Jordan Walker, digital director at Greteman Group, a marketing communications agency based in Wichita, KS, the Air Capital.
Marketing Aviation through Digital Tools

While the aviation industry is highly innovative, we’re just now seeing a greater rate of adoption of digital advertising technologies. Do you want to know how aviation is using digital marketing tools to market their brands? We do, too. We’ve designed a Digital Marketing State of the Industry survey and are encouraging anyone tasked with selling or marketing aircraft, parts and services to take it.

Search engine optimization, social media advertising and digital analytics all play a part in this brave new world of online outreach. What’s our goal? To showcase where we as an industry stand when it comes to adopting new digital marketing trends and technology.

An industry meshed in traditional media

Aviation companies evolve constantly. OEMs race to one-up each other by building aircraft that can fly farther, faster and higher than the competition. Engineers research and develop these aircraft to be the safest, most advanced machines on the market, touting technology created specifically for air transportation. Airlines offer more connections, creating faster travel between bigger and better airports. Air-to-air, game-changing technology not only connects the aircraft; it connects the people inside them.

Advancements abound, from the first composite materials to the final test flight, and we see it every day right here in the Air Capital. But what of aviation’s digital media savvy? Are we advancing at the same rate as our products?

For an industry built on a handshake, looking someone in the eye, and forging long-term relationships - well, it’s harder for us to take our eggs out of the tried, trusted basket of traditional media. We get it.

We also know how much digital media can offer. Leverage your campaign hashtag used to post-upon-tweet across social media by also printing it prominently across your traditional ads. See your leadership team beaming on the front page of the latest issue of a trusted trade publication, but then also share that expert content on their LinkedIn profile. Connect the page turning in your audiences’ fingers to the tweets scrolling across their smartphones. Integrate these online-offline worlds. Your digital marketing chops don’t need to be tested. They need to be the benchmark.

Creating Industry KPIs

As marketers, we need to increase the rate of adoption for emerging digital media. But first, let’s find the starting line. This aviation-specific survey will identify a baseline and opportunities going unrealized. We want any and all aviation organizations, companies, publications and players to take the survey for a true representation of our industry.

As an incentive to take the 10-minute survey, Greteman Group will award one random winner a two-hour digital marketing consultation about subjects. Anyone who takes the survey and provides their email will receive a copy of the final report when we distribute it on May 30.

Let’s see where we are, to help better determine where we can go: