United Airlines recently introduced Kinective Media, an advertising platform that leverages the airline’s extensive customer data to deliver targeted ads to its passengers. This innovative approach allows companies to reach United’s customers through various channels, including the airline’s app, website, in-flight entertainment screens, lounges, and airports.
Kinective Media provides anonymized demographic information about customers, such as their city of residence, flight details, and age group. This data enables brands to create personalized advertising campaigns tailored to specific customer segments. It’s important to note that Kinective does not share sensitive information like race, ethnic origin, disabilities, biometric data, or personal health details.
United Airlines has secured partnerships with various companies, including Norwegian Cruise Line, IHG, Macy’s, Chase United Co-Brand Credit Cards, TelevisaUnivision, and advertising agency Dentsu. The airline plans to officially launch Kinective at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
According to MileagePlus CEO Richard Nunn, Kinective offers brands a unique opportunity to connect with premium audiences at a large scale in real-time. Unlike other advertising platforms, United Airlines provides advertisers with the ability to engage customers throughout the entire marketing funnel, from brand consideration to conversion, in a highly personalized and relevant manner.
United Airlines aims to position Kinective as a value-added service for its passengers. By delivering personalized advertising, the airline seeks to enhance the overall travel experience for customers. For example, a frequent traveler between Chicago and Los Angeles may receive targeted ads for events in Los Angeles, creating a more tailored and engaging experience.
Strengths of the Proposition
United Airlines highlights the extensive reach of Kinective, with nearly 100,000 seatback screens on its fleet, offering significant advertising exposure opportunities. Additionally, the United app records approximately 100 million user sessions per month, providing advertisers with a vast audience to engage with.
Customers who are not comfortable with personalized advertising can choose to opt out of receiving targeted Kinective ads, giving them control over their advertising preferences. However, the sharing of customer data by airlines has sparked controversy, leading the Department of Transportation to conduct a review of how airlines collect, handle, maintain, and utilize passengers’ personal information.
United Airlines’ Kinective Media represents a bold step towards creating a more personalized and engaging advertising experience for customers. By leveraging its vast customer data and innovative platform, the airline aims to provide advertisers with unique opportunities to connect with passengers in a meaningful way.