Southwest Georgia Regional Airport may undergo brand audit

ALBANY — The Albany-Dougherty County Aviation Commission is set to consider the theory that a brand can be the key to getting noticed in a competitive society.

The commission heard a presentation at its board meeting Monday evening from Burkhead Brand Group, a firm based in Raleigh, N.C., on the value of what a distinctive brand might bring to the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport.

Scott Burkhead, managing partner of the firm, noted that proper branding is tied to economic development. A successful branding campaign, he said, can be accomplished by highlighting some of the assets unique to a specific area, and in the case of an airport, such a concept could mean a competitive edge when trying to attract more flights.

The goal, as he put it, is to “avoid being a commodity in a branded world.” There have been economic and population shifts, Burkhead said, and airports in smaller communities are looking for growth opportunities.

He went on to point out that airports needing to grow must communicate with organic internal and external audiences.

“You can’t divorce the two. The airport is married to the community,” Burkhead said.

He added that the Southwest Georgia airport, located in south Albany, has 85 acres of land approved for development, and it does not have a distinctive and differentiated brand. It is already serving as a central point for its quadrant of the state but needs to draw air traffic from the Columbus and Valdosta areas to become more attractive to general aviation as well as commercial flights.

“It is almost like you are a hub for Southwest Georgia,” Burkhead said. “Your geographic placement is a little intriguing.”

A strong brand, which Burkhead said can serve as “intangible infrastructure,” equates to a stronger position for growth. It can mean attaching the airport to a name or image bringing to the forefront what Albany has to offer, and includes a process of research, positioning, strategic branding and graphics, and messaging, he said.

He said the process of establishing a brand will include stakeholders as well as leadership from the Albany and Dougherty County governments. This means there will need to be talks with these groups, as well as airport leadership, before coming back with a recommendation, he said.

A “brand audit,” Burkhead said, would likely cost $12,000 and take a period of two or three months.

The commission was also updated on the progress of several ongoing projects, among them a $1.5 million boarding bridge, the funding for which a 10 percent match was approved recently by the city of Albany. City Attorney Nathan Davis said at the meeting that the match had been taken care of, and officials from the airport said the design for the project is about 30 days away.

Parking pads are being invested in for the Delta aircraft. S & S Concrete was expected to start on the project last week but was unable to do so due to Tropical Storm Irma. Airport officials said work is anticipated to start no later than Monday, and that it should take no more than a week to complete.