National's assault on fuddy-duddy image
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NATIONAL Travel is launching a major marketing campaign in a bid to get back lost passengers and make its National Express a more attractive service to the public at large.
Intensive television and radio advertising will be followed by full-page advertisments in local evening newspapers throughout the country.
Richard Roberts, National Bus Company director of coaching, said that the aim is to break away from the false image that coach services are only suitable for old ladies. This image is wrong as extensive passenger surveys have shown that two-thirds of express coach passengers are in the younger and middle-age groups.
Product improvement and quality control are being stepped up to improve the overall image and halt any decline of existing passengers. Frank Woodworth has now been appointed National Travel's quality control executive. His attention will focus on aspects such as the National Coach fleet, vehicle interiors, coach terminals and staff training.
Non-smoking seats have also now been announced on all National Express Coaches and services such as the White Arrow Express between Lon don, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool feature improved journey times and promotional cut-price fares.
In the extended tour end of the coach market, National Holidays have installed a central bookings computer linked to its various sales centres.
National Holidays has reported that bookings were up 30 per cent in the 1978 summer season compared with the previous year, so the company has decided to offer a greater selection of holidays with more efficient and speedier administrative and booking arrangements.
Continental services by coach are also being expanded and from next summer a wide selection of destinations will provide connections for destinations as far afield as Finland and Iran.