Affluent Air Travellers Profiled

Airport advertising is a highly effective medium for reaching upscale Americans, according to a new study by Arbitron Inc. According to The Arbitron Airport Advertising Study: Exploring an Undiscovered Upscale Medium, the 92 million Americans who have flown in the past year represent a generally affluent and well-educated group.

Eighteen percent of this group (ie 17 million people) are Frequent Flyers who are affluent, well-educated and sophisticated consumers who take four or more flights per year and account for nearly 60% of all airport advertising impressions. One-third (33%) of Frequent Flyers have an annual household income of at least $100,000, compared to only 10% of the population as a whole, and more than two-thirds (68%) have a college or graduate degree.

Diane Williams, custom research analyst at Arbitron, says that airport advertising has traditionally targeted the business-to-business and technology sectors, 'but frequent airline travellers are sophisticated consumers with varied tastes and the income to pursue their interests. Airport advertising presents a unique opportunity for premium brands, especially luxury goods and entertainment services, to reach their upscale targets in a captive environment'.

'Affluent Americans are becoming harder to reach through other media' continues Williams. 'The growing popularity of DVDs, TiVo and handheld jukeboxes such as iPods, allow these innovative consumers to get entertainment while limiting their commercial exposure. Outdoor advertising, particularly at airports, is an excellent way to reach this audience'.

Due to heightened security, Americans are getting to the airport earlier and spending more time in the lobby and terminal areas each time they travel. While waiting at the airport, 72% say they read the airport advertising billboards around them and 64% that they pass the time by shopping.

Frequent Flyers are often big on travelling in general. Forty-five percent of Frequent Flyers cover 261 or more miles per week in an automobile (defined as 'Mega-Milers') compared to only 32% of the general population, and 30% are heavily exposed to street furniture and transit advertising because they walk five or more miles a week in a city or downtown area, compared to 21% of the general population.

According to Jacqueline Noel, Vice President of Outdoor, Arbitron Inc., this makes the airport 'a natural extension of any outdoor campaign. This is particularly true for advertisers of luxury goods'. Combining the study findings with data from consumer shopping and media information partner Scarborough Research suggests that Frequent Flyers are two-and-a-half times more likely than the typical consumer to buy high-end jewellery and watches, and twice as likely to buy or lease a luxury vehicle.

The study is the fourth in a series examining the power and impact of out-of-home/outdoor advertising, following The Arbitron Outdoor Study, 2001, The Arbitron Cinema Advertising Study, 2003 and the Arbitron National In-Car Study, 2003.

The study draws on Arbitron fieldwork from several periods. 2,005 people aged 12+ were interviewed by telephone in July 2003 (chosen at random from a national sample of Arbitron's Spring 2003 survey diarykeepers); and 1,000 respondents aged 18+ and using airline travel were interviewed in each of October 2003, January 2004 and March 2004 to allow for seasonal trends. The report also contains information from Scarborough Research, which interviews 200,000 consumers for its national survey and includes a question on which airport the consumer utilizes most often. Arbitron's web site is at www.arbitron.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

• Action Insights Inc
• All news
• MrWeb info