11 Jul 2016, 9:54 am
#169
(09 Jul 2016, 10:44 am)Dan As Adrian said - two services which share a common route have been grouped together by having a similar brand name, albeit on a different base coat. This gives Go North East some clear messages to sell to people in Gateshead and Newcastle, and allows the company to present things such as combined frequencies etc to key points along the route (ie Metrocentre).
This concept is not new, but it's something which appears to becoming more of a common trend now so perhaps we'll see more of it in the future in other areas. One of the first times this was used was of course with the Fab56 and Fab57, but in its current form, service 57 was actually linked more to service 58 than to service 56, which is why these services are now grouped together under the "Citylink" brand.
I'm sure Go North East could have come up with something else if they so wished, but it's clear to me that marketing the links to the more successful 97 service is of greater importance to the company than coming up with a random brand name to encompass the new 11 service. Regardless of what the service is actually branded as, it's a huge step up for the current 96 service. Having route branding on this service allows potential for growth, and it brings it on the hierarchy of receiving newer vehicles in future.
Sorry Dan, but it wouldn't have been a huge step up for the 96 service had it not had a step down a few years ago. If you remember it was route branded 'The Highwayman' with 04-plate Merits.
Speaking of 'The Highwayman', there's your case for similar routes receiving the same brand. All services operating between Newcastle, Gateshead and Lobley Hill received the name, albeit a complicated one to new users, but it shows it's nothing new.
