Marketing and potential new customers
Marketing and potential new customers
So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.I agree, there were some many people when I have been on the buses after 7pm that have been shocked with the £1 fares, for that they didn't know X service ran so late. Or when I was on the N21 that N21 had a night service.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 8:01 pm)mb134 Didn't they have the promotional beer mats at some point to help with this marketing push?I think that was only in like 2 pubs/restaurants in Newcastle.
(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.I agree, there were some many people when I have been on the buses after 7pm that have been shocked with the £1 fares, for that they didn't know X service ran so late. Or when I was on the N21 that N21 had a night service.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 8:01 pm)mb134 Didn't they have the promotional beer mats at some point to help with this marketing push?I think that was only in like 2 pubs/restaurants in Newcastle.
before covid loads of people used go to the fell on a Friday and Saturday night then get a taxi to town around 10. ive seen the q's at the rank opposite Greggs. if they advertise the fare on beer mats or something else those lads and lasses7 or 8 quid taxi fares could be going in GNE pocket.
Didn't they postpone all marketing campaigns due to the driver shortage?
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(12 Dec 2021, 8:06 pm)Rob44 before covid loads of people used go to the fell on a Friday and Saturday night then get a taxi to town around 10. ive seen the q's at the rank opposite Greggs. if they advertise the fare on beer mats or something else those lads and lasses7 or 8 quid taxi fares could be going in GNE pocket.I think aggressive marketing in pubs would work well like suggested.
(12 Dec 2021, 8:06 pm)Rob44 before covid loads of people used go to the fell on a Friday and Saturday night then get a taxi to town around 10. ive seen the q's at the rank opposite Greggs. if they advertise the fare on beer mats or something else those lads and lasses7 or 8 quid taxi fares could be going in GNE pocket.I think aggressive marketing in pubs would work well like suggested.
I respect your opinion here but the last thing I would do is appeal to drunks in the likes of Gosforth and Low Fell. They'll delay buses, cause a nuisance and put off other passengers.
You might have someone who works 5pm - 11pm and has to pay full fare 7 days a week because of them working earlier in the day who is put off using the bus as they feel unsafe and drive instead. That's 20x £1 fares needed to recoup that.
Local pubs maybe but it's people like cinema goers and people out for a meal etc I'd be more focused on.
(12 Dec 2021, 8:37 pm)Storx I respect your opinion here but the last thing I would do is appeal to drunks in the likes of Gosforth and Low Fell. They'll delay buses, cause a nuisance and put off other passengers.
You might have someone who works 5pm - 11pm and has to pay full fare 7 days a week because of them working earlier in the day who is put off using the bus as they feel unsafe and drive instead. That's 20x £1 fares needed to recoup that.
Local pubs maybe but it's people like cinema goers and people out for a meal etc I'd be more focused on.
(12 Dec 2021, 8:37 pm)Storx I respect your opinion here but the last thing I would do is appeal to drunks in the likes of Gosforth and Low Fell. They'll delay buses, cause a nuisance and put off other passengers.
You might have someone who works 5pm - 11pm and has to pay full fare 7 days a week because of them working earlier in the day who is put off using the bus as they feel unsafe and drive instead. That's 20x £1 fares needed to recoup that.
Local pubs maybe but it's people like cinema goers and people out for a meal etc I'd be more focused on.
(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK So I was on the drink with a colleague the other night who lives in Rowlands Gill.
I was telling him about my cheap £1 bus home and he said that was good. He didn't know my area but told me where he lived. He was gobsmacked when I told him not only was his last bus 11.35pm (X45), he could also get home for only £1.
What are GNE doing to reach out to these users? They'll unlikely go out there and proactively follow the social media channels. Maybe leaflet drops?
"You take care of the drinking, lets XLines take care of the driving"
"Last bus at 11.35pm and only £1"
(12 Dec 2021, 9:10 pm)6049 I was in Stack in the town about 6 months ago and the big screen had a GNE advert on about the £1 fares. I've been in several bars where they've had the beers mats advertising this as well. There was/is a blanket marketing campaign, where or not its still ongoing now I don't know - I'd like to think it is given the time of year.But how are GNE going to target the people who don't even know what they have on their doorstep?
In terms of social media, it's already quite actively promoted online as far as I can see. Leaflet drops seem a bit old fashioned and not exactly targeted.
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(12 Dec 2021, 8:37 pm)Storx I respect your opinion here but the last thing I would do is appeal to drunks in the likes of Gosforth and Low Fell. They'll delay buses, cause a nuisance and put off other passengers.Gosforth & Low Fell is no different to Arriva picking up the late night punters in Cramlington & Bedlington heading towards Blyth & Ashington on the last X10/X21.
You might have someone who works 5pm - 11pm and has to pay full fare 7 days a week because of them working earlier in the day who is put off using the bus as they feel unsafe and drive instead. That's 20x £1 fares needed to recoup that.
Local pubs maybe but it's people like cinema goers and people out for a meal etc I'd be more focused on.
(12 Dec 2021, 9:10 pm)6049 I was in Stack in the town about 6 months ago and the big screen had a GNE advert on about the £1 fares. I've been in several bars where they've had the beers mats advertising this as well. There was/is a blanket marketing campaign, where or not its still ongoing now I don't know - I'd like to think it is given the time of year.But how are GNE going to target the people who don't even know what they have on their doorstep?
In terms of social media, it's already quite actively promoted online as far as I can see. Leaflet drops seem a bit old fashioned and not exactly targeted.
Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
(12 Dec 2021, 8:37 pm)Storx I respect your opinion here but the last thing I would do is appeal to drunks in the likes of Gosforth and Low Fell. They'll delay buses, cause a nuisance and put off other passengers.Gosforth & Low Fell is no different to Arriva picking up the late night punters in Cramlington & Bedlington heading towards Blyth & Ashington on the last X10/X21.
You might have someone who works 5pm - 11pm and has to pay full fare 7 days a week because of them working earlier in the day who is put off using the bus as they feel unsafe and drive instead. That's 20x £1 fares needed to recoup that.
Local pubs maybe but it's people like cinema goers and people out for a meal etc I'd be more focused on.
If it wasn't for this forum, I wouldn't have known about the offer.
Some mates have only found out when boarding a bus and the driver has told them. Others didn't know until they then shared that news with them.
They had been using taxis until that point.
From personal experience, drivers have enjoyed sharing the good news to unsuspecting passengers. It has led to discussions on the bus - usually positive.
However (there's always one of them), it has also led to confusion or resentment for those who have splashed out on a return or day ticket (potentially even a longer ticket), when they would have been better off buying a normal priced single and then a discounted single or the £1 offer doesn't take in to account the significant investment already made in buying the longer term ticket.
That's where the 'word of mouth' strategy breaks down, that's where passengers become frustrated and that's when additional forms of marketing needs to be introduced and developed.
The marketing that bus operators use, bugs the life out of me.
I would argue that for too many years, it's been ineffective and in some cases now, still is.
It is either too heavily focused on a core route, but ignores the less popular routes. Except if money was spent marketing those less popular routes, they too could become popular.
The 71 is a useful case in example. Constantly neglected, it has timetables and frequency changes that suit the operator (not the passenger), a low PVR, has an underwhelming commercial section bolted on to an underwhelming secured section - but despite all of that, is a key link between towns and villages, it has connections to two national rail stations and feeds in to premium routes at 3 different points on its route.
Why aren't they looking to grow or improve the route? Why isn't there marketing of the route? Why isn't there a push? Why is there a shrug of the shoulders with the standard 'not economically viable' patter.
That route should be popular, it could work better and should have a handsome revenue.
It doesn't and the marketing/commercial teams all have a role to play in that failure.
(13 Dec 2021, 12:46 pm)Malarkey If the operator wants to get people back on it's Buses then I think the £1 Evening Fare should be available at anytime throughout the day as a Day Ticket with all other ticketing options abolished.I think £1 single fare all day would be a bit of a step.
(13 Dec 2021, 12:46 pm)Malarkey If the operator wants to get people back on it's Buses then I think the £1 Evening Fare should be available at anytime throughout the day as a Day Ticket with all other ticketing options abolished.I think £1 single fare all day would be a bit of a step.
(13 Dec 2021, 1:18 pm)L469 YVK I think £1 single fare all day would be a bit of a step.
To be fair to GNE, they've actually done quite well with the new fare structures and although not 100% perfect, it does the job well especially with the £3.50 maximum fare.
(13 Dec 2021, 1:18 pm)L469 YVK I think £1 single fare all day would be a bit of a step.
To be fair to GNE, they've actually done quite well with the new fare structures and although not 100% perfect, it does the job well especially with the £3.50 maximum fare.
(13 Dec 2021, 1:59 pm)Malarkey Could always follow the Stagecoach In Manchester "Magic Bus" Model of charging £4 for a Day Ticket or £9.50 for a Week Ticket.
A Weekly Ticket in Manchester equates to £1.36 a Day, for us who use Go North East an All Zones is £30 on the Bus which equates to £2.10 a day, 74p more a day here in the North East compared to the North West. It would be interesting to see how other areas compare.
(13 Dec 2021, 1:59 pm)Malarkey Could always follow the Stagecoach In Manchester "Magic Bus" Model of charging £4 for a Day Ticket or £9.50 for a Week Ticket.
A Weekly Ticket in Manchester equates to £1.36 a Day, for us who use Go North East an All Zones is £30 on the Bus which equates to £2.10 a day, 74p more a day here in the North East compared to the North West. It would be interesting to see how other areas compare.
(13 Dec 2021, 1:59 pm)Malarkey Could always follow the Stagecoach In Manchester "Magic Bus" Model of charging £4 for a Day Ticket or £9.50 for a Week Ticket.All zones is £25pw....that's £3.57 per day
A Weekly Ticket in Manchester equates to £1.36 a Day, for us who use Go North East an All Zones is £30 on the Bus which equates to £2.10 a day, 74p more a day here in the North East compared to the North West. It would be interesting to see how other areas compare.
(13 Dec 2021, 1:59 pm)Malarkey Could always follow the Stagecoach In Manchester "Magic Bus" Model of charging £4 for a Day Ticket or £9.50 for a Week Ticket.All zones is £25pw....that's £3.57 per day
A Weekly Ticket in Manchester equates to £1.36 a Day, for us who use Go North East an All Zones is £30 on the Bus which equates to £2.10 a day, 74p more a day here in the North East compared to the North West. It would be interesting to see how other areas compare.
(14 Mar 2024, 12:03 pm)ne14ne1 New GNE advert in the making:
https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768001515141108025?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw
https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768235728528453999?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw
(14 Mar 2024, 12:03 pm)ne14ne1 New GNE advert in the making:
https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768001515141108025?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw
https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768235728528453999?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw
(14 Mar 2024, 5:23 pm)ne14ne1 Out next month.You know when things are bad when they're using a 12 year old B9 in an advert!
https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768323428321255800?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw
(14 Mar 2024, 5:23 pm)ne14ne1 Out next month.You know when things are bad when they're using a 12 year old B9 in an advert!
https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768323428321255800?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw
