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Everyone Wants To Be College Age

by Michelle

While many airlines are declaring bankruptcy in order to get themselves right side up in the midst of a dwindling economy, AirTran is taking a different approach by catering to one demographic who may be least effected by the economic downturn: college kids.

This week, AirTran will launch its “Fly Free ‘Til You’re 23” campaign in attempts to target the 18-23 audience. The airline will start airing 15 and 30 second commercials on popular college websites like College Humor and Facebook. The spots will also be shown at movie theatres in college towns and print versions will be inserted into major university newspapers. The campaign will also hit college students at home through NBC on Campus, a digital network that links local television stations to college campuses.

The campaign’s tagline “everyone wants to be college age” is center stage in the new spots, featuring senior citizens using fake ID’s and playing video games. The spots link to www.airtranu.com where the campaign is in full swing, centered on a contest offering a chance to win two round trips per calendar quarter, until the winner turns 23. The contest is open to anyone between the ages of 18-22 who registers for AirTran’s frequent flyer program, A+ Rewards.

By catering to the college demographic, AirTran is differentiating itself from other airlines who tend to market towards business travelers. “The promotion requires everyone to join AirTran’s rewards program and it’s a good way to build loyalty with customers,” said Henry Harteveldt, an airline/travel analyst at Forrester Research, also stating that targeting young travelers is a good approach, as many have not developed brand loyalty yet.

About half of AirTran’s $15 million marketing budget is aimed toward social media in order to touch base with this viral marketing community. The airline hopes to capitalize on the recent industry changes in order to get a competitive edge over the remaining aviation powerhouses who cater to business markets.

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Public Relations for the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) U.S. 1/64

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