Metro News Edmonton: Airport aggravation could mean profits for savvy businesses, experts say
TORONTO - The ever-tightening regulations governing air travel to the U.S. may be sounding alarm bells for the average airline passenger, but some industries may be hearing opportunity knocking instead, some marketing experts suggest.
Long line-ups, arduous screening procedures and a growing list of luggage restrictions are causing problems for consumers that certain businesses will be eager to try and solve, they say - companies ranging from telecom firms to luggage manufacturers.
Domenic Caruso recently experienced the latest rigours of air travel first hand on his way to a family vacation in the Caribbean when he was forced to abandon his carry-on bag and distribute its contents between his checked luggage and a camera case. More...
The chief executive of the Toronto office of marketing firm BBDO quickly recognized the opportunity waiting for some enterprising telecom firm.
"If I was a (telecom company), I'd really want to be pushing my video conferencing solutions in a huge, huge way," Caruso said in a telephone interview.
"Now's the time to scream from the rooftops that, 'Hey, there is a different way of getting your meetings done."
Business travel eroded in the wake of Sept. 11, said Caruso, citing heightened fear among travellers and a general disdain for the hassles of flying. Tighter regulations will only make that worse and amplify demand for more high-tech alternatives, he said.
Purveyors of products that help pass the time - portable gaming consoles, data storage devices and good old-fashioned books - may also be able to capitalize as passengers seek to kill time while cooling their heels in lineups and lounges, Caruso added.
And makers of laptop and carry-on bags are already way ahead of the game.
In an effort to ease security-screening stress, New York-based Briggs and Riley recently introduced a line of bags that make it easy for travellers to pack a change of clothes alongside their computers.
The bags are suddenly more relevant than ever for the modern air traveller, said Jim Lahren, the firm's vice-president of marketing.
"We're looking for ways to meet the ever-changing security requirements that different countries are implementing," Lahren said. The company plans future products designed with ease of access as a top priority, he added.
So-called "checkpoint-friendly" laptop cases feature a design that allows security personnel to screen computers without removing them from the bag, he said, adding that some models also contain extra compartments where passengers can pack more personal effects.
Future designs will likely continue to incorporate these elements, but will be adapted to keep pace with tightening international guidelines, he added.
Mark Vandenbosch, marketing professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., said he also sees other business opportunities for airports - ones that won't sit quite as well with travellers.
"If airports wanted to price passing through security differently, they probably could get people to pay a lot of money to get a fast line, Vandenbosch said.
Those most anxious to ease the pain of air travel are business travellers, he said. But airport regulations likely won't be a key driver of product development, instead becoming one of many factors that could influence corporate marketing decisions.
"(Security restrictions) are going to be more evolutionary rather than revolutionary," he said. "This is just one of several reasons why certain trends might take place, not a trend in and of itself."
News from ©The Canadian Press, 2010
