As airports continue to look ahead towards increasing passenger numbers, Africa will need to explore the many potentials in airport advertising income to help boost revenue and their ability to improve on and sustain the passenger experience which is good for the bottom line. Increasingly air travel is becoming more accessible and common and more globalised. The Single African Air Transport Market will also increase the diversity of passengers using airports across the African continent.
The very many metrics used for assessment put advertising at the very top. These are namely: number of recipients, reach, and degree of openness to the advertising message presented. As a result of these high-ranking results of advertising, airports must give good attention to it, as well as conduct proper market research to get the best of advertising as an airport non-aeronautical source of revenue.
There are various ways that advertising can take place in an airport such as the use of multimedia screens, billboards, frames on luggage belts, floor advertising, displays for promotional campaigns, advertising on wrapping luggage trolleys, advertising on trolleys, avio-bridges and in the press also. There are also various outdoor advertising options ranging from billboards to digital advertising on the terminal wall that flashes a picture, advertising on an airport shuttle bus among others. No two airports are the same, so each airport will look at its many different advertising options.
In carrying out the market research, the airport should bear in mind the fact that there are different passenger demographics and characteristics in an airport; so they have different ages, social status and professions. This means that the advertising message must speak to the interests of this wide-ranging audience. One thing common to them however is that they have interest in travel and tourism.
The passenger experience at the airport can make all the difference to the reception and openness of passengers to airport advertising. A traveller or even those who accompany the traveller to the airport who have a positive experience at the airport, would be in a better frame of mind to be conscious of the very different messages, receive these messages and process the same. In doing so, those who place their advertisements at an airport will get the kind of reach they expect.
When the dwell time at an airport is long, advertisement at an airport can be perceived as entertainment especially for digital advertising. This will improve the chances of the advertisers who seek to tell their story as well as connect with their target audience. Again, this places a lot of responsibility on airlines, airports and other stakeholders to ensure that the passenger who has to stay long at the terminal, waiting in a seemingly closed environment, having nowhere to go and waiting for the flight is cheerful, excited and positive enough to pay attention to the advertisement.
The market research should take note of the wealthy and affluent members of society who use that airport. It should also note the estimated size of the business class population using that airport. As has been said no two airports are the same. In most cases wealthier members of society have a higher tendency to spend money. So, the kind of retail as well as Food and Beverage concessions at the airport will draw from the insights gained from this kind of market research.
The prestige and perceived high quality of being in an airport should be put into consideration in selecting the brands at an airport. It should be a place to go to by the affluent as well as be a place for advertisements that are related to current trends, ideas and events that serve the needs of businesspeople and business class passengers.
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