Denver International Airport is onboarding a new advertising firm in what it has coined as the next step in the evolution of its advertising and marketing approach.

The idea behind the maturing effort is to tackle advertising for the entire airport under an umbrella approach, coupling all services offered into one marketing campaign, said Stacey Stegman, senior vice president of communications for DIA. Moving to one agency, instead of multiple entities working in silos, will make for a more coordinated marketing effort.

The Denver City Council approved Denver-based Karsh Hagan LLC on May 15 to head-up DIA’s evolving marketing and advertising campaign under a $15 million, five-year contract. The contract would be funded through a mix of airport revenues and the city’s airport budget.

Karsh Hagan would handle marketing campaigns, alongside the airport’s brand team, for parking, air service, concessions, branding and special events. The ad firm has also provided services for Colorado Lottery, Visit Denver, the University of Colorado System and Frontier Airlines among other local agencies. Karsh Hagan beat out three other firms to win the contract.

During a Denver Business, Arts, Workforce and Aeronautical Services Committee meeting last month, Stegman said the airport was rebranded a couple of years ago to DEN and moving toward a comprehensive marketing approach is the next step in the evolution of DIA’s marketing efforts.

A significant amount of the $15 million will go toward advertising on different mediums including TV, digital, billboards and radio or through in-airport promotions.

“We get a better bang for our buck by going out and buying in the marketplace in a larger purchase,” Stegman said of the more coordinated advertising approach.

With DIA looking to market its parking options, Councilman Jolon Clark said the advertising might be at odds with the city’s efforts to get residents to use public transit, especially with the Regional Transit District’s route to the airport.

‘We’re not marketing people to not take the train, what we are marketing is to not park off airport, but park on airport,” said DIA CEO Kim Day. “What we are trying to market is convenience.”

Clark noted the airport’s marketing strategy includes nothing on RTD’s airport route, while Day said funding restrictions make it difficult to advertise transportation options through light rail. The parking advertising is a matter of letting airport-goers know what’s available and not necessarily encouraging people to drive over public transit.

Day said the marketing campaign also hopes to start advertising job openings at the airport, with ads possibly featuring Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. She said the airport has big plans for attracting new talent to DIA.

“We don’t have a retention problem, we have an attraction problem,” Day said. “Getting people to come to the airport to work and ride the train and go through security and then ride another train and then get to your concourse, that’s our battle.”

– adam@coloradostatesman.com