Kinective Media, the advertising arm of United Airlines, is hoping its ad offering can become more immersive, by partnering with Starlink to support streaming and gaming in the air.
Since launching in June, Kinective has attracted a diverse range of advertisers looking to tap into United’s vast customer base.
“What we think about Kinective Meda and this omnichannel traveler experience, there really are use cases for every single category you can think of in the advertising space,” said Aaron Gallagher, Managing Director and Head of Sales at Kinective Media, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
Omnichannel Engagement from Booking to Landing
Kinective Media’s launch partners included travel brands like IHG and Norwegian Cruise Lines, as well as non-endemic advertisers such as Bottega Veneta, Macallan, Univision, and Macy’s.
Gallagher thinks the platform’s appeal lies in its ability to reach consumers at multiple touch points, from the booking process on United.com and the United app to the airport environment and in-flight entertainment system.
“There is a significant dwell time that we see with consumers. So they’re spending a lot of time within the airport and reaching that consumer and knowing who that consumer is while they’re traveling, just gives every category of advertisers an opportunity to engage with that consumer,” Gallagher explained.
Innovative In-Flight Advertising Opportunities
United’s new dynamic ad-served in-flight entertainment system, which will be scaled across the entire fleet, offers unique opportunities for advertisers beyond traditional 15- or 30-second spots. Brands can embed content within the interface on the back of every seat, creating engagement with passengers.
“We are able to create a custom channel for them. And in addition to that, we’re able to drive downloads for their streaming service,” Gallagher said, citing Univision as an example.
“There is that sort of deep engagement that we’re able to deliver, but then also driving actual sales and people actually signing up for streaming services or buying products directly on the plane when they scan a QR code.”
Leveraging First-Party Data for Targeted Advertising
Kinective Media’s extensive first-party data, which includes 44 million United MileagePlus members and unique profiles for over 100 million travelers, enables advertisers to reach specific audience segments both on and off the platform.
“That gives us the ability to then reach that person on our own and operated, then again, reach them when they’re off the plane and on the web or watching TV on a connected device,” Gallagher noted.
Looking ahead, Gallagher is enthusiastic about United’s earlier announcement regarding high-speed Internet access in the sky through a partnership with Starlink.
This development will create even more unique advertising opportunities within the in-flight entertainment system, such as gaming and streaming services.
The United-Starlink tie-up was announced in September.
However, Gallagher also acknowledges the challenge of making it easy for advertisers to buy across the various platforms and touch points.
To address this, Kinective Media is focusing on working with commerce media specialists within large agency holding groups and client-side marketers to sell comprehensive, omnichannel programs that reach travelers at every stage of their journey.
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