Bob Hope Airport seeks to capitalize on West L.A. construction delays
Seeking to capitalize on the lengthy construction projects on the San Diego (405) Freeway and Los Angeles International Airport, officials at Bob Hope Airport will soon launch a $150,000 marketing campaign touting the regional airfield’s convenience.
Bob Hope Airport officials hope the campaign will help turnaround a months-long decline in parking revenues and passenger numbers, even as LAX continues to post gains.
They’re also banking on the recent publicity Bob Hope received for being the country’s least-expensive airport to use, according to cheapflights.com.
The six-month marketing campaign — approved Monday by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority — will focus on the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, said Martin Cooper, president of Cooper Communications Inc.
“There are some timing factors that lead us to want to implement this campaign as soon as possible,” Cooper said.
He cited an 18-month construction project on the 405 Freeway and a 24-month project at LAX that will make getting to and around the massive airport more difficult, Cooper told the authority on Monday.
The campaign will include advertising in local publications, but will also feature online promotions, participation in local events, such as health fairs and in-person presentations to area civic and business groups, Cooper said.
“People talking to people is, according to the American Marketing Assn., the most effective way to sell a point of view,” he added.
The marketing program will also bring back airport tours for local decision-makers, primarily business leaders — a practice that was halted after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
While Cooper’s presentation included advertising themes such as “The best way from here to anywhere” and “An even better way to fly,” airport commissioner Steve Madison said he would prefer to explain to passengers why the airfield is “the best” by using words such as “faster,” “cheaper” and “closer” in advertising and other promotions.
Airport officials are continuing their discussions about possibly changing the name of the airfield, but for this campaign it will be called the Burbank Bob Hope Airport
One of the goals of the campaign is to increase the use of the airport over the holidays.
“We’re not too late to do that,” Cooper said.
The long-term goal is to increase visibility of Bob Hope Airport as a more convenient way to fly for future travelers after the campaign ends, he added.
-- Mark Kellam, Times Community News
Follow Mark Kellam on Twitter: @LAMarkKellam