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Rail Online came to us with a big, bold ambition; to take on Trainline and become the go-to booking destination for rail travellers in the UK.
Combining primary research, secondary research and a workshop with the Rail Online team, we developed a three-pronged strategy that:
1 – Leveraged increasing rail fares and the cost of living crisis to focus on no booking fee as our lead message (something Trainline couldn’t offer)
2 – Focussed our campaign spend on key regions with high propensity to book, lower cost of media and lower competitor share of voice (to outsmart, not outspend Trainline)
3 – Captured travellers at the point of booking to offer a cheaper and better alternative (pipping Trainline at the ticket office)
We knew this strategic approach also required a distinct look and feel, and a challenger message that was fun and provocative but grounded in an actual product truth:
Targeting younger, value conscious rail travellers in the NW of England, we used smart digital media, key rail station activation and proven journey media to intercept travellers at the point of booking, showing them there was a better way to travel.
We monitored campaign performance across two test regions, unweighting spend into the best performing region and channels as the campaign progressed.
The campaign ran for six weeks and generated some fantastic, Trainline beating results including:
“It was a pleasure working with you all this year. I’m so glad we approached you guys and it was great to launch our first hugely successful UK campaign with The Good Eggs”
