2013 Bronze Travel and Holidays

Client East Midlands Trains

How did the campaign make a difference? The longest-ever planned station closure meant huge disruption for customers. Being honest and clear about the changes provided reassurance and a sense of support. Commuters really engaged, with open rates of up to 75% (the highest seen); over 80% of customers were "satisfied" with how the disruption was handled.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? East Midlands Trains was faced with a situation unprecedented in the rail industry. A combination of 40-year-old signalling equipment and worn-out points around Nottingham required a major resignalling project, causing the station to shut for a record 37 days. Nottingham is a major hub station and the closure was expected to cause a significant loss in revenue. The objective was to limit immediate impact on revenue and brand reputation, while ensuring customers came back after the station reopened. To make matters worse, the work had no visible impact, as all improvements were to train tracks and operational mechanisms rather than station refurbishment. This necessitated a three-fold strategy: 1) stop travellers in their tracks, by standing out and conveying a warning without suggesting danger; 2) be upfront with complete clarity, recognising that disruption was inevitable; and 3) be understanding of the impact, with a sense of reassurance and being in it together.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The creative approach added a twist to East Midlands Trains’ illustrative creative style, capturing the three emotions most commonly associated with travel disruption: stress, worry and frustration. Eye-catching illustrations by renowned Philadelphia artist Andy Rementer created three characters from these emotions. A vibrant colour palette attracted attention and helped make a negative message appear positive. For honesty and reassurance, each character was supported by a headline that outlined the problem and emotion, and a subhead with the solution. This provided reassurance that East Midlands Trains was helping in every way possible. The creative was also rolled out online and through eCRM. The lead character became the face of an East Midlands Trains Twitter feed and a live Nottingham Station mascot, surprising travellers with free hotel stays, theatre tickets and cakes, and even leading a mascot dance-off!

Results The results were beyond all expectations. Key criteria were: keeping customers travelling on East Midlands Trains’ services (eg replacement buses); minimising impact by creating an informed, satisfied customer base; and re-acquiring customers afterwards. The campaign’s average open rate was 55.9%, with a high of 75% (compared to the normal average open rate of 33.8%). And over 550 customers followed the Twitter feed.