L to R: Jodie Knighton (Adelaide Airport), Vernon Vincent (Perth Airport), Jemma Enright and Emma de Szoeke.
JCDecaux’s revamped airport offering is rolling out at the same time as the out-of-home (OOH) market is seeing strong revenue gains, including in digital.
The outdoor media industry posted an increase of 10.06% in net media revenue for the September quarter, as digital OOH revenue accounted for 74.5% of total net media revenue year-to-date.
JCDecaux's GM of airports, Jemma Enright, said the demand for airport advertising so far this year has been “pretty good”.
“Our growth is definitely ahead of other OOH formats, so that's really positive,” she said.
“I think one of the things that drives that growth for airports is a big foundation of partners, as there are brands that really embrace airports and it's a core part of their marketing strategy, so they renew every year.”
JCDecaux’s new airport product is built on three key pillars: Connected Journeys, Iconic Impact and Immersive Experiences.
Between these three pillars, the OOH player is offering packs to advertisers that deliver multi-touchpoint campaigns; high-profile formats from large-scale digital assets to digital installations that wrap ceilings, enclose high-traffic tunnels and dominate corners in luxury shopping zones; and pop-up activations and opportunities to take over whole zones within the airport environment.
The new offering also leverages major upgrades at Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth airports, with the Sydney aspect spanning all major precincts, including new digital assets in T1, T2, and T3.
Sydney Airport’s GM of retail performance and growth, Emma de Szoeke, said much of the transformation and investment in the infrastructure to drive that change is aimed at both service and efficiency, with airport media a great example of where the innovation is being targeted.
“We’re trying to really challenge the status quo and unlock truly immersive and iconic brand experiences that match the rare and unique environment that airports offer, as well as blur the line between passenger experience and passenger journey,” she told AdNews.
Earlier this year, Sydney Airport reappointed JCDecaux as its exclusive media partner for its advertising following a competitive tender process.
The agreement, which runs to 2029, will result in a significant upgrade of the media estate across terminals, car parks and the external road network, which includes a 200 square metre digital large format billboard and Giftbox, one of Australia’s largest billboards at nearly 2,000 square metres.
Enright said that as brands lean into more immersive experiences, JCDecaux has seen 3DOOH become “very popular” as advertisers explore the creative limits of new technologies.
“We also know that there's airline campaigns coming that are using AI to transform people from who they are today into storylines and scripts and that opportunity in real time to see those come to life on ad assets within the airport environment is definitely something that we expect to see more of in the future,” she said.
“The technologies exist today to do much more than is being done, but it's always about educating creative teams alongside media agencies, so that the full creative potential of the medium is exploited as much as the media planning and buying component of it.”
A US-based Nielsen study revealed that 83% of frequent flyers notice airport advertising and three out of four associate airport advertising with high-quality brands.
JCDecaux’s own recent IPSOS Airport Study revealed that 68% of travellers feel the airport is important to them, especially the atmosphere, and 64% enjoy looking at the shops, pop-ups and advertising while at the airport.
Sydney Airport’s de Szoeke said that she sees airports becoming one of the first places where the marketing funnel is flat - where someone can be introduced to a brand, engage with it and transact, all at the same time and in the same place.
“I think digital and technology is going to be a huge component to that, as is the experience in-situ,” she said.
“We know the shape of what's ahead, but I'm excited for how the trifecta of brand, airport and partner in JCDecaux can really start to unlock some of this.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.