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 wrote 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"

Didn't they have the promotional beer mats at some point to help with this marketing push?

(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK wrote 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"

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.

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(12 Dec 2021, 8:01 pm)mb134 wrote 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 wrote 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 was out in Gosforth with another group of colleagues and one of them was being rather snobby saying no to the bus and insisting on a £9-£10 taxi to Town as opposed to the Q3 which was only £1.

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 wrote 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.

that's a very good point. I would just say if you are going to try to exclude a part of society can we put  kids under 16 who aren't traveling with a parent or guardian - there fare up to £10 a journey as these annoy me off a lot more that a few merry people trying to get to town for more beer

(12 Dec 2021, 7:59 pm)L469 YVK wrote 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"

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.

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, 9:10 pm)6049 wrote 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.

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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But how are GNE going to target the people who don't even know what they have on their doorstep?

That colleague in Rowlands Gill is a heavy car user and has probably not known anything other than the car. It's those who GNE need to be attracting and reaching out too.

If I wasn't a heavy bus user or even engaged with GNE on social media but they dropped a leaflet through my door with a local route and some key information including headline fares & first / last journey times, I'd be tempted to use in certain circumstances.

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(12 Dec 2021, 8:37 pm)Storx wrote 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.

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.

Yes, you always get a few muppets on any late night service but the majority although perhaps a bit merry do usually behave.

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Even on the 309/310/311, there are still punters just jumping on the 306/308 on shared sections without realising GNE only charge £1 after 7.00pm. Even a strapline on the lower part of the upperdeck windscreen (akin to where the MetroCentre is advertised on the RKR & TVT B9TLs) advertising that & the £1.70 single fare would make a difference. Although GNE would probably rather stick with word of mouth to reduce the risk of a response from Arriva.

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.

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.

(13 Dec 2021, 12:46 pm)Malarkey wrote 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.

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 wrote 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.

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 wrote 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.

£30 isn't £2.10 a day.

It's roughly £4.28 per day without using a calculator.

(13 Dec 2021, 1:59 pm)Malarkey wrote 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.

All zones is £25pw....that's £3.57 per day

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 wrote 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

I can already feel the cringe building!

Out next month.

https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768323428321255800?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw

(14 Mar 2024, 5:23 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Out next month.

https://x.com/laurasharp2023/status/1768323428321255800?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw

You know when things are bad when they're using a 12 year old B9 in an advert!

Wonder if it's an internally produced ad or whether they've got someone in.

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(14 Mar 2024, 5:26 pm)streetdeckfan wrote You know when things are bad when they're using a 12 year old B9 in an advert!

Wonder if it's an internally produced ad or whether they've got someone in.

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Fair point, I hadn’t thought about its age to be honest although we don’t know how much of the vehicle we’ll see yet. 
I was just pleased to see they were using a corporate liveried vehicle rather than a route branded one.

GNE are using different methods for their driver recruitment. I'm listening to the News Agents podcast which is part of Global and they've got an awful advert for drivers on there.

(20 Mar 2024, 12:07 pm)Shrek wrote GNE are using different methods for their driver recruitment. I'm listening to the News Agents podcast which is part of Global and they've got an awful advert for drivers on there.

Any sign of the glove sniffing fetishists on there? 
Appreciate it's audio, rather than visual - but there might be sound effects and a loud inhale of the smell of the leather, as the driving gloves are pulled on.

(20 Mar 2024, 12:07 pm)Shrek wrote GNE are using different methods for their driver recruitment. I'm listening to the News Agents podcast which is part of Global and they've got an awful advert for drivers on there.

Those ads are normally targeted so the algorithms have probably picked it up as one of your interests

(20 Mar 2024, 4:44 pm)Ambassador wrote Those ads are normally targeted so the algorithms have probably picked it up as one of your interests

Makes sense. Still a terrible advert!