tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post3287220127991332716..comments2024-03-29T08:14:43.839+00:00Comments on Public Transport Experience: A Brand from the Burningfatbusblokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06833340546527596517noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-4401715324195811322011-04-11T11:50:50.662+01:002011-04-11T11:50:50.662+01:00Surely, any business name can be considered to be ...Surely, any business name can be considered to be a 'brand'? I don't disagree that Green Line is a brand, but then so were 'General', Chocolate Express' or even 'Pirate' that operated in London in an earlier era. <br /><br />The curious aspect of the current trend in route-branding is that it suggests some lack of direction on the part of the large conglomerate groups, which seem to want on the one hand their national (and international) identities to come to the forefront, in place of the old (often regional) operator names; but, on the other hand, use individual routes as a basis for what might be termed 'micro-branding'. I would have thought that route-branding could easily go wrong - buses having to be substituted with other-branded or unbranded vehicles - or even the rather strange instance of artics that carried branding for different routes on the front and rear sections in Southampton! However, according to what I have read, the route branding seems to work for operators such as Trent Barton and Go North East - presumably the use of distinctive names is considered helpful in marketing the service (i.e. making the public aware of it). As you mentioned yourself, in your post on the information available at York station, presenting information about what is available to the public is very important, and something that the industry has sometimes (maybe, often) failed to do adequately.<br /><br />On the other hand, the old style names, or brands, can cause problems. Roger Davies, in his article about Maidstone and District in the current issue of 'Buses', mentions that the M&D name did not go down so well in Hastings, some way from Maidstone, and in a different county. Or in cases such as SHMD, which was a mix of businesses, so that poor performance in one sector may bring down the reputation of the brand as a whole. Long after the days of SHMD, I lived in Mannheim where the local transport operator also supplied electricity and internet services. There was logic in the combination - the backbone of the transport system is an electric tramway, while their internet offering was supposed to come through the mains electric supply. The trams and buses provided a good service, but the internet never worked at all in about a year while I tried to use it, and communication with their billing department was an utterly frustrating experience with virtually all of my letters and emails simply being ignored. As far as your other example is concerned - SELNEC - I was told that this stood for 'Seldom Early, Likely Never Even Come'!<br /><br />Incidentally, a minor correction - Arriva's owner is the Deutsche Bahn. The 'Bundesbahn' title was dropped when the old (western) DB merged with the Deutsche Reichsbahn from the old East Germany.RC169https://www.blogger.com/profile/03921368833118123055noreply@blogger.com