HOW TO MARKET YOUR TRAVEL PLAN

Can you cope with a challenge?

#mynetworklive @networkwm

• Give a background to marketing and how it applies to transport

• Help you understand the role of a travel plan co-ordinator and how marketing is important for this

• Give you some ideas for how to start marketing to key stakeholders

• Case Study – University Hospital of Coventry and North Warwickshire

• Consider how to challenge negative perceptions of sustainable travel

AIMS OF TODAY’S WORKSHOP

• 9.30 - Welcome & Why marketing is important

• 9.55 - Issues and Solutions activity

• 10.05 - Key Factors

• 10.20 - Refreshments

• 10.35 -Case Study – University Hospital of Coventry and North Warwickshire

• 11.00 – How to market your travel plan and top tips

• 11.20 – Activity – Designing an event

• 11.50 – Feedback and Plenary Session

• 12.10 – Lunch and networking

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL TRAVEL PLAN COORDINATOR

• Name

• Organisation

• At what stage of Travel Planning process

• What would you like to learn from today – anything in particular?

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INTRODUCTIONS

• Communicating the value of a product/brand

• Selling a brand, service or product

• Less about getting payment as generating demand

• Gets the information to potential customers

• Needs to tap into their ways of thinking

WHAT IS MARKETING

• The car is generally the ‘mode of choice

• If people don’t know that there are alternatives, they won’t take them up

• And if people don’t know an offer is available they won’t take it up

• Communication is key

• Information and incentives

• Consistent professional tone

SO WHY IS THIS RELEVANT FOR ME?

PRODUCT

• According to entrepreneur.com

• “The most successful restaurants do not sell food. They sell the idea of a memorable culinary experience”

• “The most successful alcohol brands do not sell you booze. They sell the idea of the lifestyle they have attached to their booze”

• Lifestyle advantages

BUT

SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY WALKING CAMPAIGN

• Exercise (calories)

• Money saving?

• Time saving?

• Environment benefits?

• Arriving at work less stressed?

• Not having to find somewhere to park?

• Having company through a car share?

SO WHAT LIFESTYLE OPPORTUNITIES DO WE HAVE?

• Old habits can die hard

• Reluctance to try new things

• Door to door nature of the car

• Journey blending

• Is it possible for them?

• Negative marketing of alternative modes – bad news stories

BUT THERE ARE LIMITATIONS

• A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure (Thatcher, 1986)

• Cycling groups urge action after rise in UK road casualties (Guardian 2013)

• APOLOGY OVER RISE IN RAIL MISERY (Metro 2014)

• Frozen duty drives motoring prices to a new low (Financial Times 2015)

FOR EXAMPLE BUSES

• Team A

• Negatives

• Think of reasons people might give why they need to travel single occupancy car

EXERCISE

Team B

Positives

Think of responses that you could give each of these individuals to challenge this negative view

• The backdrop of promoting public transport

• Economic theory – the cost of delays

• Can we give people a ‘push’ to break their habits

TO RECAP

• Demand for transport is ‘derived’

• Purchased for what it achieves rather than a good in it’s own right

• Often done ‘without thinking’

• So if we can convince people.....

AND REMEMBER

• We aren’t going to achieve 100% change

• Whilst not for everyone, key to set ‘targets’

• Early adaptors, but this can give momentum

• Some people will not give up their car, some may not be able to

• Positive messages

• What changes can people make

TARGETS

• Other stakeholders in the organisation

• Senior management, Human Resources, Business Travel

• Organisational change

• Staff time

• Think carefully about how to convince them

NOT JUST TO STAFF

• Keep messages positive

• Help individuals to plan – take the fear out of it

• What information to provide and how

• Resources

• Details of upcoming events which can back these up

INFORMATION PROVISION IS KEY