Kinective Media’s James Rothwell on United’s sky-high media ambitions

When United Airlines launched Kinective Media at Cannes in 2024, it became the first airline to build a full-fledged media network from the tarmac up. One year in, Kinective has evolved into a scaled, omnichannel platform that’s turning every seatback screen, lounge, and inbox into an opportunity for advertisers to connect with high-value travelers.

In this episode of The Big Impression, we’re joined by James Rothwell, managing director of brand marketing at Kinective Media. Rothwell walks us through what’s changed since launch — from major brand partnerships and custom content integrations to a headline-making alliance with JetBlue. With over 110 million traveler profiles and 63 million MileagePlus members, Kinective is fast becoming one of the most compelling new players in commerce media.

As Rothwell explains, Kinective is intentionally designed to buck the walled garden trend. “We think we might be the first commerce media player to bring a peer into the garden,” he says. “And this is not a walled garden. This is an anti-walled garden.”

Rothwell also dives into new audience insights that are informing brand strategy — chief among them, the surprising responsiveness of business travelers to advertising. “We did some analysis around business travelers and noticed that business travelers are actually more likely to respond to advertising than leisure travelers,” he says. That insight, he adds, is driving increased interest from B2B and luxury brands looking to reach decision-makers in moments of engagement.

Listen in as Rothwell discusses Kinective’s rapid evolution, the mindset of the modern traveler and how in-flight personalization is about to get a whole lot more personal.