3 data-backed advantages of travel media for your business

In 2016 when I joined Ringier’s digital sales team in Africa, digital was a buzzing channel to reach audiences with purchasing power.

• Smartphones were expensive
• Only people living in the big cities had access to fast internet.
• Mobile data cost was high and it required extra hardware.
• The cost of advertising on digital channels was relatively cheaper compared to the alternatives to reach this audience.

According to the 2016 Data Reportal overview, internet penetration in Africa was only 29%.

Today, almost everyone is online. Smartphones are more affordable and using a popular phrase from one the big telcos in Africa, ‘data is life’. It is no longer a luxury. Internet penetration in Africa in 2023 is now 41.3%. That’s over half a billion people.

Digital channels no longer offer an easy way to reach consumers with purchasing power. Especially B2B consumers, business leaders and decision-makers.

It is now like finding needles in a haystack.

There are 3 things that make travel media a prime channel to reach a premium audience.

1. Strong Qualifying Intent - Travel media stands out because the audience is prequalified. They searched, booked and paid for a flight. For these travellers to consider your brand first, you must be visible at the discovery and consideration phase, then reinforce your brand presence across the passenger journey.
2. Captive Environment - Passengers on a flight pay more attention and have a higher brand recall of the things they see in their environment. At 30,000 feet, there’s less distraction during a 6+ hour flight compared to the up to 10,000 Ads someone who is not flying would have seen in a day.
3. Willingness to spend - The majority of wealthy consumers including African travellers want to spend more on travel in 2023 according to a Bloomberg article. In fact, your business can strategise to reach these passengers based on their income bracket and travel preferences.

How can your business get ahead of the competition?

Ethiopian Airlines Media, connecting 127 cities globally and 77 cities in Africa, offers many channels to help you reach this premium audience from the moment they start searching till after they reach their destination using digital, OOH, video, print and in-flight channels.

Send me a DM, and let's schedule a time to introduce you and your team to the opportunities available or send me an email at [email protected].