Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has appointed PHAR as its first-ever specialist sponsorship agency.
For an initial five-year term, PHAR will develop a range of brand partnership opportunities across MAG’s four airports – Manchester, London Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth. Through these partnerships brands will for the first time be able both to access a wide variety of premium branding locations and marketing assets and also to promote a strategic association with MAG and its airports.
This new approach will enable brands to engage more deeply with passengers through longer-term, strategic marketing partnerships with MAG, including opportunities to integrate products and services into the airport experience and create valued rewards for passengers, staff and business partners.
The nature of these partnerships will represent an innovative new approach for how brands can engage with passengers at airports, encompassing all points of the airport experience, from car parking, check in, to the departure lounges and arrival halls across its airports. Particular emphasis will be on securing partnerships where there is clear relevance to the brand’s presence, and ultimately where the brand’s product can be at the core of the experience, which will enhance passengers’ time at MAG’s airports.
Mark Schofield, Head of Advertising at MAG, commented: “PHAR really impressed us with their understanding of how the potential from brand partnerships can be achieved, in both creating new revenues but also helping to enhance the passenger experience. As we have now passed the landmark of serving 50 million passengers per year through our airports, we look forward to working with them, and creating a world-leading programme of strategic brand marketing partnerships.”
Marcus Wight, Chief Executive of PHAR, added: “PHAR is delighted to be working with MAG to do something new and innovative in the airport sector. As with the best sponsorships, brands will benefit not only from engaging with 50m passengers, but also through the association that they can communicate to a wider audience, beyond the airport environment. MAG’s airports provide a fantastic platform for creating effective partnerships of this type, at a time when they are investing £1 billion in Manchester Airport’s infrastructure and when London Stansted is experiencing record passenger numbers.”
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Notes to editors:
About MAG
MAG is the UK’s leading airport group and owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted, East Midlands and Bournemouth Airports, together with a significant property business. MAG employs over 4,500 people and annually serves approximately 50 million passengers.
MAG’s strategy is to increase long-term shareholder value by generating profitable growth through the further development of its assets and by offering a high quality user experience for customers using its airports. By achieving this goal, MAG aims to become a global leader in airport management, products and services.
MAG also includes the commercial property division, MAG Property, which has over £600m of investment property assets across its four airports and has a 50% investment in the £800m major Enterprise Zone development, Airport City, at Manchester. In North America, the new MAG USA is looking to work with airports to develop and operate terminal and retail solutions, passenger lounges and car parking facilities.
MAG is managed on behalf of its shareholders who include Manchester City Council (35.5%), IFM Investors (35.5%) and the nine other Greater Manchester local authorities (29%).
About PHAR
PHAR is an international media and marketing agency with specialist expertise in Transport & Infrastructure, Sport & Entertainment and Digital Media. Since foundation in 2011 PHAR has grown to a company of 80 people in London, Manchester, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila, Bangalore, Leon (Mexico) and Riyadh. PHAR’s clients include Transport for London, Transport for Greater Manchester, Light Rail Manila Corporation, AirAsia, Eden Project, The Premier League, British Triathlon, London’s Olympic Stadium, Ricoh and SSE.
For further information please contact:
Louis Blake, Group Press Office Manager, Manchester Airports Group
Email: Louis.blake@magairports.com
Tel: 07711 574419
David Hoggins, Account Manager, PHAR:
Email: david.hoggins@pharpartnerships.com
Tel: 07854 745753
Web: www.pharpartnerships.com