Soon the Premier Airport Network will open across 20 US
airports offering its users free, yes, I said free Wi-Fi. Thanks to a deal with
MediaShift, browsers will now be able to log on and utilise the free Wi-Fi. The
only catch? During the consumers browsing time various
paid adverts will appear.
Genius? Absolutely. What a better way to capture your target
audience than when they’re cashing in on the free Wi-Fi scrolling through the
social networking sites telling everyone where they’re going? Or the business
men and women finishing off that last minute document using their current smart
phone, cue pop up, oh look, there’s a new version and I can buy it on sale at
the shop I’m about to walk in to? Again, genius.
Obviously, to the consumer the constantly stream of
advertising can feel like an invasion of their privacy. But with the average traveller’s airport browsing session
already at 57 minutes, the introduction of free Wi-Fi can only increase this
time further.
“MediaShift provides
the technology at no cost to the airports," Brendon Kensel, MediaShift's
president, told Mashable.
"For the first time, airports can participate in ad revenues that have
traditionally eluded last mile online access providers. Airports receive
incremental revenue with no start-up costs, investment or capital expenditure
for airports.”
So what does this mean for companies around the selected airports? The
potential to offer specific discounts, rates or offers. To promote the latest
hotel or restaurant opening. Give clips of the shows, concerts and exhibitions
in the city? And all while the consumer is relaxing waiting to board their
flight.
For the consumer, the reduction in their data costs could mean the
option to utilise the latest offer, consider the new technology the ad is
talking about and even make a purchase.
They also have the capability to work at the airport. Those dead hours,
waiting to board and clocking up the data charges can now be used to complete
work, prepare for the next meeting and even conduct the actual meeting.
The Wi-Fi revolution is here, at the airport, on the plane itself, have airports become the new mobile office?
