RDU to rebrand following passenger, employee growth

A Raleigh-based communications agency that rebranded five local bus systems into regional transportation authority GoTriangle is being tapped to rebrand Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority has approved an agreement for brand consulting services from Clean Design of Raleigh to kickstart its rebranding effort, which will run through 2020.

“They took a variety of separate brands and unified them, which is exactly what we’re looking for,” Kristie VanAuken, RDU’s vice president of communications and community affairs, said about Clean Design’s GoTriangle work.

Phase one, which will begin July 1, will cost no more than $99,000. The last two phases, which will begin next year and last two years, are estimated to cost between $150,000 to $200,000 each.

VanAuken mentioned Pittsburgh International Airport, Columbus Regional Airport Authority and Tampa International Airport as other medium-sized airports that have recently undergone rebranding efforts.

“My own strong preference is to look at the strongest brands in the country, regardless of what industries that they serve,” she said. “I’d really like to look at savvy brands ... and learn from them. ”

The effort to rebrand comes at a time of major growth for the airport, not just in terms of passengers but also employees.

Last year, the airport broke its record for the most passengers in a year when more than 11 million people traveled to and from RDU. Following that, the airport authority approved adding 41 new positions to its staff of a little more than 300 people this budget year.

“We’ve never had that many new team members slated in a single year,” VanAuken said. “That’s a big deal, and it’s not only in response to current passenger demand but also to prepare us to make sure we have the human resources in place to start executing our Vision 2040 plan.”

RDU’s 2040 vision plan lays out several large capital projects that airport officials want to undertake in the coming years, including reconstructing the airport’s longest runway, building a consolidated rental car facility and renovating the parking deck.

This story was originally published June 19, 2017 at 9:55 AM with the headline "RDU to rebrand following passenger, employee growth."