Continental Airport Express
INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN
Continental Airport Express is Chicago’s
premier ground transportation company, providing
affordable, reliable transportation services between
O’Hare and Midway airports and all locations
in downtown Chicago. This airport shuttle service
transports over one million passengers annually
to destinations that include downtown Chicago hotels,
door-to-door business and residential locations,
McCormick Place, Lincoln Park, and also suburban
hotels, business and residential locations. It
also offers private charters to service business
or personal events.
The need
Airport Express traces its history back to Frank
Parmelee, who founded Parmelee Transportation
Company in 1853 to transport passengers between
railroad stations. In 2003, the company celebrated
its 150th anniversary. Airport
Express wanted to commemorate this milestone with
a year-long program of activities that would draw
attention to the occasion from city officials,
customers, referral sources, the general public
and its own employees.
Our approach
Hodge Schindler developed a full scale campaign
comprised of the following elements:
- A media relations program that included distribution
of a media kit containing a history of the company
along with photos dating back to the company’s
founding.
- A booklet documenting the past 150 years of company
lore.
- An employee relations program that called for
bestowing a “Frank Parmelee Award” every
month on an employee whose commitment to customer
service emulated that of the company founder.
- A two-week photo exhibit, “From Trains to
Airplanes: 150 years of Chicago Transportation
History,” at the Richard J. Daley Civic Center.
- A street-naming dedication, during which the corner
of Monroe and Racine, the site of an early company
stable, was renamed “Frank Parmelee Way.”
- A gala anniversary event for 250 people at the
Chicago Historical Society.
The outcomes
Airport Express received feature coverage in
the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Where magazine,
Chicago Reader, Lerner Skyline, the Chicago Crusader
and BUSride magazine.
The exhibit and anniversary
event drew attention and praise from key audiences,
including city officials, who regulate the company’s
service, and the travel industry, which is a major
source of referral business.
The anniversary booklet
was honored with a golden trumpet award by the
Publicity Club of Chicago.
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