Sustainable Marketing in Aviation: Setting a Glide Path for Long-Term Success

In both aviation and marketing, when unexpected turbulence hits—be it a global economic downturn, a budget crunch, or an industry shakeup—the most effective response isn’t panic. It’s strategy. Just as a seasoned pilot sets a best glide path when an engine fails, smart aviation companies can set a sustainable course with their marketing efforts to ensure visibility, engagement, and growth even through rough skies.

This concept, introduced in a recent ABCI video discussion, is not just a clever metaphor—it’s a solid framework for sustainable marketing. Let’s break it down: how do you keep your company visible and credible during uncertain times without breaking the bank?

The Glide Path: A Pilot’s Perspective on Sustainable Strategy

In aviation, when the engine quits, the first thing a professional pilot does is establish a best glide speed and attitude. This critical step buys time and allows for rational, informed decision-making. The same holds true in marketing: when budgets tighten or the market shifts, knee-jerk reactions like cutting all promotional spend can cause more harm than good.

Instead, sustainable marketing means making smart, long-term investments that generate consistent visibility and trust without constant high costs.

Why Sustainable Marketing Matters (Especially in Aviation)

The aviation industry is no stranger to volatility—affected by fuel prices, geopolitical instability, regulation, and pandemics. For B2B aviation companies, where sales cycles can be months or even years long, going dark in marketing means disappearing from a prospect’s radar entirely.

Cutting all marketing might seem like a short-term solution, but it often leads to long-term losses. History backs this up: During the Great Depression, Kellogg’s doubled down on marketing while Post cut their advertising. Today, Kellogg’s still dominates.

Sustainable marketing is about weathering the storm with smart, steady tactics.

The Three Pillars of Sustainable Marketing

1. Evergreen Content is Your Fuel Reserve

Evergreen content—articles, case studies, videos, or explainers that remain relevant over time—is one of the smartest investments an aviation company can make. These pieces work for you 24/7, answering common customer questions, improving SEO, and building trust with your audience.

Example Activities:

•Write articles like “How to Choose the Right Avionics Package for Your Aircraft” or “Understanding Part 145 Repair Station Certifications”

•Create product explainer videos or virtual walkarounds of your aircraft or hangar

•Publish customer testimonials and case studies in text and video form

Pro Tip: Use the “They Ask, You Answer” principle from Marcus Sheridan—turn every customer question into a helpful piece of content.

2. Shift from Events to Digital Visibility

Trade shows and airshows are powerful but expensive—and often unpredictable in ROI. Reallocate that budget to more controllable, repeatable, and trackable activities.

Replace High-Cost Events With:

•Search-optimized content marketing that brings prospects to your site

•Monthly email newsletters that keep you top-of-mind with clients and prospects

•Social media drip campaigns, particularly on LinkedIn, tailored to each buyer persona

Pro Tip: Schedule posts in 12-week evergreen cycles, using software like Buffer or MeetEdgar, and rotate posts highlighting your services, expertise, team, and recent projects.

3. Maintain Visibility—Even If You Scale Down

In aviation, going radio silent is cause for concern. In marketing, it’s the same. If your brand disappears, people wonder if you’re still in business.

You can scale down your activity without losing momentum. It’s not about how much you do—it’s about how consistent and strategic it is.

Sustainable, Low-to-Moderate Cost Tactics:

•Monthly blog articles or podcasts (even 1 per month keeps the engine warm)

•Repurpose past trade show content into digital materials (e.g., turn a product presentation into a webinar or white paper)

•Use tools like SEMRush to identify keywords you already rank for—and build on them

•Refresh your website visuals or messaging every 2–3 years to show you’re active

Pro Tip: Even if you can’t afford weekly content, batching and scheduling a quarter’s worth of posts or emails in one sitting can keep your marketing engine running.

A Sustainable Aviation Marketing Toolkit

Here’s a categorized checklist of proven, low-to-moderate cost marketing activities for aviation companies:

✈️ Foundational Digital Presence

•✅ Website refresh every 2–3 years
•✅ SEO audit (via SEMRush or similar tools)
•✅ Basic Google Business Profile optimization
•✅ Setup and maintain a professional LinkedIn company page

🛩️ Evergreen Content Creation

•✅ Monthly or bi-weekly blog posts
•✅ One evergreen sales video per quarter
•✅ A downloadable lead magnet (e.g., maintenance checklist, buyer’s guide)
•✅ Email nurture sequence for leads

🚁 Social Media Sustainability

•✅ Use a social media scheduler to automate evergreen posts
•✅ LinkedIn presence: weekly posting, monthly article, employee re-sharing
•✅ Rotate through 5–7 themes (e.g., team spotlight, FAQs, project highlights)

🛫 Lead Generation & Nurture

•✅ One gated content piece (white paper, guide, checklist)
•✅ Quarterly email newsletter
•✅ Use Calendly + Zoom integration to make scheduling easier
•✅ Conduct “office hours” sessions—invite prospects to join you live

🧰 Efficiency Tools & Services

•✅ Basecamp for marketing project management
•✅ SEMRush (even in read-only mode) for tracking progress
•✅ Outsourcing content creation to a team like ABCI (month-to-month, no contract)
•✅ Use prebuilt checklists for onboarding, digital marketing, or branding projects

When You Need to Downshift, Don’t Stall—Glide

If your marketing engine sputters—whether due to budget cuts, staffing changes, or market slowdowns—the worst thing you can do is stop everything. That’s how you crash.

Instead, downshift to a glide path.

Sustainable Aviation Marketing - Low Cost Alternatives

This approach keeps your message in the market and preserves momentum, even if you’re coasting at a lower throttle setting.

What Glide Path Marketing Looks Like with ABCI

At ABCI, we’ve worked with aviation clients through economic cycles, pandemics, and shifting industry trends. One thing we’ve learned: the companies that stay visible survive—and thrive.

That’s why all of our services are:

•✅ Month-to-month with no long-term contract
•✅ Scalable up or down depending on your needs
•✅ Focused on sustainable marketing strategies that build over time

Whether you need help creating evergreen content, auditing your LinkedIn, setting up repeatable office hours, or managing a quarterly content batch—our team can plug in and help without a major commitment.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Panic. Plan.

In aviation and in marketing, (and everything else!) when something goes wrong, the answer is not to give up—it’s to establish a glide path. Build in time, maintain control, and make smart adjustments that keep you moving forward.

Your best glide speed in marketing might not be your max performance, but it will get you to the next opportunity—and beyond.

Let’s make sure your brand is still flying, no matter the headwinds.