Are You Utilizing All Ad Revenue Channels?

How often does your organization re-analyze its ad revenue channels and look for new opportunties? What efforts has your brand/organization taken to understand new ways to build ad revenue programs into ticketing services?

With the advent of the paper ticket (where consumers print off tickets/vouchers, etc.) all teams and ticket service providers should be looking to maximize the use of this channel from an ad revenue-generation standpoint. Are there ways to fill the white space on printed tickets/vouchers with ads promoting upcoming games? Upcoming offers (i.e. bobbleheads, etc.)? Ways to promote your corporate partners and/or cross promotions that they are implementing? By demonstrating value to fans through printed ticket advertising (awareness of offers, etc.) teams will at the very least be providing fans with something to look at while they wait in lines at the ticket gates an/or waiting in their car to park.

Sojern, an Omaha-based company recently announced that it would begin selling the white space on airline boarding passes for American, Continetal, Delta, Northwest, United, and US Airways. Sojern's core service will be to fill the white space on printed tickets with targeted coupons, ads, dining recommendations, and weather information. With our ticketing service providers' state-of-the-art technology, why can we not push them to enact similar offerings?

In the case of Delta Airlines, which will expand its program services to 300 cities nationwide today, consumers will have the option of printing a boarding pass with or without ads and will soon be able to save their preferences for future trips (options that your organization may also look to implement with a similar service). Thus far, Bahama Breeze, NBC Universal, Crocs, Cirque du Soleil, Omaha Steaks, and Borders have signed on to partake in the unique advertising opportunity with airlines.

A total of five (5) ads can be placed on a boarding pass, with airlines being given subsequent space to promote their frequent flyer programs and credit card offerings. Each of the six (6) aforementioned airlines bought a minority stake in Sojern and will be sharing the advertising revenue with the start-up company. With ticket service providers (Ticketmaster, Flashseats, etc.) this becomes a little more difficult to enact, but a healthy balance between corporate partner advertising and upcoming team ticket offers/promotions/food coupons would provide fans with an added-value piece even before they step into the stadium gates.

 Source: Advertising Age, Airlines Stamping Ads Onto Boarding Passes, 7.16.2008