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In 2002, 50-year old Don Monaco 'retired' as senior executive with the global consulting firm Accenture and learned how to fly. In turn he bought a Cirrus SR-22, which brought him to Duluth, MN, home of the aircraft manufacturer. In 2005, Monaco purchased North Country Aviation, an FBO at Duluth International, and renamed it Monaco Air Duluth. Earlier this year, after significant facility investment, Monaco turned his attention to making Duluth a refueling alternative for corporates flying between major European cities and the West Coast of the U.S. along the Great Circle Route. He contracted with long-time aviation public relations veteran Bill Coleman of Kansas City-based The Coleman Group. Together, they put together a publicity blitz and Internet-based invitation to corporates that has garnered some attention.
In its final form, the public relations effort incorporated three elements:
- an interactive, Internet-based email invitation that allows pilots/owners of corporate aircraft to compare routes and cost/time-savings by flying via Duluth versus other routes;
- incentives for those corporates who actually used Monaco Air Duluth as a result; and
- a publicity blitz with U.S. and European aviation editors to get the program visible.
What is most unique about the promotion is the use of the Internet for real-world cost and time comparisons, using an aspect of marketing which general aviation companies are still grappling with. [For more information on aviation service companies and Internet-based promotions, see "FBO Marketing and the Internet" by AirBP's Scott Fowler in the June issue of AIRPORT BUSINESS; www.airportbusiness.com.]
SETTING UP THE PROGRAM
Comments PR veteran Coleman, "I knew about this computer designer who could do fantastic flash work. We both agreed that if we could get something that would actually show planes coming across and could actually give defined miles per hour, number of miles, time, it could really be used by the end-user to get him some comparative data that would show how making a tech stop -— that's what they call it internationally — at Duluth could be beneficial.
"I wanted to have action; something people can play with and get a real comparison. It cost a few dollars — $6,000 for all the design work; the creative; putting the whole [email promotion] together."
According to Coleman, the direct email piece was targeted at corporate owners/operators in the United States and Europe that would alert them to the fact that if they were flying from the West Coast to Europe, and using the Great Circle Route, operationally and cost-effectively going to Duluth would be the best answer. "We supported that by facts," he comments.
"We had to make some serious research; like talking with Gulfstream for the operational cost per hour of a GIV-SP. Then I based everything on that $2500/hour operational cost.
"I researched four different cities in the United States, four different cities in Europe. I wanted to be able to know what the distance was; how long it took. For example, going from [London] Luton to Van Nuys. How far was it point to point? How far when going through Bangor, versus going through Duluth?
"Working on the time-savings, I was able to calculate how much they would save just on operational costs. Once I had that information, I could put it into a major plan that would show the reader who could click on and go to the next step to see these routes and find out how they could get some cost-savings.
Coleman selected London, Paris/Orly, Rome, and Geneva, cities which his research had shown had significant general aviation traffic coming to the United States, mainly going to the West Coast. "I picked destinations in the United States which were receptive to these routes. That would be Las Vegas, Van Nuys, Phoenix, and Denver," he says.
"Then I had to find out which operations offered Customs. I had to find out how long does it take to get through Customs at Bangor? At Duluth? People wanted to know that. In essence, I had to create individual flight plans for each individual passage.
"Then I had to translate it into cost-savings. If it took one hour longer to go to Bangor vis-a-vis Duluth — that means by going to Duluth the pilot would save $2,500. And that was a conservative figure.
"That's what the whole email was intended to do."
TARGETING THE AUDIENCE; OTHER INCENTIVES
Coleman and Monaco then had to get the specific target audience, starting with four months of data/names from Flight Explorer. Coleman then went to research firm AMSTAT (www.amstatcorp.com) to get email lists of owners known to fly those routes, and specifically asked for operators of G-IV, G-V, Falcon 900, Falcon 2000, Challenger 604, and Global Express aircraft.
Explains Coleman, "I wanted to know for a four-month period what the planes were, who they were, and what they were. I couldn't get blocked numbers, but I got what ones were available — tail registrations; names; address; emails."
The program took six months to develop and had a target date of July 1 for the email push. The email promo was coordinated by Tulsa-based Scizzortell (www.scizzortell.com), which is also tracking subsequent responses.
"Out of 509 emails, about 400 were received, and about 300 clicked through and reviewed it," relates Coleman. "I thought that was fantastic."
For corporates who arrived at Duluth as a result, there were other incentives, including 80 cents/gallon discounts for purchases over more than 2,000 gallons. Use of the Shell credit card brought another ten-cent discount. In addition, the pilot and co-pilot of each transient was given a $100 American Express gift card during the promotion, which is expected to last through October 31.
author: By John F. Infanger, Editorial Director - Airport Business