United Airlines today announced the launch of Kinective Media by United Airlines – the first media network that uses insights from travel behaviors to connect customers to personalized, real-time advertising, content, experiences and offers from leading brands.
The new technology platform gives marketers the opportunity to scale their reach across a wide range of channels including United’s award-winning mobile app and inflight entertainment screens. The airline expects its MileagePlus® members will receive additional value through more personalized and real-time offers and experiences that drive even greater loyalty.
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 like Dentsu. The focus is on premium brand relationships across key verticals such as retail, luxury goods, financial services, automotive, media brands and travel.
Kinective Media plans a formal commercial launch at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
“We’ve built a first-of-its-kind, real-time, adtech-enabled traveler 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 personalized and relevant, and we’re already seeing impressive results. 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 personalized.”
Kinective Media aims to enhance the travel experience while growing the trust that travelers place in United. 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 anonymized audience segments that it offers to Kinective Media advertisers. All U.S. customers have the option to opt out of Kinective Media’s targeted advertising at any time.
United’s Mobile App and Inflight Entertainment Screens
Kinective Media partners can scale their content through two of United’s most impactful media channels, among others: its award-winning mobile app and the growing number of inflight entertainment screens across the airline’s fleet, which are among the most addressable media assets in the industry.
- The United Mobile App – United has the world’s most downloaded airline mobile app, with 110+ million total downloads across IOS & Android and nearly 100 million sessions per month.
United continually seeks to add new, industry-first features to help travelers save time and make the travel experience even easier including the ability to automatically switch from a middle seat to a window or aisle if it becomes available by choosing a seat preference in the seat map, and live personalized flight notifications with Live Activities for iPhone. - Seatback Entertainment – United has nearly 100,000 seatback screens across its fleet, with plans to grow these numbers as the airline takes delivery of new airplanes and retrofits existing aircraft as part of its United Next plan.
There is the potential for 3.5 hours of attention per traveler, based on average flight time. United’s seatback screen content – which is also available on customer’s personal devices –includes free access to more than 2,800 movies and shows, as well as a new 3D moving map, personalized connecting gate information and digitized food and drink menus. The inflight content is available in more than 20 different languages.
The new United signature interiors include 16-inch HD touch screens in each United Polaris® business class seat, 13-inch screens in every first-class seat, and 10-inch screens in every United Economy seat.
