Media Frankfurt hails growing role of digital in airport advertising campaigns

GERMANY. Media Frankfurt, the airport-owned provider of advertising at Frankfurt Airport, has hailed the “boom” in digital advertising and said it expects this channel to account for a far greater proportion of its revenues in future.

Digital channels generated 25% of Media Frankfurt revenues in 2016, a figure that is expected to climb in 2017. The trend is backed by passenger opinions of digital advertising. In a recent survey, 80% said they liked to see digital advertising while 81% said they felt the channel lent a modern element to advertising campaigns.

“There is a boom in interest in digital advertising solutions,” said Media Frankfurt Managing Director Simone Schwab. “That is partly because we are further developing solutions that allow us to target particular groups, through beacons and geo-targeting, using passenger data. We can offer our advertising partners tailored solutions in an exclusive environment.”

Campaigns from and Unicredit (above) and Porsche Design (below) underline the power of timely and targeted digital advertising

An example of tactical advertising is Porsche Design’s latest campaign aimed at arriving Chinese travellers. Media Frankfurt’s Digital Welcome Network advertises the brand’s Huawei Mate 9 offer to these consumers on signage for the Beijing inbound baggage belt.

Italian bank Unicredit also advertises its services to German-speaking travellers to and from Asia through Media Frankfurt. The partners display advertising to these travellers at relevant gates two hours before flights to Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Shanghai and Seoul.

Both campaigns are linked to the timing of the flights that carry the targeted passenger groups, and automatically kick in through the digital network.

Schwab said: “Through the dynamic direction offer by digital, these campaigns work better at targeting passengers. Now we have to use this potential further. We see ourselves having a stronger advisory role with clients and agencies.”

There are now 460 digital screens at Frankfurt Airport. These can be booked individually or through Media Frankfurt’s various networks. Major landmarks include the 100sq m screen in the approach to Terminal 1, the LED Motion Drive with five large screens in T1 and the T1 experience area Digital Brand Space.

Beacons and Geo-Targeting will also play a greater role in future, said Media Frankfurt, with a big opportunity to continue to speak to travellers through their smartphones and tablets, aided by GPS and enhanced WiFi at Frankfurt Airport.

“We are setting new standards in Germany for digital airport advertising,” said Schwab. “The continuing positive development in this area underlines our strategy of recent years. We will continue to develop and enhance digital advertising opportunities in the future.”

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