Banner-plane business soars across Strand

MYRTLE BEACH -- Business is booming for banner planes across Myrtle Beach, and local companies are starting to catch on to sky-high marketing.

NationalSkyAds.com, a national banner plane company that flies in Myrtle Beach, has seen an increase in this year's business after a few slow years. Ted DeReeder, owner and president, said more businesses are choosing banner advertising because it is an affordable way to reach a large number of beachgoers.

Though she gets requests from corporations and small businesses, DeReeder said nearly 70 percent of her business comes from personal advertisements, such as "marry me" and "happy birthday" banners. Most of the personal ads are tourist-driven, and an hour flight costs about $450.

"Commercial ads can go in and fly their website or product, and I can count on them for every Saturday and every Sunday," DeReeder said.

The one thing holding back banner plane companies is the fuel price, said DeReeder; however, the increased price of gas is just passed to the customer, so NationalSkyAds.com's business hasn't been affected.

"Myrtle Beach is definitely a hot spot though, and we still get business," she said.

Now is the prime time for banner plane business because it's the Grand Strand's busiest season.

"I use the banners 12 weeks out of the year, in the summer," said Mike Arakas, owner of Crabby Mike's Seafood in Surfside Beach. "There's no point in doing it other months since there's not many people at the beach."

Though the cost is high for flying two to three hours every day, Arakas said the results are worth every penny.

"I hear people talking about it every day, locals alike, telling me that they see it turning here and there," Arakas said. "People definitely notice it, and it brings in business."

The only problem Arakas encounters with aerial ads is mixed messages received from tourists. People come into his restaurant asking for deals they've seen on other businesses' banners, and Arakas has a model banner in his restaurant to prove what his ad offers.

"People's memories just associate what they want, especially since they see so many different ads flying," he said.

Competition creates the need for aerial ads, said Peter MacIntyre, Ripley's attractions manager.

"The beach is our biggest competition," he said. "Tourists may not go to Ripley's, they may not go to IMAX or other attractions here, but they always go to the beach. "It's a moving billboard, and we find it to be effective and reasonably priced."

Marlin Quay Marina in Murrells Inlet uses the sky-high marketing once a week during the summer; banners offer parasailing, banana boat rides and charter fishing. As the main source of advertisement, banners provide most of the business for owner Michael Stone.

Word of mouth and cards are the only other marketing Stone uses, saying that's the way to reach vacationers.

"People that come on vacation are not going to be sitting in a hotel room looking at TV commercials or flipping through magazines," Stone said. "They're going to be ... doing vacation things. That's why aerial ads work so well."

For the advertising agencies using banner marketing, the proof comes in through increased revenue, boosted demand and client approval. One customer used DeReeder's company to advertise half-priced drinks and live music at his restaurant, but forgot to mention the time, she said. That day, his business was crowded with people, all asking for half-priced beverages.

"It cost him money, but everybody in town knows where he is now, and he sure knows banner advertising works," DeReeder said.

Aerial Messages, another national company that advertises along the Grand Strand, said business has decreased about 20 percent to 30 percent in June.

"We had a slow year last year, but we had a really good month in May," CEO Ramy Colin said. "But now we're in a slump again. This usually happens every June."

Colin has seen a decrease in corporate advertising, but personal ads have spiked.