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The Marketing Of Aviation Companies


Nearly Retired

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Over the years I have often wondered by aviation companies do not advertise in non-aviation places? For instance, why do we usually only see ads for flight schools in aviation magazines? Anyone who sees an ad for a flight school in FLYING or ROTORCRAFT PRO Magazine has expressed enough interest in learning to fly that they've picked up the magazine.

 

We're good at preaching to the choir, but why don't we try and reach good singers who haven't really considered joining the choir yet? Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, you know? So maybe flight schools should be advertising in Sports Illustrated or Popular Mechanics or Newsweek Magazine!

 

But magazines are on the way out...so they say. The wave of the future is digital and video. Trouble is, how do you make a good video to sell your product...and then where do you place it to get the kind of viewers you want?

 

When it comes to video advertising, aviaton companies typically don't do such a good job. None that I have seen has been really inspiring...until now.

 

There is a company in Orlando, Florida by the name of HQ Aviation LLC. They're a full-service helicopter outfit.

 

The promo video produced for HQ Aviation is simply astonishing in its quality. It was clearly done by a professional outfit who knew what they were doing. From a technical standpoint, the production values and editing are top-notch. It's really unlike anything I've ever seen before. Even the choice of music for the soundtrack is inspired ("Give Our Dreams Their Wings To Fly" by Tim McMorris). The whoe thing must've cost a pretty penny to produce. Blows me away.

 

We talked about this on Facebook a while back, but something caused me to revisit it. And I was reminded of how good it is. If we could only get it to "go viral." No telling what it would do to their business!

 

Every aviation company could take a lesson from HQ Aviation. I wish I knew how to embed YouTube videos in these posts. But I don't, so I've posted a link to the promo video just below. I don't know how you'll feel about it, but it makes me want to go learn how to fly all over again! Check it out!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mOoIy4BbTc

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Tim Bradley used to own a helicopter service company called Helicopter Solutions. One of his students was a former NASCAR owner turned announcer. Once his student got his PPL he bought a LongRanger and kept it at his shop. That's the kind of marketing we should be doing, introducing those who would benefit most from the advantages of rotary wing flight to the industry. We also need to be good at minimizing the pitfalls that go along with being an owner operator.

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I am currently working for a company that is doing this. Their marketing team is targeting people and businesses that I would have never dreamed of. So far it's keeping the rotors turning and bringing revenue in to help offset the cost of ownership for them (sure helps plug the hole in my pocket as well). They are known for thinking outside the box and being bold and so far it has paid off for them.

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This subject always comes with a funny bit of irony. If you're a lowtimer looking for entry level work you'd say the last thing we need is more wanabees coming in, i.e. more competition for that first job that is hard enough to find let alone get once you find it. If you have that entry level job you'd say we need to keep bringing in as many wanabees as we can, i.e. so I can build my hours and get a good paying job before I starve.

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