Route Branding

[py_megapixel]

Overall, I can see why this makes sense. Painting the numbers clearly on the side makes it clear what route they are on, and the little schematic diagrams that often accompany them increase confidence that you're on the right bus. So, I have no objection to it... done right.

However, it rarely seems to be done right, for one or more of a few reasons:

• Overy garish route branding cheapens the look of the livery and makes it look tacky
• All too often, you'll see a route branded vehicle put on the wrong route. This presumably increases customer confusion, for obvious reasons - but reduction of customer confusion is the entire point of route branding!
• If only some vehicles on a route are branded, then it weakens it a little - if a customer is unsure what bus they need, then a member of staff couldn't tell them to look out for the bus with "410" written on it in big orange letters (made up example) because not all buses on route 410 carry that branding!

Edit: thanks @GusB for merging this post into this thread, I somehow missed it and created a new thread on the same topic

 

[Kernow Dave]

I have thought for a long time, and despite all the various reasons given, have not been ever convinced by branding a route or routes. I believe that the general public will know "their bus and bus route" by the allocated route number. Why is it necessary to paint the various brands, often which change in a short time?

 

[cnjb8]

I have thought for a long time, and despite all the various reasons given, have not been ever convinced by branding a route or routes. I believe that the general public will know "their bus and bus route" by the allocated route number. Why is it necessary to paint the various brands, often which change in a short time?

I see this and I think come live in Nottingham, branding works here.

 

[Megafuss]

I think if you go down the route branding avenue then you have to go the "whole hog" and ensure the inside of the vehicle, marketing tools (website and/or leaflets) and driver appearance "match" the brand you are trying to sell. Trent Barton, the original Stagecoach Gold, Reading Buses, Some Go Ahead brands (e.g. GNE Xpresslines, GSC Purbeck Breezer, Oxford Airline) and Nottingham City Transport are a good example of this.

It also helps if Operational staff have the tools and motivation to ensure they can allocate the correct buses to the correct route. Seeing the odd branded bus off route can happen as a last resort if push comes to shove. But seeing it happen on a regular basis is sloppy and dilutes what the operator is trying to achieve (Hello Arriva)

All in all I believe route branding works when applied wholeheartedly. I have seen it work first hand. However, just painting the outside of a bus or applying a bit of vinyl and expecting customers to come flocking isn't going to work in itself.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I think if you go down the route branding avenue then you have to go the "whole hog" and ensure the inside of the vehicle, marketing tools (website and/or leaflets) and driver appearance "match" the brand you are trying to sell. Trent Barton, the original Stagecoach Gold, Reading Buses, Some Go Ahead brands (e.g. GNE Xpresslines, GSC Purbeck Breezer, Oxford Airline) and Nottingham City Transport are a good example of this.

It also helps if Operational staff have the tools and motivation to ensure they can allocate the correct buses to the correct route. Seeing the odd branded bus off route can happen as a last resort if push comes to shove. But seeing it happen on a regular basis is sloppy and dilutes what the operator is trying to achieve (Hello Arriva)

All in all I believe route branding works when applied wholeheartedly. I have seen it work first hand. However, just painting the outside of a bus or applying a bit of vinyl and expecting customers to come flocking isn't going to work in itself.

Where's the like button for this?

For me, this is absolutely on the money. Route branding is given a bad name by those firms who believe that slapping a vinyl is "job done" - Arriva in the early 2000s were especially guilty of that.

Arriva livery replaces MRN livery, Cannock 2000

Volvo Citybus H651GPF wears Arriva livery (plus added branding for service 156) whilst Leyland Olympian EEH909Y wears Midland Red North red/yellow livery. H651GPF+EEH909Y-CannockArriva+MRNliveries(04C00)1772

www.flickr.com

It's a lot more complex and branding is a communicative process that is trying to convey that "something" that will make people who don't travel to do so. That something might be speed, convenience and/or frequency, to a specific locale (e.g. Airport) or general scenic territory, or the various bells and whistles that differentiate it (such as Stagecoach Gold). The means of conveying that is the livery (a huge moving billboard) but also extends to bus stop information/flags, timetable leaflets and other collateral, and even actual billboards.

Build it and they will come won't work.

 

[PeterC]

I have thought for a long time, and despite all the various reasons given, have not been ever convinced by branding a route or routes. I believe that the general public will know "their bus and bus route" by the allocated route number. Why is it necessary to paint the various brands, often which change in a short time?

That is definitely an enthusiast's viewpoint. Most people don't use buses and have no idea where they go, their viewpoint will be decided by the press and prejudice and will have no relation to what services are actually run. I have had visitors take a taxi to my house because the bus had the name of a different village on the front.

Of course credibility in the whole concept just collapses when half the buses on a route are proclaming a 15 minute service between a town 10 miles away and another 20 miles away.

 

[AndyW33]

I have thought for a long time, and despite all the various reasons given, have not been ever convinced by branding a route or routes. I believe that the general public will know "their bus and bus route" by the allocated route number. Why is it necessary to paint the various brands, often which change in a short time?

Are you old enough to remember National Bus and the "paint them all either red or green" policy for service buses? Made it easy to move buses between fleets (never mind within depots) - until of course they sent buses from Cumberland (Red) to United Counties (green) to cover shortages. Really every approach has advantages and disadvantages.

 

[scosutsut]

For me, I'd say most of the time is done, it's done badly - and should have been avoided in the first place.

For example Trandev's Witchway to me having never seen it in the flesh looks like a good execution. It actually means something relevant to the route, the vehicle spec is higher, they seem to be good at keeping the allocated vehicles assigned. It's part of an overall effort and connected plan to publicise the service and the operator overall.

Contrast that to First Glasgow (again just for example but worst offenders that spring to mind) deciding a particular route should have lime green fronted branded vehicles allocated, for no apparent reason other than that colour is left, and they run the route with whatever they can find meaning the effort is lost, and they make no noticeable marketing effort - that to me feels like the worst kind of execution.

I know some will be quick to disparage or defend the companies I've picked there, but to do so would miss the main point I am trying to illustrate: basically if you are poor at the basics I think route branding is, reaching for a polite phrase, a bit like putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[GusB]

I do think route branding has its place, although I do understand why some are against it, particularly when you see branded vehicles off-route on a fairly regular basis. I understand the occasional requirement to put a branded vehicle on another service, especially when the alternative is not to run the service at all.

Casting my mind back to the early days of Stagecoach's takeover of my local company (Bluebird), one of the first routes that they "transformed" was the 305 Elgin - Aberdeen coast route. Hitherto they'd used a mixture of Leylands of varying ages, bodywork styles and liveries. A uniform fleet of Volvo B10M/Plaxton Interurbans was introduced, and although they weren't specifically "route branded", they used the then Stagecoach trick of displaying the origin, destination and various calling points on the side windows. While I have no doubt that occasionally one of those vehicles (the K-GSA batch) would have made it onto other services should the need arise, they were largely kept on that route. I never had the opportunity to travel on one.

Similarly, when the 10 was "upgraded" a year or two later, there was another new batch of Volvos that replaced a similar motley bunch of ex-SBG motorway Tigers, ex-Shearings B10Ms and MCW Metroliners. There was a photoshoot at a castle and publicity in the local paper.

While all that happened almost 30 years ago, there was a similar re-launch recently with the "A96 City Connect", using new Volvo/Plaxton Elites. Again, this was another step up from what had gone before, and it makes sense to promote the various improvements.

 

[Pat1105]

Whilst route branding can be a good way to make passengers aware of your service, it can also have its downfalls.

• As mentioned, it can look awful
• Route branded buses can play havoc with allocations, as they have to be parked in the correct order for morning run out. NX’s Walsall garage is the worst for route branded buses off route. There’s always a 34 branded Scania on 4s.

 

[175mph]

One positive effect of using route branded vehicles off route is often seeing newer vehicles than normally seen on a given route.

For example, in Scunthorpe when I'm used to seeing 2006 reg Darts on most routes, then on one day at random, I see one of the 2017 reg Enviro 300 MMCs that's normally seen on the Humber Fastcat to Hull, although it can be OCD triggering, it's at least pleasing to see a newer veichle being used.

There is also a 'spare Fastcat', that is an Enviro 300 MMC in ordinary Stagecoach colours, (still the old red, orange, blue and white version) and when not being used on the 350, rather than sitting idle in the depot all day, it's used on the local town routes, which is even more pleasing, no OCD triggered and riding on a bus that's only three years old over a run of the mill fourteen year old Dart. The only mention of the route branding is a 'Welcome Aboard Humber Fastcat' sticker on the door of the driver's cab.

I'm not sure if the route branding will last though, given the most up to date timetable for the 350 I got is just a plain timetable with no route branding mentioned whatsoever.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Whilst route branding can be a good way to make passengers aware of your service, it can also have its downfalls.

• As mentioned, it can look awful
• Route branded buses can play havoc with allocations, as they have to be parked in the correct order for morning run out. NX’s Walsall garage is the worst for route branded buses off route. There’s always a 34 branded Scania on 4s.

As with most of the good things in life, don't do them properly and they're not very good. Some firms manage to use branding very effectively.

 

[PeterC]

I do think route branding has its place, although I do understand why some are against it, particularly when you see branded vehicles off-route on a fairly regular basis. I understand the occasional requirement to put a branded vehicle on another service, especially when the alternative is not to run the service at all.

An occasional requirement I understand. However about three years ago Arriva at Aylesbury were regularly running 280 branded Sapphire vehicles on the 55 while putting non-Sapphire unbranded buses on the 280.

 

[GusB]

An occasional requirement I understand. However about three years ago Arriva at Aylesbury were regularly running 280 branded Sapphire vehicles on the 55 while putting non-Sapphire unbranded buses on the 280.

Now that is just silly!

 

[NorthOxonian]

An occasional requirement I understand. However about three years ago Arriva at Aylesbury were regularly running 280 branded Sapphire vehicles on the 55 while putting non-Sapphire unbranded buses on the 280.

The worse one is Stagecoach in Swindon - several times I've been on an S6 service which was branded for the 55, and then upon arrival at the bus station, noticed that the 55 was using a bus branded for the S6!

 

[43055]

An occasional requirement I understand. However about three years ago Arriva at Aylesbury were regularly running 280 branded Sapphire vehicles on the 55 while putting non-Sapphire unbranded buses on the 280.

That's arriva for you! It's the same in Derby and on Sundays non sapphire vehicles are used.

The worse one is Stagecoach in Swindon - several times I've been on an S6 service which was branded for the 55, and then upon arrival at the bus station, noticed that the 55 was using a bus branded for the S6!

Personally I would say its not as bad as both are gold branded? When I have been in Chippenham for work I have only seen other gold branded vehicles on the 55 in the evenings. Maybe they interwork with other routes in the evening?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That's arriva for you! It's the same in Derby and on Sundays non sapphire vehicles are used.

Personally I would say its not as bad as both are gold branded? When I have been in Chippenham for work I have only seen other gold branded vehicles on the 55 in the evenings. Maybe they interwork with other routes in the evening?

The fact they're Gold vehicles (albeit with the wrong route details) is perhaps more important. Certainly, I've seen plenty of 55 examples on the S6 in the past though, tbf, the A420 can be diabolical in terms of delays so it's not unreasonable to turn out a spare Gold decker (even if it is a 55 one).

 

[LancasterRed]

Route branding is fine, although there should always be plain buses which can rotate between routes. This is less viable where services change routes during the day. Constraining it to 'premium' services is the better idea IMHO.

With the 555, it allows for the 40, 41 and 42 Lancaster services to operate with modern buses in the winter months instead of the typical uncomfortable buses that roar through the countryside. In fact, these three buses are sensible candidates for their own branded services, ideally as Stagecoach Gold.

That's another thing - Stagecoach Gold services are constrained to their routes typically but do deviate, particularly during COVID with their ease of cleaning. I think Stagecoach Gold could be rolled out even further which itself is a branding.

 

[NorthOxonian]

The fact they're Gold vehicles (albeit with the wrong route details) is perhaps more important. Certainly, I've seen plenty of 55 examples on the S6 in the past though, tbf, the A420 can be diabolical in terms of delays so it's not unreasonable to turn out a spare Gold decker (even if it is a 55 one).

That is a fair point - it's certainly rare that either service ends up with a non-Gold vehicle (and I suspect they have a few spares, since I've been on Gold deckers on the 49 more than once). But it is a little jarring, and I wouldn't be surprised if people sometimes get caught out, getting on a 55 when they meant to get on the S6 (or vice versa) - I've done it myself!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That is a fair point - it's certainly rare that either service ends up with a non-Gold vehicle (and I suspect they have a few spares, since I've been on Gold deckers on the 49 more than once). But it is a little jarring, and I wouldn't be surprised if people sometimes get caught out, getting on a 55 when they meant to get on the S6 (or vice versa) - I've done it myself!

What happened when you got to Oxford instead of Chippenham?

There have been plenty of Gold ones on the 49 recently. The 49/51 would have been my tip for upgrade to Gold had they continued with that concept. There's quite a few non route branded Gold deckers at Swindon but sometimes, I presume they just grab what they can in the bus station.

 

[NorthOxonian]

What happened when you got to Oxford instead of Chippenham?

There have been plenty of Gold ones on the 49 recently. The 49/51 would have been my tip for upgrade to Gold had they continued with that concept. There's quite a few non route branded Gold deckers at Swindon but sometimes, I presume they just grab what they can in the bus station.

I was actually heading back to Oxford after a long day spent going around Wiltshire, and was so tired that I didn't notice the number on the front of the bus! Luckily I realised my mistake by the time we reached the Designer Outlet, so I just had a slightly miserable walk back into town (and an even more miserable 40 minute wait in the bus station)!

Yes, the only issue would have been the low frequency of the 49/51 (though that doesn't stop them from turning the S4 in Oxfordshire gold). And also possibly a degree of what I'd call "gold fatigue". In Oxford nearly all of the Stagecoach interurban routes are Gold, so the branding doesn't really stand out very much. It's difficult to consider an offering premium when it's on most routes!