Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport's (MKE) rebranding and marketing efforts received international recognition at the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) Marketing & Communications Conference earlier this month. MKE earned First Place in the following 2019 Excellence in Airport Marketing, Communications, and Customer Service Awards categories:
First Place: Brand Identity
MKE was honored for distinguishing the Airport brand in the minds of passengers, both locally and from afar. MKE’s new brand statement, launched early in 2019 as Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, more clearly identifies the Airport's geographical location. MKE’s logo was also redesigned in a more fluid and modern style.
"The Airport's brand identity and logo were reimagined to better reflect the location of the Airport and to refresh MKE’s image in the minds of travelers," Airport Director Brian Dranzik said. “This award – from an internationally-known industry organization – shows that rebranding was the right move for us to make. It’s a true honor for MKE to receive these accolades from our peers.”
First Place: Overall Marketing Programs – Medium Size Airports
MKE's 2019 “Love to Travel” campaign injected personality into the brand and made a strong connection with passengers. Advertisements ran online, streamed on Pandora radio, were shared on social media, and were displayed on outdoor billboards. The campaign generated 7,302,344 digital impressions and 30,303,872 outdoor impressions, and the social media portion significantly exceeded industry standards.
The Airport partnered with Milwaukee-based advertising agency Boelter + Lincoln on the concept and creative elements for this year’s rebranding and the overall marketing campaign. MKE has received ACI excellence awards for the last three years running.