St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) Sets Sights on the Stars With a New Marketing Partnership

As part of a new marketing initiative, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) inked a partnership with award-winning firm Starmark as Agency of Record for marketing.

The move signals a bolder marketing approach for one of Florida’s Gulf Coast’s most attractive travel destinations, using its easy access to Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa to put PIE on the menu for more travelers.

This is a prime moment for ambition. The airport, which recently completed extensive renovations and infrastructure investments, contributes over $1.04 billion in economic activity each year. And, St. Pete Beach was named TripAdvisor’s #1 beach in the U.S, for 2021, following Clearwater Beach’s recent years as number one.

“We found in Starmark the type of high-caliber marketing partner we need to help propel PIE to the next level. With our latest terminal renovations, new parking, updated Customs facility, and new shops and restaurants, we’re ready to welcome even more travelers back to PIE and the Tampa Bay area,” stated Airport Director Tom Jewsbury.

Starmark is no stranger to amplifying excitement for a destination. The agency has won more Visit Florida Flagler Awards than any other company and has also spearheaded the development of a more welcoming international identity for Fort Lauderdale. Its efforts on the east side of the state included significantly growing business for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, as well as rebranding the international hub to the more traveler-friendly moniker FLL. 

“We love the energy and excitement from our new friends at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport,” says Jacqui Hartnett, president of Starmark. “Our team sees great things ahead for this partnership.”

PIE and Starmark plan to take a unique approach to their marketing planning. They’ll collaborate closely, using Agile Methodology, to create a comprehensive roadmap for all marketing activities. The goal is to tap all the expertise of social media, creative team members, web developers and strategists from the very start of the project to build an efficient, integrated plan.

Starmark is one of only a few hundred U.S. marketing agencies that guides all of its work using Agile principles and was featured in the Wall Street Journal for its unique implementation. According to Jacqui, “It’s an approach that creates open communication and fosters high-trust relationships that are built for the long-haul.”