(22 Jan 2013, 8:35 pm)Daniel wrote

(22 Jan 2013, 8:25 pm)Adam wrote

(22 Jan 2013, 8:17 pm)Daniel wrote

(22 Jan 2013, 7:40 pm)ian wrote i wonder if this could spell the end of the branded routes and return all buses to northern red, thus easing the wrong "branded" bus turning up. Somehow i think we're stuck with the brands for a little while longer.

'Martin has led the delivery of Go North East’s innovative approach to marketing; introducing mobile-ticketing, "the key" smartcard and the development of 50 branded routes, all of which have helped boost patronage over recent years.'

Does that look to you like they'd de-brand all services? :L

I agree with you Daniel. Now, I am going to baffle you all with some business related wiff waff so please bear with me. Mr Harris has transformed GNE and the branding has gained GNE a USP and a competitive advantage over its competitors, which is good for consumers as it makes public transport more attractive and easier to use, increasing the likelihood of the company making a greater profit. Therefore, debranding all the buses will lose the USP and competitive advantage GNE have gained over the last few years.

Good job I take Business Studies at GCSE and know exactly what unique selling points are!
Not only would it be displeasing to the members of the public of the North East (having to deal with one single generic livery again wouldn't be particularly pleasing to the eye - especially as Go North East's is ever so much more tedious than it was in a previous age), but it would be incredibly confusing for those who rely on the branding of bus. I know on Boxing Day, when allocations were all over the place due to the closure of several depots, a lot of elderly folk had to ask the driver whether he was driving x service, and every time, the driver had to say yes. While I admit that the occasional incorrect brand appearing on a service may be confusing right now, it's a problem that can be fixed in the short term, whereas the confusion caused if they were all to be de-branded would most definitely be long term.
The thing that concerns me most of all is how disrespectful it would be to Peter Huntley - the guy who started the brands off... I've always wanted to see one vehicle branded up in his memorial (similar to 4949), but unfortunately never got it... I'm thinking that most people won't even know the name "Peter Huntley" so it wouldn't be beneficial to Go North East at all.

I totally agree though... The unique selling point of public transport provided by Go North East is most definitely the different brands of services. That is why they are so heavily advertised.
Go North East are a prestigious operator, and their name is known all across the United Kingdom. I'd assume that this is because of their brands. Of course being part of Go-Ahead helps too, but yeah.

Exactly. I do AS Level Business at the minute, so most of that is GCSE and A-Level blended together. I agree there with everything you say. Debranding the buses into one livery would be likely to turn away customers. Most passengers know their service by livery name, not number. The percentages of people using GNE's branded services have rocketed in the last few years, even though prices have risen.

This therefore shows that the popularity of the brands have increased, so debranding would not only be more boring colourwise, it would also harm GNE's financial situation as they'll have less money to continue investing in new buses and technologies to improve the overall experience of bus travel.