Kathy Young

Said the following about Northern Communications Team:

“Introduction of Northern’s new trains

In spite of a really challenging communications climate, Northern’s Communications Team delivered an agile and effective strategic programme to engage its audiences and to promote the introduction of its new trains – delivering tangible, measurable results. Including 290 press articles and demonstrable increases in public sentiment.

Background and context – challenging times

Since the start of its franchise in April 2016 Arriva Rail North Ltd (Northern) has weathered some challenging times, strikes, over-running engineering work and the May timetable change, were all factors that had contributed to a drop in the perception of Northern’s brand.

During the same period the Communications Team were determined to minimise any negative impact from its own issues and those of the wider rail industry and engage Northern’s customers through the telling of its most positive story – the introduction of its new trains.

Through the first new trains for the operator in a generation, every effort would be made to maximise the impact of their arrival and to promote the benefits that would be felt across the network, for customers, stakeholders, and colleagues.

Techniques employed – one size does not fit all

The introduction of the new trains is positive news for all of Northern’s audiences, stakeholders, customers and colleagues. The team ensured that all audiences recognised the benefits the new trains would bring to them and customised the messaging allowing the team to fully engage them in the right way.

External

Where possible Nothern’s Communications team wanted to involve it’s audiences with the great news of its brand new trains, not just tell them about it, so alongside the traditional methods of communications, such as social media, website content, media releases and poster campaigns they also took every opportunity to bring the trains to stakeholders and the public through:

• New seats roadshow – a suite of possible seat options presented to customers and stakeholders for their feedback

• Stakeholder and media trips out to Spain to see the trains in production

• Community events such as the kids ride out from Leeds

• On depot launch events specific to media and stakeholder groups to view the new trains

• Live events on key stations for customers as the new trains came into service for the first time

As the launch of the trains into service continues posters and local and regional media activity are delivered for specific routes ahead of new train introductions.

Internal

The Communications ensure that colleagues were involved in all external activity by ensuring that there were specific colleague only events and that colleagues were part of any new route celebrations. Where possible colleagues were also asked for input into designs and communications. This activity brought people along on the journey of the train introduction, driving engagement and advocacy for the trains and their benefits.

Activities included

• Colleague consultations on cab designs and key features and feedback on the new seats at roadshows

• Keeping colleagues up to date with external activity and progress

• Employee website, Facebook and briefs (creative takeovers, games, regular news updates, chats and forums, etc)

• Employee visit to train factory in Spain to see production in progress

• Unveiling event at Edge Hill depot

• Sessions at employee conferences

• Regular updates from the MD

• Employee specific launch event when the trains arrived in the UK

• Rideouts ahead of service introduction

Regular reviews of delivery for both internal and external communications channels are still ongoing to ensure maximum effectiveness and impact.

Challenges – an ever changing background

The nature of the challenges faced by Northern’s Communications Team was not only the negative background they were working in (both for Northern as an organisation but often the wider rail industry too) but the constantly changing nature of the challenges and the operating situation, one week strikes would have to be accounted for, the next, timetable issues, another staffing issues due to working agreements. Ensuring effective communications for the new trains was almost constantly ongoing, with reputation meetings informing decisions on a daily basis.

By taking a measured approach, and through the ongoing and consistent reassessment of the delivery of the strategy as the communications climate changed, the Communications Team overcame the challenges of negative public perception to maximise and deliver tangible and measurable results.

The results – the difference made

Despite all the challenges, Northern’s Communications Team delivered and are continuing to deliver as more trains are introduced, a highly successful and impactful campaign, maximising every opportunity to promote the new trains and their benefits.

To date the communications regarding the introduction of the new trains has resulted in 290 press articles and in the last few periods have shown marked increases in positive sentiment towards Northern and the new trains.

Social media communications have contributed considerably to an increase in customer sentiment. From the time Northern could start demonstrating real progress and development in the train delivery programme in 2018, improvements could be seen as well as through their delivery in the summer of the same year and continues to rise as the new trains go into service throughout 2019, a trend it is envisioned will continue into 2020.“