(23 Jan 2024, 11:46 pm)mb134 wrote The repaint isn't in the recent "roadstripe" style so I'm struggling to see how it is on-brand. In terms of being cost effective, given someone will have been paid to design it then it is quite literally not as cost effective as simply painting it into the 2019 livery - for 99.9% of users they simply could not care less about it being branded.
In terms of your Arriva and Stagecoach points, does every critical discussion surrounding GNE turn into whataboutery?
On your last point, can a rehash of an old livery really be termed "innovation"? Looking to the continent across the cities where I've used buses there is no route branding, simply an easy to understand system with frequent services and good value fares. To me, innovation in the bus industry would be to deliver services which the general public see as reliable and useful, or to deliver better integration between different modes of public transport.
During the peak of MG-era GNE branding, a few folk on here (rightly) questioned the approach of the company. Other people on here told them they were wrong, and pointed to stats from years ago that suggested branding had a positive impact on passenger numbers. Ultimately the world has changed and so new approaches are needed to grow public transport usage, we can't just carry on repeating old ideas when they quite clearly do not work anymore.
A branding exercise which hints back at a previous strong identity is a proven technique. Burger King, McDonald’s, Iron Bru and LNER come straight to mind in the past year or so. RYB is the strongest GNE legacy in its recent history (it’s been constantly weakened since) and Gateshead is its heartland. I’ve already added detail above as to my interpretation of cost effectiveness.
I didn’t intended my comparison to other operators to be interpreted as whataboutery but fair comment, I think it’s still a valid observation in
isolation.
You mention your ideals for service provision as on the continent - a frequent, low fare service linking modes of transport is quite literally the X66, they’ve even stuck a Metro logo on the front of it. It’s a valid concern for other parts of the network but I really don’t think that criticism fits here.
Don’t misinterpret my praise for this specific project as linked to some of the particularly barmy kite flying of the 2020-21 period, I’m totally on that page with you there. I’d just add that while yes the world has changed and new ideas are needed, buses still to be operated and maintained until the answer for the future drops out of the sky and this will involve occasional repaints.