More than Words in the Sky

Remember the Pepsi taste tests in the 90s? There was a cup of “cola” and a cup of Pepsi. Participants tasted both and then on camera revealed which one they liked the best (which was always Pepsi – imagine that). And there it was, irrefutable proof that Pepsi was the better tasting soft drink by two or three people.

I recall some friends and family members sharing their surprise that Coca-Cola didn’t respond or accuse Pepsi of illegally using their trademark (which, for the record, they never did). But why would “Coke” do anything? Coke has pretty much won the cola war and has held onto the majority of the market share for decades. According to Beverage Digest, Coke controls 42% of the total carbonated soft drink market, compared with Pepsi’s 30%.

However, when you’re looking to gain market share and your competition is going head-to-head with your products and services, it behooves you to take action, respond and retaliate. Consumers deserve to know why your brand is the better option. This is exactly the situation faced by T-Mobile.

In 2014, the mobile communications company launched a petition, at Change.org/AbolishOverages, calling on other carriers to follow T-Mobile’s lead in dropping overages. The petition had approximately 250,000 signatures at the end of August and now has more than 330,000 signatures. And while T-Mobile CEO John Legere has been busy on social media promoting their brand and petition, the company felt it wasn’t enough. So they wrote their message where their biggest competitor’s couldn’t miss it… above their headquarters.

digital skywriting

The technique known as digital skywriting, utilizes five planes flying in formation and working in sync to write messages using a dot matrix system. Five aircraft in the sky over a specific location or community, demand attention and often causes local media and social media to buzz over the advertisement or campaign. What happened over the Verizon Wireless headquarters was no different.

Check out this brief video to see it in action.

While the battle rages on between mobile service providers, few will forget the lengths at which T-Mobile went to as they fought to rid the world of overages and earn more business.

What do you think… would a digital skywriting message cause you to search for more information or share an image on your social media networks?

Marketing Genius: Unexpected Messages Going Viral

In today’s fast paced, interconnected and technology driven world, businesses as well as consumers expect a quick response. Take for example, Twitter, the platform that forces users to simplify messages to 140 characters before accessing the ability to share updates with the world.

Marketers today recognize the need we all experience for information when we want it and how we want to receive it. From television advertising campaigns emblazoned with hashtags in the hopes of going viral to apps and marketing automation platforms, marketers have a myriad of tactics they can utilize to reach and engage with customers.

Marketers also face a growing need to be spontaneous and even clever. It’s critical for organizations to tie marketing and advertising campaigns to social media and have the flexibility to react almost immediately to events as they happen via social channels. Take for example Oreo’s brilliant tweet during the Super Bowl in 2013. Oreo knew many Super Bowl viewers were also engaging in conversation on social media regarding advertisements and the game. When the lights went out at the Superdome, Oreo moved fast and “won” the marketing Super Bowl with a tweet instead of a $4 million commercial.

While there’s no recipe to creating social media buzz, there is usually a trigger: something out of the ordinary… unexpected even. Oreo surprised the world with its humor and timely response and, as a result, marketers around the globe are now looking for the next “big” thing to get their campaign viral.

When it comes to thinking outside of the box, why not consider the sky? Through a technique known as Digital Skywriting. Created by one or five aircraft soaring high above a city, digital skywriting uses a dot matrix system to display short and lengthy messages that captivate audiences below. Messages can last as long as 20 minutes, ensuring countless photographs can be taken and even shared via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Unexpected, rare and creative, Digital Skywriting offers marketers the ability to share a message with an entire metropolis guaranteed to capture attention and imagination, unless people are living under rocks. Digital Skywriting encourages engagement and leaves a lasting impression.

Learn more about Digital Skywriting and how it can benefit your next campaign here.

Reinforcing Your Message with a Blimp

Recently, upwards of 20,000 people gathered in the streets of Birmingham, Alabama along with radio and television personality Glenn Beck as part of a movement known as “Restoring Unity,” “Never Again is Now,” and “All Lives Matter.” The crowd marched for peace, unity, understanding and love.

High above the mass, one block north of the infamous Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, an AirSign blimp soared above embellished with the message, “All Lives Matter.”

Those who marched in Birmingham on August 30th wanted to send a message to the rest of the country: Their presence and words mattered, and the airship above reiterated their purpose.

#AllLivesMatter

The blimp gained social media traction with the hashtag #UnityBlimp and even helped gain the attention of The New Yorker, who published an article on the march the following week.

Through publicity provided by Glenn Beck and his charitable organization Mercury One, participants as well as interested social media followers were able to experience the march firsthand. Not only did the message “All Lives Matter” resonate with the audience, but it was also projected over the entire city – reinforcing the reason behind the event for all to see (whether they were Birmingham or following via Twitter in Chicago).

Interested in learning how your message reach your target audience geographically and create buzz online? Check out our airships.

Expand your marketing mix into the sky

From time to time marketing and advertising executives change up their marketing mix. Whether it’s due to a new budget, a tired message, or a response to marketing data, it’s always a good idea to reconsider the ways in which a brand promotes its products and services. That’s why the timing has never been better to expand your marketing mix into the sky.

By showcasing your brand in the sky, your audience expands to entire communities, major event attendees, and even social media. Instinctively we look up when we hear the engine of a low flying plane, helicopter, and yes, even a blimp! And in today’s fast moving, ultra sharing world, these methods of advertisement are more likely to be photographed and shared on platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook than the more traditional and expected forms of advertising like billboards and newspaper ads.

“But aren’t airplane banners a beach thing? Or a way to propose?”

Airplane banners can be used numerous ways and in various geographies. Whether it’s at the beach or the mountains, during the Super Bowl or weekday rush hour traffic, airplane banners get noticed. In fact, a recent survey showed…

  • 88% of respondents remembered seeing airplane banners 30 minutes after they had passed,
  • 79% remembered the product or service that was advertised, and
  • 67% remembered at least half of the banner content.

Can you say the same about your quarter-page newspaper ad?

“Plane, helicopter, blimp… what does it matter?”

First of all, Heli-Banners are not for the faint of heart. These banners are so big an airplane cannot successfully pull them through the sky. We’re talking about a HUGE space for your brand to be featured, ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 square feet!

If that’s not big enough, try an air ship that’s actually environmentally friendly like the Eco Blimp. Eco Blimps do not utilize helium like most other blimps you may be familiar with, making them more environmentally and budget friendly.

So while you’re considering making changes to your marketing and advertising spend in 2016, remember to expand your marketing mix into the sky with other brands such as Ford, Google, and Virgin Atlantic. Contact Airsign for a free quote.

The Advertising Blimp: Effective and Economical

If it’s a major sporting event like the Super Bowl or the Olympics, a blimp is there. Consumers of all ages are just as enamored by the size and presence of an airship today as they were when the early Zeppelins first took flight. That’s why an advertising blimp is a guaranteed way to attract attention and leave a memorable impression.

AirSign recently launched a new Thermal Airship division, making blimp advertising accessible for organizations that previously were unable to commit to the long-term campaigns and high costs associated with traditional advertising blimps.

How It Works

AirSign’s Eco Blimps utilize a thermal heat system and maintain altitude similar to that of a hot air balloon. They launch near targeted events and communities, and can be deflated and transported by ground to other destinations in a campaign or tour.

Inflated without helium, our airships have been endorsed by Greenpeace for being environmentally friendly.

Advertising Flexibility

Whether a campaign lasts one week or one year, AirSign has advertising blimp options. From single flights to multi-market national campaigns, AirSign offers solutions for organizations to share their brand and message on the biggest, most interesting piece of real estate at events and over communities of all sizes. Reach a target audience and spark a conversation regardless of the location and season.

Eco Blimps are inflated and launched close to each client’s target. What’s more, they are versatile in most climates, making them excellent advertising mediums for the beaches of Florida or the ski slopes of Montana.

Why Advertising Blimps Work

Unlike direct mail and other forms of marketing collateral, advertising blimps can be reused multiple times. Once a postcard or letter goes out to a target audience, it’s gone. To send it out again requires reprinting the material — which comes at a cost, not to mention postage fees.

Eco Blimps can be more affordable than television ads and provide better brand awareness to large audiences than radio, billboard, and print advertising. Plus, people tend to remember the last blimp they saw hovering over their heads more than a radio or website banner ad. While ads on TV, radio, billboards, websites, and print publications have become commonplace and are likely to be ignored; advertising blimps have remained rare and, as a result, more memorable to consumers all over the globe.

Learn more about Eco Blimps.