The Impact of Airport Digital Signage on Corporate Partnerships

Airport digital signage has evolved from simple signs that display things like when flights are arriving or departing or how many parking spaces are left in a parking garage to promotional opportunities. 

Digital signage in airports takes the form of a basic display screen like a flat-screen television, which is then connected to airport digital signage solutions and software responsible for displaying information. That information can include promotional activities, educational information, and corporate sponsorships.

Digital signage for airports is not just a tool for communication but also a strategic asset for fostering corporate partnerships.

The Role of Digital Signage in Airport Dynamics

So, what is the role of digital signage in airports today? Digital signage can enhance the traveler experience through displays such as:

1. Wayfinding
2. Advertising
3. Real-time information for things like flights, traffic, or weather

There is a great deal of strategic importance associated with digital signage in managing airport traffic and promoting services. Individuals can rely on digital signage when walking through an airport to figure out which restaurants are still open or what type of shopping is available close to the terminal they need.

For people outside of the airport, it enhances traveler information by providing similar wayfinding stations, especially with regard to different parking lots or loading and unloading zones. Information can be updated in real-time so that people who are picking up friends or family know when a flight has landed and when a flight has reached baggage claim.

Enhancing Brand Visibility Through Airport Signage

Now, digital signage offers unique branding opportunities for businesses looking to reach a global audience. Airports are not only looking to display information about the weather or flight details but also have a great deal of advertising space available to corporate partnerships that want to promote local services to people who are traveling from all over the world.

This type of brand visibility through digital airport signage offers enhanced access to a customer base that might not otherwise be reachable.

For example:

A doctor's office in a small suburb outside of a major city about 30 minutes from the airport might have trouble increasing visibility to people within the span of several hours, even though they offer unique services for people in that area.

Rather than investing more in local advertisements across dozens of cities, companies can reach a global audience by partnering with airports and using airport digital signage. This means that people who all use the same airport within a few hours of their homes are seeing the same advertisements for that small doctor's office and the unique services they provide.

The services can be easily incorporated into the content displayed at the airport by presenting key facts related to the risks of regular airport travel or the need for holistic management of your spine after being seated for several hours. 

Corporate Partnerships Driven by Digital Signage

What are the most common partnership models driven by digital signage?

Sponsored content

Sponsored content partnerships are those where the corporations act as the sponsor and they pay airports to create and distribute content that promotes their business. 

This usually includes phrases like:

• Sponsored by
• Paid for by
• Partnered with
• Powered by

Sponsored content should be advertisements that fit well into the landscape of an airport and don't seem out of place. For example:

An airport located in an area with a lot of history relating to historic aircraft might sponsor educational content paid for by a corporation that promotes a graphic display through airport digital signage about the history of military aircraft in that area.

Joint promotions

Joint promotions, sometimes referred to as co-marketing campaigns or corporate partnerships for airport digital signage, are where the corporation and the airport work together to promote services or products to airport visitors who share similar interests.

The purpose behind joint promotions is to reduce marketing costs, reach a broader audience, and increase brand awareness for both the airport and the corporation.

Examples can include:

• Package deals where individuals flying to an airport or using a service in an airport also get a promotion for a corresponding corporation.
• Events that are run by both the airport and the corporation could include a small type of fair inside the airport with different booths.
• High-quality content or products like branded travel-related paraphernalia, including headphones, neck pillows, and charging cables. 

Branded interactive experiences

Branded interactive experiences go beyond a simple advertisement or display. They can help businesses stand out by creating memorable impressions with people who are waiting for their flights or have a few hours in between layovers.

Consider the example above of the airport located in an area with a lot of history relating to military aircraft. For them, creating an interactive brand experience with a corporate partner might include a permanent or temporary display in a physical part of the airport that involves display cases of relevant pieces of technology alongside historical photos or pilot uniforms.

Airport digital signage solutions would then be incorporated around each of these relevant display pieces to provide small videos or QR codes that people can scan to learn more if they don't have a lot of time to spend in that area.

Monetizing Digital Signage

Airports can monetize digital signage by partnering with corporations to display advertisements and promotional content. Airports can profit from the sale of advertisement space which can directly influence sales and promotions for restaurants or businesses that are operating not only within the airport but directly outside of it.

There are several revenue models that benefit both airports and their corporate partners such as digital signage for airports that has direct contact information or QR code that can be scanned for discounts on things like hotels or tourist activities, coupons for restaurants or local activities.

Best Practices for Airport-Corporate Digital Signage Partnerships

So, what are the key factors for success in leveraging airport digital signage for corporate partnerships?

When trying to benefit from digital signage for airports the corporate partnerships need to benefit both parties. In order to maximize these mutual benefits it's important to negotiate, plan, and execute your digital signage in airports so that the initiatives are most successful.

Conclusion

Remember too that the use of airport digital signage success relies heavily on metrics and KPIs used to assess the effectiveness of each. This will enhance corporate partnerships and achieve marketing goals. Airport digital signage has the transformative potential to not only foster but enhance corporate partnerships. Consider investing in digital signage opportunities for your business.

‍