United Airlines launches industry-first media network to enhance ads served to passengers

United Airlines has launched 'Kinective Media by United Airlines', a media network that uses insights from travel behaviours to connect customers to personalised, real-time advertising, content, experiences and offers from leading brands. The new platform gives marketers the opportunity to scale their reach across a wide range of channels including United's mobile app and inflight entertainment screens. 

It also aims to enhance the travel experience while growing the trust that travellers place in United Airlines. Advertisers cannot access the personally identifiable information of United customers. Instead, Kinective Media leverages the insights of U.S. customers aged 18 and over to create aggregated and anonymised audience segments that it offers to Kinective Media advertisers. All U.S. customers have the option to opt-out of Kinective Media targeted advertising at any time. 

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In addition, the airline expects its MileagePlus members to receive additional value through more personalised and real-time offers and experiences that drive even greater loyalty. 

"We've built a first-of-its-kind, real-time, adtech-enabled traveller media network where brands have already started connecting to premium audiences at an unmatched scale," said Richard Nunn, CEO of MileagePlus.

"Unlike some commerce media platforms, United gives brands across a wide range of industries the ability to reach engaged customers throughout the entire marketing funnel – from brand consideration to conversion – in a way that's highly personalised and relevant, and we're already seeing impressive results," added Nunn.

According to Nunn, there has been a huge strategic shift within this high growth sector in the past five years where advertisers and brands have come together to determine how best to connect with consumers in a way that's valuable, effective and personalised.  Currently, Kinective Media is already working with brands such as Norwegian Cruise Line, Macy's, Chase United Co-Brand Credit Cards, TelevisaUnivision, IHG Hotels & Resorts, as well as agency groups such as Dentsu.

The focus is on premium brand relationships across key verticals such as retail, luxury goods, financial services, automotive, media brands and travel. United Airlines is not the only airline with its own app. Earlier in February this year, Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia rebranded its super app to AirAsia MOVE with a new app look available on the App Store (iOS) and Play Store (Android) as part of AirAsia MOVE's brand refresh and digital transformation. 

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