WHERE PUBLICITY TELLS.
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How the Coach Owner should Cultivate the Art of Proper Advertising. Fostering Public Interest in a Variety of Ways.
THE PARAMOUNT need of the motor coach owner is to secure patronage for his vehieles,and to retain it. This, one may say, is obvious, but it is a factor which is directly responsible far Lunen apprebensit amongst both large and small users. In the great majority of eoastal resorts the period during labial, a full complement of passengers can he obtained for a coach without undue effort on the part of the owner is restricted to a few weeks in the height of the holiday-making season, and the statement applies with almost equal force to inland towns, except that the owners in such places are not quite so dependent on visitors.
The coach owner's chief problem is to foster interest in road travel at the opening and closing of the season. The fact that an owner may offer a remarkably attractive tour at a low fare in order te secure patronage forNis vehicles when trade is at a low ebb does not imply that he is sure to secure a remunerative return for his enterprise, unless proper means are employed. to bring it to the notice of the public, and herein lies the whole crux of the situa
tion. 'Reduced to simplified terms it means advertising—or, to use a word with a wider application, "publicity."
Factors whichinfluence PUbliCity Methods.
The publicity methods which coach owners will find of value will vary accordiug to the size of their businesses, the nature of their activities and the peculiarities of local trade. The publicity programmes of coach owners ehould have two definite objects in view, these being (1) the promotion of new trade, and (2) the retention of the patronage of those who have already participated in one or more tours.
Both objects can be achieved in a variety of ways. In the case of longdistance tours broadcast advertising in the daily and weekly Press has many attractions„ and although, perhaps, its first cost is high compared with other methods, it is merely a fractional sum' per head when one considers the number of people who would be likely to "spot " an attractive announcement in a paper with a healthy circulation.
With this class of advertising it is essential to run a series, the advertise merit appearing at regular intervals before the date of the tour in order to
Keep jogging the memories of those procrastinators of time who think that "to-morrow will do.' It is \vise to retain a definite position in a paper for this purpose and to change the wording and display of the advertisement frequently, so that not only will the eye of the casual reader be attracted, but the regular reader will know where to look for the latest • information dealing with tours, and will not be wearied by reading the same announcement, served up in the same manner, over and ever
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he Press is also a good medium for advertising short runs which are scheduled for the season at a definite time on a particular day.
Press advertising and direct publicity methods in the form of posters, showcards and the like form a, most, useful combination which cannot fail to command attention. This is exemplified io the ease of the advertising department of the Underground Railway. in London, which, by liberal and distinctive announcements in the columns of the daily and weekly papers, coupled wittt the lavish display of tasteful and in some cases fascinating, coloured posters, representative of different aspects of modern art, have popularized the motorbus and motor coach services of the London General Omnibus Go., Ltd., in a remarkable manner. The posters,
most of them by artists of repute, are known to every Londoner, and for the benefit of those of our readers who are not familiar with them we reproduce two in miniature on the -previous page; one draws attention to Reigate and the other to Woodford and Epping Forest. But so far as all but the largest coach owners are concerned (who can pick and choose their mediums and methods of publicity) the greatest use has to be made of the window epace and frontage at the head offices of the coach owner and at his various booking agents.
"On-the-Doorstep" Advertising.
The extent of this "on-the-doorstep" method of advertising depends on the amount of money which the individual owner feels justified in spending in this direction. It can be sparsely done for very little outlay (most of the big petrolsupplying companies are prepweel to issue outdoor blackboards, and showcards and window bills are exceedingly cheap), whilst quite an impressive display can be made by the use of plaster contour models, miniature window blackboards, slip-in picture blackboards, specimen road guides, maps of the suruounding districts with the popular haunts indicated, enlarged photographs suitably mounted, postcards and other souvenirs; etc. Some owners, we are aware, offer likely patrons the hospitality of a com fortable waiting (or writing) room, where guide-books and other propaganda pamphlets dealing with the places within, easy coaching distance can be consulted, but this Method of publicity is beyond the pocket of the small owner.
We think we cannot do better at this point than briefly refer to the activities of the Motor Tours Publishing Co., of 30, Baldwin Street, Bristol, who, as suppliers of all classes of equipment connected with the administration of the coaching business, have given special attention to effecfive publicity ideas. They "Fly guides in various styles, maps, blackboards, posters, handbills, showcards and other literature.
Framed relief model maps which are made of plaster, suitably coloured, depict the contour of the surrounding country and constitute a high-class all-the-yearround advertisement. They are marked with the various places of interest embraced by each tour, towns, villages, main roads and railway connections being depicted, as is shown in an illustration on the previous page of a plaster map of Brighton and the --adjacent country. Maps of this description can be made to almost any size.
Types of Blackboard.
Various types of blackboard are available for indoor and outdoor use, and two .different patterns are shown on the next page. The miniature board usually possesses six removable black panels upon which coach tours can be announced in white or coloured chalk, which 'can be cleaned off in the usual way with a slightly damp sponge or rag. The complete frame measures about 19 ins. by 27 ins., the dimensions of each panel being about 61' ins. by 91 ins., and its great feature is that alteration to wording and cleaning the old writing off can be effected by reinoving any of the panels without disturbing other announcements on the board. The words "Book here for —" in gold"blocked lettering at the top of the frame. with a small highly glazed illustration of a motor coach in the centre, serve to make these boards catch the eye of th passer-by.
The slip-in picture blackboard is also a favoured form of advertisement. This type of board, measuring 24i ins, by 14 ins., is made for window use and costs 7s. 6d., 'exclusive of the slip-in picture. It usually has some such wording as "A tour will be run to in silver lettering above the silverbordered panel, in which can be inserted a plain or coloured photograph of a beauty spot encountered on the tour
advertised, of which details of venue, fare, etc., can be' given on the blackboard panel, 12 ins. by 11 ins., at the foot.
Posters are, perhaps, one of the cheapest form of advertising, but in so far as the clash in general style with the contents bills of daily papers and of magazines they stand the risk of being overlooked', especially if thea be plastered on the general advertising hoardings. If a " fair-size illustration of a motor coach be included, the appeal to the public is both forceful and pointed. Two such posters are reproduced at the
foot of this page. "
For and Against the Handbill.
The booming of cheap day and halfday trips which make a popular appeal" can be carried out by the wholesale distribution of handbills. This is a cheap method, although it is somewhat wasteful, for very tow passers-by do little more than hurriedly glance at such bills before throwing them away when they are banded to them in the street. A better method for distributing handbills is to deposit several of them at boarding-houses and hotels at regular intervals, where they will probably be read by those who are most likely to give the coach owner their patronage.
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Street distribution of handbills in the case of the long-distance tour:ir not to he .recommended. Such tours nodally make a select appeal, and potential patrons must ot be approached by undignified methods. This brings us to a most important consideration which is often overlooked, i.e., the class of trade for which the coach owner has to cater. Publicity methods in such planes as Bournemouth and Weymouth must differ somewhat from those in use of Sonthend and Blackpool if the demands of -the class of people that usually stay in,such. resorts are to be satisfied in a proper way.
Means of Approaching the Holidaymakers.
A sure method of focusing attention on.:a-croach owner's activities is by displaying lantern slides at the local kinema theatres. The managers, or proprietors, of such places of amusement are usually only _too willing to help foster local industry, and the rates for regular projection on the screen are, in most cases, very reasonable.
A dignified, method of approaching hotel:guests is by an announcement such as is indicated in our illustration at the top right-hand corner of the second page of this article. It conveys an intimation to visitors that, by making up a party of ten or more, a motor coach can be hired at a reasonable charge. The announcement is printed on paper in the Ordinary' way, but it is backed with a strip of tin and a good thickness of cardboard, and is protected on the front by a celluloid casing which is turned over and held securely. The actual size of the,displav card is 7 ins. by 4 ins, and it can be hung up er stood•on the tables in the writing-room, lounge, or other convenient place at an hotel. This method of securing attention is effective without neing blatant.
We think we have now covered the ground in a general way so'far as indicating the various means by which a coach owner can secure patronage for histvehicles (although other ideas, some Ordinary, some unique, will interest . individual owners),-and it only remains to suggest some of the methods which have been adopted to retain this custom.
One way in which the Great Yarmouth Motor Coach Co. effect this
desired end is shown on the previous page. It is a commendable idea and the , introduction of the personal touch into the card of appreciation cannot fail to et the company's tours talked about. It is a snowball method of publicity.
Most owners whose vehicles undertake long-distance tours issue Ns-ell-illustrated guide-books and brochures to their patrons, either free of charge or at a nominal cost. These are instructive and help to maintain the individuaris interest in the country he or she is passing through and the various places which figure on the itinerary.
For Cultivating the Passengers' Interest An elaboration of this idea, which will appeal to progressive coach owners, is
the pictorial guidelet " as produced by the Motor Tours Publishing Co., of Bristol. The g-uidelet is a small illuatrate(' leaflet describing-each tour, which can be handed to passengers at the start of a tour or sold to them for in. It is not a profit-making sidedirie, but a valuable piece of propaganda which aims at giving the tourist on a day or holiday trip similar informationtothat placed in the hands of those who participate in the long-distance tours. Its value is lasting because in most cases the guidelet would find its way into other bands.
In the case of day tours, chiefly, some owners seek to retain custom by making arrangements with a local photographer for every coach party to be snapped on setting out in the morning, and for prints to be ready for distribution when the vehicle returns in the evening. This method exhibits a good understanding of human nature and seldom fails in its object.
Coach owners sheuld--not neglect the opportunity of reminding the passenger of the fact that he or she has spent an enjoyable day on one of their vehicles, and, at the end of the run, the distribution of souvenir postcards, in one form or -another, depicting by means of miniature reproductions many of the places passed en route will serve to recall many a the incidents associated with the run. Moreover, a. space shonld be found on such postcards for bringing to the notice of the road tourist other tours
which are undertaken. Thus is the owner able th keep his name and the extent of his activities before the travelling public.
Individual owners will obviously' favour different methods of priblieity, but the great need of all is to build Up goodwill and to retain it—at least for the whole of the season. This can best be achieved by persistent advertising and the use of well-chosen nualia and methods.