Publicity can offer a huge boost to business, particularly in the current economic climate where any increase in consumer attention is welcome.
One such way for a business to gain the interest of the media - and therefore the public at large - is to come up with a novel idea. The idea doesn't have to be strictly new or revolutionary, just have a uniqueness that will turn heads.
The Washington Post recently ran an article entitled 'AirTran to put ads on seatback tray tables' which focussed on the airliners decision to place adverts on the underside of the small eating surfaces.
While AirTran is doing better than many airlines during this time of financial turmoil, it will have benefitted from the online PR and increased volume of click-throughs generated by appearing in an article by such a reputed news service.
The concept of placing advertising on tray tables is not a new one, but neither is it a regular occurrence, hence why it has been picked up by a highly-regarded newspaper.
Indeed, US Airways Group Inc had advertisements attached to the tops of tray tables so that when passengers unlatched the devices, the attached adverts would lie in front of them.
The idea is one that affords the advertiser's poster guaranteed face time with consumers.
Tad Hutcheson, AirTran's vice president of marketing and sales, said: "You see it for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the length of your flight. It gets a lot of impressions."
The advertising agreement has been made with Mother Nature Network and will offer people the chance to win a Royal Caribbean cruise.
However, the adverts will not be placed across the company's entire fleet, with 138 planes said to be set to receive the posters.
The move offers the carrier an extra revenue source – a much needed stream in what has been a difficult period. The top five US flyers lost a total of $3.2 billion in the first nine months of this year alone.
That said, AirTran has been one of the few profitable companies this year. Inventive advertising campaigns will only continue to make them more profitable.
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