Otto:
I'm starting a new thread in direct response to the question you posed in the Conway Scenic thread regarding "how does a company in the tourist industry plan for an upcoming season when its brochures have to be printed a year or more in advance?". That's a very good question, and I commend for wanting to take this forum beyond the normal "why do they operate this way?" and "the equipment isn't painted right!" mentality that often works its way into discussions here. Yes, there is a lot more to the success of a tourist railroad/museum than what it operates for equipment and/or how it is painted. Promotion plays a key role in getting the general public to visit a railroad attraction--and despite what some railfans want to believe, it is the general public that "pays the bills" at most tourist railroads. The information that a tourist railroad provides to the general public is critical in getting them to visit. Put simply, the tourist railroad MUST sell itself to the general public or people won't come to visit.
Yes, brochures must be printed well in advance of the next operating season. It's not just brochures that fit in this "advance promotion" category; off the top of my head, I can add information for travel guides, state and attraction association travel maps, bus tour operators, and travel magazine articles as examples that require a long lead time. And I'm sure there are others. So how does a tourist operator provide accurate information when the exact scope of operations for the next operating season may not be fully known? My answer is: the best thing to do is provide generic information based on your best "educated guess" of what your company believes it CAN do during the next operating season. If a company evaluates its current operating season on a regular basis, it should be able to predict fairly reliably what the next operating season will be like. For example: if the economy is poor like it is today, a company may want to reduce the number of excursions it operates the next season. Or if certain equipment is due for an overhaul and you're not sure when the work will be completed, don't advertise it as 'guaranteed' for next season. If you're planning something 'new' for the next season, be sure you'll be able to "deliver" as promised. Know your financial position well--are you going to be able to "afford" what you want to promote; if you're not reasonably sure the money will be there to make "something" happen, don't promote it. In short, emphasize what you know you CAN do. The general public WILL be much more receptive if you advertise a few things that you CAN DO and make them "happen" than if you advertise a lot of things you either can't do or are "questionable" and don't happen.
The most important thing as far as promotion goes is to be TRUTHFUL. Unfortunately, it seems to be a pretty common practice among certain companies in the tourist railroad industry today to use deceptive advertising: either knowingly or unknowingly using pictures and/or written word to entice the general public to visit when the company has no intention of fulfilling what is implied. I say to those designing a brochure or website, THINK about what your customer will "see" when he or she views your work. Are you being truthful in what you're promoting--or are you simply more worried about what will best get you "the almighty dollar"? When it comes to advertising, via whatever means, I believe a company owes it to perspective customers to portray its 'product' as it really is. In the long run, its more important for a company to have happy customers rather than disgruntled ones. HOW WELL A COMPANY IN THE TOURIST RAILROAD INDUSTRY ADVERTISES WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER GOES A LONG WAY IN DETERMINING WHAT MOST CUSTOMERS END UP RATING THEIR VISIT UPON.
Frederick G. Bailey
I'm starting a new thread in direct response to the question you posed in the Conway Scenic thread regarding "how does a company in the tourist industry plan for an upcoming season when its brochures have to be printed a year or more in advance?". That's a very good question, and I commend for wanting to take this forum beyond the normal "why do they operate this way?" and "the equipment isn't painted right!" mentality that often works its way into discussions here. Yes, there is a lot more to the success of a tourist railroad/museum than what it operates for equipment and/or how it is painted. Promotion plays a key role in getting the general public to visit a railroad attraction--and despite what some railfans want to believe, it is the general public that "pays the bills" at most tourist railroads. The information that a tourist railroad provides to the general public is critical in getting them to visit. Put simply, the tourist railroad MUST sell itself to the general public or people won't come to visit.
Yes, brochures must be printed well in advance of the next operating season. It's not just brochures that fit in this "advance promotion" category; off the top of my head, I can add information for travel guides, state and attraction association travel maps, bus tour operators, and travel magazine articles as examples that require a long lead time. And I'm sure there are others. So how does a tourist operator provide accurate information when the exact scope of operations for the next operating season may not be fully known? My answer is: the best thing to do is provide generic information based on your best "educated guess" of what your company believes it CAN do during the next operating season. If a company evaluates its current operating season on a regular basis, it should be able to predict fairly reliably what the next operating season will be like. For example: if the economy is poor like it is today, a company may want to reduce the number of excursions it operates the next season. Or if certain equipment is due for an overhaul and you're not sure when the work will be completed, don't advertise it as 'guaranteed' for next season. If you're planning something 'new' for the next season, be sure you'll be able to "deliver" as promised. Know your financial position well--are you going to be able to "afford" what you want to promote; if you're not reasonably sure the money will be there to make "something" happen, don't promote it. In short, emphasize what you know you CAN do. The general public WILL be much more receptive if you advertise a few things that you CAN DO and make them "happen" than if you advertise a lot of things you either can't do or are "questionable" and don't happen.
The most important thing as far as promotion goes is to be TRUTHFUL. Unfortunately, it seems to be a pretty common practice among certain companies in the tourist railroad industry today to use deceptive advertising: either knowingly or unknowingly using pictures and/or written word to entice the general public to visit when the company has no intention of fulfilling what is implied. I say to those designing a brochure or website, THINK about what your customer will "see" when he or she views your work. Are you being truthful in what you're promoting--or are you simply more worried about what will best get you "the almighty dollar"? When it comes to advertising, via whatever means, I believe a company owes it to perspective customers to portray its 'product' as it really is. In the long run, its more important for a company to have happy customers rather than disgruntled ones. HOW WELL A COMPANY IN THE TOURIST RAILROAD INDUSTRY ADVERTISES WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER GOES A LONG WAY IN DETERMINING WHAT MOST CUSTOMERS END UP RATING THEIR VISIT UPON.
Frederick G. Bailey
