Comments on: How to promote a helicopter charter service

By: Grant

Grant — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:18:18 +0000

May not be relevent at this point but I have a friend who promoted his luxury sports car rental service strictly via. running Google adwords campaigns. He was always busy…and suprisingly he had not much experience using adwords. Just a thought.

By: prdoctor

prdoctor — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 05:40:10 +0000

go where the cameras are

call local newsrooms and photo desk and ask what stories they are covering or you can read your calender section

So, if it’s a parade or big ballgame…go where the cameras are

Make your helicopter stand out and you will get more publicity then you can handle and no one will be know that you are a slick rascal.

I won’t tell if you don’t.

By: Ricia

Ricia — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 23:34:27 +0000

Charter Jet and Helicopter VIP clients use limosine services for departing and arriving at private FBO’s (Fixed Based Operations)24/7. Try hooking up with a very popular limosine company using the business card barter system. The high-end helicopter service will promote the limosine service and the limosine service will promote the helicopter service.

By: John Elmore

John Elmore — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:57:19 +0000

What sorts of conventions or gatherings do these $200k business leaders and entrepreneurs go to in New York? Would there be a good spot there to display the helicopter? It could be coupled with a video of their service (views of the city from above; examples of why people use the service — to get to a major airport, to travel across the NYC area, to go home or to a meeting or to a party). If your client has only one chopper, that could be a problem. Even rich business guys like simple toys — so how about printing the company business name and contact information on a box of those plastic twirly helicopter blade toys that launch from between your hands with a quick rub of the hands in opposite directions? Mail that out to the top executives in New York along with a color flyer or brochure… and include a DVD of the video I already suggested (providing one can be produced) — which should also have audio track that utilizes great production music combined with the voice of the pilot-owner and recorded comments of anonymous clients who can share why they like the convenience and quality of the service. The executive can pop it into his or her computer to watch it. No more than 5 minutes. Want a bargain on video production? Offer a video internship (unpaid or a reasonable stipend per semester $500 to $1,000) to a NYC film student (a resume builder for the student) — but look at samples of the student’s work and check out their ability to access the proper equipment; also find out from their professor if they can hit deadlines and finish projects. You may end up with an innovative, creative finished product you didn’t imagine possible. Dubbing copies on DVD is not very expensive; the biggest cost might be the labeling.

By: Carol Stevens

Carol Stevens — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:08:34 +0000

I would focus on the benefits of the service. Such as if you’re flying to the Hampton’s for the day as opposed to driving…or what are some other destinations that you can compare drive time to. Is the service available 24 hours a day – if so talk about it. Do you have to schedule well in advance or can you go last minute in the event a client needs you to come right away and other forms of transportation will delay the meeting…And focus on celebrity status – everyone wants to feel special and that their time is extremely valuable so if you want that VIP treatment hop on the heli pad…

By: Nicole Lipson

Nicole Lipson — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 15:58:28 +0000

Sometimes advertising is the right answer, not PR. Don’t be afraid, as a PR person, to suggest advertising as part of your strategy. To serve your client at the optimum level, offer to handle this for him/her and find a partner to work with. Additionally, you could create a specialized “package” to promote. Take a holiday such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, create a special package with pick up by the service, dinner at a fine restaurant, night at fine hotel, flowers, chocolates. The package would have a combined price ($5,000) that would appeal to your demographic. The package is what you get the PR on!

Even if no one buys it (and I did this for a luxury hotel I worked with once, and no one bought the package) I got a great deal of press just for having the package available. No freebies, no giveaways. If most customers are business oriented, then work up a package that works for them (flight, working lunch, new laptop, Starbuck’s gift cards!) Have fun with this!

By: Carl Bromley

Carl Bromley — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 13:31:39 +0000

I’ve seen plenty of comments for the social end of the service, how about business? In addition to picking the primary customer up at his or her home (trees and other conditions permitting), offer to fly their business clients in for a “Meet and Greet” at a helicopter-friendly public building, possibly making multiple flights in the same day or working for the same client all day. To get their attention, make a list of the most promising locations and a few enticing amenities just an elevator-ride away. Promote the list in a multitude of ways, including the auction idea presented above.

By: Shel Horowitz

Shel Horowitz — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 11:43:37 +0000

Since the clientele is high-end–could a helicopter get close enough to take great photos of NYC’s classiest luxury cars and feature them in some sort of web-based contest, with accompanying media blitz? (Check with a lawyer about permissions issues first)

By: Kay Pinkerton

Kay Pinkerton — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 04:56:13 +0000

The client is based in New York? Product placement! Research and pursue locally produced television programs and/or films. And don’t forget the national media outlets. There are hundreds of possibilities. Regarding your client’s reticence, you will simply have to instill in him the monetary benefits that can result from well-conceived publicity events.

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 04:27:04 +0000

Do a cross promotion. Sponsor and team up with a real estate developer marketing high-end residential real estate to affluent individuals, ideally in a region where helicopter-flying is an ideal mode of transportation. Often they will host high-end cocktail receptions / sales events at the residence where they invite a niche target group. I’ve seen high-end fashion shows, a Maserati product launch, art auctions, well-known spa resorts chefs fly in from Arizona to prepare hors d’heurves at the party, etc. (and later they auction a trip to the resort) tied to events such as this. They tend to pull in the right group of people and you could sponsor the event and ensure you have a tangible presence.