As an account coordinator at HatlingFlint, I’m all about helping people, organizations and ideas take off. So when Flint Group was asked to help St. Cloud, Minn., regain air service, I was all over it.
Partnering with the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, we created Let’s Go STC, a campaign to help secure flights from the St. Cloud Regional Airport to Chicago O’Hare.
While the city is still working toward its goal of air service to Chicago, it recently gained twice-weekly flights to Pheonix-Mesa via Allegiant Air – a huge win and catalyst in attracting carriers to other locations like Chicago.
To help the airport celebrate its achievement and advertise its new service, we launched its Facebook page with a promotion that drew people to the airport for the inaugural flight.
Called Pack Your Bags, the campaign called for people to pre-register on Facebook and show up to the airport with their bags packed for a chance to win two round-trip tickets to Arizona, along with a five-night hotel stay.
Around 200 people entered the contest via Facebook. On the day of the inaugural flight, Rich Hansen of Rice, Minn., won the coveted vacation package. He chose to take his wife, Debra, along. Lucky gal.
Dave Kleis, mayor of St. Cloud; Debra and Rich Hansen; and Al Kremers, chair of Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Air Service Business Corps.
In just over a month, the airport grew its fan base from essentially zero to more than 400. But what’s more, the campaign generated a buzz around the inaugural event and optimism about the airport’s future offerings.
Looking for ways your business can use Facebook? Check out some other Facebook contests we’ve done.