Category Archives: Aviation

The 5 Habits of Effective Aviation Brands

There are standout brands in every industry. And it’s those brands that keep everyone else on their toes – constantly working to improve, get better and outdo the competition and reach more customers.

But what is it that makes a brand stand out from the pack? What do they do that’s more effective than the rest?

In aviation, there are five clear-cut habits these standout brands share. Want 2020 to be a banner year for your business? Then take a page out of their books and do the following:

  1. Know your why. What’s the purpose of what you do? What role do you play in your customers’ lives, and how are you playing that role better than anyone else in the industry? Know what makes your company tick and let that drive everything you do – every marketing campaign, every new product, every sales call.
  2. Be consistent. Every message should tie into the next, using the same voice, tone and feel whether it’s on social media, in a print advertisement or on the radio. Your customers should be able to recognize your brand’s unique voice instantly no matter where they encounter you.
  3. Get your employees on board. There’s no better advocate than your employees. Nurture them, reward them and make them truly grateful to be a part of your movement, and that passion will carry through in all they do.
  4. Know your competition. Be aware of others on the scene, and always stay in the know about their latest products and developments. Understand what place each competitor holds in the industry, as well as how your unique value can set you apart from them.
  5. Foster loyalty. Reward your customers for doing business with you and particularly if they review you, share your products on social media or come back for repeat purchases. Customers want to feel like a valuable part of your brand, so make sure they’re appreciated for all they do.

The most effective aviation brands know who they are, what purpose they serve and the nuances of their audience and competition intimately. Want help doing all this and more? Get in touch with our team of aviation marketing experts today.

 

Why Aviation Brands Should Focus on Storytelling

Why Aviation Brands Should Focus on Storytelling | Haley Aerospace Marketing

Technology, B2B, and aerospace brands all have something working against them: They feel unapproachable. Maybe it’s the confusing jargon or the big money involved, or maybe it’s just that customers don’t feel very connected to these brands. Either way, it’s a problem.

Fortunately, it’s one that great storytelling can solve.

How Can Storytelling Help?

Storytelling has a way of humanizing brands – even those you don’t have much in common with. It can make companies feel more approachable, relevant, and current, and it can spark that much-needed sense of connectedness that buyers need to pull the trigger and make that purchase.

In industries that often feel untouchable – aviation and aerospace included – a great story can speak to:

  • Who’s using your products and services
  • What kind of benefits they offer
  • What your values and mission are
  • The impact you’re making in your industry and beyond
  • Your authenticity and honesty
  • Best of all, it does this without any costly advertising or self-serving horn-tooting. Instead, it lets others do the talking for you. It lends clout to your offerings as a business, and it boosts trust in your overall brand.

The Keys to Great Storytelling

You can tell a story through social media posts, blogs, and even your website content. Really, any customer touchpoint is an appropriate place to use storytelling – customer service calls and email messages included.

Just remember: The human element is the most important part, so don’t try to relate to your customers as a business. Instead, use the people who are part of your business as the jumping-off point for your stories.

You can:

  • Recognize team members and employees
  • Highlight customer reviews and testimonials
  • Interview past customers and clients
  • Provide case studies and success stories
  • Show before-and-after transformations
  • Follow your products from purchase to implementation with real-life clients

The goal is to follow the people. What impact are you having on those you serve? What are the experiences of your employees, clients, and customers? How can you relay those experiences and have them resonate with your audience?

Make the Connection

At the end of the day, remember that while you’re a business, you’re a business that’s run by people – and that thread is what connects you to your customers, whether they’re buyers for the U.S. government or the average Joe down the street.

Do you need help making that human connection through your brand’s storytelling? Reach out to Haley Aerospace today. We’re here to help.

 

4 Ways to Build Trust in Your Aviation Brand

Trust plays a critical role in business success nowadays.

Buyers want to know that they’re spending their money wisely, with someone who will deliver on their promises and keep to their word. They want to know that the brand they’re buying from has satisfied past customers and that there are protections in place to ensure they’re equally satisfied too.

In short, they want you to prove yourself.

How do you do that exactly? How can you show new customers you’re worth their trust? How can you prove to existing ones that you deserve to keep it? Here are four ways:

Use social proof.

Social proof can be a great way to build trust with potential clients and leads. Ask your current customers to review you on Yelp, Google, Facebook, and other review sites, and share testimonials on your website and on social media. Show them that past customers trusted you with their business (and that they’re happy they did).

Go unrehearsed.

There’s nothing more inauthentic than being superscripted and rehearsed. It leaves customers wary and skeptical, and it might even turn them off for good. Customers would rather get to know the real business they’re working with, even if that means they’re not 100 percent perfect all the time.

Here are a few ways to get more real with your customers:

  • Try your hand at live videos
  • Let your sales reps go off script and have freer, more organic conversations
  • Use shorthand, emojis, and more casual terms in tweets and on social media
  • Talk about topics that matter to your customers (not just yourself and your products)

The goal is to make customers feel like they know you, the real you, and can trust you with their hard-earned money.

Guarantee value at every touchpoint.

The truth is, most customers could go to 10 other competitors to get the same products and services you offer. If you really want to earn their trust and repeat business, you need to show them why you’re better at every turn. That means giving them something back (not just taking something) each and every time you connect.

On your blog, maybe it’s tips on how to best use their new product or how to improve their business. On email, it could be a discount code or alert about a sale, and on social media, it could just be a funny meme that makes their day. The bottom line is that the customer walks away with something and that you never, ever waste their time.

Solicit feedback.

There’s no better way to earn trust than to ask for feedback. For one, it tells customers you care about their opinion. If you respond to that feedback or even make changes based on it, it also shows you’re legitimately concerned about the services and value they’re receiving as a client.

Try to solicit feedback regularly, at least once quarterly or after every engagement. You can do this with a simple reach-out via email or phone or through an automated survey program. Just make sure you’re prepared to read the responses and act accordingly.

How Trustworthy Is Your Aviation Brand?

What are you doing to build trust in your aviation brand? Want to do more? The Haley Aerospace team can help. Reach out today for a free consult.

 

5 Quick Changes for More Effective Lead Generation

5 Quick Changes for More Effective Lead Generation | Aviation Marketing | Haley Aerospace Marketing

When it comes to your brand’s profitability, your lead generation efforts might just be the most important factor.

After all, more leads equal more sales potential. And more sales? Well, that means more money in the long run.

But lead generation is a tricky beast. It takes a mix of great, valuable content, highly targeted marketing strategies and stellar engagement to master, and few aviation brands have all of these assets (not to mention resources) to handle it all in-house.

Want to start ramping up your lead gen efforts to see better results? Here are a few quick changes you can make:

1. Add your opt-in forms everywhere.

Opt-in forms shouldn’t just be on the footer of your website. You also want them on the sidebar of your blog, embedded in your videos and gating your most coveted content. Make sure you’re asking for enough information to properly sift them into the right funnels too. Your messages will fall on deaf ears if they’re not highly targeted and relevant to the customer’s needs.

2. Leverage your most-seen real estate.

What is it that almost every customer (or potential customer) sees? Is it your email signature? Your Facebook page? The viral video you did a few months back? Make it work for you. Add a link or two to your most relevant, valuable content (maybe a free tool or template), and make sure there’s a way for clients to opt-in or learn more as well. Don’t let these high-traffic assets go unleveraged.

3. Start working with influencers in your industry.

Reach out to movers and shakers in the industry, and ask them smart, timely questions about what’s going on in the space. Weave their quotes into articles or resources (with their permission, of course), publish a full Q&A video or blog post, and retweet their content on Twitter. Not only does associating with these influencers give your brand more clout, but it could also mean added exposure if they share or post your work together with their own followings.

4. Always have a CTA.

Go through your webpages, blogs and other online content. Is there a call to action on every page? If not, there needs to be and fast. Every piece of content should have its own, custom-fit CTA that’s tailored exactly to what the customer is reading (and needing) at that point in time.

CTA options include things like:

* Contacting you for more information
* Downloading a free guide or content offer
* Signing up for your email list for more information/insights
* Liking you on Facebook or following you on Twitter

Just make sure it’s appropriate to the content on the page, and that it gives your brand another way to reach the customer after this initial interaction.

5. Check your analytics after every new effort.

After every one of these changes (or any other new marketing effort you take on), check your analytics. Was traffic up or down? How many opt-ins did you get? How many unsubscribes followed that? Did any sales result from the effort? Try to understand the full impact of the changes you made, and if they weren’t what you were hoping for, tweak your content, creative or targeting and try again. Use your metrics to help you hone a strategy that’s not only effective but lucrative.

Change Is Necessary

If your lead generation efforts aren’t delivering the results your aviation brand needs, then these quick changes can help. Want more advice on improving your lead gen strategy? Contact Haley Aerospace for a free consult today.

3 Mistakes New Aviation Marketers Make

3 Mistakes New Aviation Marketers Make | Haley Aerospace Marketing

If you’re new to being an aviation marketer, you’ll quickly find that it’s a unique beast.

Not only are we selling high-dollar parts, products and machines, we’re also selling experiences. Doing all of these things take a powerful grasp on both our audience and the values and priorities that matter most to them.

Are you new to the aviation marketing world? Just want to brush up on your skills and make sure you’re on the right track? Here are the biggest mistakes newbie aviation marketers make (and how to avoid them):

Not measuring and tracking

Marketing without metrics is just shooting in the dark. If you want to ensure your strategy is an effective one, it needs to be based in cold, hard data. What areas are you failing in? Where are your efforts working and where is there room for improvement? What past efforts have been successful and what led to their success? Analytics can help you answer all of these questions and more.

It’s not just about watching your analytics, though — it’s about watching the right ones. As with anything, not all metrics are created equal, and if you want to drive more sales and get more clients, you have to watch the metrics that are tied to those numbers — the conversion rates on your content offers, the engagement on your social posts and the leads you keep in the funnel after a trade show. Know what your key performance indicators are and keep a good gauge on them at all times. Let them drive your strategy and move your brand forward.

Skipping social

Many aviation marketers feel social media is a waste of time. Are high-dollar buyers really watching your brand on Facebook? Could a Twitter post really bring a new B2B vendor into the fold? You bet it could. In aviation marketing, it’s all about choosing the right social channels to focus on.

For B2B brands, LinkedIn is king, and Twitter can bring in some healthy sales as well. For B2C organizations, visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are great options if you’ve got amazing aviation photography because they really draw people to your brand. (You just have to know how to convert them and turn those leads into a sale after that!)

Marketing to the wrong person

You also need to know who you’re marketing to. If you’re a B2B aviation brand, you’re not marketing to the CEO of a company. Instead, you’re trying to reach a buyer for that brand — someone lower on the totem pole, with less of a financial stake and more to prove. They want you to make them look good and they want you to show them how.

For B2C brands, you need to dive into the psyche and demographics of your target audience. What’s their income level? Do they have kids? What stage of life are they in? What’s important to them and what are their values? These should all play a role in both how you market to them and what venues you use to do it.

Always keep the end-buyer’s unique scenario in mind when crafting your marketing efforts. What are their challenges and struggles? What are their pain points? How can you, specifically, help them solve and overcome them? More importantly, how can you convince them of your abilities and earn their trust?

You’re Not Alone

You don’t have to go it alone in aviation marketing. Our experts are here to help point you in the right direction — both on metrics and on strategy. Contact Haley Aerospace today for help with your 2019 aviation marketing.

 

Four Aerospace Marketing Trends for 2019

Four Aerospace Marketing Trends for 2019 | Aviation Marketing | Haley Aerospace Marketing

Somehow, 2018 is coming to a close, and it’s already time to start mapping out your marketing budget for the new year.

Do you know what you’ll pour your resources into? What platforms and tools to purchase? Where to augment your staff and what trade shows to send them to?

If not, look to current aerospace marketing trends to guide you. Here’s what our clients have been up to in the past few months — and what we expect to see more of as 2019 plows forward:

1. Customization and personalization.

Today’s consumers expect a more targeted, personalized experience than ever before. No more cookie cutter, catch-all marketing campaigns or vague billboard ads that speak to no one in particular. Now, it’s all about speaking directly to the customer — addressing their exact needs, wants, desires and struggles.

It sounds hard, but thanks to the huge amount of data we marketers have access to, it’s not as far-fetched as it might seem. You just need the right measurement tools (analytics platforms, customer interviewing strategies, polls, surveys, etc.), as well as the right team members to watch that data, analyze it and act on it.

2. Embracing the unique.

Instead of trying to be the best or the most expensive or the most luxe, today’s aerospace brands are focused on being their most unique. Rather than touting their awards and high-profile clients, they’re honing in on what makes their products and services different from their competitors — and then using those differentiators to position their brand for better-qualified customers and B2B partners.

3. Going back to square one.

What made your brand successful in the first place? It might have been 75 years ago, but those same things that made you popular then can make you popular again. Take Disney’s recent reboot marathon lately. Why do you think they’ve taken to re-doing every single animated film the company’s ever made? Because those films were their foundation — the thing that got them where they are today.

When in doubt, go back to square one and look at what brought you here. Sometimes, improving your business doesn’t have to mean a total 180-degree change. Small tweaks and incremental alterations in approach can do wonders.

4. Pushing quality over quantity.

Aerospace customers are discerning ones. They know a cheap Facebook ad from an expensive placement in a trade show booklet or industry magazine. Instead of trying to get “more for less,” pouring all your resources into hundreds of unqualified clicks on Facebook or Google, focus your efforts where you know your customers are — even if it means spending a bit more (or bringing in fewer leads) in the process.

2019 is Almost Here

We understand these aerospace marketing trends and can help you create a winning marketing strategy for your aerobrand in 2019. Contact the team at Haley Aerospace Marketing today.

 

Top-down or bottom-up: Which branding strategy is right for you?

Top-down or bottom-up: Which branding strategy is right for you? | Haley Aerospace Marketing

For large aerospace and aviation organizations, there are two options when it comes to branding: You can brand from the top down or from the bottom up.

Each option comes with its unique pros and cons, and the best choice really depends on what the company’s overall goals are, how well known and established the organization is, and the differences between its unique branches and product lines.

Not sure which branding strategy is best for your specific aviation company? Let’s examine both to find out.

Top-Down Branding

With a top-down branding strategy, everything starts with the branding of the larger, all-encompassing organization.

Google, for example, is a top-down branded company. All its unique product lines and services – no matter how different they may be – have some sort of Google connection to them. There’s Gmail, Google Drive, Google+, Google Documents, etc.

The reason for following this strategy? It’s likely to leverage Google’s known clout in the tech world. Why create a new brand name and style, when the current one is already so well known and successful? Google can give its new products a leg up on the competition simply by lending its namesake.

Bottom-Up Branding

On the opposite end of the spectrum is bottom-up branding, which has an overarching brand, as well as several sub-brands that stand alone.

A good example of bottom-up branding can be seen with the candy company Mars. Unlike Hershey, which has products like Hershey Kisses and Hershey Chocolate Bars, the Mars company’s products have names and brands all their own. M&M’s, 3 Musketeers, Snickers and Twix are just a few of the sub-brands under the Mars name.

Though Mars itself is certainly well known in the candy world, many of its sub-brands are, arguably, even more established. This is common with consumer brands – particularly ones where products vary greatly. It’s also often a result of mergers and acquisitions.

Need Branding Guidance? Let Us Help

In the aviation world, it’s not uncommon for companies to have numerous product lines or services branching off. But should those carry the same name or stand alone as brands in their own right? The question is a hard one – and it varies from organization to organization.

Want help honing in on what strategy is most appropriate (and profitable) for your aerobrand? Get in touch. Our branding experts are here to help.

 

Think YouTube’s Only for B2C? Think Again, Aviation Brands

Think YouTube’s Only for B2C? Think Again, Aviation Brands | Haley Aerospace and Aviation Marketing

Full of makeup tutorials, video game reviews and cat videos, it’s easy to think that YouTube is a platform best reserved for teens and tweens.

But while that demo may account for a fair share of YouTube’s audience, they’re not alone. In fact, users 35 and up are spending more time on the site than ever, and a whopping 73 percent even say they use it for how-to content on a regular basis.

That spells immense opportunity for B2B aviation brands – opportunity to reach more prospects, convert more leads and, ultimately, sell more products.

Thinking of using YouTube videos to augment your B2B marketing efforts? Here are some tips to help:

Optimize for the platform

Just like you would on your website, work carefully chosen SEO keywords into your videos’ descriptions, tags, titles and more. This will help people find you on YouTube’s search function, as well as in Google and other search engines. You should also make sure to include timestamps in your video, as this makes it easier for users to skip ahead or come back for a second look. (Show them you value their time as much as you value their money!)

Brand it

Maybe it’s a simple backdrop behind the desk or a logo on your shirt, but make sure you’re consistently showing your brand in the video. Just don’t go overboard and inundate viewers with in-your-face branding placements.

Don’t script too much

Steer clear of over-rehearsing or scripting your videos down to the smallest detail. You want your videos to be authentic and to build trust. A few mistakes here and there only add to your relatability.

Develop your personality

YouTube, at its heart, is meant to be entertaining, so have fun with your videos. Develop a voice and infuse your content with a personality that’s unique to your brand. Carry that personality through every video – no matter what the topic. It’s what will keep people coming back for more.

Enhance your videos with a blog post

Have more to say on a subject? Don’t drone on and on in a 45-minute video. Keep your videos short and sweet, and supplement them with a more detailed blog post instead. Embed the video into your post or link to it, and give it a quick SEO boost.

Aviation brands should be consistent

Have a schedule for your posts, so viewers know when to expect and tune in to your content. You should also work to build anticipation for upcoming videos by posting on social media or releasing teaser videos as you’re prepping the content.

Leverage your channels

“If you build it, they will come” doesn’t necessarily work for YouTube, so make sure to leverage your existing marketing channels to distribute your videos. Share them on Facebook and Instagram, post them on your website and blog, and send them in an email to your most loyal customers. If it’s good enough, they’ll share it as well, and your reach will only snowball from there.

Did You Know?

Haley Aerospace started as Haley Films, so we know our way around video production. Want help getting your B2B YouTube strategy off the ground? We help aerobrands. Get in touch today to discuss your goals.

 

Are You Making These Dangerous Aviation Branding Mistakes?

Are You Making These Dangerous Aviation Branding Mistakes? | Haley Aerospace and Aviation Marketing

It doesn’t matter how big your company is or how many products you’ve sold. In aviation branding, even the smallest mistakes can cost you.

We’ve seen it ourselves.

Want to make sure an aviation branding mishap doesn’t throw your company off course? Here are the biggest mistakes we’ve seen to date:

1. Thinking branding is a one-time to-do.

Too many companies approach branding as a one-time project – particularly in the old-school industry of aviation.

Though your organization certainly does need a physical, tangible branding suite with defined logos, colors and slogans, the work doesn’t stop once these are checked off your to-do list.

In fact, branding never stops.

That’s because branding isn’t just a noun. It’s a verb. It’s an ongoing effort to carve your company’s place in the world – to make it stand out in customers’ minds, to oust the competition, and to strengthen the unique message and value you have to offer. It requires constant work and attention, and it should be a factor in every effort you undertake.

2. Forgetting why you started.

Your company first started for a reason. Maybe there was a void in the market you wanted to fill, or maybe you found a way to do it better, bigger or faster. Maybe you just had a great passion for the industry. Whatever that reason was, it should remain at your company’s core today.

Your branding efforts should revolve around that original vision, and instilling that initial idea or passion within your customers should be the end goal. If it’s not, refocus on what makes your company who it is – and find ways to drive that home with your target audience.

3. Being too internally focused.

Your team might have great ideas, but if they don’t know who they’re talking to or what challenges that audience is facing, they’re never going to create branding strategies that truly resonate.

Great branding requires working from the outside in – understanding your customers’ needs, wants, desires and even demographics first, and then positioning your brand to meet those unique requirements in every way possible.

It might sound difficult, but the digital landscape we live in has made tuning in to customer feedback incredibly easy. Use social media, online reviews, surveys and other tools to really get to know your audience and what makes them tick.

4. Putting the branding burden on one department.

Branding isn’t an effort reserved just for your marketing department. It should drive every strategy across every division and team in your organization.

From sales and customer service to marketing and IT, every department needs to be on board with your branding, using it to create targeted, purposeful solutions that really resonate with your audience. In fact, representatives from each team should be involved in creating your branding, so that it truly speaks to your organization as a whole from the outset.

How Does Your Aviation Branding Stack Up?

Have you made any of these aviation branding mistakes? Want help honing in on the right strategy for your unique business and customers? We can help. Get in touch with Haley Aerospace & Aviation Marketing today.

 

Aviation Marketing Tip No. 1: Do Your Research

Aviation Marketing Tip No. 1: Do Your Research | Haley Aerospace Marketing

We’ve been at the aviation marketing game for a long time now, so it’s no surprise when people try to pick our brains once in a while.

We’ll get questions like …

What tips do you have?

What are the best tools to use?

What’s the key to success?

And though I’d love to say we have some amazing, magical secret sauce that helps all our clients win, the truth is, it all comes down to something pretty simple …

Good research.

It’s true. Research drives every campaign, strategy and effort we embark on with our clients, and it gives us the fodder we need to deliver noticeable revenue-boosting results.

Specifically, there are three types of research we focus on:

Audience Research

The purpose of audience research is twofold:

  • to determine who to best market a brand’s products and services to
  • to understand the unique demographics and differentiators about those audiences

I say “audiences” because rarely does a brand have just ONE audience. They have a large group of potential customers, sure, but that group can be broken down into three, four, maybe even 10 subsets – smaller groups with attributes unique to just them. Knowing these unique attributes is crucial to better marketing to them and resonating with them.

Audience research can be done in many ways, from surveys and interviews with past customers to paid focus groups or questionnaires. In the end, the goal needs to be have this information about your audiences:

  • Demographic and geographic data
  • Income and job level
  • Homeownership and marital status
  • Current job or personal challenges as they relate to your products/services

Knowing this information about your potential customers will help you frame your products and services in the best light for their income, location and job position, as well as their unique personal and professional circumstances.

Market Research

With market research, you’re looking to see what’s already out there. Are there products or services out there that serve the same purpose as yours? The same audiences? If so, what’s different about them? How does your product solve the problem better or add additional value for a customer?

You want to get a feel for the marketplace your products and services exist in. What are customers willing to pay in your space? What needs are and aren’t being met? Where are the holes in the market where your products could step in and fill a demand? The answers to these questions should frame your entire aviation marketing campaign.

Competitive Research

Finally, you want to research the competition – those other brands vying for your customers, sales and revenues. Make an exhaustive list of all those competing in your space, even the only semi-related ones. Then, look at each brand’s:

  • Marketing efforts – What publications are they advertising in? Are they investing in search ads, TV commercials, trade shows or other venues? Are you seeing their name splattered across billboards? Take stock of where and how each competitor is getting their name out there.
  • Product and service lines – What products and services does each competitor offer? How are those similar or different to yours? What needs/demands are they meeting with their products/services?
  • Branding – What is their branding like? Do they seem like more of a high-priced, luxury brand or a more affordable, budget-friendly one? What colors, logos, mottos and other signatures do they use?
  • Digital presence – What is their website like? Is it up to date, high tech and appealing? How about their social media accounts? Are they regularly updated and used to communicate with customers?

Using all this competitive research, you can create an effective strategy that positions your company as a unique standout in the marketplace – one whose products solve a problem/challenge that today’s consumers are actively struggling with.

Ready for Some Research?

Research is at the heart of any successful aviation marketing, advertising or branding campaign. Want help conducting the research your brand needs to take off in 2018? Haley Aerospace is here to help.

 

Old School, Meet New School: Today’s Aviation Marketing Takes a Mix of Both

Old School, Meet New School: Today’s Aviation Marketing Takes a Mix of Both | Haley Aerospace Marketing

With the constant advent of new technologies and the ever-evolving social media space, it’s easy for marketers to feel overwhelmed.

What new tools and strategies are worth your limited resources? Your time? Your energy?

Should you abandon your tried-and-true “old school” method and pour all your cash into the next big thing? Or do you hold steady on the path you’ve known for decades?

It’s a hard landscape to operate in, and it’s one that leaves even the most accomplished of marketers flummoxed.

Fortunately, I’ve got some good news for you: You don’t have to choose.

The Best of Both Worlds

The most effective aviation marketing strategy,  even in today’s constantly changing environment, is one that blends elements of so-called “old school” marketing with newer-age tools and strategies.

The reason for this is simple: You’re still working with the same type of customer, high-level aviation buyers with big budgets and lots of oversight to deal with. These customers almost always require a little more hand-holding, in-person meetings, more one-on-one interactions and more devoted attention.

But aviation is also a highly technologically advanced industry, and as such, customers expect our methods to be advanced, too. You can’t sell a million-dollar cockpit component but have a website that won’t display on an iPhone. It’s just bad for business.

Check out some of the methods, both new and old, that we swear by in our aviation marketing campaigns.

NEW SCHOOL: Content marketing

Creating blogs, ebooks, articles and social content is a great way to draw in leads and prove your expertise all in one fell swoop. Do it in tandem with SEO efforts (use carefully chosen keywords throughout your content), and your results are amplified even further.

OLD SCHOOL: Paid advertising

It might not be as popular as it once was, but paid advertising, particularly in print publications, is still quite effective for aviation brands. Today’s landscape boasts dozens more ad mediums than before, though, so make sure you choose your outlets carefully. A mix of trade publications and online ads is usually best.

NEW SCHOOL: Social media

Social media works with any industry. It just takes some tailoring to fit your specific target audience. In our experience, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram tend to work best in aviation marketing. LinkedIn, because it’s a direct line to decision-makers; Twitter, because of its shareability; and Instagram, for showing off aviation products in their best and most appealing light.

OLD SCHOOL: Real conversations.

As much as today’s consumer likes interactive, digital conversations with the brands they do business with, aviation customers still want their real-life communication. They want to pick up the phone and ask questions, they want someone to walk them through the shopping and buying process, and they want a go-to resource for information and guidance when needed.

NEW SCHOOL: Immersive online and digital experiences

Well-designed, high-functioning websites are crucial to any brand’s success nowadays. After all, your website is probably your biggest marketing tool and, likely, the very first point of contact a customer has with your brand. It needs to be beautiful, usable and functional across devices and screens.

OLD SCHOOL: Face-to-face interactions

Regardless of how great your website is aviation customers still want to see you in person. They want to touch, feel and operate your products, and they want to talk shop with your employees. It’s why our industry is so rife with trade shows; they’re in-demand, and they work!

Find the Perfect Balance

Want to strike the perfect balance between old-school and new-school with your aviation marketing plan? Let the Haley Aerospace team lead the way. Contact us today to chat.

 

Your 2018 Aerospace & Defense Media Plan: 5 Questions to Ask

Creating Your 2018 Aerospace & Defense Media Plan: 5 Questions You Need to Ask | Haley Aerospace Marketing

It’s hard to believe, but 2017 is quickly coming to a close.

You’ve attended all the trade shows. Closed all the deals. Met all your sales goals.

And now, it’s time to look toward the future–to determine where you’ll focus your efforts, what you’ll spend your limited budget on and how you’ll ensure even more success in the year to come.

Not sure where to start? Just ask yourself these questions:

What worked this year?

Obviously, if a facet of your aviation / aerospace / defense media plan worked this year, by all means, you should do it again. Did one magazine ad bring in a lot of great leads? See what other advertising options they offer and expand your reach. Do they have bigger ads? Special issues you can be a part of? Other ways you can get involved?

Were there any trade shows that brought in a big ROI? Editorial features that got your team members noticed? Hone in on what parts of your plan were successful, and build your 2018 plans around them.

What didn’t?

Even more important than figuring out what worked last year is determining what didn’t. What efforts were a waste of time, money and resources? Which ones just didn’t deliver on expectations? Which ones failed to produce quality leads or sales?

Make a list of which efforts under-delivered, as well as how much they cost. Once you’ve tallied up all the initiatives that weren’t successful, you’ll know exactly how much you’ll save by not repeating them. Then you can put those funds toward efforts you know are effective–or new initiatives you may want to try out.

What are your competitors doing?

You should always keep a close watch on what your competitors are up to. What publications are they advertising in? Which trade shows are they attending? Where events are they sponsoring?

If they’re investing in initiatives you’re not, do your research. Could there be value in those efforts for your brand as well? Is it worth giving them a trial run? It’s likely if your competitors are seeing results, you will, too.

What’s new?

Just as important as being in tune with your industry, is being in tune with marketing at large. Are there any need strategies that have hit the scene? New social platforms or advertising methods you haven’t used yet? Dive in, and find out if they offer you opportunities to reach your target audience. If you’re not sure, reach out to a marketing pro and get some input.

Better yet, survey your customers, and get their opinion.

What are your goals?

Finally, it’s time to get down to goals. What do you want to accomplish this year? Get more customers in a specific niche? Secure more sales from existing customers? Have more visibility with potential partners in the space? These goals should drive where, when and how you spend your budget.

Map out each goal, as well as what you’re currently doing to accomplish it. This will give you an idea of what gaps exist in your strategy. Then you can plan your 2018 plan and budget accordingly.

 

Need help creating your aviation, aerospace or defense media plan for next year? Shoot me an email. The Haley Aerospace team is here to help.

 

Aviation Advertising Disruptors: How Some Brands Are Breaking the Trade Show Status Quo

aviation advertising

Ever get tired of the same old, same old at trade shows?

Us, too.

The seas of plain, banner-laden booths are informative, sure, but do they hold our attention? Capture our hearts? Make us open our pocketbooks?

Definitely not.

Changing the Aviation Advertising Game

Apparently, we’re not alone in thinking the trade show status quo is boring. And fortunately, a few brands are taking it upon themselves to change the game.

In the last year or so, a number of exhibitors have taken their aviation advertising to new heights. Instead of tired, yawn-worthy booths, they’ve created interactive experiences, immersive demonstrations and eye-catching displays that don’t just draw in visitors—they engage them, too.

Here are just a few of our favorite examples:

  • Clay Lacy Aviation – At NBAA 2016, Clay Lacy Aviation enlisted local artist Stacy Weltzner to turn its CEO’s career into a live-action infographic on the spot. Weltzner transformed an entire booth wall into a colorful mural, detailing Clay Lacy’s life as a private jet pilot—reason in itself for customers to buy in.
  • Embraer – Embraer also used NBAA to get creative. The executive jet company turned booth visitors into designers on the spot. With the help of a virtual reality headset and two hand controls, visitors could create the aircraft interior of their dreams right before their eyes.
  • Bell – At HAI HELI-EXPO earlier this year, Bell went all out in showing off its newest, futuristic helicopter, the FCX-001. With an on-site life-size mockup and, once again, fully immersive virtual reality headsets, visitors could literally step inside the alien-looking craft, which boasts hybridized propulsion, morphing rotor blade tips, gull-wing doors and a cockpit completely free of physical control buttons.

Though this is just a snippet of the brands that have disrupted the trade show status quo in recent years, they prove one thing: A new bar has been set—and set high—for the future expos before us.

How can you follow suit? Here are a few tips:

  • Create an experience, not a booth – People won’t remember what they read or what was said to them, but you can bet they’re remember how they felt—their excitement, their curiosity, their shock and awe. So forget handing out flyers and brochures, and immerse visitors in your brand instead.
  • Cover all the senses – Most booths have something you can see (or maybe just read), but few really engage visitors across all five senses. Give them something to touch, taste, hear and smell—something that really sticks with them, even after they’ve left the tradeshow floor.
  • Leverage technology – Apps, virtual reality and other technological innovations are great ways to enhance your booth’s experience and make them more interactive for your visitors. You can also leverage social media—including hashtags, to increase your booth’s visibility both at the show and across the world.
  • Use your space – The space you rent may be a basic square or rectangle, but that doesn’t mean your exhibit has to, too. Use your space creatively and to its fullest. Build up, out and all over, and give your visitors a start-to-finish experience they’ll remember.

Want to put these tips into use? Need help upping your trade show game? Our aviation advertising experts can lead the way. Contact us today to chat.

 

Aviation Marketing at Its Best: Growing Atlantic Aviation to the Nation’s Best FBO

Aviation Marketing at its Best: Growing Atlantic Aviation to the World’s Best FBO | Haley Aerospace Marketing

 

We know aviation marketing, and the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Atlantic Aviation pudding, that is.

Haley Aerospace & Atlantic Aviation

Atlantic Aviation is one of the nation’s biggest (and best) FBO networks. With locations across the country, it’s a brand that’s recognizable both for its scope and its unparalleled service.

But it wasn’t always that way.

When we started working with Atlantic more than a decade ago, the company was small and unknown. It had virtually no branding collateral, aside from a simple logo, and there were only a handful of FBOs across its network.

Today, there are more than 65 Atlantic FBO hubs in the United States and counting.

How We Got Here

Atlantic came to the table with an ambitious plan, looking to grow aggressively by acquiring new companies and rebranding them as their own. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any branding, marketing, or advertising tools in place to reach this end goal – only a logo.

That’s when Haley Aerospace stepped in, building the foundation for an unstoppable brand piece by piece.

We designed, developed, and launched all Atlantic’s customer touchpoints, including the brand’s website, trade show booth and materials, fuel truck designs, advertisements, and more. We also provided brand positioning, advertising, media buying, marketing, and social media strategy.

To This Day

Our efforts with Atlantic have been so effective, we continue to work with the organization to this very day. As the Atlantic network continues to expand, we guide the way in all branding and marketing efforts, and with each new location, our team works to ensure brand consistency across all touchpoints.

We make sure that all customers – no matter which FBO they visit – fully grasp the Atlantic brand, services, and personal attention it provides its customers.

 

Are you interested in aviation marketing and growing your brand? Contact the experts at Haley Brand Aerospace Marketing today. We’ve got the know-how and experience to help your brand win. 

 

A Lesson in Aerospace Marketing: How We Helped Launch the AB139

A Lesson in Aerospace Marketing: How We Helped Launch the AB139 | Haley Aerospace Marketing

Surely you’ve heard of the AW139.

A twin-engine helicopter from AgustaWestland, this baby is a favorite amongst VIP fliers, firefighters, search and rescue teams, emergency services and even certain branches of the military.

It’s been around for almost two decades now and has since become one of the most popular helicopter models in the world, even inspiring two larger versions — the AW149 (for military use) and the AW189 (for civilian use).

But before the AW139 became a hot commodity, it was actually called the AB139 … and you know what? We were there to help launch it. 

A Paper Plane

One of our first forays into aerospace marketing was with Bell/Agusta—well before Westland had come into the picture.

The companies needed help launching their newest joint aircraft — a plane that, at the time, was merely a drawing on a piece of paper. Though a blueprint and design had been approved, no part of the craft had gone into production yet — that was still a long way down the road.

Regardless of its infancy though, Bell/Agusta wanted to ensure the AB139’s success from the beginning, so the firms called in Haley Aerospace to create a strategy that would do just that.

Once on board, we knew we had our work cut out for us. The craft needed everything — branding, marketing, advertising and everything in between. So we hit the ground running.

A Multi-pronged Approach

Ultimately, Bell/Agusta wanted clients all over the world to invest in the AB139 — including military branches, corporate buyers, governments, search and rescue organizations, emergency services and more — so we created targeted campaigns aimed at each of these sectors in markets across the globe. We even launched an ad effort to reach the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

We also secured global press and international ad placements, created all branding assets, designed an entire website and created a comprehensive strategy for the aircraft, all before a single piece of it was built.

Giving it the slogan “New Missions, New Helicopter,” our holistic campaign positioned the AB139 for long-term success well before the assembly line started.

The AB139 Today

Once the AB139 launched, success was instant — and Agusta bought Bell’s share of the aircraft. When Westland partnered up with Agusta, the helicopter was designated the AW139 to reflect the new company name.

Later on, renowned Italian aircraft manufacturer Leonardo bought Agusta for a hefty sum, and the company still produces the widely used helicopter to this very day. In its time, the AB139 has been used by the Irish Air Corps, the Japan Coast Guard, the Egyptian Air Force, the Italian Air Force, CareFlight, the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the Maryland and New Jersey State Police departments, and the U.S. Border Patrol. The crafts have logged more than a million flight hours since their launch in 2003.

We’re proud of the role our little aerospace marketing firm played in the creation of such a historic and renowned aircraft. It’s why we do what we do—and we can’t wait to help more aviation brands see similar widespread success in the years to come.

 

Attention, Aviation Brands: B2B Doesn’t Mean B2Boring

Attention, Aviation Brands: B2B Doesn’t Mean B2Boring | Haley Aerospace Marketing

For some reason, the term “B2B” seems to translate to “formal” for many marketers.

Instead of talking about their brand in conversational terms — terms we’d all use when talking to a friend, colleague or even our mom — B2B marketers often resort to stale, dry and just plain boring language when discussing their company.

It’s easy to understand why.

When you’re marketing toward corporate buyers (especially for high-dollar aviation brands and products), you automatically think you need to take on that “business” air — treating the relationship like a formal handshake and a written contract rather than a pat on the back and a hearty laugh.

But here’s the thing: In today’s world, people aren’t looking for another cold, sterile service provider. Not even with their doctors.

Social media has completely changed the game. Offering a level of transparency never seen in the marketing of years past, social platforms allow brands to become friends — trusted, helpful advisors — rather than PR people with a product to sell.

And now, customers expect that. More importantly, they want it.

So take a look at your B2B efforts. Are you taking the old-school cold and removed approach? Or are you really connecting with your target audience — B2B or not?

Make the Connection

B2B doesn’t have to mean boring. In fact, B2B marketing can be just as exciting and interesting as any brand out there, if not more so.

The key is remembering one simple thing: You’re marketing to a person.

Regardless of whether you work for a B2B or B2C brand, you’re trying to reach a single human just like yourself — someone with interests and goals and a sense a humor. They have families, they like sports teams, and they celebrate holidays just like you and me.

So forget labeling your marketing efforts as B2B or B2C. Instead, focus on getting to know your customer — their likes, their dislikes, their hurdles and their goals. Then, use these tips to resonate just a little bit more with your audience:

  • Hang out where they do — Are your customers big on LinkedIn? Join their groups. Do they love the Paris Air Show? Reserve a booth. Are they big fans of Aviation Week or some other publication? Secure yourself a spot. Show them you understand their niche, and show up where they do.
  • Do the opposite — See your competitors do something? Don’t try to do it better. Try to do it different. When comparing vendors or products, customers want to see marked differences — unique qualities that set them apart from one another. Tune into your customers’ needs and wants, and then try and figure out where your competitors are falling short on those.
  • Employ the best — Really want to take a different angle on your marketing? Then build a team that’s outside the box. Don’t hire just any old MBA to head up your marketing team; reach out to a social media maven who’s got 4 million followers and an eye for a great Instagram photo. Forget bringing in a 40-year veteran, and take a chance on someone with a fresh, outside take on the industry. Those people will be what set you apart in your sector.
  • Tell it like it is — Forget building up those typical walls between company and customer. Let them in. Make them feel a part of your brand by being transparent, honest and open. Give them behind the scenes looks at what you do, and welcome them into the fold more than your competitors do. It will encourage loyalty and get them excited about what you’re doing.
  • Get visual — You can do so much with graphics nowadays. Have lots of stats to share? Use a colorful infographic. Launching a new plane? Post amazing photos from the cockpit. Integrate quotes, images, filters, memes and even gifs to keep things visually interesting. And, most importantly, forget boring stock photos. Invest some resources into a pro — someone who can make you look as high-dollar as your products.

Though typically in the B2B sector, aviation brands don’t have to take the boring, old-school approach to marketing that keeps customers at arm’s length. Get excited about your brand and what you have to offer, show it online and in your marketing collateral, and your customers will follow suit.

Are you tired of boring approaches to marketing for aviation brands — and the boring returns that come along with it? Let Haley Aerospace diversify your strategy and put your brand in front of more valuable, qualified leads. Contact us today to get started.

 

An Eye on Aviation Media: The Industry’s Latest Headlines

An Eye on Aviation Media: The Industry’s Latest Headlines | Haley Aerospace Marketing

Don’t have time to keep up with all the latest aviation media news and happenings? We’ve got you covered. Our experts have scoured the top aviation media outlets and rounded up the month’s biggest headlines right here. In all their bite-sized glory, here they are:

Boeing 777X Lifts Off

Boeing has officially started production on its 777X aircraft, its newest large long-range flagship. The initial piece of the puzzle — the first wing spar — is being produced in the firm’s Composite Wing Center located in Washington.

TSA Goes Biometric

The Transportation Security Administration has announced it will start using biometric fingerprint IDing at airports in Atlanta and Denver. The technology will allow passengers to use fingerprints instead of boarding passes to enter the terminal.

Behind on ADS-B

According to research by Duncan Aviation, a whopping 73 percent of all business planes in the U.S. — about 10,000 of them — aren’t currently in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration’s ADS-B mandate. In fact, Duncan’s VP says “at the current rate of ADS-B adoption, about 4,760 aircraft will still need ADS-B when the mandate goes into effect,” which is 2020.

Flying with Bitcoin

Peach Aviation, an airline based in Japan, has announced it will start accepting bitcoin — a kind of digital currency — as payment for airline tickets. The airline’s EVP Jose Oller announced the news on Bloomberg Daybreak earlier this month.

Honeywell World Tour

Honeywell is taking its “Connected Aircraft” on a world tour. On a flight to nowhere, the plane is a souped-up version of a Boeing 757 — outfitted with the firm’s top technology apps and blazing-fast Internet connections. Passengers on the craft enjoy internet speeds up to 35 Mbps, and enhanced piloting tools, flight preview apps and weather services are also on board.

EasyJet Gets Efficient

Budget airline EasyJet has received its news aircraft — an Airbus A320neo, which the firm says will increase overall fuel efficiency by 15 percent. EasyJet also says the plane will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15 percent and reduce noise by a whopping 50 percent. According to the company’s CEO Carolyn McCall, “this helps us be very lean.”

Prepping for Paris

It seems everyone, everywhere is busy readying for the Paris Air Show, which runs June 23-25. The usual names are showing up — Boeing, Embraer, Raytheon and Airbus — but there are also a few new names. Airstar Aerospace, for example, will make its first-ever Paris appearance to show off its tethered surveillance balloon. You’ll also catch a glimpse of Elbit’s SkyStriker, a loitering weapon system that can locate, acquire and attack targets using an infrared seeker.

 

Did we miss any big news or events? Let us know in the comments below.

If you want to get your company better coverage in aviation media, contact Haley Aerospace Marketing today. Our experts have got their fingers on the pulse of the industry. 

 

Take Your Aerospace Advertising Digital

Take Your Aerospace Advertising Digital | Haley Aerospace Marketing

In an industry as ever-developing as aerospace, why is it most advertisers seem fit to keep the status quo? Sure, the magazine you’ve bought space in for the last decade will give you some visibility, but will it put you in front of the very clients you’re hoping to reach, right at the time they’re looking to buy?

Probably not.

The truth is traditional aerospace advertising methods just don’t do it anymore, at least on their own. For many brands, it takes the right mix of ad placements across all platforms – online, in print, in the media and even on social sites – to really make an impact on the bottom line. And the reason for that is simple: Your customers are evolving.

The Times They are A-changing

Though you may still be making the same products for the same airplanes your company made 30 years ago, the people actually purchasing from you have come and gone, and with them, their old-school ways have left as well. Their replacements are researching products online. They’re reading reviews on Google. They’re checking your Facebook page and Twitter account to gauge customer interest. They’re flipping through Instagram to see your products in action.

And that’s a good thing.

While it may be hard to adjust to new advertising mediums, the reality is sites like Google, Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram offer you a much more direct way to reach your target audience. You can tailor your campaigns with detailed demographic data, filtering out certain age groups, genders, geographic locations or even interests.

In the end, drilling this deep may mean fewer eyes on your ads than with a traditional ad buy, but those eyes were all from qualified, ready-to-buy customers in your exact target market. And isn’t that the whole point of advertising in the first place?

Many online advertising methods even let you add in advanced features like lead capturing forms, videos, photo galleries and products for purchase. These tools allow you to not just boost visibility with your ad, but actually, physically get something in return for it – something old-school methods just can touch.

Tired of the Status Quo?

Are you tired of the aerospace advertising status quo – and the mediocre returns that come along with it? Let Haley Aerospace diversify your strategy and put your brand in front of more valuable, qualified leads. Contact us today to get started.

 

Slogans vs. Taglines – Which Works Best for Your Brand?

branding agency

As a branding agency, we often get asked about slogans and taglines by new clients.

They know they need a logo, but should they also tack on a slogan? What about a tagline? Maybe both?

The truth is few outside of the branding world know the difference between a tagline and a slogan, and to be honest, they probably should!

While one can add value to your branding suite, the other serves more of an entertainment purpose and is funny, silly or a little bit flippant.

So which is which? And which should your brand be using? Let’s dive in.

 

Taglines                                    

Taglines are the flippant short phrases you hear at the end of commercials, radio ads and other promotions.

A good example? “We’ll leave the light on for you.”

That’s Motel 6’s tagline, and let’s think about that for a moment: What does it really tell you?

Nothing actually. It doesn’t speak to Motel 6’s value proposition, nor does it even explain what Motel 6 offers. There’s nothing about comfort, affordability, number of locations or anything remotely helpful to a potential customer.

It’s simply meant to be a memorable little phrase that people can recall later on.

But does it do anything for their business? Not really. Sure, it may stick out in someone’s mind, but is “We’ll leave the light on for you” ever going to be what makes a customer choose Motel 6 over the Ramada? Definitely not.

 

Slogans

Sadly, most people lean toward using taglines over slogans, simply because they’re usually a bit shorter, more fun and easier to integrate with a logo. But in reality, it’s slogans that hold the most power.

Slogans are more strategic. Instead of simply entertaining you or being memorable, they tell you something – they speak to the brand’s overall value to the consumer.

Let’s take that Motel 6 example. Instead of “We’ll leave the light on for you,” a good slogan would be something like “The lowest nightly rates in the U.S.” or “Over 1,000 locations nationwide.” Both of these give consumers information they need to make their buying decision.

Is Motel 6 affordable? Slogan No. 1 tells you yes! Will you be able to find a Motel 6 on your next trip? Slogan No. 2 says most likely!

A good slogan gives you a reason to buy from a brand, and it tells you why one brand stands out against another.

When it comes to selling, slogans are going to help your case and should play a big role in your marketing and advertising campaigns. Taglines, on the other hand? You may as well not waste the time.

 

Need a Good Slogan?

Want a killer slogan for your aviation or aerospace brand? Let our branding agency help. We’ll craft a slogan that powers your marketing efforts, drives sales and brings in new buyers. Contact Haley Aerospace today to schedule a consult.

Why B2Bs Should Get Visual With Their Branding

visual branding

It can be hard to admit sometimes, but branding in the B2B world can often be boring. We use the same old colors on our logos, we market to the same old executives and C-levels, and we attend the same old trade shows every year.

Fortunately, this branding standstill doesn’t have to continue.

The web is moving toward a more visual strategy, and though at first glance this tactic might seem more primed for B2C brands, in fact, visual content can actually help reinvigorate a mature or static brand.

What do I mean by visual content, you ask? Well, that includes things like infographics, charts, videos, memes or even just great photos – anything your customers can see and interact with visually.

Have you started going visual with your branding? If not, you may want to. Here are just a few of the many benefits it can offer B2Bs:

  1. It’s more exciting. Let’s face it: It’s easy for a B2B to be boring. You know you’re only marketing toward C-levels and execs, so numbers, stats and PowerPoints become the norm. While those can sometimes work to sell your services, adding some visual spice to your branding strategy can go a lot further. This is especially true in the aviation world, where visuals can be especially stunning. Just think: An aerial photo of your planes in action instead of a bulleted list of PowerPoint? What do you think will sell better?
  2. It’s shareable. Visual content is super shareable, meaning people are more likely to forward it to a colleague or friend, retweet it on Twitter or share it on Facebook for others to see. That means more referrals and more potential customers will see your brand. It’s a win-win that equals a stronger customer-to-brand connection and more leads in the long run.
  3. It tells a better story. Storytelling is a big part of branding. It keeps customers engaged – even long-term ones – and it makes people feel more like a part of your brand, like they’ve been there with you through it all. While a good story can certainly be told with words, like the old adage says, “seeing is believing.” A little visual content can make a big difference in telling a wow-worthy story to your customers.
  4. It brings clarity. In the B2B world, our sales pitches can sometimes get a little complicated. We sell complex products in a high-tech industry, and it can be easy to get bogged down with the nitty-gritty details. While this can be overwhelming with just plain text, an infographic or chart can help bring some clarity to the situation, making it easier to digest and understand.

Think your B2B branding may be getting boring? It may be time to take your visuals to the next level. Contact Haley Aerospace to see how we can help up your branding ante today.