Santa Barbara Airport reports record passengers, lays out research-driven marketing and route-promotion program

Santa Barbara Airport reported a record year of more than 1,400,000 passengers and outlined a research-driven marketing campaign aimed at capturing more of the region's travel demand, airport staff and outside consultants told the Airport Commission on Feb. 13.

The marketing presentation detailed the new consumer campaign, “Yeah, It’s Like That,” targeted route-promotion tactics and paid-media performance through fall 2024 and the first months of fiscal 2025. “It’s the simplicity of why they choose us over and over again,” Angie Doss, marketing supervisor for Santa Barbara Airport, said of the campaign’s emotional positioning.

Why it matters: Commissioners were shown metrics the airport and its consultants say link advertising to bookings and revenue. The airport’s marketing team said the campaign is intended to reduce leakage to nearby airports, support existing carriers and persuade airlines to add or expand service.

Hilltop Marketing Group and airport staff said the program combines a base brand plan with a route-promotion layer funded by incremental spend. Chris Vargas, media director at Hilltop, reported the digital program generated roughly 9,000,000 impressions and nearly 56,000 clicks in the market for the July 2024–January 2025 period. Vargas said the paid-media effort “generated a $15.19 return on ad spend,” and that Expedia performance improved 24% year over year, with a per‑acquisition cost the team reported as down to about $10.35.

The presentation highlighted several tactics and partner efforts: a 30‑second TV spot, connected‑TV and streaming audio buys (including Pandora), targeted sponsored emails and social‑media retargeting, and experimental units such as Lyft/Uber rideshare wraps (10 cars over eight weeks equipped with beacons). A sponsored email sent to a purchased list of about 50,000 prospects produced about 27,000 opens (an 18% open rate) and more than 4,000 clicks, the consultants said.

The airport also reported results from a carrier promotion with Delta Air Lines tied to the carrier’s incentive funds for its new nonstop flights to Salt Lake City and Atlanta; Hilltop said those promotions produced a notable click-through rate on Delta landing pages. The airport added Kayak to its metasearch program this year and reported a ninefold lift in bookings attributed to adding that partner.

Air service development: Campbell Hill consultant Robin (last name not specified) explained why airport staff maintain frequent contact with carriers and use origin‑and‑destination and mobile data to demonstrate latent demand. She summarized a leakage analysis showing substantial catchment-area traffic that currently uses Los Angeles and other airports; the study and mobile analytics support pitches for new nonstops and added frequencies, she said.

Commission response and next steps: Commissioners asked for clarification on survey methods, catchment geography and acronyms used during the presentation; one commissioner requested a glossary for future briefings. Airport staff said the marketing program will relaunch spring advertising ahead of the April–June peak travel planning window and will continue monitoring metrics monthly.

Documentation: Presenters identified themselves as Angie Doss (marketing supervisor, Santa Barbara Airport), Lauren Gonzales (marketing staff, Santa Barbara Airport), Kim (Hilltop Marketing Group presenter), Chris Vargas (media director, Hilltop Marketing Group) and Robin (Campbell Hill, air service development consultant). Material and performance figures were reported by the consultants and airport staff during the Feb. 13 presentation and attributed in the commission packet and on-screen slides.