Brush up the image: make design pay
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by Martin Hayes
MOST COACH operators probably think that design is something that applies to multi-million pound corporations and not to them. But in fact anybody who has to carry — and therefore attract passengers -must •take this factor into account. However efficient your services are, if the public is not convinced that it wants to ride on your vehicles your business will not prosper.
Many of the lessons pointed out at a recent Design Council symposium in Glasgow (CM June 14) were made by British Rail, British Airways and the National Bus Company. But they are relevant to passenger carriers of any size.
The message that came over is that the image that you present to your customer is all-important. And image comprises everything from livery, uniforms, and the cleanliness of your vehicles to the attitude of your staff.
These big companies spend hundreds of thousands of pounds in fees for design consultants to advise them on just which colours and which liveries are the most successful. But their experience holds good and their research is available to all without paying one bean, just by looking at what they are doing.
Strong colours
So far as livery is concerned then the message is clear. Keep it simple and use strong colours which are not too affected by dirt. Even though vehicles obviously need regular cleaning there are times because of inclement weather or some hitch in the system when vehicle exteriors will get dirty. A strong colour • — like yellow or orange — will "shine through" the dirt, and minimize its effects.
Equally important is the choice of a symbol. Once again eye-catching examples like NBC's "shadowed' N" logo or British Rail's electrified rail can cost plenty of money to design. But this is not essential. Choose a simple subject to illustrate possibly involving the name of your company or fleet — and produce something that can be easily reproduced by transfers or on letter headings and other stationery.
This last point is important because whatever livery colour and symbOl you choose it is important that the same theme should be continued through vehicles, stationery, offices and in fact anywhere where your company hasa "point of sale" — that is where a potential passenger sees your name.
Needless to say if you want the public to get your image then the image must be good. A symbol, however good, would do nothing for a company owning some of the depots shown on the opposite page. If all you do is link your name with something which is run down, dirty or inefficient then do not expect new passengers to be clammering at your door.
When considering your livery and symbols of course, you will have to choose some lettering for your company name and, if you run some sort of coach pick up point, for information signs as well. A wide range of specially designed lettering is available; those used by BR and NBC are just two examples, but whatever you choose make sure that it is available as a printing type too. This simplifies its use on letter headings and so on.
For a modern image most people today choose what is known as a sansserif type face. This essentially is a type without any extra little blobs on, like the words "Commercial Motor" on the front of this magazine. But this is very commonplace now and British Airways have deliberately chosen an unfashionable serif type for their logo to give them a "unique" appearance.
It goes without saying that whatever you choose you are going to have to live with. It can cost several hundred pounds to repaint just one coach so it is no good deciding after a few months that you don't like it. Of course, one livery does not necessarily mean one combination of colours — the Court Line coach fleet is an example of this.
Cleanliness Having made your vehicles as attractive as you can the next area to consider is your office or depot. If your office is where customers come to book their seats then it needs to be brightly painted, but above all clean. The office does not necessarily need to be big or even equipped with expensive display units, though some wall posters showing destinations you serve are obviously useful.
Where you keep the vehicles is just as important, even if customers do not actually call there. Coaches are fairly large items and you can't hide the away very well so, like it or ric customers will identify you with wh your depot looks like. It may not I practicable to have a modern expensive building but there is reason why the place shouldn't be tidii up a bit and perhaps a lick of pai would help too.
Advertising
Having made sure that your house in order then the next thing to look at advertising. In one form or anoth everyone has to advertise his servic and there is no reason why that ne livery, logo and symbol should n figure in the ads too. It is important consider where you are going to sper your money on advertising. As som one once said "I know I am wasting hE my money on advertising, but whii half?"
Local paper small ads are usual relatively inexpensive but uninspiring appearance. A little attention to ti design of your ad could well pi dividends in bringing your name befo the public.
Advice
While many of the design ideas I ha' been trying to illustrate are real matters of common sense which can co a little time and less money to impl ment there are areas where profession advice can• be useful. The Desii Council, 28 Haymarket, Londo SW1Y 4SU, or 72 St Vincent Strec Glasgow G2 5TN, is now offering service which aims to put companies need of advice in touch with experts wl can provide it. This service costs on £10.50 and could well prove a usef beginning for putting design into yo fleet.
Like advertising, a proper image identity is hard to evaluate in financi terms. However, there are quite belie able figures showing the benefits that slick image has brought to the railwa and the airlines. With a few notat exceptions this same approach is qui lacking in the coach industry. May the time to start making the image pay now.