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ACRP
AIRPORT
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
REPORT 28
Sponsored by
the Federal
Aviation
Administration
Marketing Guidebook
for Small Airports
OCR for page R2
ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE* TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2009 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
James Wilding CHAIR: Adib K. Kanafani, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
Independent Consultant VICE CHAIR: Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of
Governments, Arlington
VICE CHAIR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
Jeff Hamiel
MinneapolisSt. Paul MEMBERS
Metropolitan Airports Commission
J. Barry Barker, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
MEMBERS Allen D. Biehler, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
James Crites Larry L. Brown, Sr., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
DallasFort Worth International Airport Deborah H. Butler, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern Corporation,
Richard de Neufville Norfolk, VA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology William A.V. Clark, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles
Kevin C. Dolliole
Unison Consulting
David S. Ekern, Commissioner, Virginia DOT, Richmond
John K. Duval Nicholas J. Garber, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of
Beverly Municipal Airport Virginia, Charlottesville
Kitty Freidheim Jeffrey W. Hamiel, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
Freidheim Consulting Edward A. (Ned) Helme, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Steve Grossman
Jacksonville Aviation Authority
Randell H. Iwasaki, Director, California DOT, Sacramento
Tom Jensen Susan Martinovich, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
National Safe Skies Alliance Debra L. Miller, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
Catherine M. Lang Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
Federal Aviation Administration Pete K. Rahn, Director, Missouri DOT, Jefferson City
Gina Marie Lindsey
Los Angeles World Airports Sandra Rosenbloom, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
Carolyn Motz Tracy L. Rosser, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Mandeville, LA
Hagerstown Regional Airport Rosa Clausell Rountree, CEOGeneral Manager, Transroute International Canada Services, Inc.,
Richard Tucker Pitt Meadows, BC
Huntsville International Airport Steven T. Scalzo, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA
Henry G. (Gerry) Schwartz, Jr., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc., St. Louis, MO
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
Sabrina Johnson Linda S. Watson, CEO, LYNXCentral Florida Regional Transportation Authority, Orlando
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Steve Williams, Chairman and CEO, Maverick Transportation, Inc., Little Rock, AR
Richard Marchi
Airports Council International--North America
Laura McKee EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Air Transport Association of America Thad Allen (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Henry Ogrodzinski
National Association of State Aviation Officials Peter H. Appel, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
Melissa Sabatine J. Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
American Association of Airport Executives Rebecca M. Brewster, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA
Robert E. Skinner, Jr. George Bugliarello, President Emeritus and University Professor, Polytechnic Institute of New York
Transportation Research Board University, Brooklyn; Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC
James E. Caponiti, Acting Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY
Cynthia Douglass, Acting Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Christopher W. Jenks Administration, U.S.DOT
Transportation Research Board
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the
Interior, Washington, DC
Edward R. Hamberger, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
John C. Horsley, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, Washington, DC
Rose A. McMurry, Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
Ronald Medford, Acting Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
U.S.DOT
Victor M. Mendez, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
William W. Millar, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Peter M. Rogoff, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
Joseph C. Szabo, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
Robert L. Van Antwerp (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding General,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of October 2009. *Membership as of October 2009.
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ACRP REPORT 28
Marketing Guidebook
for Small Airports
Lois Kramer
Peggy Fowler
KRAMER aerotek, inc.
Boulder, CO
Robert Hazel
Melissa Ureksoy
OLIVER WYMAN, INC.
Reston, VA
Gary Harig
GMH CONSULTING, LLC
Burke, VA
Subscriber Categories
Aviation
Research sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2010
www.TRB.org
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AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM ACRP REPORT 28
Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in trans- Project 1-04
portation of people and goods and in regional, national, and inter- ISSN 1935-9802
national commerce. They are where the nation's aviation system ISBN 978-0-309-11818-7
connects with other modes of transportation and where federal respon- Library of Congress Control Number 2009944087
sibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects
with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most © 2010 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems,
to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to
introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Coopera- COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
tive Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining
which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions
written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously
to meet demands placed on it. published or copyrighted material used herein.
The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport
Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study spon- Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this
publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the
sored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ACRP carries understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB or FAA endorsement
out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the
agencies and are not being adequately addressed by existing federal material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate
research programs. It is modeled after the successful National Coopera- acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of
tive Highway Research Program and Transit Cooperative Research Pro- the material, request permission from CRP.
gram. The ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in a
variety of airport subject areas, including design, construction, mainte-
nance, operations, safety, security, policy, planning, human resources, NOTICE
and administration. The ACRP provides a forum where airport opera-
tors can cooperatively address common operational problems. The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Airport Cooperative Research
Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the
The ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing
100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary partici- Board's judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the
pants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP purposes and resources of the National Research Council.
Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S.
The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review
Department of Transportation with representation from airport oper- this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration
ating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions
such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and
the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not
Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), and the Air Transport necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or
the Federal Aviation Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Association (ATA) as vital links to the airport community; (2) the TRB
as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to
(3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive
Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.
contract with the National Academies formally initiating the program.
The ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research
professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, Council, and the Federal Aviation Administration (sponsor of the Airport Cooperative
Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers'
equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research orga-
names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and
nizations. Each of these participants has different interests and respon- completeness of the project reporting.
sibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort.
Research problem statements for the ACRP are solicited periodically
but may be submitted to the TRB by anyone at any time. It is the
responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by iden-
tifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and
expected products.
Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel,
appointed by the TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and
research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport pro-
fessionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels pre-
pare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and
provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the
project. The process for developing research problem statements and Published reports of the
selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooper- AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
ative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP
are available from:
project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the Transportation Research Board
Business Office
intended end-users of the research: airport operating agencies, service 500 Fifth Street, NW
providers, and suppliers. The ACRP produces a series of research Washington, DC 20001
reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other
interested parties, and industry associations may arrange for work- and can be ordered through the Internet at
shops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
results are implemented by airport-industry practitioners. Printed in the United States of America
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR ACRP REPORT 28
Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Michael R. Salamone, ACRP Manager
Marci A. Greenberger, Senior Program Officer
Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications
Kami Cabral, Editor
ACRP PROJECT 1-04 PANEL
Field of Administration
Marc P. Pelham, Mobile Airport Authority, Mobile, AL (Chair)
Randall Heath Allen, Lake Charles Regional Airport, Lake Charles, LA
Chuck Howell, Great Lakes Airlines, Cheyenne, WY
Richard C. Howell, San Luis Obispo County (CA) Regional Airport
Thomas P. Nolan, Palm Springs (CA) International Airport
Susan Palmeri, Stockton Municipal Airport, Stockton, CA
Lisa Anderson Spencer, TransSolutions, Arlington, VA
Jack E. Thompson, Jr., C&S Companies, Orlando, FL
Sharon Glasgow, FAA Liaison
Christine Gerencher, TRB Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research described herein was performed under ACRP Project 01-04 by KRAMER aerotek, inc.,
and Oliver Wyman, Inc. Ms. Lois Kramer served as the Principal Investigator on the project.
Ms. Kramer was assisted by Peggy Fowler. The team also included Robert Hazel and Melissa Ureksoy
of Oliver Wyman, Inc., and Gary Harig of GMH Consulting, LLC. Each member of the team contributed
extensively to the concept and content of ACRP Report 28: Marketing Guidebook for Small Airports.
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FOREWORD
By Marci A. Greenberger
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
ACRP Report 28: Marketing Guidebook for Small Airports will help airport managers with
small or minimal budgets to develop a marketing program for their general aviation or
commercial service airport. The Guidebook discusses the basics of marketing, takes the
reader through the process of developing and implementing a plan, presents approaches to
marketing and public relations, provides worksheets and concludes with a selection of
instructive case studies. The Guidebook provides ideas about how to regularly communi-
cate with tenants and the community, how to effectively position the airport in the region,
and how to develop and retain airport activity. Airport managers and those responsible for
marketing and working with communities will find many useful worksheets and tools to
assess their individual situation, set goals, and select from low cost strategies to deliver their
message.
This well-researched guidebook, with its easy to use techniques and worksheets along
with real-world examples, will help those in the airport community to create and sustain a
positive and persuasive airport identity and message.
As airports are increasingly under pressure to explain their contributions to the commu-
nity and at the same time keep expenses down, it is important that an airport has, as a
resource at their fingertips, effective strategies to generate goodwill, strengthen relation-
ships, increase use of the airport, and showcase the facility. For many airports, there are few
marketing resources and none available for a trial and error approach.
Under ACRP Project 01-04, the research team was tasked with developing a guidebook
for small airports in the areas of marketing, external communications, and public information.
As part of the effort, the research team was asked to describe effective airport marketing
practices and to help airport managers develop a new marketing plan or fine-tune an
existing one.
The project was accomplished by a review of relevant literature, existing research,
published guidance, other appropriate material and by examination of lessons learned from
marketing practices of other industries. The research team also surveyed and interviewed a
group of small- to medium-size general aviation and commercial airports that have ongo-
ing marketing programs or have experienced sustained growth. The findings were exam-
ined, compiled, and the guidebook developed.
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SURVEY RESPONDENTS
Mr. Royce Rankin, Airport Manager, Boire Field--Nashua Municipal Airport
Mr. Curt Hawkins, Airport Manager, Caldwell Industrial Airport
Mr. Robert Olislagers, Executive Director, Centennial Airport
Mr. Greg Chenoweth, Airport Manager, Chandler Municipal Airport
Ms. Tiffany Gillem, Airport Manager, Craig Municipal Airport
Mr. Fred Guertin, Airport Manager, Fitchburg Municipal Airport
Mr. Steve Brian, Executive Director, Glynn County Airport Commission
Ms. Colette Edmisten, Operations Coordinator, Glynn County Airport Commission
Mr. Michael Reisman, Airport Manager, Greeley-Weld County Airport
Mr. Greg Larsen, Business Development Manager, Hagerstown Regional Airport
Mr. Earl Hicks, Airport Director, Houma-Terrebonne Airport
Mr. Terrence Lloyd, Director of Aviation, Kissimmee Gateway Airport
Mr. Richard Stehmeier, Airport Manager, Logan-Cache Airport
Mr. Vinicio Llerena, Director of Aviation, Orange County Airport
Mr. Timothy Rogers, Executive Director, Salina Airport Authority
Ms. Laura Robertson, Marketing and Public Relations Specialist, Salina Airport Authority
Mr. Gary Petersen, Airport Manager, Salinas Municipal Airport
Mr. Bob Shaffer, Airport Manager, DuBois Regional Airport
Mr. Thomas C. Frungillo, Airport Director, Bradford Regional Airport
Mr. Dave Young, Vice President--Air Service, Marketing and Development,
Ft. Wayne International Airport
Ms. Barbie Peek, Marketing Director, Huntsville International Airport
Mr. Gabe Monzo, Airport Manager, Latrobe-Westmoreland County Airport
Mr. Mike Sharkey, Airport Manager, Lee Bird Field Airport
Mr. Glenn Januska, Airport Manager, Natrona County International Airport
Mr. James Smith, Executive Director, Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
Mr. Joseph J. Brauer, Airport Director, Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport
Mr. Greg Campbell, Executive Director, Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
Mr. Larry Salyers, Director, Tri-State Airport
Mr. Terry Anderson, Executive Director, Tupelo Regional Airport
CASE STUDY CONTRIBUTORS
Mr. Earl Hicks, Airport Director, Houma-Terrebonne Airport
Ms. Michelle Cardwell Edwards, Recruitment Director, Terrebone Economic
Development Authority
Mr. Michael Reisman, Airport Manager, Greeley-Weld County Airport
Mr. Jeffrey Price, Faculty Member, Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science,
Metropolitan State College of Denver
Ms. Amber E. Schlabs, Aviation Business and Marketing Manager, Aeronautics Division,
Wyoming Department of Transportation
Mr. Gabe Monzo, Airport Director, Latrobe-Westmoreland County Airport
Mr. Andy Stofan, President, Latrobe Area Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Jim Wasylik, President, Westmedia Group, Latrobe, PA
Mr. John Letterio, Vice President, Westmedia Group, Latrobe, PA
Mr. David Lim, Chief Marketing Officer, Amtrak
Ms. Sheryl Richards, Sr. Director Pricing and Revenue Management, Amtrak
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CONTENTS
P A R T 1 INTRODUCTION TO AIRPORT MARKETING
2 Chapter 1 Introduction
2 1.1 Overview
3 1.2 How Airports Use Marketing and Public Relations
4 1.3 Navigating the Guidebook
5 Chapter 2 Marketing Plan Basics
5 2.1 How Greeley-Weld County Airport Crafted Its Marketing Plan
6 2.2 What Goes into a Marketing Plan?
7 2.3 Seven Steps to Prepare and Execute a Marketing Plan
P A R T 2 PREPARATION AND EXECUTION OF
A MARKETING PLAN
11 Chapter 3 Scope of Your Marketing Plan
11 3.1 Step 1--Defining Marketing Goals and Objectives
11 3.2 Assemble the Planning Team
12 3.3 Brainstorm the Marketing Issues
13 3.4 Marketing Goals and Objectives--First Draft
19 3.5 Research Findings: Marketing Goals Reported by Airport Managers
22 Chapter 4 Environment and Resources
22 4.1 Step 2--SWOT Analysis and Resource Assessment
22 4.2 SWOT Analysis
29 4.3 Resource Assessment
32 4.4 Conclusions
33 Chapter 5 Audience, Message, Actions
33 5.1 Step 3--Revise Goals and Objectives
34 5.2 Step 4--Identify Target Audience, Message, and Actions
34 5.3 Target Audience
35 5.4 Message
36 5.5 Actions--Marketing Tactics
40 Chapter 6 Marketing Tools
40 6.1 Step 5--Selecting Marketing Tools
40 6.2 Cost of Different Tools
41 6.3 Tools Airports Use Today
44 6.4 Tools Airports Consider Most Effective
45 6.5 Cost and Effectiveness Matrix
47 6.6 Essential Marketing Tools for All Airports
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48 Chapter 7 Characteristics of an Effective
Marketing Plan
48 7.1 Core Components of a Marketing Plan
49 7.2 Action Plan
53 7.3 Characteristics of an Effective Marketing Plan
53 7.4 Putting the Principles to Work--Community Support Case Study
56 7.5 Importance of a Powerful Executive Summary
57 Chapter 8 Execute, Monitor, and Evaluate
the Plan
57 8.1 Step 6--Execute the Plan
58 8.2 Step 7--Monitor and Evaluate the Plan
61 8.3 Modify Your Marketing Plan
61 8.4 Funding Sources
P A R T 3 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN
66 Chapter 9 Marketing Tools
66 9.1 Index of Marketing Tools
66 9.2 Categories of Marketing Tools
69 Chapter 10 Public Relations Tools
69 10.1 What Is Public Relations?
70 10.2 Earned Media
78 10.3 Public Speaking
80 10.4 Events
83 10.5 Promotions
87 10.6 Sponsorships and Volunteering
89 10.7 Other Public Relations Materials
93 Chapter 11 Advertising Tools
93 11.1 Types of Advertising Tools
94 11.2 Print Media
101 11.3 Signage
107 11.4 Multi-Media: Radio, Television, and Video
110 11.5 Internet and Website Tools
119 Chapter 12 Networking Opportunities
119 12.1 Business, Civic, and Non-Profit Networking Opportunities
122 12.2 Networking with Professional and Industry Organizations
123 12.3 Tradeshows and Conferences
127 12.4 Strategic Partnerships
130 12.5 Lobbying
130 12.6 Contact Managers and Networking Tools
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P A R T 4 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
136 Chapter 13 Marketing Plan Worksheets
136 13.1 SWOT Primer
137 13.2 SWOT Examples
138 13.3 SWOT Analysis Worksheet
139 13.4 Marketing Inventory Worksheet--Human Resources
140 13.5 Marketing Inventory Worksheet--Financial Resources
141 13.6 Marketing Action Plan
142 13.7 Marketing Record
143 Chapter 14 Case Studies
143 14.1 Greeley-Weld County Airport
145 14.2 Houma-Terrebonne Airport
148 14.3 Arnold Palmer Airport
154 Chapter 15 Frequently Asked Questions
155 Chapter 16 Glossary
157 Chapter 17 Bibliography
163 Chapter 18 Airport Survey Methodology
and Findings
163 18.1 Introduction
163 18.2 General Aviation Airports
170 18.3 Commercial Service Airports
