B2B marketers are constantly chasing attention – from boardrooms to LinkedIn feeds – but one channel is quietly gaining altitude: “A space where you can engage with a passenger in a way that you can’t do anywhere else,” according to Chris Demange, vice-president at Viasat Ads, speaking at The Drum’s B2B World Fest.
“The audience is a captive audience, literally, physically – but also emotionally captive. When you’re in flight, you’re connected and free from distractions.” A place where distractions fade and concentration deepens – ideal conditions for what Demange calls the ‘journey economy’, the full, end-to-end connection a traveler experiences across their physical and digital journeys.
“When I’m on a business trip, my mindset is completely different than when I’m travelling for leisure,” said Demange, before relating a story about his flight to a conference: “As soon as that 10,000-feet signal went off, [the passenger next to me] was in business mode – very connected and very focused. That mindset doesn’t happen anywhere else.”
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For brands, the opportunity lies in connecting these travel moments into one continuous story. Viasat’s technology, for example, allows advertisers to reach specific audiences in real time, based on destination, travel routes or aligned to events. “We can tell if a flight is predominantly business travellers or consumer,” said Demange. “If we’re flying to a certain destination with a conference on, we can target ads just for those flights.”
It’s part of a shift toward making airline media as measurable and programmatic as any digital channel. “We figure out what the objectives are for the brand and connect the right campaign to those goals,” he added.
Demange shared how brands are already using this ‘airspace advantage’. One medical company, launching a new insulin delivery mechanism, wanted to reach delegates attending a specialist conference. “We gave them inventory on all the flights going into that destination,” he explained. “It’s unique because, when you’re in flight, there aren’t 30 or 100 brands in front of them. When they land, they already know who you are.”
Crucially, what once made in-flight advertising difficult – lag times and limited targeting – has changed. “Historically, in-flight has always been a great opportunity for advertising, but there was that disconnect because it wasn’t real time,” Demange said. “Now that it is, we can really close that gap and make sure the value is there.”
Demange’s advice for marketers ready to explore in-flight advertising starts with focus. “The best practice is to understand what you want to do and how you want your brand to associate with those travelers,” he said, before landing a line that perfectly captured the spirit of the discussion: “Advertising has taken flight – so join us for the journey.”
Watch the full session on The Drum TV now.