The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Meeting & Convention is quite the happening. In its 60th year, the 2007 event saw an official 27,326 attendees as of the start of the three-day show. NBAA also enjoyed a record-breaking 1,152 exhibiting companies and some 115 business aircraft featured at its static display of aircraft at Fulton County Airport…not to mention more than 100 information sessions on a range of business aviation topics. Whew!
Not only is NBAA sensory overload for the general aviation enthusiast, it’s also a stimulating opportunity to reflect on the wide range of marketing and brand savvy displayed within a single industry. I saw some companies that were doing a great job of enhancing their image and position in prospects’ minds through sophisticated, strategic branding. I also saw some companies undermining their own strength and growth potential with less-than-enlightened marketing approaches, approaches that undersell their brands and hurt their competitive abilities in the long run. At the risk of sounding too self-promoting, we were gratified to find that our clients in the aviation industry were among the best branded, and most creatively marketed.
It’s a reminder that in the Marketing Hierarchy of Needs (apologies to Maslow), strong and integrated branding must precede all other marketing tactics—like trade show exhibitions—for those tactics to be worth the investment.