The Choice of Experienced Pilots

Corporate Balloons

When was the last time you saw someonetake a photograph of a billboard?

Why Implement a Hot Air Balloon Program?

Excitement

Broad Appeal

Flexibility

Cost-Effectiveness

Hot Air balloons create excitement that attracts and holdsattention. More than five million spectators annuallyattend hundreds of balloon events nationwide, and manymillions more witness their presence in the skies overurban centers all over North America and Europe.

Hot Air balloons are universallyfascinating, regardless of thespectator's age, income, gender, oroccupation. Balloons arespectacular to watch, colorful andalive, and appeal to the romanticadventurer in all of us. As such,they are not limited to selectdemographic profiles, but rather,appeal to virtually all individualsyoung and old.

Hot air balloons can be employed inany number of promotionallyeffective ways owing to their uniqueproperties. The versatility of a hotair balloon is unparalleled by anyother medium, aerial or otherwise.

The cost per thousand impressions(CPM) rating for hot air balloonscompares very favorably to conventional media. Inrelation to other successful aerial advertising programs,such as Airships, hot air balloon programs can beimplemented for one-twentieth (1/20) of the cost.Moreover, the payback ratio of secondary advertisingvalue can be substantial and rapid. For example, whenCameron Balloons constructed areplica of the Space Shuttle, itearned the sponsors advertisingvalue that exceeded the capitalcost of the balloon by a factor of

three: all within the first four days of its appearance andonly tallying print and television media (not directimpressions of spectators).

Hot air balloons are a colorful and friendly medium thatbrings smiles to the faces of those who behold theirpresence. Furthermore, impressions are made withoutthe appearance of covert commercialism. As such, therelative quality of impressions generated by hot air

balloons is very high.

In terms of retention, impact,favorable impressions, broadappeal, unique product positioning,and cost-effectiveness, hot airballoons are a very effectivemedium.Hot air balloons are extremelyflexible aircraft, and therefore,numerous applications are possible.

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Hot air balloons are readilymobile. They may betransported easily in a van andtrailer from venue to venue forlocal promotions on the move.

Hot air balloons may complete afree-flight, in which the pilotlaunches the balloon from apredetermined site, taking intoconsideration variables such as

the wind direction and the desired flight path/landingsite.

Hot air balloons are extremely flexible aircraft, andtherefore, numerous applications are possible.

Hot air balloons may complete a tethered flight.Tethers involve a balloon that is secured to theground by several ropes, such that it cannot leavethe site. The balloon may be held closely to theground, or may be allowed to float up to the length ofthe lines securing it. Passengers may be allowed onboard the balloon during tethers, depending on local

Promoting with Goodwill

An Effective Medium

What Can Hot Air BalloonsDo?

Wouldn’t you like your brand image inyour customers’ photo albums?

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conditions.

Hot air balloons can be tethered at night so that theirlogos flow like giant ‘Chinese lanterns’.

Hot air balloons may carry passengers. Depending onthe size and type of balloon, a hot air balloon mayprovide a unique passenger experience for as little asone, or as many as 16, persons.

Given the public fascination with Hot air balloons, theyprovide the 'hook' or opportunity to tell your story to themedia.

Owing to the flexibility of balloon aircraft, they may functionin a number of ways that accomplishmyriad marketing objectives.

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Hot air balloons can function as giant,colorful, and dynamic floatingbillboards that carry the sponsor'sidentity over the populace below,generating enormous exposureamong thousands or even millions ofspectators. Alternatively, they may betethered at key locations, functioningas a living billboard at peak trafficevents.

As "participants" at special events, hotair balloons are the perfect goodwillambassador, building on excitementgenerated by the event such as asporting or civic event. Furthermore,balloons can be used as an appealing lure to assemblecustomers at the sponsor's place of business, therebygenerating store traffic and the opportunity to implementsupplemental store advertising promotions. Finally,passenger-carrying balloons may fulfill a promotional roleby virtue of VIP passenger flights catering to importantprospects, customers and/or suppliers.

Corporate hot air balloons offer an inexpensive but highly

The Hot Air Balloon as anOutdoor Medium.

Advertising

Promotions

Public Relations

visual means of demonstratinggood corporate citizenship throughcharity or civic events. Donatingthe use of the balloon to charitablecauses as a means of fund-raisingis to the mutual benefit of allstakeholders. Moreover, corporateballoon programs that cater topublic passengers, either for flightsor tethers, leave passengers with a strong mentalimpression of the sponsor through association.

Owing to their broad appeal,balloons make excellent andromantic subjects for contests,school/other presentations, andpromotional items such asmerchandise and sponsor literaturedetailing the specifications of theballoon. Furthermore, the hot airballoon's Chase Vehicle is in its ownright a "rolling" promotion whenidentified with the sponsor's logo.When used in competition, hot airballoons can attract the same floodof media attention that other formsof sport command.

The retention rate for corporate hotair balloons is very strong. Owing to

the wonder and excitement associated with balloons,respondents easily name corporate balloons withaccuracy, but have great difficulty in doing the same forbillboards or other conventional forms of advertising.

When was the last time you saw someone take aphotograph of a billboard? Or speak with wonder andexcitement about a television advertisement? Have youons make a genuine impact on those who witness them.

Ancillary Exposures

Strong Retention

High Impact

How do Hot Air BalloonsCompare to Other Media?

ever received a picture of your newspaper advertisementreplicated in a hand-drawn rendition colored by a child?Hot air balloons make a genuine impact on those whowitness them. The identity of the balloon is not soonforgotten.

Given their colorful and exciting nature, commercial hotair balloons are not regarded by spectators as crasscommercialism. Hot air balloons are not characterizedby the criticism currently leveled at some other forms ofoutdoor advertising such as billboards. No mediumengenders goodwill and smiling gazes more than acorporate hot air balloon. Photographs of hot airballoons grace family photo albums and are the focus ofinterested conversation an advertising objective thatother media have great difficulty attaining.

Whether in competition, in free-flight, or present at a localevent, hot air balloons are often captured in conventionalmedia, such as television and newspapers, at noadditional cost to the sponsor, thus further leveraging thecomparative value of balloon promotions. Newscoverage value can range from several thousand toseveral hundred thousand dollars.

According to studies, a balloon appearance will generatepublicity value of seven times the actual direct cost ofstaging the balloon promotion. In relation to Newspaper,Outdoor, Radio, and TV media, balloon advertising ratedas having the lowest cost per thousand among the fivetypes. Malcolm Forbes once exclaimed that "Balloons,for what they cost, have given us more promotional valuethan a hundred times as much spent on advertising" (vis-a-vis Magazine)

Hot air balloons have real impact and offer advantagesthat conventional advertising methods lack, and basedupon the foregoing, it is not surprising that Cameronballoons are employed by Disney, Forbes Magazine,Winston, Kodak, Re/Max International, Safeway Inc.,General Motors and numerous others in corporate

Favorable Impressions

Residual Exposure

Cost-effective

Summary

publicity programs (see Appendix A). Not restricted tolarge corporations, hundreds of local businesses alsoutilize Cameron balloons to achieve a wide variety ofmarketing goals.

Just like ad-agencies and other service businesses,professional balloon operators differ by their areas of

expertise and the scope of services they offer. CameronBalloons can simplify the process of selecting the rightoperator by recommending one from our network ofexperienced professionals. However, here are somesimple pointers for choosing an appropriate operator.

Choosing the Right Operator

“Balloons, for what they cost, have given us more promotional valuethan a hundred times as much spent on advertising” – Malcomb Forbes

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Define the Goals of the Program

This is an all-important step. There should be cleargoals for the program in terms of geographic scope(local, regional, national, or international), types ofvenues to attend (balloon events, community events,sporting events, trade shows, or custom-made mediaevents, etc.). There should also be a clear plan for thepriorities of the program such as dominating specific key

events, creating major-player perception in certainmarkets, promoting goodwill by supporting communityfunctions, entertaining key clients, or simply providing the'hook' to tell your client's story with main-stream media.While the plan can remain fluid to take advantages ofnew opportunities, there should be a generalunderstanding of the primary and secondary priorities.

Balloonist or Corporate Balloon Operator?

Individual Pilot or Larger Company?

Geographic Scope

Dedicated Programs

While there are thousands of very capable professionalballoon pilots across the country, not all of them focustheir attention on the needs of corporate ballooning.Corporate programs require more than just a capablepilot and crew. The balloon staff will also be representingyou with the media, your clients, and the general public.In addition they will be handling the day-to-day logisticsthat an on-the-road program entails.It makes sense to contract with an operator that iscapable of all of these functions, and one who willrepresent you properly.

Should you contract with an individual operator or with acompany that has a pool of pilots? Both approaches canbe very effective depending on the goals defined for theprogram. In general whether it's a single pilot or a poolof five or more, you should have a clear understanding ofwho – specifically – will be representing you at any givenvenue. The more familiar the pilot and crew are withyour company and your product, the more effective theresults will be.There may occasionally be a need to change stafftemporarily (perhaps the pilot is sick, or has to deal withsome other unscheduled event), but for the most part,you should know who is on the pilot roster.

Some corporate balloon operators cater to certainspecific regions. Whether local, regional, national orinternational you should know how far afield the operatoris prepared or able to travel and make sure that fits withyour goals. As the scope of the program increases, sodo the logistics and planning requirements, so theoperator should be prepared to handle that overhead.

The operator you choose should be dedicated first andforemost to achieving the goals of the program. Thisrequires good communication and regular feedbackbetween operator and client or agency. Since everyprogram is specific to the client's needs, there is nocookie-cutter approach to developing an effectiveprogram.

Could your company benefit from the excitement andpositive impressions a balloon program generates?

Marketing Opportunities

Where Can Balloons Operate?

Menu of Services

Operating Costs

A good operator will take advantage of unplannedmarketing opportunities that crop up along the way.Whether an invitation from a local media source, anopportunity for a photo shoot, or a local event that fitswith the schedule; such operators will coordinate quicklywith 'head office' to make best use of these opportunities.

Balloons are registered with theFAA and have similar 'rights' to theairspace as other aircraft.However, local city ordinancesmay restrict certain activities onthe ground. For example,operating a balloon in New York'sCentral Park, requiresconsiderable advance planning.Such permissions and siteplanning should be performed byor at least coordinated with theoperator.

Just like ad-agencies, certainoperators offer ancillary services(either as part of the program or atan extra cost), such as maintaininga high quality photo library,tracking local media coverage,coordinating video coverage,scheduling a secondary balloon forair-to-air footage, or providing acomprehensive year-end report.The site planning mentionedearlier is often one of these functions.

The operating cost of the program will be determined bymany factors, including geographic scope, number ofevents, scheduling efficiency, number of staff required tooperate, logistic planning, and the menu of servicesneeded, etc. Full-time comprehensive national programscan hit seven-figure operating budgets, while low-intensity local programs can start at less than six figures.The number of days that the team is on the road is a

large determining factor. There have also been successfulballoon programs geared to a single one-time event.

To find out more about how to choose the right operatorand get a balloon program started, contact CameronBalloons. We can make sure you are teamed up with anexperienced and talented operating company that canmake sure your project or program is a flying success.

Next Steps

CLIENT LIST (partial)

CONSUMER GOODS

American AirlinesAmerica Online(3)AT&TBacardiBeemster CheeseBen & Jerry'sBenihanaBest FoodsBlockbuster VideoBurger King (3)CadburysCoke (3)CoorsCuervo Tequila (Heublein)Diet PepsiDr. PepperEarly Times Whiskey (3)Famous Footwear Shoes (3)Frito LayFry's SupermarketHavoline Motor OilHellman's MayonnaiseHerring Gas (3)

Iron City BeerJerzee's ShirtsKing's Family Restaurants/Ice CreamKodak (4)Konica CameraKool Cigarettes (2)Korbel ChampagneKroger Food Stores (3)Labatts Beer (3)Lisa FrankLynchburg LemonadeMaxwell House Coffee (2)Melody Farms Dairy (2)

Client List (partial)

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Nevada Bell TelephoneNikon CamerasNorthern TelecomOcean SprayOlympus Cameras (2)Pepsi (2)Phar-Mor DrugstoresPizza Hut (2)Porter Paint (8)Post CerealRay-O-Vac Batteries (2)Safeway, Inc. (2)Southwest AirlinesSwatch WatchThrifty Nickel Newspaper (2)ViewSonic Corporation (Monitors)Wendy's Restaurants (2)Winston Cigarettes (2)WonderbreadYashica Cameras (2)Yoplait Yogurt (4)

Allstate InsuranceApple BankAmerican ExpressBank of America (2)Bank OneCitizen's Bank (2)Coldwell BankerCooperators InsuranceFarmers InsuranceFirst Federal SavingsFirst National BankFirst of America (2)Liberty Bank and Trust (2)MAC (Money Access Card) (3)Merchants National Bank (2)Norwest Banks (2)Parkvale Savings (3)Standard Federal BankUnited Mississippi Bank (3)United New Mexico Bank (5)Union National BankWells Fargo Bank (5)

AC DelcoAmerican BatteryBuick

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

ChryslerCadillac (2)Dodge RamDowntown FordGMC TrucksGM Goodwrench / Service (2)Honda (Japan) (3)Hopkins Chevy-OldsFord Motorcraft (2)Oldsmobile Motor Division (2)Pontiac Motor Division (4)Protector (Rustproofing)Toyota (2)

AM 106 Radio (Calgary) (2)Forbes Magazine (15)K-Lite Radio (Houston)KMLE Camel CountryWHMI (MI)

Auberge de Soleil, Inn of the SunBoar's Head Inn (2)Bombard Society (12)City of Nassau Bay, TexasCrested Butte Resort CenterDisneyland (2)DisneyWorld (6)GarfieldIdaho Centennial Commission (2)Illinois Department of TourismMilwaukee ZooPalms CasinoPennsylvania State Tourism (2)Space Center HoustonState of Michigan Tourism (4)State of Missouri Tourism (2)State of Texas Tourism (3)State of Wyoming TourismUnited ArtistsWooden Angel Restaurant (2)

84 Lumber Company (2)AEG Industrial Controls (2)Arkla GasAsgrow SeedsBritish Airways (5)

MEDIA

ENTERTAINMENT AND TOURISM

MISCELLANEOUS

Braun CorporationComet CleanersCorel Corporation (Corel Draw)Curves InternationalDallas JewelersEdge & Tinney Architects (2)Energy One Utilities (2)Entre Computer CentersFrank CrumFrank Otte NurseryFox Ridge HomesGreen Mountain EnergyGreenpeaceHobby Box Toy StoresHouser Asphalt (2)Jewel Chest Jewelers (2)Just Say No-Antidrug campaignKids-R-Kids Child Care Centers (2)Michcon UtilitiesMillersville University (3)Modicon/Modcomp Real Time

Computer ControlsNational Football League (2)Nevada Bell TelephoneNoram EnergyOliver WineryPanasonic ComputersPioneer SeedsProvident Development (2)Petro Canada CorporationPOWMIARe/Max International (40+)Ruscilli ConstructionSears, Roebuck (Catalog) (2)Special OlympicsTeleconnect Phone ServiceTelecom USATower Travel AgencyTravel Artists Travel AgencyVanderbilt Hospital (2)ViewSonic Corporation (monitors)

Wonderbook

copyright 2009© by Cameron Balloons US. All Rights Reserved

The Choice of Experienced Pilots

Cameron Balloons U.S.P.O. Box 3672Ann Arbor, MI 48106Phone: 866.423.6178 or 734.426.5525Fax: 866.423.6179 or 734.426.5026hotline@cameronballoons.comwww.cameronballoons.com

CORPORATE HOT AIR BALLOONSBelow is a selection of balloon photos built by Cameron Balloons for our corporate clients.