Get the Edge with Airport Accolades

The aviation industry certainly has its share of award competitions and for marketing and public relations purposes, an accolade or award can be used to elevate an airport’s profile.  Awards from Skytrax, Business Traveller, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airport Council International (ACI), OAG, Travel Trade Gazette (TTG), and the World Travel Awards bestow some of the most coveted and prestigious industry awards.  

There are few awards that specialize in recognizing excellence in overall marketing efforts. However, the Peggy G. Hereford Award, which is presented annually by the Airport Operators Council, appears to be the most respected. The award is named after an exceptionally talented communications professional, Peggy Hereford, who initially served as the Public Affairs Director at Los Angeles International Airport.

According to the organization’s website, “The Peggy G. Hereford Award is given to honor creativity, effectiveness in reaching audiences with a message, and the overall scope of an airport’s effort in marketing and public relations. Its goal is to spotlight the commitment and dedication of the contest’s most decorated team each year that – in its own way – is the best the industry has to offer. This award is widely recognized throughout the airport world as the highest honor an airport can earn in the public and media relations field.”

Although applications for the 2013 awards will not be available until March of next year, now is the time for airports that want to enhance their reputation in the industry to consider areas of excellence for their nominations.  Last year’s call for entries is a very useful tool as an objective audit of your own airport’s current marketing initiatives. Too often, the time constraints of managing and keeping up with the daily operations of a large airport pre-empts raising visibility for an airport’s potentially award winning marketing efforts.

To stay competitive, it is essential to be competitive. Airports can audit and make a plan to enter several appropriate award competitions annually. The key is not to limit the entries to competitions that focus only on the aviation industry.  Participating does require an investment of time and financial resources, but can be well worth the initial outlay as the list of your airport awards continues to grow and your facility stays relevant in the industry.

The strategic benefit of winning awards for airports is that you can increase your sphere of influence in important vertical market sectors. For example, John Wayne Airport was recognized with a first place win for their digital interactive annual report by ACI in 2012. In addition to ACI’s accolade and to maximize the impact and reach, John Wayne Airport could also enter that same annual report in other competitions, such as LACP Vision Awards, ATC Awards, ASPC Annual Report Awards, APPA Annual Report Contest just to name a few. This brings visibility for the airport to the financial and business sectors at a nominal cost.

To get you thinking about your future award-winning airport activities, here is an A-Z list of potential categories for consideration:

• Advertising – print, radio, television, online
• Airport Phone Applications
• Airport Technology
• Annual Reports
• Aviation Education and Tour Programs
• Branding
• Brochures and Collateral Materials
• Community Outreach
• Crisis Management/Reputation Management
• Creativity with Promotional Items
• Cultural Programs
• Customer Service Initiatives
• Digital Campaigns
• Direct Marketing
• Experiential Marketing
• Integrated Campaigns
• Marketing Campaigns
• Newsletters/E-zines
• Photography
• Promotions
• Public Relations Campaigns
• Social Media Campaigns
• Special Events and Celebrations
• Video and Film Productions
• Websites

A solid award submission strategy has the ability to capitalize on exceptional marketing and promotional activities. It yields a growing list of accolades that can be used for future marketing efforts, especially during challenging economic times. It’s the snowball effect in elevating an airport’s profile.

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Agnes Huff, PhD, has more than 25 years of experience providing specialized strategic public relations and marketing, crisis management and business consulting to a diverse group of clients in the aviation industry. In 1995, she founded Agnes Huff Communications Group (AHCG) an integrated marketing and PR consulting firm headquartered in Los Angeles. Clients include national and international airports and airlines, government entities, travel and tourism organizations, and transportation companies, among other high-profile industry clients. She welcomes feedback and will respond to comments at [email protected]. More information on AHCG is available at www.ahuffgroup.com.