Where do the transit and airport ads come from? Q&A with Titan360 leader, Jason
I get to the airport early. I’m kind of an old, high-maintenance flier. A few weeks ago, I flew down to Florida to chill with my mommy and daddy. As I was walking to my gate at the end of the E concourse (long walk) I noticed a bunch of ad creative.
High impact stuff (yes, I am an ad nerd). I was thinking – who the heck does this? Found out. They’re called Titan. So, I googled “Titan Media” and I clicked on the first result without realizing it…
Whoops. They’re actually called Titan360. I’m very bullish on their business so I reached out to their Charlotte GM, Jason for a few answers.
(1) Where are the ads designed and created?
The designs come from a variety of different sources: national and local agencies, client creative departments, and our own local and corporate design teams. Most are printed via Titan’s in-house printing arm and all are installed at the bus/light rail garages and airport by our operations crew…while you and I sleep.
(2) When did Titan come to Charlotte?
Our relationship with CATS began on June 1, 2011, and it’s been a great one for the last four years. The city had gone a decade without selling ads on its vehicles and, as the country’s leading transit advertising outfit, we were brought in to re-launch the program. Nearly two years later, we were awarded the advertising contract at Charlotte-Douglas as well, officially taking over at CLT on August 1, 2013.
(3) How are contracts negotiated with the city? Ex, do you lease walls from the airport?
We won both the transit and airport business through an open bid process with the city, giving us the exclusive rights to sell their advertising properties on their behalf. The revenue generated from those sales is then split between Titan and the respective authority.
(4) What’s the coolest Charlotte thing you’ve wrapped in the past year?
Probably the new 360-degree rotunda banner in Concourse E at the airport that we did for OrthoCarolina. In an industry where the word “spectacular” is thrown around quite a bit, it truly is SPECTACULAR!
(5) What’s your favorite Charlotte creative execution in the past year?
I’m partial to all the different Charlotte Hornets treatments you might have seen recently, both from the team itself and some of their marketing partners (McDonald’s, McAlister’s Deli, etc.). I worked for the original Hornets for 11 years so I love seeing purple and teal back in town.
(6) How large is the Charlotte Titan team? Growth?
We have a 10-person full-time team here in Charlotte, the smallest of our Titan markets nationwide. Business continues to grow. We had our best year on record last year and continue to generate greater awareness for our product the more campaigns we get on the streets. While we don’t currently have plans to hire in 2015, we’re always on the lookout for creative, hard-working people.
(7) What does Titan’s “passion about people in transit” mean?
Consumer lifestyles have changed drastically over the last decade. People spend more time outside of their homes and on the move, traveling through the steps in their daily lives and consuming their media as they go. Through our transit, airport, digital and mobile platforms, we’re passionately committed to helping brands and businesses reach those people and are an industry leader in creating new ways to do so.
(8) Any interesting reactions from people viewing the media?
We have a big, visual media and people get excited about it. There’s nothing like getting a call from a client that’s seen their fully-wrapped bus on the streets for the first time.
(9) What did I not ask that Charlotte should know about?
Most people are surprised when they find out the majority of the revenue we generate from our advertising sales goes back to the city. So while we’re driving business for Titan and our clients, we’re also generating a great deal of money for the local community.
This story was originally published February 9, 2015 at 1:29 AM with the headline "Where do the transit and airport ads come from? Q&A with Titan360 leader, Jason."