Economic Development & Marketing:

Don’t Just Tell Me … Show Me

Rob Mark

Dallas-Ft. Worth – April 2014

Market your airport …

why bother?

Your airport is part of an int’l community

• Create Awareness • Garner industry interest • Support other airport businesses • Reduce drain on local funding • Support new airport business growth

• and …

Palmyra Town Chairman says the process to get the [AIP] money is simple-- just apply for it.

The way he describes it, -- "it's free money" -- just sitting out there, waiting for small airports to think up ways to spend it.

It’s expensive to counter bad PR and it’s not always successful

We’ve lost 72 airports in the past decade

What’s Next? Think … who are the influencers – the customers - who

can help … or hinder the airport’s operation?

• Could be … – Local, state or federal officials – Community residents – activists – Current airport customers – Media & Civic organizations – Others?

The Message & the Next Step

It’s all about the influencer’s/customer’s agenda

Show off what you have, but 80/20 rule applies

What action should they take?

Your Airport’s a Community

The Top 5 Airports Using Facebook

Cleveland (CLE) (29,738 fans) Akron-Canton (CAK) (12,967 fans)

SINGAPORE (SIN) (11,678) Oakland (OAK) (3,971) ATLANTA (ATL) (2,497)

What are your base customers doing? Consider co-op.

How to Keep an Eye on it All

RSS +

RSS

Feedly

Feedly … close up

Other Airports

• Wittman Airport - Writing Contest • Addison Airport – Airshow, phone photos on FB & Twitter • Compton Airport - Helo operator and after school program • Palwaukee Airport – Community relations program • Cleburne Airport – Pancake Breakfast • Speakers Bureau - Stop preaching to the choir

ADS employees on the ramp with cell phone shots – people love them too.

A few favorites

• You could give people the technical explanation of Cat 1 approaches … or

Talk about a cool trip to Toulouse

or show them a great photo …

• Thank you …

• Follow up for a free half-hour of consulting time by calling CommAvia at 847-644-1575.