Ink (company)

Ink Global
Industry Travel media
Inflight magazines
Trade publications
Founded 1994
Founder Michael Keating
Simon Leslie
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Number of employees
 420[1]
Website www.ink-global.com

Ink, or Ink Global, is a British travel media publishing and technology company. Founded in 1994, Ink is the largest travel media publishing company in the world.[1] Ink publishes 36 inflight magazines for 26 airlines worldwide, as of January 2015.[2] The company's 100 magazines, publications, and other media products currently reach more than 677 million global consumers annually.[1][2] Ink Global is headquartered in West Hampstead, London.[2]

Between 2013 and 2015, Ink acquired the publication rights for several additional inflight magazines, including Iberia, Hong Kong Express Airways, Norwegian Air Lines, and United Airlines' Hemispheres magazine.[2] In August 2014, American Airlines transferred production of its inflight magazine, American Way, from its in-house unit, AA Publishing, to Ink Global.[3][4] American Way, which reaches approximately 193 million people annually, was relaunched by Ink in January 2015 as one of the company's largest publications.[3][5][6]

Overview

Ink was founded in 1994 by Simon Leslie and Michael Keating[7] to service two small airlines, one in the Middle East, British Mediterranean Airways,[1] and other in Africa.

As of 2015, the company has grown to work with 34 airlines, producing magazines, travel document advertising (targeted advertising), mobile apps and online properties. Ink employs over 300 people around the world to create more than 100 media products.

Products

Ink Global's products include:

In addition, Ink conducts global passenger research and holds the Airline Retail Conference [10] and China Travel Retail Conference. Ink is currently headquartered in London, with key offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Melbourne, New York, São Paulo, Singapore and Shanghai.

Business

Magazines

Ink publishes around 40 magazines produced in 18 languages across Europe, the United States and Central America, Africa, Asia, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.[11] Ink is responsible for many publications both online and offline such as Hemispheres Magazine,[12] Let's Go Magazine,[13] Cebu Smile [14] and many more.

Targeted Advertising Platform

Ink’s Targeted Advertising (TAD) technology enables advertising to be customized to specific types of passengers based on origin, destination, gender, nationality, age, language, cabin class, fare type and frequent flyer status.

Advertising

In addition to its magazine business, Ink produces personalised advertising on print-at-home boarding passes and confirmation emails,[15] and tailored inflight eMagazines.It sells advertising in over 100 countries in the form of magazines, retail catalogues, entertainment guides, and websites, print-at-home boarding passes, itineraries and confirmation emails as well as mobile apps.It also sells media space on headrest covers, table trays, menus, timetables and seat-backs for airlines.

Travel Documents

Ink offers advertising space on travel documents using their proprietary targeted advertising platform. Their range of travel documents includes print-at-home boarding passes, itineraries and booking confirmations.

Technology & Mobile

Ink create travel apps for iOS and Android platforms that allow airline passengers to book future travel, check-in and obtain mobile boarding passes among other key functions. To date, Ink has launched apps for Jetstar and Cebu Pacific. Ink offers targeted advertising within the app.

Digital Advertising

The targeted advertising platform also offers Ink’s advertiser partners a unique way of targeting and retargeting consumers across all digital devices, from airline proprietary sites and mobile apps to third party sites through programmatic buying.

Additional Airline Advertising

Ink has multiple media space opportunities with chosen partner airlines. These include plane wraps, inflight entertainment guides, headrest covers, table trays, menus, timetables, seat-backs, check-in and on-board product sampling and in-cabin announcements.

Partners List

Ink's client list includes:

American Airlines (American Way Magazine) [16] (Nexos) [17] (Celebrated Living) [18] AirClub (AirClub Magazine) [19] Bangkok Airways (Fah Thai) [20] Brussels Airlines (b.there) [21] (b.spirit) [22]
Carlson Wagonlit Travel Cebu Pacific (Smile Magazine) [23] easyJet (easyJet Travellers) [24] Eurostar (Metropolitan Magazine) [25]
Germanwings (GW Magazine) [26] Hong Kong Express Airways (UO Magazine)[27]Iberia (Excelente) [28] (Ronda) [29]Jazeera Airways (J Magazine) [30]
Jet2.com (JetAway Magazine) [31]Jetstar Airways (Jetstar Asia) [32] (Jetstar Australia) [33] (Jetstar Japan) [34] KLM Norwegian Air Shuttle n Magazine [35]
PrivatAir (PrivatAir Magazine) [36] RyanAir (Let's Go) [37] Scoot (Scoot Magazine) [38] TAM Airlines
Thomas Cook Thomas Cook Travel Magazine [39] Tigerair (Tiger Tales Asia) [40] (Tiger Tales Australia) [41] (Tiger Tales Philippines) [42] United Airlines (Hemisphere Magazine) [43] (Rhapsody Magazine) [44] Wizz Air(Wizz Magazine)[45]]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Burrell, Ian (2014-10-19). "Ink global has used savvy marketing and a globe-trotting readership to take over the world’s skies". The Independent. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Shadbolt, Peter (2015-01-29). "Inflight empire: How Ink Global is cornering airline magazine market". CNN. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mickey, Bill (2014-08-19). "American Airlines Picks Ink to Publish Inflight Magazines". Folio. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  4. ↑ Halleck, Thomas (2014-08-19). "American Airlines Hires Ink Global To Relaunch 'American Way,' In-Flight Magazines". International Business Times. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  5. ↑ Jean, Sheryl (2015-01-06). "American Airlines revamps ‘American Way’ in-flight magazine". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  6. ↑ Horgan, Richard (2015-01-06). "Dave Grohl Powers AA's Revamped In-Flight Magazine". Adweek. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  7. ↑ "Made With INK (Globally): Five New Magazines Landing At An Airplane Near You! The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Michael Keating, CEO & Co-Founder, INK". Mr. Magazine. 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  8. ↑ "Inflight empire: How Ink Global is cornering airline magazine market". Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Ink Live - emagazines". Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Airline Retail Conference". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "American Airlines Hires Ink Global To Relaunch 'American Way,' In-Flight Magazines". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Reach 12 million ABC1 United passengers a month with Hemispheres". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  13. ↑ "Let’s Go With Ryanair Magazine goes from strength to strength". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "Cebu Pacific among the worlds best". Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  15. ↑ Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith (2011-02-21). "Ryanair to place ads on boarding passes — Marketing news". Marketing magazine. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  16. ↑ "American Way Inflight Magazine".
  17. ↑ "Nexos Inflight Magazine".
  18. ↑ "American Airlines Picks Ink to Publish Inflight Magazines".
  19. ↑ "Air Club Inflight Magazine".
  20. ↑ "Bangkok Airways Inflight Magazine".
  21. ↑ "b.there Magazine".
  22. ↑ "b.spirit Magazine".
  23. ↑ "Smile Magazine for Cebu Pacific".
  24. ↑ "Traveller — Inflight Magazine of easyJet".
  25. ↑ "Eurostar Metropolitan Magazine".
  26. ↑ "Germanwings Inflight Magazine".
  27. ↑ "Hong Kong Express Inflight Magazine".
  28. ↑ "Excelente Inflight Magazine".
  29. ↑ "Ronda Inflight Magazine".
  30. ↑ "Jazeera Inflight Magazine".
  31. ↑ "Jet2 Inflight Magazine".
  32. ↑ "Jetstar Asia Inflight Magazine".
  33. ↑ "Jetstar Australia Inflight Magazine".
  34. ↑ "Jetstar Japan Inflight Magazine".
  35. ↑ "Norwegian Inflight Magazine".
  36. ↑ "PrivatAir Inflight Magazine".
  37. ↑ "RyanAir Inflight Magazine".
  38. ↑ "Scoot Inflight Magazine".
  39. ↑ "Thomas Cook Inflight Magazine".
  40. ↑ "Tiger Tales Asia Inflight Magazine".
  41. ↑ "Tiger Tales Australia Inflight Magazine".
  42. ↑ "Tiger Tales Philippines Inflight Magazine".
  43. ↑ "Hemispheres Inflight Magazine".
  44. ↑ "Rhapsody Inflight Magazine".
  45. ↑ "Inflight Magazine of Wizz Air".