Social Media Strategy - JenniferVanGrove.com

I’ve decided to start a new series called Good Idea/Bad Idea. I’ll share my ideas around products, brands, online communities, web strategy, and anything else that interests me. I’ll post my ideas on this blog, and you can use the comments to let me know what you think of the idea. Think of it as a brain dump or creative exercise and feel free to rip the idea to shreds if you hate. If you’re a brand and you like the idea, you should steal it and make it your own, give me credit, and a percentage of the profits.

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On my way home from SXSW Interactive, I flew US Airways, and this is what I was forced to stare at for two hours — the hideous partition between coach and first class.

As my creative juices were flowing (thanks in whole to SXSW), I started to think about this extremely unattractive wall that couldn’t escape my eyes or attention. My first thought was that airlines should hire designers to make these visual monstrosities appeal to their passengers. As I continued to think along these lines, I eventually came up with a better idea.

The Idea

Airlines should sell the partition space as advertising space, preferably to one brand, and partner with the company to sell the advertised products in flight. As a promotion, airlines should offer the seats directly in front of the partitions at an incredibly reduced price (something like $10 regardless of destination) to not only swell any criticism, but create some good PR and demand.

Why I Think It Rocks

  1. Brands would love to have the eye traffic and immediate purchase potential that this idea presents. I could easily see Starbucks using this space and designing something beautiful, much like the artwork in their stores, and making their product(s) of choice (or giftcards) available for purchase in flight.
  2. It’s measurable for everyone. Airlines can measure products sold, seats purchased, and ad buys, meaning brands can get really great ROI metrics.
  3. Think of all the PR opportunities you could create by selling $10 tickets, and the demand that would ensue. People would practically kill to get there hands on those tickets. I know I would.
  4. One point that Matt Browne of Integral Impressions made is that the airline audience is a captive one. You’ve got passengers who are trapped on a plane, and this is an opportunity for brands to get really creative and capitalize on it.

What Do You Think?

Chime in in the comments. Did I just come up with a slammin’ idea, or are there major flaws? Got a better idea to capitalize on airline passenger awareness? Share that too.


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  • roadworrier

    Jenn,
    No such thing as a bad idea, but here’s why it might not rock:
    1. The logistics of inflight purchase, means that there is very little room on the cart for other stuff – although the starbucks gift card idea is a good one. Advertisers are not short of airline oppportunities – tray tables, magazines, inflight TV, painting the outside of the planes (really!) etc…not sure that this would hit the additional hot buttons, but who knows?
    2. If something is sold, you’ll get the metrics, but otherwise it will be the same measurement as an outdoor ad – except that you know how many exposures and how many sat in the seat. The problem from an ROI point of view is that you could argue that only 6 people per flight see the ad (although for a looong time), whereas the inflight magazine (for example) reaches 60% of all passengers.
    3. The limited $10 ticket trick works (see Skybus), but the scheduled airlines will not guarantee specific seats (last minute aircraft changes, blind grandmas who need to be close to the exit etc..) so you’d end up with folks who paid $10 to be exposed to an ad sitting somewhere else and the blind grandma who paid $350 in the ‘ad seat’.
    4. The captive audience argument is a strong one and why inflight media revenue does well. But the ads, like the media produced by the airline, has to be strong and creative and well produced or it will have the opposite effect to the one desired. But they do say that hostages can end up loving their captors…

    Enjoyed the creative thoughts…it’s less than a year to go before inflight wi-fi becomes ubiquitous…now that should spark off some creative thoughts on inflight advertising!

  • http://www.chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    I have the feeling that there are SO many chances to squeeze money out of a captive audience while on a plane. For instance, if someone came by and juiced my laptop back up for $5, I’d do it every time. No questions. I think airplanes are flying opportunities to make money.

    PROVIDED I can opt out of *all* offers, should I not be in that mood.

  • Jenn

    @roadworrier I like your points, especially since they challenge my idea. My response to #2 is that knowing how many people saw the ad and acted on it is a much better metric than most ad campaigns offer. You can always track sales, but this is tracking conversions which I think is much more important.

    @chrisbrogan I would love to be able to charge my laptop, and I’d even pay for in flight internet, I think this just goes to show that the industry is missing out on ways to capitalize on a captive audience. RIght now US Airways is still stuck trying to get me to buy their products, apply for their credit card etc. It kind of reminds me of a walled garden.

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