Columbia Metropolitan Airport launches new creative & brand refresh

February 4, 2020

Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) announced the launch of a new refreshed campaign to include a new logo and a new website. The new look will continue to focus on and highlight CAE’s legacy of flying with ease as Columbia’s airport, but will now feature a more modern look and representation of its core values.

“Many months of thoughtful research went into the selected narrative and creative elements that we decided to go with for this brand refresh,” said Director of Marketing and Air Service Development, Kim Jamieson. “Numerous staff think-tanks were held over the year to determine a comprehensive look and feel that was unmistakably the new Columbia Metropolitan Airport.”

Click here to see the new CAE website.

After an extensive Request for Proposals process, that yielded 19 submissions from across the country, CAE awarded Sparkloft Media, who partnered with Period Three, with the advertising agency of record contract that included a complete refresh and rebuild of the CAE website.

“As agency of record for Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Sparkloft Media is excited to share what we’ve been developing over the last several months with the team at CAE, its stakeholders and our partners at Period Three,” said Mandi Cox, Account Director, Sparkloft Media. “We are honored not only to have been chosen for our expertise in travel and tourism, but also to be a part of the progress in Columbia as we launch a new brand and website that is reflective of my hometown airport.”

In developing the updated marketing strategy, CAE and the Sparkloft/Period Three team took a deep look at the airport’s identity, what we want to say and how best to say it. Social media listening was also part of the research to better understand our current position within the community and how best to move forward with messaging. A consensus workshop, with local community leaders, was held early in the process to help understand the regional perception and how we might pivot and adjust as needed.

“Through the entirety of our creative process, one thing rang true with every interaction; CAE’s core values are centered on the customer experience and elevating that experience compared to every other airport in the U.S. We have a strong and growing airport that drives a significant amount of economic impact and we have a city on the rise that is rediscovering itself in powerful ways,” said Greg Hilton, Partner and Chief Opportunity Wrangler, Period Three. “These elements of comfort, connectivity and discovery can be experienced throughout the new website and rebranding. We’re so thrilled to have been a part of this process working with CAE and the Sparkloft team.”

Elements of the refresh include a new CAE website and an updated logo featuring a new design and new brand colors. The new look will be featured in all of our advertising/marketing efforts, on social media outlets, and on airport signage.

Click here to see the new CAE website.

“We celebrated a number of accomplishments in 2019 and there are more on the horizon as we move forward into 2020,” said CAE Executive Director, Mike Gula. “It was time to refresh our overall look and feel to reflect our mission to be a welcoming front door to our city. The brand refresh reflects our story and mindset in continuing to move forward as a key and vital economic development player in this region.”

About the Columbia Metropolitan Airport

Now providing nonstop service to eight major cities and nine airports including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York City (LGA), Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. (Dulles and Reagan National). Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) continues to be a major economic driver for the Midlands region. Welcoming over 1.3 million passengers in 2019, CAE is served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines and is a regional cargo hub for UPS. For more information, please visit flycae.com. 

About Sparkloft Media

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., Sparkloft Media is a social-first creative agency, leading insights-driven and human-centric brand marketing for clients around the world. Sparkloft Media supports its clients with branding, content marketing, media buying, trend reporting, integrated campaigns, social media campaigns, influencer programs, training and education. For more information, visit sparkloftmedia.com.

About Period Three

Period Three is an industry-leading creative, strategy and production company focused on designing and building for the web. Our creative process is driven by user experience, design thinking and solving real customer problems. We conceptualize, design, build, and collaborate with our customers to deliver compelling, effective, and results-oriented web solutions. For more information, visit period-three.com.