The Big Impression: James Rothwell on United’s Sky-High Media Ambitions

Released on July 30, 2025

In this engaging episode of The Big Impression, hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Laferne delve into the transformative journey of Connective Media, United Airlines' pioneering media network. Joined by James Rothwell, Managing Director of Brand Marketing at Connective Media, the discussion unpacks the network's growth, strategic partnerships, technological innovations, and future ambitions.

Celebrating Growth and Success

James Rothwell kicks off the conversation by reflecting on Connective Media's first anniversary since its grand launch at Cannes in June 2024. Over the past year, the network has significantly expanded its reach, engaging a diverse array of brands eager to tap into United's premium traveler audience.

"We’ve seen some success in most of the key verticals that you would imagine, and then some surprising ones too," (02:08) James shares. A standout success story is the collaboration with the Cayman Islands Tourist Board. This campaign effectively utilized multiple channels—including email, club lounges, and in-flight entertainment screens—to drive awareness, intent, and conversions, resulting in 9,000 bookings and an impressive 13x return on ad spend.

Bridging Endemic and Non-Endemic Brands

Beyond traditional travel and destination brands, Connective Media has adeptly attracted non-endemic advertisers, broadening the network's appeal and functionality. James highlights the success with luxury brands and B2B companies like Atlassian’s Jira, which executed a full omnichannel activation.

"We created a custom channel for them with curated content behind it, which then obviously gave them a branding moment and an opportunity to drive their messaging with more engagement," (05:26) explains James. This tailored approach not only enhanced brand visibility but also ensured precise targeting of the right audience segments throughout their travel journey.

Strategic Partnerships and Technological Advancements

Over the past year, Connective Media has forged significant partnerships to enhance its content offerings and technological infrastructure. Notably, the partnership with Spotify introduces enriched content and deeper engagement opportunities, integrating loyalty components such as MileagePlus benefits with Spotify Premium subscriptions.

"We're the first airline to offer audiobooks and video podcasts within our planes," (06:13) James asserts, underscoring the innovative strides in content delivery. Additionally, the collaboration with JetBlue marks a strategic expansion, merging audiences to surpass 100 million passengers. This synergy not only scales the audience base but also streamlines advertising processes for brands by consolidating multiple media networks.

The integration of Starlink's high-speed in-flight internet represents a game-changer, enabling hyper-personalization and shoppable moments on every seat screen. James enthuses, "Every seat, every screen becomes addressable. We can do programmatic delivery against that, against those screens." (17:27) This advancement paves the way for dynamic content offerings and real-time customer engagement.

Robust Measurement and Insights

A cornerstone of Connective Media's strategy is its robust measurement and attribution capabilities. The network's ability to link ad exposure directly to customer actions—like bookings—demonstrates its efficacy. James emphasizes, "Measurement and measurability is incredibly strong in the travel sector." (02:08) Collaborations with measurement partners such as Kantar Dynata and Adelaide enhance their ability to track and analyze engagement metrics comprehensively.

One intriguing insight from their analysis reveals that business travelers are more responsive to advertising compared to leisure travelers. "Business travelers are actually more likely to respond to advertising than leisure travelers," (13:41) James notes. This counterintuitive finding highlights the unique behavioral patterns of different traveler segments, informing more effective targeting strategies for B2B brands.

Personalization and Programmatic Advertising

The installation of Starlink technology is set to revolutionize personalization within the in-flight experience. With enhanced connectivity, every screen becomes a potential touchpoint for targeted, programmatic advertising. James elaborates, "We can create shoppable moments, brand integrations. It unlocks a huge amount of content opportunities." (17:27) This capability allows brands to deliver highly personalized and interactive advertisements, significantly elevating the passenger experience and engagement levels.

Value Proposition and Market Positioning

Connective Media’s strategic partnerships, particularly with JetBlue, amplify its market presence by combining extensive audiences. "We think there's massive opportunity there and we're talking to a number of other airlines about that opportunity," (09:36) James explains. This anti-walled garden strategy fosters a collaborative ecosystem where multiple airlines and travel partners can benefit from shared technologies and streamlined advertising solutions, enhancing scalability and efficiency for media buyers.

Challenges and Future Directions

Despite notable achievements, Connective Media acknowledges ongoing challenges, especially in perfecting measurement and attribution methodologies. James candidly remarks, "We are still building the plane while we're flying it," (21:41) illustrating the continuous evolution and adaptation required to meet market demands and solve complex attribution puzzles.

Looking ahead, the network aims to deepen its understanding of traveler behaviors and enrich the MileagePlus loyalty program. "How we engage with them in authentic and compelling ways in a very noisy media marketplace," (20:37) James states, highlighting the focus on sustained customer engagement beyond just travel moments.

Conclusion

Connective Media is poised to redefine the landscape of traveler media networks through strategic partnerships, technological innovation, and robust measurement frameworks. With an expansive and engaged audience, coupled with cutting-edge personalization capabilities, United Airlines’ media network offers unparalleled value to brands seeking to connect with a premium and responsive traveler base.

Notable Quotes:

• "We’ve seen some success in most of the key verticals that you would imagine, and then some surprising ones too." – James Rothwell (02:08)
• "Business travelers are actually more likely to respond to advertising than leisure travelers." – James Rothwell (13:41)
• "We are still building the plane while we're flying it." – James Rothwell (21:41)

This comprehensive overview captures the essence of James Rothwell’s insights on Connective Media’s journey, highlighting the network’s strategic initiatives, successes, and the innovative edge that positions it as a leader in the traveler media space.