(28 Jan 2017, 5:02 am)omnicity4659 wrote I like the idea of branding on the existing corporate livery, but just as long as it's not branding for the sake of branding, advertising a bus route with no on-board features for example.

What bugs me is use of contravision, yes, the route number has to stand out but does it really need to be plastered on the side windows?

Also, noticed a few people complaining about it being bland. Nobody ever complained about the bland subbranding which Arriva use placed on top of the existing Interurban livery...

(28 Jan 2017, 7:29 pm)Ambassador wrote I doubt the colour of a bus actually encourages use. Isn't usage down?

Price and scheduling is probably the biggest driver.

Pretty colours and catching schemes are not not going to drive passengers and bus companies are not solely operating for the benefit of enthusiast whims.  The majority of passengers simply look at the number. The huge amounts of regular subsititues of substandard dirty omindekkas and B7s doesn't seem to damage the 21

However when it comes to flagship, they are flagship because they are in dense population areas with high demand,. Absolutely nothing to do with marketing or brands.

(28 Jan 2017, 9:10 pm)Andreos1 wrote I thought branding a product, describing its features and benefits were all part of a strategy to encourage growth?
Ronseal might as well get rid of their catchy slogans, colourful packaging and have people write on the tin with a felt-tip pen...

http://www.busandcoach.com/news/articles/archive/go-north-east-adopts-new-route-branding/
There's a quote here from Martin Harris from way back when they started it all off.

(28 Jan 2017, 10:50 pm)Ambassador wrote To be fair, that article is from 2006, It's a very different world and a different market. You can't compare buses to a brand as such. In most cases passengers are using it through necessity over choice. 

Stagecoach have a very laissez faire approach to branding and do rather well because their business plan works, strong competitive pricing, good rolling investment and strong customer service.

Take Chester le street into Newcastle

The train. Quick, reliable and into the centre £868 a year.
The 21 or X21. Slower, not reliable and potentially a B7  = £996

Nb this is based on commuting and on assumption commuter uses transport only to work (which I and most folk I work with who use buses do)

(28 Jan 2017, 10:50 pm)Ambassador wrote To be fair, that article is from 2006, It's a very different world and a different market. You can't compare buses to a brand as such. In most cases passengers are using it through necessity over choice. 

Stagecoach have a very laissez faire approach to branding and do rather well because their business plan works, strong competitive pricing, good rolling investment and strong customer service.

Take Chester le street into Newcastle

The train. Quick, reliable and into the centre £868 a year.
The 21 or X21. Slower, not reliable and potentially a B7  = £996

Nb this is based on commuting and on assumption commuter uses transport only to work (which I and most folk I work with who use buses do)

(28 Jan 2017, 11:54 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Also based on an assumption that the train leaves from walking distance from your house!

And that the hourly train turns up.

(28 Jan 2017, 11:13 pm)JP6004 wrote £907.40 if u buy angel week tickets.

Also the original reason for branding was I think Chris moyes said it's easier to spot the colour of the bus rather than the number. Imagine if eldon square was packed with blue and red!

(29 Jan 2017, 12:14 am)Jamie M wrote The frequency of 21/X21 is huge. If you miss one, you wait like 7 minutes max for another one. If you miss the train, it's an extra hour.

I have the 6, X30, X31, X70, X71, 97, X97 and 97A, even the V7/8 in reach -all going to the same place in a morning. They will all get me to the same place at the same time, roughly. Paying the premium to have so many options out of my door is well worth it. I even have a choice of where in Newcastle or Gateshead I can be dropped off at a high frequency. Yeah, the buses are all without fail terrible and provide no amazing features that make me enjoy my trip - it's far better than driving in terms of my blood pressure and fuel prices. Trains are generalistic almost, they take you to a place and you then have to get something else to wherever you really want to go.

Talking reliability, cost, efficiency and ease of use, buses win by a mile - trains win solely on comfort.

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(28 Jan 2017, 10:50 pm)Ambassador wrote To be fair, that article is from 2006, It's a very different world and a different market. You can't compare buses to a brand as such. In most cases passengers are using it through necessity over choice. 

Stagecoach have a very laissez faire approach to branding and do rather well because their business plan works, strong competitive pricing, good rolling investment and strong customer service.

Take Chester le street into Newcastle

The train. Quick, reliable and into the centre £868 a year.
The 21 or X21. Slower, not reliable and potentially a B7  = £996

Nb this is based on commuting and on assumption commuter uses transport only to work (which I and most folk I work with who use buses do)

(29 Jan 2017, 11:00 am)L469 YVK wrote I was thinking, could GNE not just have the following branding policy:

Cat 1 for your typical average route like the Blue Arrow etc:
- Red GNE livery

Cat 2 for 'premium' routes which offer at least Wi-Fi and a few other features:
- New corporate livery with mentioned features available on board and key route info as seen with the 49/49A examples

Cat 3 for routes where the brand is important to highlight a key stop on route (Angel, Metro Centre, Quayside, Cobalt) and buses don't essentially need the mentioned features for Cat 2 branding although can be included:
- Route branding

(29 Jan 2017, 4:51 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Only issue with the new 49 branding is the back doesn't appear to show 'The 49', meaning the route map looks like its referring to whatever the destination panel is showing - in this case the number X66.


https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/140920997@N03/31726871124/

(29 Jan 2017, 5:28 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote And that there's no mention of the 49A...which is a totally separate route between Swalwell and Winlaton.

(29 Jan 2017, 4:51 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Only issue with the new 49 branding is the back doesn't appear to show 'The 49', meaning the route map looks like its referring to whatever the destination panel is showing - in this case the number X66.


https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/140920997@N03/31726871124/

(29 Jan 2017, 8:00 pm)Michael wrote Has all the Durham Diamond Streetlites entered service yet?

(29 Jan 2017, 8:08 pm)S813 FVK wrote Yes, 5448 was the last to enter service yesterday.

(29 Jan 2017, 9:39 pm)GX03 wrote Re the 49 branding not including the 49A, does the ten branding include the 10A or 10B anywhere?.....just a thought.

(29 Jan 2017, 11:08 pm)Jamie M wrote The exception is, when the TEN was launched it was just the 10 to Rockwood Hill (?) If I remember correctly. They expanded it soon after, but this was when the 31s did the night journeys also.

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(29 Jan 2017, 8:34 am)GuyParkRoyal wrote I agree that a regular turn up and go service seems to be one of the best selling points for a bus route.
My observations in Chester le Street see people letting the Arriva X12 go past them to board a GNE 21, X21 or X25. This is despite a cheaper fare on Arriva at £2.90 verses £3.35 on GNE. Arriva have an almost 100% WiFi offering whereas GNE send out spare vehicles with no WiFi on an almost daily basis.
So while branding, WiFi and price have their benefits I would say that a frequent service is the winner in attracting customers.
I am aware that some people will take the GNE bus due to onward connctions but I have based my assumption purely on observations of customers purchasing a single or return to Gateshead or Newcastle.

(28 Jan 2017, 3:25 pm)EL1TE wrote 5455 has entered service.......... on the X66...
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/140920997@N03/31726871124/

(30 Jan 2017, 2:14 pm)Jamie M wrote Now on the correct allocation of 49s (didn't see yesterday)
(Go North East) NK66EWD / 5455 - Wright Streetlite by Jamie MP, on Flickr

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