GWR - Rail Business of the Year

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

So - forum members - how many of you "admire" the Famous Five campaign? Can any of you explain how it has in any way improved either (1) Your experience as a rail passenger, (2) from what you have seen and heard, anyone else's?

Does anyone have any evidence that any new passengers have been attracted to rail travel to the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) operating area as a result of the campaign?

As someone who is in marketing, I thought the idea of using the Famous Five as a marketing campaign was a good one but awful timing. Why would you launch a campaign to try and encourage those who don't normally use rail to give it a try when Network Rail are still working on electrification closing lines for long periods. You also had services at weekends being cancelled because of train crew shortages along with GWR still operating old rolling stock as only a handful of IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) were operating when the Famous Five campaign was launched.

Following GWR on Twitter and FB, I saw how much the FF campaign was being ridiculed because of all issues raised above which backs up my thought that it was launched too soon before improvements were completed. I don't think GWR were well advised by their marketing company to launch the campaign when they did. I would have waited until at least this Spring before launching it.

So yes, I can see why it won an award, but it certainly wasn't for the timing of the campaign.

[Timmer]

GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) sponsoring the west country weather reports is nearly as silly IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion) as it simply reminds people that we increasingly have a "fair weather only" railway that fails to cope with moderately adverse weather during roads and airlines operate as normal.

Not to sure about that broadgage, Bristol Airport was closed the entire day this time last month because of snow and to be fair to GWR services were running quite well.

[Sixty3Closure]

I thought it was a good campaign in itself as it made me think about trips out and visits to places I wouldn't normally. I really did think about some trips to the West Country which I don't normally. However, my experience of travelling on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to West Wales at the weekend meant I soon decided not to bother.

As Timmer writes it was a reasonable as campaign promoting a totally unsuitable and inadequate service. All the campaign really did was draw attention to how poor the weekend service was. I wonder how many potential customers were lost because of it - tried it and had a miserable day out?

[TaplowGreen]

As Timmer writes it was a reasonable as campaign promoting a totally unsuitable and inadequate service. All the campaign really did was draw attention to how poor the weekend service was. I wonder how many potential customers were lost because of it - tried it and had a miserable day out?

Absolutely nails it. An expensive campaign that drew attention to failure.

[johnneyw]

The train operator also grabbed the award for Marketing and Communications Excellence for their much admired Famous Five advertising campaign

So - forum members - how many of you "admire" the Famous Five campaign? Can any of you explain how it has in any way improved either (1) Your experience as a rail passenger, (2) from what you have seen and heard, anyone else's?

Does anyone have any evidence that any new passengers have been attracted to rail travel to the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) operating area as a result of the campaign?

Like other forum members, I found the timing of the campaign unfortunate to say the least. If the villainous figure in the latest TV adverts had been trying to escape the Famous Five's train based pursuit on a weekend, I'd have given him a good chance of success.

[Incider]

I did enjoy the spoof versions that someone cleverly adapted, they brought a smile to the face of quite a few ‘inciders’ who widely shared them on employee WhatsApp etc.

[TonyK]

The timing was unfortunate. The advertising campaign was run, though, at a time when the electrification should have been largely done between London and Bristol, and the 9-car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) fleet delivered. I wonder if First were in a position where postponing the campaign would have been very costly, even though the delays were not of their making?

[johnneyw]

The timing was unfortunate. The advertising campaign was run, though, at a time when the electrification should have been largely done between London and Bristol, and the 9-car IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train) fleet delivered. I wonder if First were in a position where postponing the campaign would have been very costly, even though the delays were not of their making?

Costly to cancel the campaign? Very possibly but perhaps less costly than the negative outcomes from not cancelling or delaying in these circumstances.

[TonyK]

Costly to cancel the campaign? Very possibly but perhaps less costly than the negative outcomes from not cancelling or delaying in these circumstances.

I don't know either.

[broadgage]

Cancelling the advertising would probably have been very costly, the money spent on design etc. would be gone forever.

Postponing might however have been affordable, perhaps until the new trains had been delivered and were working. Postponing until the completion of electrification would be almost the same as cancelling.

[the void]

I think it is fair to say that members of this forum are not the target demographic for this campaign. For the intended audience I believe the campaign has gone down rather well.

[Sixty3Closure]

I think it is fair to say that members of this forum are not the target demographic for this campaign. For the intended audience I believe the campaign has gone down rather well.

Do you have any more details on who that was? I certainly saw myself as a potential customer especially as I don't drive but my experience was over whelming poor such that I haven't tried it since