United Reorganizes Advertising Business To Prioritize Starlink and Other Tech Investments

United Airlines is making a major change to its two-year-old advertising business. The airline has reorganized its advertising network, Kinective Media, to focus on the company's technology investments such as seat-back screens and Starlink internet access, a spokesperson confirmed to ADWEEK. United is combining Kinective Media's media sales and operation team with its MileagePlus loyalty program’s partnerships team, United chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella wrote in a letter sent to employees last month that United provided to ADWEEK. “This puts our partner strategy and media capabilities together and helps ensure that what we sell is as valuable to our customers as it is to our partners," Nocella wrote. Additionally, United's paid media team will move into MileagePlus’ marketing group, according to the letter. “This brings the capabilities we use to reach customers closer to the team responsible for building and strengthening the MileagePlus relationship." Nocella said “there will be additional changes for some people as a result of this new structure and those conversations are ongoing." The spokesperson said Kinective Media is not shutting down or leaving the market, adding that the reorganization is an evolution and simplification of the company's ad offering. ADWEEK could not confirm how many roles were affected, and a United spokesperson declined to disclose a figure. Nocella wrote that while Kinective Media has become profitable, United is missing several things to be considered a "success at scale." United needs its fleet of aircrafts to be equipped with seat-back screens and SpaceX's Starlink Wi-Fi. Additionally, United needs its own software that includes a customer database, ad delivery tools, and tools that measure what customers see in the seat. "We will continue to invest in this and size our media sales division to scale with our ambitions. This means, however, that until the aircraft and tech are fully ready, the highest return we can earn is closer to home, through United’s own products, MileagePlus products, our credit card portfolio and our MileagePlus partners," Nocella wrote. "I’ve talked before about MileagePlus being one of the jewels of United," he added. "The opportunity now is to bring what we’ve built in Kinective closer to MileagePlus and, over time, apply those same capabilities more broadly across United.” The move marks a major shift for Kinective Media. United launched Kinective Media in 2024 using the airline’s data about travelers to serve personalized ads on the screens built into airline seats. The initial slate of advertisers included Macy’s, Norwegian Cruise Line, and JPMorgan Chase. Last year, Kinective told ADWEEK it had run 130 campaigns for more than 100 brands and that it had begun selling ad technology to other airlines, beginning with JetBlue. Richard Nunn, then CEO of United’s frequent flier program MileagePlus, who also ran Kinective Media, cited Starlink as a major opportunity for United. Change of command Kinective Media has seen a string of leadership changes and key departures since the beginning of the year. In January, Nunn left the company as United hired former American Airlines chief commercial officer Vasu Raja as a consultant reporting to Nocella to oversee the Kinective Media team for six months, reported The Points Guy. Separately, Bloomberg reported that Raja was previously fired by American CEO Robert Isom following a Bain & Co. review that found the airline's marketing strategy was alienating corporate clients. Several other leaders at Kinective Media have left the company this year, according to LinkedIn. James Rothwell, United's managing director of marketing for Kinective Media and MileagePlus—a former Comcast marketing and advertising vp—departed in June. Adam La Marca, senior manager and head of agency and client partnerships for Kinective Media, also left in June and is now director of agency and non-endemic sales at Dick's Media. Mike Petrella, United's managing director of strategic partnerships, left in July and is now vp of business development at AccuWeather. The former employees did not respond to ADWEEK's request for comment. In Nocella's letter, he said the changes will make the company's efforts “even more aligned, effective and efficient." He wrote that other airlines have taken notice or have tried to copy its investments in its product, technologies and customer experience over the years. "But what they don’t know is that we’re going to run even harder and faster in the months and years ahead," Nocella wrote. “Combined with the investments we’re making across the airline, including our full Starlink rollout in 2027, we have an opportunity to create a customer experience that is increasingly personalized and difficult for anyone else to replicate." As United reworks its advertising business, Delta Air Lines is planning to launch its own advertising arm. Delta hired Keri Paison—former senior manager of strategy, growth, and transformation at Deloitte Digital—last month to stand up the business, ADWEEK reported.

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