service.

More specifically, airport campaigns are a significant driver of foot traffic, with 84 per cent of frequent fliers likely to visit a restaurant, 50 per cent likely to visit a clothing/accessories/jewellery store and 41 per cent likely to visit a consumer electronics store.

The research report also showed that active dwell time increases advertising exposure with 74 per cent of frequent fliers arriving at the airport over an hour before boarding. Seventy nine per cent of frequent fliers shopped for food/beverages, 67 per cent dined at a restaurant, 51 per cent shopped for travel accessories/technology products/entertainment and 29 per cent shopped duty-free. Additionally, 87 per cent of frequent fliers spend time on their mobile devices while waiting for their flight with 36 per cent visiting a website to find out more about products/services seen in an airport advertisement.

“This study confirms that airport advertising creates significant brand awareness and sales by helping advertisers reach highly coveted audiences such as the affluent frequent flier and the key business decision makers around the world,” said Morten Gotterup, President of Clear Channel Airports.

Additional key survey findings show that 90 per cent of frequent fliers are likely to dine/shop/visit brick and mortar locations after learning about them at the airport. Thirty six per cent are interested in signing up for/learning about e-commerce services while at the airport. About half (48 per cent) are interested in learning about travel rewards programs and one-third are interested in signing up for travel rewards credit cards while at the airport.