Targeted ads make outbound travel soar at Milwaukee Airport

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is a major hub for inbound and outbound travel in Wisconsin. With easy highway access, direct flights and a prime location six miles south of city centre Milwaukee, it's a convenient option for visitors and locals alike. But just like travellers consider all their options when picking a destination, hotel or airline, they're also open to alternatives when they have a choice of airports. Faced with local competition, including two international airports within 100 miles and multiple regional ones, as well as shifting traveller behaviour, the team at MKE knew they needed to adjust their strategy if they wanted to stand out.

Adding to the challenge is the fact that airports often struggle to access the data needed to guide strategy. This includes passenger traffic trends at nearby airports and traveller search behaviour. With those insights, airports can better inform planning decisions and reduce leakage, so MKE needed an advertising partner with deep, actionable data.

MKE partnered with Expedia Group Advertising to focus on a valuable audience: travellers in the airport's catchment area. Instead of a broad push, the on-site display campaign focused on keeping MKE top of mind for local outbound travellers, including ones searching for nearby airports. High-impact placements — including native marquee, interstitial and standard IAB units — increased MKE's visibility across Expedia Group brands and apps during critical moments when travellers were actively looking and booking.

The campaign message? Choosing MKE means a faster airport experience, direct flights and overall savings. This came through in a variety of advertising creative that nudged locals to think about their options — and pick Milwaukee as their ideal departure point.

By working with Expedia Group Advertising to reach the right travellers at the right time with the right message, the targeted on-site display campaign delivered measurable ROI. Year over year, average ticket sales rose, outbound gross booking value grew 19% and the average booking window increased 10%. By meeting travellers where they were already searching, MKE turned consideration into bookings and welcomed more travellers through the airport.

With thorough reporting and campaign support, MKE could easily see how their ads were performing and what to optimise. "It's a huge benefit to work with Expedia to track all the way down to conversion and how we increased tickets and with what airlines," said Summer Hegranes, marketing coordinator at MKE.

The partnership also unlocked practical insights the airport used to gain a competitive edge. Looking ahead, MKE plans to build on this momentum, doubling down on targeted advertising and using Expedia's behavioural and search data to inform planning and airline conversations. The result is an informed, focused strategy that inspires more travellers to choose MKE.