Tray Table Advertising

I travel a decent amount, yet today was my first experience with tray table advertising, which was first rolled out nationwide in 2006. What a surprise to pull down the tray for a place to put my water only to find an advertisement for AirBorne. Even though it was static, it seemed remarkably contextual. I was on a plane ride breathing sneeze-filled air wondering when I could buy some AirBorne to keep me healthy.

Looking on the web, some people clearly feel that this form of advertising violates their personal space. Perhaps I am involved with so many companies in the advertising space that I expect ads to be everywhere, even airplanes. After all, I’ve seen plenty of advertisements in in-flight entertainment and no shortage of paid programming. The flickering TV screen on a cross-coast red-eye is certainly a lot more personal space violating than any ad on a tray table, which I can easily return to its up-right position.

According to SkyMedia, independent market research shows a 98% exposure rate, a 92% recall rate, and a 25% increase in purchase intent from tray table advertising. Plus, there’s a great spin on the static nature of the advertising: it delivers a single, exclusive advertisement with some 3+ hours of exposure time. There’s something to be learned here. This isn’t just any marketing: it’s the marketing of marketing.

Advertising is everywhere. So forgive me if I wear some MDV or portfolio company logoware to our next meeting. No good ad space should go unused.