Media Blitz

[VentureForth]

When living in Texas and New Mexico, I never heard or saw any Amtrak ads. When I first moved to Savannah, there was a token ad banner at the local Single-A baseball field. Then, that went away. This year, the banner returned, there was an Amtrak night, and I've seen ads on TV and heard radio spots for the first time ever.

During Thanksgiving, the station was PACKED with cars. Savannah has two parking areas - the main, South of the lobby, was max'd out and the overfill on the North side of the lobby was getting full.

Back to the radio spot - Amtrak is advertising a giveaway on our local conservative talk show station. They even have the morning guy who I enjoy listening to on my morning commute saying "I love riding the train" and his co-host lauding the fact her sister rides all the time. Makes for nice radio, but I seem to recall this host was bashing Amtrak up until this promotion as [rightfully so??] government waste. Anyway, it's interesting to hear Amtrak on conservative talk radio. I just hope I win the free trip to New York at Christmastime!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Perhaps this is just more proof that many in the "small government" crowd don't really care about how big the government gets or how much it spends so long as most of the funding is directed toward them, their fellow cronies, and their various pet projects.

 

[Ryan]

 

[NW cannonball]

Perhaps this is just more proof that many in the "small government" crowd don't really care about how big the government gets or how much it spends so long as most of the funding is directed toward them, their fellow cronies, and their various pet projects.

Remember the definition of "red states" = states that get more money from federal taxes than they pay in. That's a fact.

Small government crowd, not really.

States that could use efficient better rail services -- many.

Devil in the details, not in some "political principles"

 

[MikefromCrete]

Of course, it could be the morning guy isn't quite the conservative fire brand he pretends to be on the radio. I got to figure that a lot of these guys are just good actors.

 

[capltd29]

I think there are probably a few people out there that truly believe in small government. People that are genuine in their ideology. Then the rest of the people who claim to be for small government don't have any idea what that means.

Ask them: Are you in favor of paying a toll on every road you drive on? Do you like pot holes?

Are you in favor of making grandma work until the day she dies?

Are you in favor of (insert social issue that they wish they could regulate... marriage, abortion, etc).

Many Many people believe in the ideology that (they believe) benefits them.

Fortunately, in Virginia, Governor McDonnell, a governor who was conservative on many issues helped expand state sponsored Amtrak service (Before he ended up getting indicted).

I wish elected officials would work for the people and do what benefits them, rather than what benefits their own personal beliefs.

 

[neroden]

I wish elected officials would work for the people and do what benefits them, rather than what benefits their own personal beliefs.

The crazier elected officials do think they are working for and benefiting the people.

Sam Brownback appears to truly BELIEVE in his HEART that his policies will lead to balanced budgets and prosperity for Kansas (they've led to massive budget deficits, and businesses and residents fleeing the state -- but that hasn't changed his FAITH).

 

[andersone]

I was at the B1G Championship Game in Indianapolis and there was a constant flow of Amtrak ads not only on the big board but the rotating ring around the stadium. rather impressive

 

[Ziv]

I am a small government conservative that usually votes for the GOP candidate as the lesser of two weevils, but I think there is a place for government spending if it yields a definite good for the country as a whole. Building the interstate highway system, funding NASA, Amtrak, these are all things that benefit the nation as a whole and are a good investment. When you talk to the conservatives that aren't being lobbied directly, support for some federal support is pretty widespread.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I am a small government conservative that usually votes for the GOP candidate as the lesser of two weevils, but I think there is a place for government spending if it yields a definite good for the country as a whole. Building the interstate highway system, funding NASA, Amtrak, these are all things that benefit the nation as a whole and are a good investment. When you talk to the conservatives that aren't being lobbied directly, support for some federal support is pretty widespread.

All it took for most small government conservatives to turn their back on passenger rail was for a single president from the opposition party to say he supported it. I wonder what sort of convoluted reasoning is required to see someone like Trump or Cruz as the "lesser evil." I'm sorry but you fit the mold of millions of conservatives who think they're still voting for the party of Ronald Reagan when in reality they're voting for the party of Henry Ford.

 

[jis]

I am a small government conservative that usually votes for the GOP candidate as the lesser of two weevils, but I think there is a place for government spending if it yields a definite good for the country as a whole. Building the interstate highway system, funding NASA, Amtrak, these are all things that benefit the nation as a whole and are a good investment. When you talk to the conservatives that aren't being lobbied directly, support for some federal support is pretty widespread.

All it took for most small government conservatives to turn their back on passenger rail was for a single president from the opposition party to say he supported it. I wonder what sort of convoluted reasoning is required to see someone like Trump or Cruz as the "lesser evil." I'm sorry but you fit the mold of millions of conservatives who think they're still voting for the party of Ronald Reagan when in reality they're voting for the party of Henry Ford.

Even worse, some ossified folks believe that they are voting for the party of Lincoln. Cognitive dissonance seems to be the core feature of many GOP supporters these days. And since when has the GOP given anyone a small government anyway? They are the ones that seem to give us some of the most spectacular deficits when they actually get to run the government.

 

[pennyk]

The topic of this thread is Amtrak ads. Please try to stay close to on topic and avoid overly political posts. Thank you.

 

[NorthShore]

Have any political candidates ever bought ads offered on Amtrak properties?

 

[BCL]

I may have seen this commercial on cable TV:



I've definitely heard radio ads for Capitol Corridor tied to Oakland A's broadcasts. The train station is actually the closest public transportation to the stadium - even closer than bus or BART.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've actually seen several Amtrak advertisements but that's only because I watch multiple live NBA stadium feeds each week. Amtrak's logo is burned into my consciousness so it's easy to spot when I'm watching a game in a pro-rail city. Sometimes they have Amtrak video ads on the Jumbotron as well. Does Amtrak ever promote free trip contests like United Airlines and American Airlines do? Seems to really get the audience's attention but I've never noticed a free Amtrak trip being offered in the same way.

 

[afigg]

The October, 2015 issue of Amtrak Ink (5.5 MB PDF) has an article on page 12 about the new advertising campaign, which includes national TV ads, which started in September. Amtrak must have bumped up its advertising budget, perhaps in response to the dropoff in ridership on so many routes. Excerpt from the October Amtrak Ink:

If you were watching Dancing with the Stars on Sept. 14, you may have seen Amtraks first national TV commercial in nearly two decades. The debut of the 30-second ad is part of Amtraks Master Brand campaign, just one of several major initiatives that the Marketing and Sales department has undertaken to update and modernize Amtraks brand and passenger services.

The TV ads aired for two weeks on ABC and NBC networks during the fall premieres and will continue to air in Fiscal Year 2016 on ABC, NBC and CBS as well as on select cable networks. Six shorter videos that feature state supported, long distance and Northeast Corridor trains are being promoted on social media. (Amtrak will be featured on Orbitz, an online travel agency, throughout the fiscal year.)

 

[NorthShore]

Amtrak sponsors the AHL hockey rivalry between the Chicago and Milwaukee teams. Unfortunately, the train doesn't stop near the O'Hare area arena, and (until recently, on Saturday nights, perhaps) you can't actually attend these games by riding the train from one city to the other and get back after the game.

 

[neroden]

I think Amtrak should make more of a point of running ad campaigns just after a route improvement (like the reroute of the Vermonter, or the completion of disruptions caused by SunRail construction) -- to increase awareness. I'm honestly not sure how much good generic ads do.

 

[west point]

Sorry but Sun Rail delays will continue because phase 2 Sand Lake - Kissimmee - Poinciana is now under construction.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

I'm honestly not sure how much good generic ads do.

"I know that half my advertising is wasted. I just don't know which half." -- attributed to department store merchant John Wanamaker

I've seen posts, where the commenters claimed marketing experience, saying that Amtrak's advertising and marketing expenses are far, far too low for a business of its size. I tend to agree. If Amtrak were an airline, it would rank 5th,and just think how many generic ads we see from airlines.

But I also prefer targeted ads. When the current flight of ads was launched, I complained that one I kept seeing -- "We've done Europe, Asia, even Africa. Now we're seeing America!" -- was promoting Amtrak as a land cruise, exactly what the haters want the world to believe. I was directed to YouTube where indeed a number of Amtrak's other ads can be seen targeted to business riders, women, and other market niches.

Wonder if they plan to do ads when the new Viewliners are added to the Eastern trains.

I hope there'll be money for plenty advertising in the second half of 2017, when the Stimulus upgrades kick in: Two more Cascades frequencies, another run on the Lincoln Service with all six runs about an hour faster, the Wolverines almost an hour faster, another run or two of the Piedmonts, maybe something Upstate after Albany, and New Haven-Hartford-Springfield.

Which reminds me that generic ads for Amtrak are probably a good defense for the creature of politics that Amtrak is.

 

[neroden]

I really think an ad of the form "Try our new, improved service from Detroit to Chicago" (or whatever) would not only get more attention from people interested in that particular route, but more attention from people who might have written off train service based on how it was 10 years ago (or 20 years ago, or 40 years ago). The generic "ride Amtrak" ads don't trigger the "maybe I should check again" reaction.

I've noticed that a lot of the older Amtrak ad campaigns *were* of the "look at the new things we're offering" variety.

I think trying to target different ads at different people is a mug's game; you'll always misread your demographics.

But setting up ads advertising particular *products* is another thing. It seems to me to be typically a lot more effective than pure "brand awareness" while costing exactly the same amount. Pure "brand awareness" advertising is used by companies which don't have any products they can be proud of. So that type of generic advertising seems like a bit of a waste to me, when there's the possibility of advertising specific service improvements.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Wonder if they could classify food losses as advertising expense and go back to the days of good dining and cafe car service?

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Every once in a while I will hear an OKC radio spot for the Heartland Flyer and what is interesting is never do the ads actually mention Amtrak other than the 1-800-USA-RAIL number. They do mention at FTW you can conveniently connect to other cities throughout America.

I wonder if something in the State Sponsorship of the Flyer or lack of Amtrak contribution to the ad budget regulates what can and cannot be said in the ads....

 

[neroden]

Wonder if they could classify food losses as advertising expense and go back to the days of good dining and cafe car service?

I absolutely approve of that idea.

 

[BCL]

Every once in a while I will hear an OKC radio spot for the Heartland Flyer and what is interesting is never do the ads actually mention Amtrak other than the 1-800-USA-RAIL number. They do mention at FTW you can conveniently connect to other cities throughout America.

I wonder if something in the State Sponsorship of the Flyer or lack of Amtrak contribution to the ad budget regulates what can and cannot be said in the ads....

The Capitol Corridor ad I found only had the Capitol Corridor logo without any mention of Amtrak, a phone number, or even a website. The only hint of Amtrak was on the conductor's hat.