Down under in Melbourne Tony Goodson asks, why do monopolies advertise?:
Why are Connex advertising on the TV with an advert that has all the passengers on the morning train singing the Sheena Easton song “My baby takes the morning train…”, and then cuts to Sheena Easton getting on the “Morning Train” and screaming! Nice idea for an advert, just a few problems
1.The morning train looks nothing like the sardines that are packed in from 7-30am (see picture in link, it’s usually worse than that).
2. All the singing passengers are perfectly seated on every available seat.
3. Wouldn’t it be better to spend the money on something else like making the “Morning Train” run at 7-33 and 7-48 so we’re able to get on the next few trains.
4. Who is the advert aimed at? Car drivers? The rest of us choose to travel on the “Morning Train”, we have very little choice.
Wouldn’t it be better to give the money to the workers, or come up with something a bit more imaginative like handing out timetables, or painting something nice on the trains and trams.
I really don’t see the point of addressing us with fantasies that are so utterly out of whack with our experience. It seems rather rude to me. But clearly it’s a waste of time trying to change how Connex communicates with its customers. Perhaps it’s time for the customers to communicate differently with Connex.
Maybe one or two of them could get together and make a handycam documentary about what it’s really like to travel with Connex and stick it up online. I can see it now, cut to shots of jaded commuters and cue the music (track 16)….
