Here’s a thing. Ever-expanding Hackney Community Transport’s CT Plus is to take over bus services on Jersey on 2nd January 2013. This we know. The concept of community interest companies can bring benefits. That’s only 150 days hence.
But it’s already beginning to make its mark. It now has a local web presence and yesterday began a competition to see which livery style might best suit the people of Jersey. They’re asked to state a preference between two. And they’re also being asked by email to give the service an operating name (CTPlusJersey probably doesn’t quite do it).
Perhaps this is something that First UK Bus might try for its local presences.
And, are there any suggestions for the name of the service? Or perhaps CT Plus should adopt a Rainbow-type route-by-route branding approach…
i Vote for one of two potential liveries
i Jersey Sails in more detail
i Jersey Classic in more detail
i Name that Bus Service
26 comments:
Sails if I must. But neither is *that* great... I'm guessing Mr Stenning too busy to take the commission! ;)
Not overly enamoured with either livery, but the concept is a great idea in involving the passengers/customers and local community.
As ever in life you get what you pay for. These look like they are - designed by amateurs. May I ask quite what the average passenger knows about design?
Either is a massive improvement on the bland sky blue used at present.
The way buses are interworked on Jersey makes route branding very difficult. It will be interesting to see how this evolves under CT Plus.
Though attractive the problem with the sails livery is that it will obscure the view of the Jeresy coast and countryside from the windows.
The second livery seems very Arriva and does not suit the lines of the Enviro 400
One route will be different - what I have heard says the 15 (Airport) route will be entirely run by 5 double deckers, so that could have a separate route branding.
Intrigued to see what buses they've applied the liveries to - Optare Solo, Enviro400 (HCT currently run Scanias Omnis elsewhere), and is the baby an Optare Bonito?
They could always offer us apple green and cream as a livery...
There does not seem to be an option to spoil the ballot paper.
The small bus shown is a Bluebird-bodied Fiat Ducato, but word amongst bus staff in Jersey is that the drawings are indicative only and that orders have not actually been placed yet. It would be very surprising if a Solo was chosen for example, to get a decent capacity a long wheel base model is required and Jersey's road network isn't really geared up for that.
Hi - I'm the company's external communications advisor. Thanks for highlighting this piece of news. Can I point out that the organisation has been known as HCT Group (not Hackney Community Transport) for some years now. We'd be grateful if you could reflect this in any discussion going forward. Thanks! Tim
It's different doing it this way,and sometimes different is good.
Involving the client has its pitfalls,but at the end of the day,passengers will board a bus with the right route number on it,no matter what shape or colour it is.
I do,don't you ?
@Guernseyman: true, but then what other options do you have for a bus that is narrow enough for a 2m35 (I think: might even be 2m32) width limit on all bar two routes?
Be interested to hear how you reckon they are getting on with the Guernsey contract.
@Anonymous 0832: I seem to recall it was not a "member of the general public" who designed our new bus station with a 10 foot 6 height limit so that no double deckers can use the inside stands... so-say professionals do not have a terribly good track record on that sort of thing.
As for the liveries, I favour the second, as a white base always looks cheap because it implies that the operator couldn't be bothered to repaint from factory white and just put stickers on it instead. But perhaps the two could be combined in some way, e.g. a blue background with the sail motifs on it and perhaps a different coloured skirt? (I'd say dark blue but that's perhaps too close to Arriva colours). And perhaps make the sails slightly smaller so they don't block the window view, especially on the decker.
Perhaps be wary of the Fleur de Lys on the first sail unless you are aiming for an association with Scouting, or at least design it so it isn't obviously similar to that organisation's logo as I realise it can also symbolise other things.
As for the text, I prefer the local places at the top than the slightly trite slogan. A further nice touch might be to name some or all buses after local features and places as Southern Vectis do, though obviously in a way that this doesn't imply they are the destination, and perhaps even add photos to the base livery of those places in the way Northern Rail do.
"And, are there any suggestions for the name of the service? Or perhaps CT Plus should adopt a Rainbow-type route-by-route branding approach…"
"Jersey Bus"? Simple and factual and not at all trite, as well as emphasizing local-ness. I would have the space rather than drop it.
Or even "Jersey Plus", to keep some of the owner's name in it.
Route branding I would only do if you can be absolutely 100% consistent over it and not use buses off route, which will mean owning more buses than otherwise to ensure there are unbranded spares. While I recognise it probably had another purpose in Milton Keynes (to phase the MK Metro livery and identity out), it was not used at all consistently so just looked stupid.
"Can I point out that the organisation has been known as HCT Group (not Hackney Community Transport) for some years now."
I would suggest that if, as makes sense for an expanding company, you want to lose the local name, you consider renaming the group to "CT Plus Group" or similar. Any set of initials is likely to have people asking what they stand for, and responses like "it stands for quality" serve only to irritate and sound really trite.
In particular, BT and HSBC claiming their names don't stand for anything irritates greatly.
Neil
James, I am a Guernseyman in Jersey, so I cannot speak from experience, but there was a bit of publicity about recruitment difficulties and long hours in the early weeks of CT taking over, apart from the odd resulting cancelled departure the service seems to be operating much as in previous years, not suprising realy because it was a rush job to find the new operator and the Guernsey States just wanted to keep things ticking over. I hope they go down the same path as Jersey in time.
Did you know that Connex also tried to get their hands on the Guernsey contract?
I preferred Design 2 'Jersey Classic' until I noticed it is asymmetric. I would need to see the offside view before choosing it, my preference would be for the livery to be the same on both sides. Either way it is preferable to the sails due to that livery's base colour of white.
Regarding whether livery matters, I think it does. True the public will get on the bus regardless, but a quality livery conveys a quality image, especially if backed up by a quality culture (First please note).
Regarding company name, something with 'Jersey' in it. Ideally the buses should become an iconic image of the island and be instantly recognisable as belonging there, so 'Jersey Bus' 'Jersey Buses', or 'Bus Jèrriais'.
"In particular, BT and HSBC claiming their names don't stand for anything irritates greatly."
And BHS (British Home Stores) and BAA (British Airports Authority). Who do they think they are kidding?
"Regarding company name, something with 'Jersey' in it."
Why does it need the word Jersey? Would have thought that was obvious?
"Regarding whether livery matters, I think it does"
Absolutely right. Brand = confidence = helps repeat business.
"Why does it need the word Jersey? Would have thought that was obvious?"
I think it helps when the name of the location features in a bus company name, as it gives a feeling of locality and "buy-in", which is a powerful marketing tool - and one that the Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach very much realise (they've long had "Stagecoach in X") and First are just noticing.
Neil
Personally I would drop the 'all day all year all yours' - I would expect to see that in a Valentine's card, not plastered on a bus...
@Neil: Jersey Bus is a non-starter, as it was the trading name of the bus service up until 2002 (in the days when the company that owned Trimdon Motor Services also owned the remains of JMT). The family still live here and might well object: it also brings back memories of step-entrance Vanguards - not something HCT would want.
The first association with the fleur-de-lys over here is not scouting: it is the emblem of the parish of St Mary
"I think it helps when the name of the location features in a bus company name, as it gives a feeling of locality and "buy-in", which is a powerful marketing tool - and one that the Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach very much realise (they've long had "Stagecoach in X") and First are just noticing."
Very much a misnomer. The idea of localness is much overplayed. Get the product right (reliability, comfort, affordability etc) and the marketing can begin. There are many, many examples that work without recourse to a local tag. For instance, the biggest bus empires of the last century were United, Ribble and Crosville. Whilst Ribble is a geographic term, it's very much localised to the Preston area, Crosville is a portmanteau of the founders names, and United is as non specific as Arriva.
Localised names can also be a difficulty, especially when services maybe interworked or are largely out of a particular area (i.e. can't be too local at times - what relevance is Stagecoach in Bedfordshire when the bus arrives in Milton Keynes?)
I would point out that Stagecoach in X is a relatively new feature, from the introduction of the livery some 10 years or so ago. Before that, it was a real mixed bag of old names prefixed with Stagecoach. In truth, it helped tidy things up in some areas and provide consistency. However, I'd venture that most people just see STAGECOACH; that was Arriva's view in losing the descriptors.
I did chuckle when I read the BHS comment, only because it was the general public who came up with that, and it was then subsequently adopted by the retailer. Same with M&S!
In my experience, the most significant brand that customers identify with tends to be the service number!
Oh, and don't like either livery particularly but the white does seem a bit dealer white-ish so go for the full colour!
Neither livery appeals and both fall down in the maintenance stakes - replacing the colours and graphics when skirt damage is repaired and windows replaced seems like an unnecessary complication to me.
I don't think a localised name operating outside the locality will be an issue in this case, its an island. As an aside, notice how none of the offshore jurisdictions have embraced deregulation. Jersey and Guernsey opting for competition through tendered networks and the Isle of Man retaining direct public sector operation.
Ribblr and Crosville were large.territorial. operators so a localised name was not so appropriate. An island has a distinct identity and having the island's name on the buses is an expression of "national"pride, especially if the operation is administered by the local govt. Private sector Southern Vectis also uses its location in its name.
The livery with the sails has contravision in just the place to obscure people's vision when sitting in the front (lower) part of the bus (a la Thames Travel with their white wavy line across the windows) so the other one is better.
James
"Ribblr and Crosville were large.territorial. operators so a localised name was not so appropriate. An island has a distinct identity and having the island's name on the buses is an expression of "national"pride, especially if the operation is administered by the local govt. Private sector Southern Vectis also uses its location in its name."
You're missing the point. Businesses like Crosville and United did very well without having to have a regional or local identity, and other businesses don't seem to need to do it either. As for Southern Vectis, they don't call themselves "Isle of Wight Bus" but instead are named after the Roman name for the island - working on that basis, I look forward to First Eboracum and First Aquae Sulis.
Get the product right first of all. Then get the brand sorted but, as I say, the idea that customer loyalty is engendered by local identities is vastly overated.
Let's take a light-hearted look at current practice in Jersey. Buses carry the Connex fleetname. Perplexing. The name became heavily tainted when the UK operation ballsed up running trains in the southeast.
Buses also carry (above the drivers cab and entrance door) a small 'Jersey', but in the tourist board's house style. Preaching to the converted.
Plus there is still use in certain areas of the meaningless 'mybus' tag. Introduced for reasons best known to the Frenchman who was running the outfit at the time.
To cap it all there are two completely different liveries with last year's purchases little more than dealer white with some (admittedly not unattractive) swirly vinyls on top, but of no relevance to anything else in publicity or branding.
What does the regular or casual passenger make of all this? It's inconsistent, it's uncoordinated and frankly it's a mess. and furthermore there is no mention of the ultimate owner, Veolia Transdev. At all.
HCT have a golden opportunity to rip up established practice and start again. I know they're reading this. In which case here are some suggestions:
Jerseyrider. (If you have fond memories of the Liverpool area 20 years ago)
Rock Solid. (With a nod to present day Blackburn, and an acknowedlgement that after all, Jersey is merely a lump of granite in the English Channel. With 100,000 alcoholics clinging to it.)
Yesterday's Jersey Evening Post carried an article claiming that nearly 1000 votes had been cast. Good that the public has responded though it would be interesting (but probably impossible) to know the demographics.
Post a Comment