JCDecaux partnered with Neuro Insight, the world’s leading marketing neuro-research firm, to measure and understand the impact of airport advertising.
Airports provide advertisers with a unique environment where consumers’ emotions are high and whose brains show high levels of memory encoding (the process by which information is stored in our memory). These captive audiences experience advertising as part of the overall travel experience and have higher levels of attention and engagement.
This study, which measured the emotional mindset of passengers during a typical travel experience, uncovered several key findings about the influence of airport advertising.
Airport Touchpoints Over-Deliver Memory Encoding
Compared to other channels, airport advertising scores higher for memory encoding. Brands can leverage this to drive future consumer behavior- after storing brand information and messaging, consumers’ brains are more likely to recall those messages to help aid purchase decision making.
Memory encoding scores above 0.7 indicate the brain is storing information or ‘memories.’
Average Peak ME: 0.71
Highest Peak ME: 1.07
Variety in Airport OOH Drives Deeper Connection and Encodes Key Messages
From check in to take off, passengers encounter airport OOH at a wide variety of site contexts. Data shows that even when shown the same creative across different locations, the brain continually switches between detailed and global memory encoding. Investing in multiple sites and assets throughout the airport provides advertisers an opportunity to drive meaningful connections while also communicating key messaging by mixing imagery and text in their creatives.
Key Airport Touchpoints Produce High Emotional Intensity
High levels of emotion signal to our brains that what we are experiencing is important, increasing its ability to encode experiences to memory. Throughout the airport travel journey, there are several key touchpoints which show a significant increase in emotional intensity.
Brands looking to drive deeper brand connections can leverage these moments with emotion-inducing and contextual creatives.
External Large Format Creative Will Prepare the Subconscious for Internal Messaging
Large format sites outside the airport show extreme effectiveness for peak memory encoding compared to the overall study. Brands that are present on these high-performing sites prepare consumers’ subconscious minds to be more receptive to their messaging throughout the rest of the airport. These brands benefit from increased mental availability and faster processing time for further messaging.