Could marketing and PR be centralised under GBR?

[Timmyd]

It seems impossible to turn on the TV, travel on the tube or open a paper these days without being bombarded by adverts for different rail companies - on a recent trip to the cinema there were three separate rail adverts in the programme before the film, two for different train companies plus the national campaign!

Last weekend I saw GWR had bought a wrap around the cover of the Sunday Times magazine, while LNER's really annoying puppet seems inescapable and on a recent trip to Birmingham WMR had sponsored an outdoor family area at the NEC (which looked very forlorn).

With each of these 'companies' no doubt having different expensive advertising agencies and marketing departments high-fiving over each latest work of genius, is there not an easy and substantial cost saving to be made to centralise all this advertising under one central National Rail campaign?

It wouldn't rule out local activations to promote certain lines or regional discounts, but the current situation seems very wasteful, and curious if changes are planned.

 

[Djgr]

It seems impossible to turn on the TV, travel on the tube or open a paper these days without being bombarded by adverts for different rail companies - on a recent trip to the cinema there were three separate rail adverts in the programme before the film, two for different train companies plus the national campaign! Last weekend I saw GWR had bought a wrap around the cover of the Sunday Times magazine, while LNER's really annoying puppet seems inescapable and on a recent trip to Birmingham WMR had sponsored an outdoor family area at the NEC (which looked very forlorn).

With each of these 'companies' no doubt having different expensive advertising agencies and marketing departments high-fiving over each latest work of genius, is there not an easy and substantial cost saving to be made to centralise all this advertising under one central National Rail campaign? It wouldn't rule out local activations to promote certain lines or regional discounts, but the current situation seems very wasteful, and curious if changes are planned.

Yes indeed. A clear case of economies of scale

 

[styles]

Yep, no doubt this will be one of the areas which gets consolidated under GBR.

Though on a slight tangent, I'd rather have 3 railway ads than 3 online gambling ads. There's certainly worse things to advertise!

 

[zwk500]

The counterpoints are that if 1 idea is a dud, then at least having variety means you haven't wasted all the budget.
And that different lines have different characteristics and need different campaigns to sell their different offers.

However GBR would of course be able to run multiple targeted Campaigns in parallel with a coherent overall campaign.

 

[Djgr]

The counterpoints are that if 1 idea is a dud, then at least having variety means you haven't wasted all the budget.
And that different lines have different characteristics and need different campaigns to sell their different offers.

However GBR would of course be able to run multiple targeted Campaigns in parallel with a coherent overall campaign.

However, it would save LNER running adverts in Liverpool

 

[styles]

However, it would save LNER running adverts in Liverpool

Surprised they haven't paid for regional advertising instead of national. Though I suppose you could argue there's nothing stopping someone from Liverpool heading to the east coast at some point, just they're not the main target market for trains on the east coast mainline.

 

[Andrew1395]

Marketing and PR were not centralised under BR. I expect whatever the identified business units will eventually be, each have a PR function, and marketing if appropriat.

 

[SargeNpton]

Marketing and PR were not centralised under BR. I expect whatever the identified business units will eventually be, will each have a PR function, and marketing if appropriat.

Marketing and PR under BR was partly centralised and partly devolved (initially at Regional/Divisional level and then with the Sectors).

 

[Dr Hoo]

Marketing and PR under BR was partly centralised and partly devolved (initially at Regional/Divisional level and then with the Sectors).

And then sub-sectors.

 

[WAB]

The IBU level is the best place for a lot of day to day work to sit. One of the successes of sectorisation was devolving these decisions so that local leaders had a suitable level of autonomy to get the job done. Anyone who has experienced trying to get things done with monoliths like NR will understand why I’m against excessive centralisation.