Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Tuesday unveiled a new rebranding and ad campaign, “wherver Your Heart Desires,” according to a statement from the airport.
The campaign's goal is to "spread the message that for travelers in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, MKE is the choice airport offering friendly, personal service, with an easy curb to gate experience," according to a statement from the airport.
MKE is the International Air Transport Association's location identifier code for Mitchell International.
The campaign will focus on a route map showing the 37 nonstop cities served by the airport’s eight airlines, including Air Canada, Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, OneJet, Southwest and United.
Southwest is the market share leader at Mitchell, carrying about 50% of the passengers at Mitchell. Delta is second with about 25% of the market in Milwaukee.
“The rebranding process began in 2015 with extensive traveler research and focus groups in Wisconsin and northern Illinois,” County Executive Chris Abele said in the statement.
Mitchell International is owned and operated by Milwaukee County.
“MKE has long been known as the easy travel airport for Wisconsin and northern Illinois travelers, offering the perfect mix of convenience, nonstop flights to more than 35 destinations, cost savings and affordable on-airport parking," Abele said in the statement. "The new ad campaign looks to build on that ... once travelers try MKE and experience the alternative to stress and long waits in Illinois airports, they keep coming back.”
Created by a local Milwaukee marketing agency, the ad campaign features local area talent, including local radio personality Carole Caine.
The campaign also includes a tweak to the airport’s logo, which will now include the “MKE” location code.
The new ad campaign will be rolled out in the coming weeks. The airport is also planning to redesign its website later this year.
The campaign is being paid out of the airport's annual marketing budget, which is part of the airport's overall budget, Ryan McAdams, an airport spokesman said in an email. The airport's budget is entirely funded by user fees, and no property tax dollars are used for the airport's capital improvements or for its day-to-day operations.
"The total media buy for the campaign from today to the end of the year is $115,000," McAdams said in the email.
The target markets for the campaign are southeastern Wisconsin and the northern Illinois counties of Lake and McHenry, McAdams said in the email. "Lake and McHenry counties continue to hold great growth potential for MKE, and we continue to see more and more northern Illinois travelers heading north to MKE," he said.
