Understanding your customers and their lifestyles are key to developing and effective media plan

The question to part 3, of developing can effective aviation marketing plan  is “where.” Where are your customers located? Are they local, regional, national, or international?

For example, a local FBO or flight school is going to be looking primarily to a local market. An airport or an air charter would focus more on a regional audience. A company that makes avionics or other aircraft equipment would be marketing themselves on a national basis. And, of course, larger firms and airlines  would be marketing themselves internationally as well.

Knowing where your audience is located geographically is important because it helps to determine what form of media you’re going to utilize to reach them, and also what type of media tactic, or marketing tactic, should be used.

For example, if you’re reaching someone on a local basis, your best choice to reach this audience is primarily local magazines, newspapers and radio stations. For companies marketing themselves on a national basis, they would look to national magazines, or trade magazines that serve their particular customers, to carry their message.

In a previous post, which dealt with “who are your customers,” we said that you need to really know who your customers are and what motivates them. This also plays into the question of “where” because if you really understand your customers, then you’ll probably know the publications they read, or the radio stations they listen to, or the TV stations they watch.

Knowing your customers also means understanding the types of activities that they are most likely to be involved in. Are they golfers? Are they hikers? Are they risk-takers? This understanding helps you formulate a media plan that will utilize the media which caters to these affinities and best zeros in on your target audience.

Another consideration is whether the media is appropriate for your product or service. For example, if you’re promoting a high-end, upscale image for your charter company, you’re probably not going to want to advertise in a local newspaper because this medium is perceived as being of low quality. You may want to consider a larger regional newspaper to advertise in, such as the New York Times, which carries a higher cachet value. Even though the New York Times might serve a much larger area than the local market you want to target. You may have to accept a certain amount of waste, because the image of the New York Times as being a sophisticated, knowledgeable publication is better aligned to the brand image you want to promote despite the higher cost.