More marketing
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WEST YORKSHIRE PTE director-general Bill Cottham feels that the bus industry in general has failed to recognise the importance of marketing.
Speaking to district council transport managers at their annual meeting in Plymouth last week, Mr Cottham said that the bus operating industry generally pays less than 0.5 of one per cent of its revenue on marketing, while industry in general spends two per cent.
He said a systematic approach to marketing yields significant dividends and can stimulate growth. Even if a bus undertaking is receiving subsidy it does not alter the fact that it is still trading commercially, he told the managers, and marketing is selffinancing although in bus operation the time-scale is often longer than with other consumer products.
Public relations activity is worth a lot of publicity and should be regarded as part of an integrated approach to marketing said Mr Cottham.
Delegates were shown examples of specific and unusual product advertising as well as both newspaper and television commercials from recent WYPTE campaigns, including the controversial "put it on a bus" campaign which blatantly and successfully exploited bejeaned backsides to get its point over.
This campaign in particular increased public awareness of WYPTE services, with over 90 per cent of people interviewed aware of it. Intensive marketing of specific items such as Saverstrip tickets increased sales by over 100 per cent he continued.
Transport managers were told that the "bottom" campaign had cost around £300,000 and had resulted in a revenue increase of around £1 .6m. In the last two years since its marketing efforts were intensified WYPTE passenger levels have increased after 20 years of decline.