Nov 29, 2007 6:05 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Amy Johannes

Airborne reps are targeting airport passengers with it's largest sampling program.

Herbal supplement Airborne is promoting its new On-the-Go product with a major sampling effort at several busy airports.

Marketing teams are hitting Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and Denver International Airport handing out single-serve samples of lemon-lime flavored Airborne On-the-Go, an immune-boosting effervescent powder, which gets mixed with water.

Reps are targeting passengers at peak morning and evening times in the post security areas prior to boarding. Each sample, which includes a coupon, drives people to an online sweepstakes at http://www.airbornehealth.com/airport for a chance to win $20 Amazon gift cards. The sweeps, which Ten United handles, runs through Dec. 31.

“Sampling is very important to our brand,” says Alison Calder, vice president of marketing for Airborne. We've found that a large percentage of people that try Airborne continue to use it.”

In all, about 840,000 samples will be distributed through Dec. 28. So far, more than 318,000 samples have been handed out, well exceeding the company’s expectations.

Busy travelers are an ideal audience for Airborne, the company said.

“We're reaching these people who are constantly on-the-go in their environment,” Calder said.

Airborne chose Chicago and Denver airports because of the high traffic each location generates. About 74 million people each year travel through O’Hare and 48 million a year through the Denver airport, Galen Weaver, vice president of airport operations for
Airport Marketing Income (AMI), the agency handling the promotion, said.

“It’s a perfect fit for the target,” he said.

The promotion follows a previous effort by the brand. Last year, Airborne reps handed out 160,000 samples at Logan Airport in Boston over a three-week period.

“Everybody is looking to find new ways to be able to consumers experience their brand,” Brad Jersey, AMI president, said. “If you can match a promotion with an ideal demographic, it works.”

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