Owned, earned and bought media provide the platforms for customer engagement.

In the not-too-distant past, magazine advertising dominated aviation marketing.  The proposition from publishers was simple – we will provide the content and the readership base, and aviation manufacturers will rent space in our magazines to advertise products and services. This was a successful business model which lasted over 6 decades.

Then digital technology came along, disrupting the publishing model and fragmenting the marketing media landscape forever.

 “The irony is that while there have never been more ways to reach consumers, it’s never been harder to connect with consumers,” Brad Jakeman, President of Global Beverage Group & Chief Creative Officer at Pepsi Company.

The changing media landscape

With every new communication technology and platform, there is a new twist on customer engagement. I find it beneficial to think in two directions for media:

1. Inbound
2. Outbound

In addition to the directions, I suggest segmenting media into:

• Earned
• Owned
• Bought

Inbound and outbound media

Inbound media is a relatively new term derived from using social media to engage customers and prospects through conversation. The start of the conversation usually originates on the customer side in the form of an inquiry or comment posted to a web page, blog, or social media platform. Digitally literate aviation marketers monitor their social media sites for posts and respond accordingly to satisfy the inquiry.

Outbound media can be categorized as any communication sent from the aviation manufacturer that was not directly requested. Outbound media can take the form of magazine advertising, email blast, direct mail, promotions, television commercials, podcast, and You Tube videos.

Owned, earned and bought media

Owned media is any media entity or vehicle in which the aviation marketer controls content and distribution. A few examples include:

• Company newsletters
• Corporate magazines
• Corporate websites
• Product microsites
• Twitter accounts
• Facebook pages
• Linkedin accounts
• Pinterest boards
• Videos distributed over a video-sharing site

Earned media happens when information is published by a third party because it is newsworthy, timely, or considered relevant. Examples include:

• Published press releases
• Published articles in magazines
• Retweets from Twitter postings
• Credit attribution for blog image or posting
• SERPs (Search Engine Result Page)

Bought media is any space that is purchased for a specific time in which the advertiser places and distributes content. Examples include:

• Advertisements in aviation magazines
• Online banner advertisements
• Pay-per-click search advertisements
• Purchased email list
• Purchased mailing list
• Billboards
• Radio airtime
• Bus signage
• Trade show sponsorships

Astute aviation marketers view the fragmented media landscape through the eyes of a publisher, selecting the media channels that best connect with their customer base and deliver the greatest marketing return.

photo credit: stefanomaggi via photo pin cc