ppbl final report 12.16.16
TRANSCRIPT
Prepared By: Liz Imbrogna, Peter Warren, Rachel Kirshtein
December 16, 2016
Peter Pan Bus Lines
1
Peter Pan Bus Lines
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................4 OPPORTUNITY FORMULATION ........................................................................................................8 RESEARCH QUESTIONS .....................................................................................................................12 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................18 PUBLISHED RESEARCH ......................................................................................................................22
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS .........................................................................................................................24 LOYALTY OR REWARDS PROGRAM ANALYSIS ......................................................................................34 MILLENNIAL ANALYSIS ..........................................................................................................................39
EXPERT INTERVIEWS...........................................................................................................................42 FOCUS GROUPS .....................................................................................................................................48
BRAND AMBASSADOR FOCUS GROUPS..................................................................................................50 MILLENNIAL TRAVELER FOCUS GROUPS...............................................................................................53 IN-PERSON & PHONE INTERVIEWS...............................................................................................56
COLLEGE STUDENT INTERVIEWS............................................................................................................58 SOUTH STATION INTERVIEWS ................................................................................................................60 QUALTRICS QUESTIONNAIRE.........................................................................................................64 FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................................68 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................96
BRAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM ..........................................................................................................98 SOCIAL MEDIA ......................................................................................................................................103 STUDENT DISCOUNTS ...........................................................................................................................107 DIRECT ROUTES.....................................................................................................................................110 CHARTER SERVICES...............................................................................................................................111 LOYALTY PROGRAM..............................................................................................................................114
LIMITATIONS.......................................................................................................................................116 REFRENCES............................................................................................................................................122 CONTACTS ............................................................................................................................................130 MARKETING CONSULTANT RESUMES ......................................................................................134 APPENDIX A ..........................................................................................................................................140 APPENDIX B...........................................................................................................................................204 APPENDIX C ..........................................................................................................................................244 APPENDIX D..........................................................................................................................................264
Peter Pan Bus Lines
3
Peter Pan Bus Lines
4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Peter Pan Bus Lines
5
Peter Pan Bus Lines
6
Peter Pan Bus Lines operates scheduled and chartered bus services along the East coast. Peter Pan Bus Lines is one of the largest, family-owned bus companies in the United States. The company currently operates 250 vehicles, has 750 employees, drives more than 25 million miles per year and brings in $100 million in sales through its East coast travel routes.
The company sought out marketing consultants from the University of Massachusetts Amherst to address a desire for increased ridership. The anticipated termination of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ pool agreement highlighted the concern of Greyhound’s control of customer information and marketing presence. The target markets include the following: college students, travelers using competitor bus companies, non-bus travelers and potential users of charter services. The methodology to address these market segments included published literature and fieldwork. Fieldwork can be broken down into the following: interviews with experts, college students and South Station travelers; focus groups with college students; and a Qualtrics questionnaire.
The team established that Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool to increase brand awareness and contribute to increased sales. College student travelers were found to most value pick-up and drop-off locations, direct routes and speed of travel; in general, findings also indicated that college students deem Peter Pan Bus Lines services too expensive. College students tend to utilize bus services as underclassmen, but such use diminishes as their college career progresses. Additionally, the team found that people joined loyalty programs to save money, have personalized deals and because they were already a frequent shopper of the brand. Charter services experts alluded to the high value they place on reliability, relationship-building and safety. Lastly, South Station travelers determined they would choose bus over rail travel if bus prices were cheaper and these companies offered more convenient pick-up and drop-off locations and times.
The team formulated recommendations based on the results. Recommendations included the following: loyalty or rewards program structure, social media focus areas, Brand Ambassador program implementation, specific student promotions, additional direct routes and Boston to New York City luxury service.
Additional detailed information, data and findings are provided throughout the remainder of the report.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
7
Peter Pan Bus Lines
8
OPPORTUNITY FORMULATION
Peter Pan Bus Lines
9
Peter Pan Bus Lines
10
Peter C. Picknelly established Peter Pan Bus Lines in 1933 in Springfield, Massachusetts with two jitney passenger vehicles, operating routes in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut. Today, the company is proud to have over 80 years of business success and is still owned by the Picknelly family. Peter Pan Bus Lines operates 250 motor coaches, employs 700 individuals, and has approximately $100 million in annual sales. The company also operates substantial scheduled line-run services throughout Massachusetts, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic States. In addition, Peter Pan Bus Lines is currently part of a pool agreement with Greyhound, which started in 1999. This agreement was formed so that all ticket bookings, regardless of the bus company, would go through Greyhound’s website, as Peter Pan Bus Lines did not have one at that point. As a result, Greyhound now has access to all the customer data. In addition, this pool agreement resulted in a relative lack of Peter Pan Bus Lines advertisements south of New York, though the company does operate in that area of the country. Now, Peter Pan Bus Lines is ultimately seeking to increase ridership in a competitive market and digital age. The company has recently developed its own website and mobile app, allowing it to match its competitors on the digital front and cut its connection with Greyhound. Peter Pan Bus Lines wishes to utilize these improvements to differentiate itself and expand further into the following markets: travelers who use a mode of transportation other than buses; travelers who take advantage of competitor bus companies; college students; and niche markets who may use charter buses for travel purposes. For Peter Pan Bus Lines to increase its ridership, the following questions were examined:
Peter Pan Bus Lines
11
Peter Pan Bus Lines
12
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
13
Peter Pan Bus Lines
14
1) What are the most important features to travelers when selecting a mode of intercity transportation? Do loyalty programs play into this decision? If so, how? Based on the Choice Model on the following page (Figure 1.1), travelers first decide that there is a need to get from point A to point B at a particular time. Next, they consider transportation options, such as planes, trains, personal vehicles, and buses. Consumers then determine their set of most important evaluative criteria to help select their mode of transportation. Differentiating criteria may include amenities, such as free [and reliable] Wi-Fi, bathrooms, electrical outlets and food and beverage services. Customers also may consider convenience, time of travel, price, comfort, availability, etc. Travelers are able to compare and decide upon their mode of transportation once these criteria have been established. As such, understanding and showcasing the amenities most important to customers will help to differentiate Peter Pan Bus Lines from its competitors. These insights will come from asking customers how they feel about certain amenities and travel attributes through questionnaire-guided interviews and surveys. Industry reports concerning the most important evaluative criteria travelers also will be of use. One possible factor impacting the decision-making process is loyalty programs. Customers of the most effective loyalty programs (i.e., Starbucks) and of those in the travel industry will be asked for their opinions to determine the impact of loyalty programs on purchases. Additional information will come from industry research found in academic journals and articles on successful loyalty programs. This research will also focus on the types of customers that seek out loyalty programs. In addition, case studies of most effective loyalty programs across industries will be analyzed.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
15
Figure 1.1 Peter Pan Bus Lines Choice Model
Peter Pan Bus Lines
16
2) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines be seen as an alternative to rail services? Travelers who do not take buses frequently opt for rail services, such as Amtrak. Amtrak’s Keystone Service and Northeast Regional lines have already logged 743 passenger-miles per train-mile (which is the total number of miles traveled per passenger per train) in the first two fiscal quarters of 2016. This is in comparison to the 32.74 passenger-miles per mile traveled by motor coaches in 2015 (taken from the 2015 Motor Coach Census). These metrics show the massive number of travelers who are opting for rail services. Understanding the travelers who are choosing rail services can assist Peter Pan Bus Lines to tap into this market. The strategies to achieve Peter Pan Bus Lines positioning as the go-to mode of intercity transportation will come from researching the buying and traveling behaviors of travelers who are most likely to choose rail services over Peter Pan Bus Lines. This information will assist in highlighting the major differences between rail services and Peter Pan Bus Lines and enable the company to better differentiate itself as a rail service alternative. 3) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines differentiate itself from fellow bus competitors? Travelers have a myriad of bus companies to select from once they have chosen bus travel as their preferred mode of transportation. Peter Pan Bus Line’s most significant competitors include First Group PLC, owner of Greyhound and BoltBus, and Stagecoach Group PLC, owner of Megabus. These two companies claim 27% market share of the scheduled and charter bus services industry. Differentiating itself from these companies will hopefully allow Peter Pan Bus Lines to increase market share and ridership. The task of differentiation has changed drastically as consumers now spend more time researching travel options and consulting others before making purchasing decisions. Therefore, it is highly important to determine the most important choice criteria to consumers and the public perceptions of Peter Pan Bus Lines on these criteria. Information on this subject will be gathered from interviewing current Peter Pan Bus Lines’ customers and its bus competitor customers concerning their decision-making process. This information will provide a better understanding of how competitors’ customers view Peter Pan Bus Lines and how to better position the brand.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
17
4) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines acquire more college student riders of its regularly scheduled services? College students provide a major market for Peter Pan Bus Lines. As part of the millennial generation, they make up the largest age cohort in the United States. In addition, this market segment is driving less, favoring the most convenient and cheapest forms of public transport. Peter Pan Bus Lines needs to understand the drivers and influencers of college students’ choice of a bus to increased ridership. These insights include understanding what role cultural factors, personal experiences, beliefs and public opinion play in a college student’s decision-making process. Parents of college students also could be an influence, as many parents are the people who either directly buy or provide the money for bus tickets. Information will be gathered through interviews and surveys with students and parents who have and have not taken Peter Pan Bus Lines. Published written materials and interviews with experts will aid the understanding of college student trends. These data will help Peter Pan Bus Lines to better understand the decision-making process of college students and enable the company to reach out to the market in a more efficient manner. 5) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines acquire more weekday charter service business? Currently, Peter Pan Bus Lines provides a charter bus service to customers for special transportation needs. This service uses the same buses used for Peter Pan Bus Lines’ day-to-day services to cut down on idle buses and keep operations running at top levels of efficiency. A majority of these charter bus requests tend to fall on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, which coincide with the busiest days for the normal Peter Pan Bus Lines services. More demand for charter buses during the week has become increasingly important. The overall goal is to tap into niche charter markets, such as Greek Life, college athletics and business groups to extend Peter Pan Bus Lines’ charter services to the weekdays. Research will be conducted with online databases and with interviews to identify groups that would benefit from a weekday charter bus service. Targeting these niche charter groups would ultimately provide Peter Pan Bus Lines with a relatively untapped market allowing a more efficient use of its fleet of buses. More specifics on the research methodology can be found on the following page.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
18
METHODOLOGY
Peter Pan Bus Lines
19
Peter Pan Bus Lines
20
The information analyzed in the report was gathered in mostly two methods: published research and fieldwork.
Published Research Library databases were used to gather published research related--but not limited--to industry analysis, consumer market analysis and market research tools. Mintel reports, IBIS World and eMarketer among other databases were used to gather data related to the competitors in the rail and scheduled bus industries, loyalty program, and Millennials. Research also included newscasts, online posts and newspaper articles to help create a clear public image of the bus industry and Peter Pan Bus Lines in particular.
Fieldwork Fieldwork was also conducted to help gauge public opinion and learn more about the target markets, in addition to the published data that was reviewed. Research was collected in four principle methods: interviews with experts in related fields; in-person and over-the-phone interviews guided by questionnaires; focus groups; and an online, Qualtrics questionnaire. The goal was to better understand the needs and buying behavior of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ target markets. This information was gathered from regular Peter Pan Bus Lines travelers, competitor bus company riders, rail travelers, college students and local social groups, such as Greek Life, athletic teams, businesses, etc.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
21
Peter Pan Bus Lines
22
PUBLISHED RESEARCH
Peter Pan Bus Lines
23
Peter Pan Bus Lines
24
Competitive Analysis A competitive analysis provides a brief overview of the major competitors in a certain industry. In this case, intercity travel companies were analyzed to provide a better understanding of the competition, which Peter Pan Bus Lines faces. This analysis is segmented into five main parts: a brief overview of the company's history and services, amenities offered, loyalty programs, social media presence and recent media presence. This increased understanding of the market will aid in determining the best way to position Peter Pan Bus Lines as the best option for intercity travel. Amtrak Amtrak, or The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, is a national railway corporation. Amtrak’s mission statement, “Delivering intercity transportation with superior safety, customer service and financial excellence” speaks Amtrak’s drive to provide the best possible service to its customers. Amtrak offers over 2,100 routes through 46 states and includes services that connect Washington D.C., New York City and Boston. This positions Amtrak as a legitimate competitor to Peter Pan Bus Lines in the intercity travel market. Amtrak prices vary greatly depending on the train and the number of stops, but a round-trip journey on the slower, regional service between New York and Boston costs about $98. As a rail service, Amtrak offers certain amenities that one might not find on a bus. Amenities, such as specialized cars, including sleeper cars, dining cars, and quiet cars are offered as an alternative to the normal train cars. These specialized cars are offered for individuals who desire to sleep or work during their trips and would find that harder to achieve in the normal cars. Amtrak also enables travel with bicycles and pets. Additionally, Amtrak offers several amenities, which are common in intercity travel, such as restrooms, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and reclining seats. First-class seats are more spacious and equipped with larger, drop-down tables for working. Amtrak’s loyalty or rewards program, Amtrak Guest Rewards, is extremely complex due to the number of ways customers can earn points, and the different levels of membership provided. Amtrak Guest Rewards will be discussed in more detail in this report’s ‘Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis.’ On Instagram, Amtrak has over 46,000 followers and posts nearly every day. The company’s posts focus almost entirely on the views passengers can see from the train. Amtrak, through
Peter Pan Bus Lines
25
providing these scenic pictures, implies that travel by train is not simply a means of getting from Point A to Point B, but an opportunity to see incredible sights in comfort. The trip is a desirable experience within itself. Amtrak’s Facebook page has over 500,000 followers. On this social medium, the company also posts nearly every day with content focusing more on train travel tips, information about potential destinations and on-board amenities. Amtrak uses its Facebook page to encourage followers to travel in general, while the company’s Instagram account encourages followers to specifically travel by train. The company’s Twitter content, followed by over 114,000 users, is very similar to its Facebook content. The Twitter content delivers the information in a more personal manner, relying on shorter messages and using friendlier tones. Amtrak’s Twitter account has an increased focus on specific Amtrak amenities, which is not seen on the company’s other social media accounts. This suggests that Amtrak’s goal on Twitter is to encourage followers to choose Amtrak. Additionally, as with most companies on Twitter, Amtrak uses this medium as means of quick and easy customer service. Amtrak has recently received a great deal of negative press. Most of this press focuses on train accidents, including multiple crashes in which pedestrians were killed. Amtrak was also mentioned in an article about a proposed federal government act, which would extend TSA’s focus on rail systems. Amtrak, although not a coach bus provider, remains a significant competitor to Peter Pan Bus Lines in the intercity travel market. Amtrak, belonging to a different mode of transportation, is naturally differentiated, offering amenities that Peter Pan Bus Lines cannot match, such as specialized cars and traffic free travel. Understanding how Amtrak operates will better enable Peter Pan Bus Lines to capitalize on opportunities to compete with rail travel.
Greyhound Greyhound is Peter Pan Bus Lines’ largest and most significant competitor. Greyhound’s parent company, First Group PLC, claims the largest market share in the scheduled and chartered bus industry at 15.6%. In addition, Greyhound has a unique competitive advantage over Peter Pan Bus Lines after participating in a pool agreement. The results of this pool agreement gave Greyhound access to a great deal of customer information, as a majority of the ticketing for the pool agreement was executed through Greyhound’s website. In addition, Greyhound received near exclusive advertising access south of New York.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
26
Greyhound was founded in 1914 and now travels to over 3,800 destinations, carrying about 18 million passengers per year. Since 1914, Greyhound’s icon has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Greyhound offers Greyhound Package Express for same-day package delivery in addition to scheduled and chartered bus services. Similarly to Peter Pan Bus Lines, Greyhound can boast an outstanding safety record. Its buses also feature eco-friendly engines, leather seats, individual air conditioners and electrical outlets, three-point seat belts and an on-board bathroom. Wi-Fi is free for all passengers. Greyhound offers a group discount for groups of 7 passengers or more and has a separate telephone number for these bookings and standard charter services. Greyhound’s loyalty or rewards program is called Road Rewards. Participants receive 10% off their next trip just for joining and then earn two points for every round trip. Participants receive 15% off their next ticket, a companion pass for a friend and 10% off food at a Greyhound station when they earn 6 points. Participants receive 20% off their next ticket and a companion pass for a friend when they earn 10 points. At 16 points, participants receive a free Greyhound ticket anywhere. Participants lose points and must start re-earning if they do not use their points within a 12-month period. The company sports over 4,000 followers on Instagram, but posts irregularly, often letting months pass in between posts. The content of Greyhound’s occasional posts mostly focus on special deals and announcements. In contrast, the company posts on Twitter approximately every other day. Greyhound’s Twitter and Facebook content centers on travel destinations, special deals and cross-promotions, such as with the new Jack Reacher film. For this movie, Greyhound offered a “Hit the Road Jack” sweepstakes to celebrate their role in Jack Reacher 2. The winner of the sweepstakes gets a free trip to New Orleans, a 3-night stay in the French Quarter, two tickets to Mardi Gras World and a $300 cash stipend to spend on the trip. Though common with many companies, Greyhound’s Twitter and Facebook accounts are used as means to resolve quick customer service issues. Thus, many of the comments on the company’s Facebook page are negative. The comments on Greyhound’s Twitter page are more positive, which is surprising considering the similar nature of the posts on the two social media platforms. The company also interacts well with its sister companies, such as BoltBus, demonstrating to customers that the gaps in service for one company are filled by another’s service.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
27
Recent news stories featuring Greyhound have not been positive. Headlines have included a crash in San Jose, which killed 2 people and injured 19 more; this accident was attributed to driver fatigue. Another recent story discusses an illegal immigrant who had been deported 10 times and allegedly raped a child on a Greyhound bus. BoltBus Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound created BoltBus in 2008. The goal of BoltBus was to offer “safe, non-stop, premium level bus transportation with fares as low as $1 between New York, NY and Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ and Boston, MA” (BoltBus.com). Peter Pan Bus Lines operates BoltBus services in the Northeast region, while Greyhound exclusively operates BoltBus services on the West coast and Canada, territories, which were reached while BoltBus was expanding in 2013. BoltBus boasts its $1.00 fares, but there is a catch to getting this deal. BoltBus claims that each schedule offers at least one $1.00 ticket, but it is sold randomly, although mainly towards the beginning of the schedule’s ticket-selling period. A passenger has a greater chance of getting a ticket for $1.00 if he or she purchases a ticket as soon as possible. BoltBus does not advertise many amenities. It offers extra legroom for its coaches, Wi-Fi, power outlets and standard amenities, such as on-board restrooms and air conditioning. BoltBus also advertises that on certain occasions some amenities are unavailable due to operational issues. Supplement busses will be provided without the amenities that are usually offered should operational issues occur. Bolt Rewards, the loyalty or rewards program for BoltBus, has a simple offering. Passengers get a free, one-way trip when they purchase 8 trips. The free trip is eligible at any time and does not expire, regardless of how long it is held for. However, BoltBus.com does not clarify if the free trip is earned after the passenger takes 8 round-trip journeys or if the passenger only needs to take 8 one-way trips. The company is present on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and provides customer service contact information on all platforms. BoltBus is least involved on Instagram with a following of 169, and two posts published in 2015. BoltBus has roughly 5,800 followers on Facebook and posts about twice per month. BoltBus uses Facebook to post pictures, videos and service alerts or updates. BoltBus is most active on Twitter with 55,800 followers and tweets, on average, 5
Peter Pan Bus Lines
28
times per month. Twitter content consists of service alerts, communication with other brand sponsors for events and with customers regarding their experiences. BoltBus uses its social media as a means of promoting GenHERation, a female empowerment network, which BoltBus sponsors. BoltBus uses Facebook and Twitter to communicate with other sponsors of GenHERation, such as Warner Bros. and TOMS. Additionally, it promote events, such as the recent GenHERation Discovery Days, which is a career exploration tour that reached 10 million people and included First Lady Michelle Obama. The most recent news on BoltBus dates back to May 2015 when a bus traveling from New York City through Massachusetts caught fire and exploded; thankfully, none of its passengers were harmed during this accident.
Megabus Megabus is a budget competitor to Peter Pan Bus Lines. As an international bus company, it belongs to the larger Stage Coach Group that operates several transportation companies in both North America and Europe. Megabus itself travels between more than 100 cities in more than 35 states, including Washington D.C. and Ontario, Canada. It also provides transportation to several universities, including the University of Cincinnati and the Ohio State University. Megabus looks to differentiate itself by offering fares for $1 and providing pick-up locations on the street, opposed to at a standard bus terminal. Megabus offers few amenities, as it is a bargain bus line. It offers reclining seats, seat belts and restrooms. Power outlets are present at each seat, including a panoramic view on the double-decker luxury buses. Wi-Fi is available for each trip, but the website provides a disclaimer that Wi-Fi is not guaranteed to be functional for the entirety of the trip. Pricing for Megabus trips start as low as $1 to $3, increasing slowly as the departure date approaches. Prices generally reach a maximum of around $20 and always include a $0.50 booking fee. Megabus does not have its own loyalty or rewards program, but it does allow customers to create accounts on its website. Creating an account is done to facilitate the planning and booking process, maintaining all travelers’ information in one place. Megabus is present on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It has about 508,000 followers on Facebook, 36,500 followers on Twitter and 10,400 followers on Instagram. Megabus is active on these accounts, posting roughly once a week. The posts focus on promotion and customer
Peter Pan Bus Lines
29
outreach. They almost always include a photo with the post. These photos include buses, pictures of passengers and the Megabus mascot posing with riders. Megabus has also recently promoted Breast Cancer awareness by focusing on its pink bus. Megabus is not particularly responsive to comments on its pages, but it does respond to some, generally when the comments are favorable towards the company. Megabus’ recent news presence has been mixed. The most recent news on Megabus refers to a court case for a man who allegedly fired a gun on the bus during one of the trips. Prior to this incident, the news speaks of a crash that occurred in September. Additionally, a Hillary Clinton staffer got stuck on a broken-down Megabus that he took for budgetary reasons. Megabus is better perceived through two stories from October; one speaks about Megabus’ new pink bus, which is being used to raise Breast Cancer awareness, and the other about the renaming of a Vermont bus to the “Green Mountains Bus”.
LimoLiner LimoLiner was founded in 2003 as a mode of intercity travel as an alternative to rail and air services. LimoLiner’s service is limited to New York and Boston with three stops, being Midtown Manhattan in New York City, Back Bay in Boston and the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center in Framingham. LimoLiner operates seven buses with a staff of twenty, including drivers, attendants, office workers and maintenance crews. On average, LimoLiner offers eight services each day, four leaving from Boston and four leaving from New York. LimoLiner’s goal is to reach the niche market of individuals looking for first-class flight travel on the ground. The first-class goal is achieved through providing high-end amenities that are expected from air travel. Such high-end amenities include large, leather recliners, which limits the number of seats on each liner but increases individual legroom and comfort. The presence of attendants on the liner providing complimentary hot food and drinks to riders also emulates air travel. On-board satellite radio and TV (News and Business channels) are available, in addition to a DVD video and current magazines. Similarly to most forms of intercity travel, high-speed internet, individual power outlets and on-board bathrooms are provided on every liner. Pets are allowed on board for a $39 fee. Tickets cost $99 each way with discounted prices for early morning trips, including a specialized discount for military personnel and current university students and faculty.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
30
LuxeLoyalty is the loyalty or rewards program for LimoLiner, which will be discussed in more detail in this report’s ‘Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis’. LimoLiner is active on Facebook and Twitter, though it has a relatively small following. LimoLiner has 2,290 followers on Facebook and 479 followers on Twitter. LimoLiner posts similar content on both its Facebook and Twitter pages, focusing mainly on special offers and information regarding events occurring at its destination cities. Most recent news stories mentioning LimoLiner are positive, speaking to the comparison between rail services (e.g., Amtrak) and the high-end bus service provided by LimoLiner.
Trailways of New York Trailways of New York is the largest intercity bus service in New York State. Trailways completes an average of 142 trips, carrying over 3,500 passengers and traveling more than 22,000 miles a day. Trailways of New York operates under four brands: Adirondack Trailways, Pine Hill Trailways, New York Trailways and NeOn Bus. Trailways operates almost exclusively in New York State, offering only one stop in New Jersey and four stops in Canada. Trailways has stops in several New York-based universities, including Clarkson University, Paul Smith’s College, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, Syracuse University, SUNY Albany, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Oneonta. Trailways New York also provides a charter service for customers who wish to rent an entire bus for a trip. Trailways of New York advertises very few amenities for its fleet of buses. However, Trailways boosts excellent safety standards, backed by its Department of Defense Certificate, and a new fleet of high-end buses. New, high-end buses are equipped with leather recliners and hardwood floors. All Trailways buses include complimentary Wi-Fi, individual power outlets and on-board restrooms. Trailways offers discounts for current students and active duty military personnel. Ticket prices range from $20 to upwards of $70 for longer trips. Trailways of New York does not offer a loyalty or rewards program for its travelers. Trailways of New York is active on several different social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Trailways has the greatest following on Facebook with 2,819 followers and posts about twice a week; posts include travel opportunities and personal stories about employees, such as retirement announcements. Most posts are accompanied with a picture. Trailways’ second highest following is on Twitter with 859 followers. The Twitter content is similar to its Facebook content, covering mostly travel information; examples of content include
Peter Pan Bus Lines
31
additional routes and personal information, such as retirements and work anniversaries. Trailways only has 59 followers on LinkedIn and does not have any active content. The most recent news on Trailways of New York is about a passenger bus, which caught ablaze while traveling from Long Island to Albany, NY. The fire was caused by an overheated flat tire. A second bus was dispatched to collect the passengers, and all passengers reached their final destination unscathed; the bus, however, was a complete loss. The previously mentioned competitors were reviewed for their services, features, loyalty or rewards programs, social media presence and recent news stories, which aids the understanding of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ competitiveness in the chart on the following page (see Figure 1.2). Information about competitors’ features and amenities will provide a better idea of how to properly promote Peter Pan Bus Lines’ own features, differentiating itself in the marketplace. Understanding how competitors execute and operate loyalty or rewards programs allows the company to see competitor success, forming its own loyalty or rewards program off these effective practices. Social media and news stories are large drivers of public opinion. Understanding how Peter Pan Bus Lines’ competitors are being portrayed by these drivers can help the company differentiate itself further from such competitors.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
32
Figure 1.2 Chart showing various features on each bus *More Information can be found in Appendix D.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
33
Key Takeaways
• Amtrak, Greyhound, Megabus, BoltBus, LimoLiner and Trailways of New York were
included in the competitive set with Amtrak and Greyhound being Peter Pan Bus Lines’ most significant competitors
o Greyhound contributes the largest market share of scheduled and chartered bus services at 15.6%
• Service, features, loyalty or rewards programs, social media presence and recent news stories of each competitor were explored to thoroughly understand the competitive set
• LimoLiner and Amtrak offer luxurious and first-class experiences respectively, appealing to travelers willing to pay more for better quality
• Greyhound and Trailways of New York both offer charter services • Amtrak, BoltBus, Greyhound and LimoLiner offer customers a loyalty or rewards program
Peter Pan Bus Lines
34
Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis Overview The goal of this analysis is to understand the most important aspects of loyalty programs and what constitutes their success. Understanding the importance of loyalty programs helps determine if loyalty programs play a role in travelers’ decisions when selecting a mode of intercity transportation. Aspects of consumers who use loyalty programs in general, retailer loyalty programs, and specifically travel loyalty programs are considered. Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty program will be implemented in 2017, so ideally this information with assist with future program features and updates.
Loyalty Program Trends Fundamental aspects of loyalty programs need be addressed before delving into travel- and transportation-related loyalty programs. A July 2016 Mintel report on ‘Retailer Loyalty Programs’ provided sufficient data. The 25-34 year age group participates in the most loyalty programs, 15 programs on average. Data from March 2016 revealed that consumers are frustrated with certain programs: 36% felt that it takes too long to earn rewards they are interested in; 34% stated that many loyalty programs are irrelevant to them; 23% noted that their rewards or benefits expire before they can redeem them (see Figure 1.3. below for more information). These frustrations are important to consider for when Peter Pan Bus Lines executes its loyalty program. Additionally, consumers highly value personalization as a loyalty program feature. Personalized rewards based on consumers’ interests (42%) and early access to special deals (40%) took the top spots for desired loyalty program features.
Figure 1.3 “Loyalty Program Frustrations, March 2016” Taken from Mintel’s July 2016 ‘Retailer
Loyalty Programs’ report
Peter Pan Bus Lines
35
Designing a Successful Loyalty Program Jose Alvarez, a senior lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, reflects on successful customer loyalty programs. Alvarez stated that customer engagement is the most significant component of loyalty programs (Harvard Business School 2011). Brands need to understand how to create partnerships with their customers. Alvarez suggests that successful loyalty programs depend on connecting with the customer at three levels: (1) customer reward for enrolling; (2) personalized rewards based on desires; and (3) feedback loops initiated by retailer or customer. As such, Alvarez affirms that listening to the customer’s intentions is pertinent to a successful loyalty program execution. He utilizes the example of Nordstrom’s rewards program, demonstrating Nordstrom’s effective personalization strategies through its Personal Book software. The software is capable of storing a customer’s birthday, color preferences, and sizes of items.
CVS ExtraCare According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sarah Brooks of GObankingrates.com lists CVS and Starbucks as the top two spots respectively for ‘CVS to Target: 21 best loyalty rewards programs’ (2015). CVS ExtraCare is heralded at being one of the best programs, saving customers significant amounts of money. Members earn 2% back on every purchase when presenting their ExtraCare card at checkout. Through the ExtraCare program, members accumulate ExtraBucks, which are automatically added at checkout from their card or printed on the receipt for later use. Offers are also sent to members’ email and home address. The ‘send to card’ functionality allows members to send offers to their cards, so they do not need to provide a tangible coupon rather it is applied automatically from the card.
Starbucks Rewards Starbucks is a leader for successful loyalty programs: Forbes reported, “Starbucks has one of the most successful loyalty programs in the world of retail and restaurants, with over 11 million active members” (2016). Starbucks has a simple, yet enticing program, ‘Starbucks Rewards’. Customers load money on their cards, and the more they purchase products with the card, the more stars they collect towards free drinks or food items. Business Insider reported that Starbucks had $1.2 billion in customer funds loaded on their physical or digital cards and had 12 million users as of Q1 of 2016. Starbucks’ success goes far beyond incentivizing; it cultivates a lifestyle and positive experience for its customers. One of the most successful aspects of
Peter Pan Bus Lines
36
Starbucks’ loyalty program is its ‘Mobile Order & Pay’ functionality, which provides an incredibly efficient system for customers who do not have spare time.
Travel Loyalty Program Trends A Mintel report on frequent travel programs from March 2015 reported that 54% of Americans belong to a travel rewards program. The average member does not take full advantage of the benefits of the rewards program. However, the program’s members deem collecting points for free travel more important. Respondents were asked for their preferred types of rewards, and 64% preferred free flights and 53% preferred a free night stay at a hotel. Moreover, only 35% believe that rewards programs decrease their travel costs. These consumers are price-sensitive: 78% of hotel or flight rewards members agreed with, “I will seek out a good travel deal, regardless of which rewards program I belong to.”
JetBlue’s TrueBlue JetBlue’s TrueBlue is a successful frequent flyer rewards program. The Huffington Post ranked JetBlue’s TrueBlue program as the number one spot for ‘Best Airline Rewards Programs 2014-2015’, surpassing Southwest Rapid Rewards and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan respectively (2014). According to U.S. News’ ‘Best Airline Rewards Programs’ for 2016-2017, TrueBlue took the second spot with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan taking the first. Members enjoy numerous benefits: points do not expire, can be used any time for any seat, and can be shared through family pooling (jetblue.com). Members earn at least 6 points per dollar spent on JetBlue.com, and they can acquire points by completing JetBlue’s surveys. JetBlue’s credit card is another method for earning points. As of November 2016, customers can earn 5,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. Customers can earn triple the points on JetBlue.com purchases, twice the points on restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point on all other purchases. Purchasing the ‘Even More Space’ seat, flying with a pet or purchasing a JetBlue Getaways package are additional ways to earn points. Additionally, members can collect badges and see their standings in the leader board. The below chart (Figure 1.4) demonstrates the additional points members can earn depending on the type of fare they choose.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
37
Figure 1.4 Additional methods for JetBlue passengers to earn more points
Amtrak Guest Rewards Amtrak Guest Rewards is a free program that can also be paired with the Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard. The system of earning and redeeming rewards through this program is split into four levels: Member, Select, Select Plus, and Select Executive. Those with less than 5,000 points belong to the Member level, those with between 5,001 and 10,000 points belong to the Select level, those with between 10,001 and 20,000 points belong to the Select Plus Level, and those with more than 20,000 points belong to the Select Executive level. Program participants can earn 2 points for every $1 spent on Amtrak travel and through deals from Amtrak’s partners. In addition, participants get a 25% point bonus, meaning they earn 2.5 points for every $1 spent, when booking Business Class travel. Participants receive 50% bonus, 3 points for every $1 spent, when booking Acela First Class travel. As participants move up in program levels, they receive an increasing percentage of automatic points bonus for each level (25% for Select, 50% for Select Plus, and 100% for Select Executive). In the upper levels of the program, participants also receive class upgrades, access to private lounges, priority call handling, and exclusive offers. Amtrak Guest Rewards Participants can use their points to earn free Amtrak trips, hotel stays, car rentals, and gift cards for varying levels of points. Those customers who enroll in an Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard will also automatically earn 20,000 points.
LimoLiner’s LuxeLoyalty LuxeLoyalty is the loyalty rewards program, which LimoLiner offers to its riders. Any individual who rides LimoLiner is automatically registered for LuxeLoyalty and starts earning points immediately. Points are earned by purchasing both full price and discounted tickets as well as referring a friend to LimoLiner. LuxeLoyalty points never expire and can be redeemed at any point in time. When enough points have been accrued, they can be redeemed for several rewards, including free on board items, free pet fare and free tickets, both one-way and
Peter Pan Bus Lines
38
roundtrip. If a traveler purchases 20 one-way trip or 10 round trip tickets in a 12-month period, they are eligible for LuxePremier Status. LuxePremier Status provides special benefits including complimentary companion passes, a special offer on their birthday, no booking surcharge when booking online and advanced meal selection.
Key Takeaways
• On average individuals participate in around 15 loyalty or rewards programs and their
biggest complaint about these programs is that it takes to long to earn rewards • Successful loyalty programs connect with customer on three levels
o Customer reward for enrolling o Personalized rewards based on desires o Feedback loops initiated by retailer or customer
• A move away from physical coupons amongst loyalty programs is proving very popular with consumers with CVS ExtraCare providing a send to card option, removing the need for paper coupons and Starbucks providing a mobile pay and order option
• Travelers are price sensitive yet only 35% believe loyalty programs actually reduce costs of traveling
Peter Pan Bus Lines
39
Millennial Analysis The Millennial cohort, composed of individuals born between 1983 and 2000, constitutes the largest age cohort in the U.S., encompassing about 25% of the U.S. population. These individuals are most likely to have college degrees compared to all other generations in the U.S., with college graduates making up 35% of the cohort. Female Millennials are also most likely to be either college graduates or current college students.
All generations of Americans have been driving less over the past sixty years. However, particularly Millennials have been significantly reducing their car trips in favor of public transportation and walking or biking. Driver's licenses around this age group are also declining, from 85% of high school students in 1996 to 73% of students in 2010. Many universities contribute to this decline by restricting car ownership among students on campus.
Conversely, domestic travel is projected to increase in the coming years. Millennials are some of the most likely individuals to contribute to this increase, as they tend to value experiences, such as travel, more than material goods. They tend to choose their mode of transportation based on the factors surrounding each trip they take. Additionally, 46% of Millennials choose their mode of transportation based on price and convenience. Their focus on price is likely because of the limited discretionary income that most Millennials claim. They are also twice as likely to travel as a hobby. Approximately 40% of Millennials are also trying to work--whether it be coursework or professional work--while traveling. In addition, the most common reason Millennials travel is to visit friends and family.
Companies with best advertising tactics acknowledge the diversity of Millennials, focusing on how this group perceives itself. For example, non-Caucasian individuals or those making less than $50,000 a year tend to be less represented in advertisements geared toward Millennials, a trend that is not lost on this demographic. According to Mintel, while Millennials view themselves as “responsible,” “realistic” and “confident,” they believe older generations view the age cohort as “tech-obsessed,” “materialistic” and “busy”. This discrepancy contributes to Millennials’ uncertainty toward products, services and behaviors associated with these older generations. Millennials between the ages of 18 and 24 tend to exhibit brand loyalty at a rate three times higher than that of any other generation.
Millennials are seeking specific features and qualities of transportation systems. For example, they want these transportation methods to be more reliable and provide them with real-time
Peter Pan Bus Lines
40
updates. They also desire high-quality Wi-Fi on the mode of transportation and while waiting for the transportation provider to arrive. The American Public Transportation Association found that 35% of Millennials would also like their transportation choice to digitally provide personalized, local recommendations and facts. It is projected that these features and trends will increase in the next ten years.
It is important to note that Millennials currently deem the process of booking travel as requiring too much effort. This age cohort’s members also highly prefer booking their travel online, emphasizing the need for well-functioning, online ticketing sites. Millennials tend to book travel through online aggregators, such as Kayak and SkyScanner, or online travel agencies, such as Expedia, possibly to minimize exerted effort. Additionally, 75% of Millennials have travel apps on their mobile devices. This age cohort is likely conduct more comparative research when booking travel, and they are more likely to book travel via a mobile device. Millennials tend to be more social than other generations and are more likely to be traveling with those outside of their family. As such, Millennials are frequently looking to book a block of seats on their designated mode of transportation. Lastly, they are also booking farther in advance than other generations.
Key Takeaways
• Millennials, those born between 1983 and 2003, total 25% of the U.S. population and highly value traveling
• Over the years, Millennials have significantly reduced car travel, opting for public transportation and walking or biking
• About 46% of Millennials choose their mode of transportation based on price and convenience, which is likely exemplified due to their limited income
• Roughly 40% of Millennials like to work while traveling, emphasizing the need for work spaces on their chosen mode of transportation
• Approximately 75% of Millennials use mobile travel apps and are more likely to book travel through the mobile app
Peter Pan Bus Lines
41
Peter Pan Bus Lines
42
EXPERT INTERVIEWS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
43
Peter Pan Bus Lines
44
Overview
Five experts were interviewed to gain insight into the team’s areas of focus. A unique set of questions was developed for each interviewee. Interviews were conducted over the phone and via email. Phone interviews lasted around thirty minutes to an hour.
Lindsey Casella, Brand Ambassador Expert
The group interviewed Lindsey Casella to gain further insight into what makes Brand Ambassador programs effective. Lindsey is a recent college graduate who worked for a variety of Brand Ambassador programs, including Victoria’s Secret PINK, Keds, Timberland and Insomnia Cookies. She provided the group with information about how these programs were successful, both for the companies and the students working for them.
Adam Grant, Brand Ambassador and Millennial Expert
The team also interviewed Adam Grant, an executive at Campus Commandos, a consulting firm focusing on the implementation and management of Brand Ambassador programs. He has also written several articles for Forbes on Millennials and various aspects of Brand Ambassador programs. He was able to provide the team with more insight into how these programs can be successful from the company’s perspective and some of the biggest mistakes companies make when implementing a Brand Ambassador program.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
45
Laura Yates
Charter Services Expert
The group interviewed Laura Yates, President of Dovetail Event Partners, a company that produces corporate events and trips, to learn more about how to encourage various organizations to take advantage of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ charter services. She expressed what she and her clients value most from charter services. She provided specific guidelines that Peter Pan Bus Lines would have to follow to acquire her business.
Jim Herlihy
Charter Services Expert
The team interviewed Jim Herlihy, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to learn more about athletic organizations’ relationship with charter services. He informed the group of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s process for purchasing travel, the regulations involved and the current relationship the university’s athletic organizations have with Peter Pan Bus Lines.
John Coakley
Charter Services Expert
Lastly, the team interviewed John Coakley, the leader of the InterFraternity Council (IFC) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to learn more about how Panhellenic organizations, especially fraternities, use charter buses for various events. He told the team when he typically
Peter Pan Bus Lines
46
needs charter services, which charter service providers he has used and what may entice him to use Peter Pan Bus Lines in the future for this purpose.
Key Takeaways
• The team interviewed five highly qualified specialists in several fields, including:
o An experienced Brand Ambassador to gain insight on effective practices from the Brand Ambassador’s and company’s perspectives
o An executive at Campus Commandos, a company which helps improve Brand Ambassador programs, to gain insight on successful and harmful Brand Ambassador program practices
o The President of Dovetail Event Partners to gain insight on how businesses search for and choose charter services
o The Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to gain insight on how athletic departments decide on and use charter services
o The head of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s InterFraternity Council to gain insight on when student organizations, such as fraternities, use charter services and how they choose particular services
Peter Pan Bus Lines
47
Peter Pan Bus Lines
48
FOCUS GROUPS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
49
Peter Pan Bus Lines
50
Brand Ambassador Focus Group Description Overview
Two focus groups with Brand Ambassadors for a number of companies were held to gather specific information used to form the Brand Ambassador recommendations.
Process for Obtaining Participants
The team was able to generate a list of all the current Brand Ambassadors at the University of Massachusetts Amherst by reaching out to well-connected friends. The team contacted all of these Ambassadors, explaining this project and asking if they could attend either of the two focus groups to discuss their Brand Ambassador experiences. Everyone responded, but a few could not attend due to prior commitments. The team created an event on Facebook for the invitees of each focus group, which aided as a reminder and an organizational tool.
Structure
The focus groups were anticipated to be roughly a half hour in length. Both began at 7:30 PM in the same classroom in Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. There was a large table for all Brand Ambassadors to and the moderator, Liz, to sit around. A computer and phone were both used to record the focus groups after asking for permission. Two recording techniques were used to ensure that if one did not work properly, the other could be used as a backup. Additionally, Rachel and Peter took notes on key concepts during the focus groups. These notes helped when it was time to transcribe the recordings. The moderator had a printed copy of a ‘Moderator’s Guide’ (see Appendix A) created for the focus groups, which included an introduction to the purpose, segues, and probes for influencing greater discussion when needed. The guide was beneficial in keeping the Brand Ambassadors on track with the questions and ensuring that all our questions were asked. All Brand Ambassadors were provided with Peter Pan Bus Lines gifts (water bottle, pen, chapstick, and social media card).
Goals The main goal was to understand the overall experiences the Brand Ambassadors have had from the moment they learned of the program to present. The questions were broken up into five sections: How the Brand Ambassadors were made aware of this opportunity, how they communicated with the brand, what was expected of them, the assignments and experiences
Peter Pan Bus Lines
51
holding the position, and recommendations for making future Brand Ambassador programs more successful.
Questions Asked
For section 1, the Brand Ambassadors were asked to go into greater detail about their introduction to the brand, what encouraged them to apply, how they went about applying, and the program’s time duration listed, if any. Section 2 inquired about communication specifics: communication with the brand directly or an agency; method of communication (email, phone, etc.); frequency of communication (weekly, biweekly, etc.); what was discussed; planning for upcoming assignments; and methods of sharing data. Section 3 sought to understand what was required of these Ambassadors, both in terms of hours worked each week and submissions to the brand. In the fourth section, the team delved into each Brand Ambassadors’ personal experiences with the programs. This includes the assignments they completed, events they hosted and their opinions on the effectiveness of the program’s structure. Finally, Section 5 emphasized areas for improvement and recommendations to make Brand Ambassador programs more effective and successful. The Brand Ambassadors were asked to articulate what works for companies trying to entice students to represent the brand (i.e., perks and incentives). Lastly, they were asked about the general effectiveness and success of Brand Ambassador programs in terms of generating sales and generating greater brand awareness.
Focus Group Number 1
The first focus group for Brand Ambassadors was held on Tuesday, November 1st. There were four Brand Ambassadors present for this group. There were 2 females and 2 males. The following companies were represented: Hewlett-Packard, Monster Energy, RUNA Tea and Victoria’s Secret PINK. These Brand Ambassadors are majoring in Marketing, Psychology and Economics. This focus group ran for 35 minutes.
Focus Group Number 2
The second focus group for Brand Ambassadors was held on Wednesday, November 2nd. There were five Brand Ambassadors present for this group. There were 3 females and 2 males. The following companies were represented: Campus Pursuits, Coca-Cola, Glutino, KIND Healthy Snacks, Udi’s and Zipcar. These Brand Ambassadors are majoring in Marketing, Business Management, Psychology, Finance and Sports Management. This focus group ran for 46 minutes.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
52
Key Takeaways
● The team conducted two focus groups with a total of nine Brand Ambassadors ● Participants represented a variety of majors with the majority hailing from the
Isenberg School of Management ● Each focus group lasted roughly 40 minutes (one was 35 minutes; the other was 46
minutes) ● These Brand Ambassadors represented Hewlett-Packard, Monster Energy, RUNA Tea,
Victoria’s Secret PINK, Campus Pursuits, Coca-Cola, Glutino, KIND Healthy Snacks, Udi’s and Zipcar
● Brand Ambassadors were asked how they were made aware of this opportunity, how they communicated with the brand, what was expected of them, the assignments and experiences holding the position and recommendations for making future Brand Ambassador programs more successful
Peter Pan Bus Lines
53
Millennial Traveler Focus Group Description Overview
Two focus groups with college students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst were held to gather information on how to increase ridership for Peter Pan Bus Lines among college students.
Process for Obtaining Participants
The team reached out to friends at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to participate in the focus groups. The group explained this project and asked if these students could attend either of the two focus groups to discuss their intercity travel experiences. The team created two Facebook events through which these students confirmed their attendance, so the team could monitor the number of participants per session. Most of these students were upperclassmen and, while there was a diversity of majors present, many of the students were members of the Isenberg School of Management.
Structure
The focus groups were anticipated to be roughly a half hour in length. Both began at 7:30 PM in the same classroom in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. There was a large table where all participants and the moderator, Liz [for both], sat. A computer and phone were both used to record information from the focus groups after asking for permission. Two recording techniques were used to ensure that; if one did not work properly, the other would act as a backup. Additionally, Rachel and Peter took notes on key concepts during the focus groups. These notes helped when transcribing the recordings. The moderator had a printed copy of a ‘Moderator’s Guide’ (see Appendix A) created for the focus groups, which included an introduction to the purpose, segues and probes for influencing greater discussion when needed. The guide was beneficial in keeping the participants on track and ensuring that all questions were addressed. All participants were provided with Peter Pan Bus Lines gifts (water bottle, chapstick, and social media card).
Goals
The main goal of the focus groups was to understand the motivations, influences, preferences and overall experiences of Millennial travelers.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
54
Questions Asked
The questions were divided into four sections. The first section focused on the participants’ general intercity travel experiences. The second section focused on how they interact with travel companies on social media. The third section focused on participants’ feelings toward and associations with the Peter Pan Bus Lines brand. Lastly, the fourth section focused on their commitments to loyalty or rewards programs. For section one, participants were asked to go into detail regarding how they select certain brands and modes of transportation, what internal factors, such as personal preferences, and external factors, such as parent or guardian preferences, may impact their decision. The second section asked participants to describe which types of social media posts from transportation companies they would find most valuable and/or would be most likely to interact with across various social media platforms. In the third section, participants were asked to describe what they thought of when thinking of the Peter Pan Bus Lines brand and what experiences they may have had with it. Lastly, participants were asked what loyalty or rewards programs they are part of and their motivation to join these programs. Participants were also asked what they would like to see in a Peter Pan Bus Lines loyalty or rewards program.
Focus Group Number 1
The first focus group for Millennial Travelers was held on Tuesday, November 8th. There were six participants. There were two males and four females. The participants are majoring in Accounting, Marketing, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Biochemistry. This focus group lasted 37 minutes.
Focus Group Number 2
The second focus group for Millennial Travelers was held on Wednesday, November 9th. There were seven participants. There were four males and three females. The participants are majoring in Finance, Accounting, Operations & Information Management, Marketing and Sociology. This focus group ran for 19 minutes.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
55
Key Takeaways
● The team held two student focus groups ● Participants represented a variety of majors with the majority hailing from the
Isenberg School of Management ● Each focus group lasted roughly 30 minutes (one was 37 minutes; the other was 19
minutes) ● Topics included how and why students choose a mode of intercity travel, past travel
experiences, how participants interact with brands on social media and how participants use loyalty or rewards programs
Peter Pan Bus Lines
56
IN-PERSON & PHONE INTERVIEWS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
57
Peter Pan Bus Lines
58
College Student Interview Description Overview Team members conducted over-the-phone and in-person interviews over the first week in November with college students at a variety of universities. This included schools that Peter Pan Bus Lines is currently targeting as well as schools that the company is not pursuing as actively. This variety of schools was used deliberately to gain a better understanding of the college student market as a whole.
Goals These interviews were focused on determining what factors influence students’ selection of modes of transportation and what encourages students to join and continue using loyalty or rewards programs.
Participants There were twenty-four interview participants, all of which were college students, from several universities. These included the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston University, University of Connecticut, Northeastern University, Elon University, University of Clemson, Harvard University and Boston College. The majority of students interviewed attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst (8 students) and the University of Connecticut (10 students). The remainder of the students was divided equally among the remaining universities. Most of these students were upperclassmen at their respective universities.
Questions The interview questions were divided into three sections. The first section focused on the travel preferences of these students, specifically how they learn about transportation companies and what features and amenities are most important to them when selecting modes of transportation. The second section was geared toward what these students liked and disliked about any previous bus or train experiences. The final section focused on why respondents joined loyalty or rewards programs, what programs they belonged to and what they liked most about these programs. The questionnaire was composed of thirteen questions and took about fifteen minutes per interview.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
59
Key Takeaways
● In-person and phone interviews were conducted with 24 college-aged students ● Respondents attended a wealth of different universities including the University of
Massachusetts Amherst, Boston University, University of Connecticut, Northeastern University, Elon University, University of Clemson, Harvard University and Boston College
● Questions focused on respondents’ intercity travel habits, preferences and experiences as well as their use and preferences in regards to loyalty or rewards programs
Peter Pan Bus Lines
60
South Station Interview Description Overview Brief in-person interviews were conducted at South Station in Boston, Massachusetts to understand how Peter Pan Bus Lines can be considered as an alternative to rail services.
Figure 1.5 South Station, Boston, Massachusetts
Process for Obtaining Participants Boston’s South Station was chosen as the hub for data collection because of the intersection of rail and bus travelers. The interviews took place on Monday, November 21st at 1 PM. The team wanted to gather data from people of many different travel preferences. The team was stationed in the concourse, food court, and seated waiting areas. The team approached participants by initially asking if they had a few minutes to talk about their travel experience. A few turned the team away, stating they were not interested or did not have time. Ten participants conversed
Peter Pan Bus Lines
61
with the team; 5 were approached near the train terminal, and 5 were approached near the bus terminal.
Structure For the research, Rachel initiated the conversation with participants, Liz asked the questions and Peter took notes. Each respondent was asked the same questions, although some follow-up questions were omitted if they were inapplicable to the respondent. Most conversations lasted roughly 3-5 minutes, but a few respondents were interested in learning more about the team’s thesis project, so those conversations lasted closer to 10 minutes. All respondents were provided with Peter Pan Bus Lines gifts (water bottle, chapstick, and social media card).
Goals The main goal was to understand why or when travelers who typically travel by train would be inclined to take a bus instead. This phase of the team’s data gathering aimed to answer Question 3 in the ‘Opportunity Formulation’ section.
Questions Asked The first question asked if the respondent has taken a Peter Pan bus in the past. The respondent was then asked what he or she likes most about the experience and what could have been improved if he or she rode a Peter Pan bus. Next, the respondent was asked about his or her preferred mode of intercity transportation: bus or train. Lastly, the respondent was asked what would influence him or her to travel by bus instead of train if he or she stated the preference for traveling via train over bus.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
62
Key Takeaways
● Data were collected on how Peter Pan Bus Lines could be seen as an alternative to rail
services ● Travelers were interviewed in South Station because both bus and rail travelers are on
site ● The researchers interviewed 10 people on both rail and bus platforms and provided
Peter Pan Bus Lines giveaways ● Questions focused on respondents’ travel preferences and experiences
Peter Pan Bus Lines
63
Peter Pan Bus Lines
64
QUALTRICS QUESTIONNAIRE
Peter Pan Bus Lines
65
Peter Pan Bus Lines
66
Overview An online Qualtrics questionnaire was created to assist in reaching a larger audience of college students at a greater variety of schools than could be reached through in-person and over-the-phone interviews.
Distribution Several different methods of distribution were undertaken to ensure that the questionnaire reached a large variety of students at several different universities, with focus directed towards the universities where Peter Pan Bus Lines has important markets. This included students from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Rice University, Messiah College, Harvard University, Keene State College, Lesley University, University of New Hampshire, Boston University, Acadia University, Cornell University, Seton Hall University, Emerson College, Northeastern University, Hofstra University, University of Connecticut, Clemson University, Bryant University, Boston College, Trent University and University of Delaware. The primary methods for sharing the questionnaire were through Facebook and direct email. The team, being students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was able to post the questionnaire in each of the students’ class years. The team was also able to distribute the questionnaire to other schools though friends who posted in their respective university’s Facebook groups. Emails asking for participation were drafted for smaller universities, which did not have their own Facebook groups. These emails were sent to friends at these universities and forwarded by those friends to other students that attended the same university. These two modes of distribution allowed the team to reach a large audience across both small and large universities.
Structure The questionnaire was designed to be taken online and required only five minutes to complete to ensure students provided useful information and completed the questionnaire to its entirety. Respondents were led through the questionnaire and were shown questions that were only relevant to them. For example, if respondents checked off that they attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, they were shown questions pertaining only to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. This process decreased the chance of respondent error in the questionnaire. Ten $25 vouchers for Peter Pan Bus Lines were raffled as an incentive to increase participation in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was opened on November 2nd and remained open for a total of three weeks.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
67
Goals The questionnaire focused on determining which factors of intercity travel students consider when planning a trip and what drives students to participate in loyalty or rewards programs.
Questions The questionnaire was divided into two sections: the first was focused on intercity travel and student preferences in regards to intercity travel, and the second focused on loyalty or rewards programs. The intercity travel section of the questionnaire included demographic questions to determine where the respondents attend school and their current year. This information led to more general intercity travel questions to determine how often the respondent travels, days of travel and how far in advance intercity travel is planned. The next set of questions focused specifically on the respondents’ preference of features and amenities of intercity travel. The final questions in the intercity portion of the questionnaire focused particularly on bus travel, respondents’ familiarity of certain brands and the presence of certain bus companies on their campuses. The second section of the questionnaire was shorter and focused on loyalty or rewards programs, asking respondents which, if any, loyalty or rewards programs they were members of and why they joined.
Key Takeaways
• Questionnaire was live for 3 weeks and was distributed to 20 universities by means of Facebook and direct email
• Questionnaire sought to understand 2 parts: (1) students’ general intercity travel frequencies and preferences, including their important amenities and features, and (2) the reasons they have joined a loyalty or rewards program and which programs they are members of
• Certain questions geared towards University of Massachusetts Amherst students because of large Peter Pan Bus Lines presence on campus
• 15 of the 20 universities represented are in the Northeast region, which aligns with Peter Pan Bus Lines’ bus service routes
• 10 $25 gift cards were used to incentivize participation in exchange for student emails
Peter Pan Bus Lines
68
FINDINGS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
69
Peter Pan Bus Lines
70
Expert Interview Findings Lindsey Casella Interview Findings
From Lindsey, the team learned that many brands reach out to prospective Brand Ambassadors through sites, such as LinkedIn. Programs’ schedules varied, but for specifically college-focused brands, it makes sense to base the schedule of the program around the academic year. Some brands communicated and sent materials through emails, DropBox and Google Drive, while more developed programs communicated through their own website or app. Having strategically-timed calls, such as around big events, can also be helpful. Brand Ambassadors would communicate with those running the program a couple times per week. Some activities such programs can pursue are tabling at big campus events, such as sports games and pep rallies, creating and or managing social media content and actively seeking out the target market, such as by intercepting tour groups. Facebook events were particularly effective at targeting the intended audience and the reminders that are sent to potential attendees.
Potential Brand Ambassadors are particularly drawn to brands that resonate well with their interests, personality and lifestyle, so it is important for brands to identify these aspects in recruitment materials. In particular, providing a PowerPoint deck or PDF of this information can be effective. Providing Brand Ambassadors with branded products was also helpful in generating awareness among college students. Checking in with Brand Ambassadors from other universities regarding their successes and receiving brand training was also helpful. Brand Ambassadors are likely to be more committed when the company is engaged with the Brand Ambassadors, providing words of encouragement or rewards. Brand Ambassadors find success in programs that are strategic, well-organized and well-aware of the campus and its policies when implementing assignments.
Lindsey emphasized that companies need to understand the college lifestyle when making requests of their Brand Ambassadors. For example, asking them to hold events far away from campus is troublesome and likely ineffective as many college students lack cars on campus. Additionally, the company should be aware of college students’ schedules for midterms and finals, limiting events and assignments during these times.
Adam Grant Interview Findings
Adam believes, based on his experience, that all companies should market to college students because these students either currently or will contribute to sales. College students’ newfound
Peter Pan Bus Lines
71
independence provides an opportunity for companies to convince potential customers to establish new brand loyalty.
He also said that businesses should ensure their customers understand the company’s business model to improve its brand image. For example, a company should ensure the customer understands what is meant by the company’s cost leadership business model. In this example, the company would explain to customers how the minimal services and/or amenities allow the company to provide such low prices.
Adam discussed that companies with effective marketing campaigns have a specific target, found a time period when this market is most likely to purchase the company’s product or service and understands how capture this market’s attention. For example, Men’s Wearhouse found that business students are likely to purchase more suits over their lifetime than any other type of college student. The company also found that these students are most likely to purchase a suit around the time of a career fair. Lastly, the company realized having a campus representative show and wear the product and describe instances when suits are necessary would be an effective at capturing the audience’s attention, as many of these students were inexperienced in purchasing suits. Therefore, the company knew a marketing campaign targeting business students around the time of a career fair with interactive suit displays would be successful.
Concerning Brand Ambassador programs, Adam emphasized that most students join such programs for the purpose of putting the experience on their resumes. These students are particularly drawn to big name brands because such companies will stand out on their resumes. Additionally, students seem to be particularly attracted to programs that are paid. These students appreciate programs when the brand is dedicated and interactive, as many students are likely applying because they like the brand and feel a connection to it. This need for connection to the brand also extends to the other student ambassadors. Adam found that most enjoyed Brand Ambassador programs were those that allowed the Brand Ambassadors to easily and regularly communicate with one another. Particularly, students want to engage with the brand and with fellow Brand Ambassadors through an app, which is easily accessible on their mobile devices. Adam has found that Brand Ambassadors appreciate companies who write recommendations for them on LinkedIn.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
72
Laura Yates Interview Findings
Her smaller, corporate event planning business uses charter buses about 15 times per year. There are no particular days or times she typically requires charter services. However, the companies she contracts, called Destination Management Companies, generally book these services. In her industry, pricing is important, but not as important as quality, vendor relationship and advanced awareness of exactly what everything looks like and functionality. Laura and colleagues typically need a company that has a variety of available vehicles, ranging in size from sedans to motor coaches. Chartering Peter Pan buses or those of the company’s competitors is not typically considered.
Laura suggested that having the transportation company build a relationship with Destination Management Companies, large corporations, convention bureaus or event planning businesses may help increase awareness. Having a dedicated sales team for charter services and relationship-building with the salesperson is particularly important in this industry. Furthermore, they “can’t be let down” and want to call one person directly rather than an 800 number through the process. Laura suggested a way to build this relationship and increase awareness: bring a bus to the offices of a potential client, tour the vehicle and provide lunch. Currently, Laura and colleagues view Peter Pan Bus Lines as being outdated, but they have not interacted with the company in many years. She suggested that these dedicated salespeople emphasize that, “This isn’t your grandpa’s Peter Pan!”
In terms of amenities, strong Wi-Fi is the most important, followed by USB ports and electrical outlets. Bathrooms and reclining seats would also be important on trips over an hour in length. Food service is not important, as she would have another company provide food and beverages.
For personal travel, Laura looks for a direct, mid-market bus from Boston to New York and back a few times per day. These buses would preferably have strong Wi-Fi, USB ports, fewer and more spacious seats and surfaces to work on for laptops and other mobile devices. Laura was unaware of departure points other than Springfield, Worcester, and South Station, which were inconvenient for her. She would use a departure point from Lowell frequently if it was well-publicized. When booking her daughters’ travel, her main concern is safety. She would like to see drivers’ safety statistics on the website and how frequently these buses break down. Currently, she thinks that buses have a lot of accidents. She would also like to be able to see a virtual tour of the bus on the website.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
73
John Coakley Interview Findings
John informed the team that Greek organizations typically need a bus about once a semester. Usually these organizations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst use field trip services through the school and local school district buses. Price is the biggest deciding factor for these potential clients. In fact, John emphasized that price was everything to these budget-conscious organizations. The organization has not used Peter Pan Bus Lines or any other privately-owned bus company, however John sees potential use for longer trips if it were more comfortable than school buses (assuming price is about the same).
Jim Herlihy Interview Findings
Jim provided insight into how the athletic departments of public universities purchase charter services. Public universities are required to have a public bidding process for all transportation services, having another department ensure that the purchase and use of such services meet state regulations. These athletic departments highly consider safety and dependability records. Specifically, these departments may require that the charter service provide evidence of driver drug testing, training and health checks. Additionally, the company must have a comprehensive communication system in place in case of emergencies or malfunctions.
These departments particularly value the following amenities: ample legroom, comfortable seats, climate control, Wi-Fi, power outlets, televisions and secured storage with locks. Bathrooms are also important for longer trips, and cleanliness is extremely important overall.
In regard to customer service, Jim noted his very positive experiences with the Peter Pan Bus Lines team. He finds the team reliable, adaptable and accommodating to the needs of students and coaches.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
74
Brand Ambassador Focus Group Findings Introduction to Brand Ambassador Position and Application
A handful of Brand Ambassadors learned of the position through friends at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. LinkedIn, Monster.com and Indeed were also used. A few participants were already followers of the brands; one reached out to the company regarding internship opportunities, and another followed the brand on Instagram and saw the opportunity advertised.
The Brand Ambassadors next noted what encouraged them to apply. The most prevalent responses were resume-building, seeking experience and helping to understand career goals. Additionally, many thought the positions aligned well with their majors. A few were already very passionate about the brand, which was an encouraging aspect. Flexibility of hours and getting paid were also important factors
An online application followed by a phone interview was the most common application process. A handful of Brand Ambassadors had Skype interviews, and a few had in-person meetings.
The team was interested in understanding if the application stated a particular time frame for the program’s duration. The majority reported an academic year commitment. Some were unclear as the description stated the program would last “one year” or there was no time frame listed. The Zipcar program lasted 10-weeks and ended before Thanksgiving. The Victoria’s Secret PINK program began in the summer and ended in the following summer.
Communication
Direct contact with the brand was the most common, which 7 of the 10 Brand Ambassadors articulated. The remaining 3 Brand Ambassadors communicated with an agency as a middleman. Zipcar uses an agency called Fluent.
A multitude of communication methods were used. Digital communication appeared to be the most prevalent, using such channels as an app (e.g., Slack), Facebook and email. Webinars and conference calls were also common methods.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
75
The team sought to understand the frequency of communication with representatives from the brand or agency. Weekly or biweekly seemed to be the most effective according to the Brand Ambassadors, though responses included daily, weekly, biweekly, tri-weekly, monthly and bimonthly.
The next talking point related to the information that was exchanged between the Brand Ambassador and the brand or agency. Conversations covered discussing goals for the month, planning events, requesting products, brainstorming partnerships and reporting on previous assignments. Providing pictures of people with the products was the most common source of reporting. Some Brand Ambassadors were required to submit reports or presentations, which will be further discussed in the following section.
Responsibilities
Some Brand Ambassadors have specific goals set for each month. KIND Healthy Snacks requires that its Brand Ambassadors distribute 2,000 bars and have at least 3 events per month, have 7 occasional samplings and submit a monthly report. Zipcar requires 2 emails and 5 pictures per week, and 4 social media posts and at least 3 new member acquisitions during the 10-week program duration. These Brand Ambassadors must also submit a weekly report. Victoria’s Secret PINK outlines specific events for its Brand Ambassadors to host, which will be discussed in greater detail in the ‘Assignments’ section. Brand Ambassadors that needed to submit weekly or monthly reports had specific information to present as requested by the brand or agency. Examples of required information in these reports included an overview of the assignment(s), number of products sold and pictures.
Time commitment to the program was correlated with the Brand Ambassadors’ responsibilities. Weekly hours devoted to the job varied by semester and if there was an event on a given week. Anywhere from 1 to 15 hours per week were devoted to the program, depending on the task(s) for the week. Some Brand Ambassadors also had to travel to conduct in-store events, which did not contribute to the aforementioned hourly range. A Brand Ambassador noted that 9 hours are devoted if there is an event that week and 5 hours during weeks without an event.
Responsibilities reflected the Brand Ambassadors’ perceived structure of the program. About half of the Brand Ambassadors deemed their programs well-structured in terms of expectations, assignments and communication. Brand Ambassadors that expressed their programs’ structure could have been better offered suggestions for improvement. One Brand Ambassador would
Peter Pan Bus Lines
76
have preferred more guidance relating to reaching out to organizations. Another Brand Ambassador stated that the poor communication on the part of the brand hindered productivity and efficiency. As such, reliable communication is necessary.
Assignments
Events were the most popular type of assignment. Events consisted of sampling or distributing products, talking to clubs and organizations on campus, sponsoring events and partnering with other Brand Ambassadors.
Talking to Isenberg School of Management’s Marketing Club came up a few times in conversation, which seems appropriate because a Brand Ambassador position has marketing roots. Additionally, the Coca-Cola and Campus Pursuits Brand Ambassador partnered with the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s University Programming Council (UPC), which hosts a number of events for students throughout the academic year. Sponsoring events already scheduled and hosted by other people or organizations was also mentioned. The Udi’s and Glutino Brand Ambassador hosted a healthy living conference a few years back. The KIND Healthy Snacks Brand Ambassador sponsored 5K races and yoga events in the past because of the fitness tie with nutrition. The Victoria’s Secret PINK Brand Ambassador was required to host specific events, such as an event for “Welcome Week,” a group fitness-related event and store events (e.g., event at Victoria’s Secret PINK store in the Holyoke Mall). In general, the Brand Ambassadors have found success in hosting or sponsoring events that have similarities to the brand they are representing (e.g., KIND Healthy Snacks and healthy living events).
The Brand Ambassador for Campus Pursuits discussed a treasure hunting activity as one of his favorite aspects of the program. He utilized the Campus Pursuits app to execute a treasure hunt on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Snapchat videos were used to hint at products that were hidden on campus.
Brand Ambassadors that have collaborated for events seem to find such events effective. The KIND Healthy Snacks Brand Ambassador has partnered with Brand Ambassadors from Coca-Cola, Glutino, Udi’s and Zipcar in the past. One of the Zipcar Brand Ambassadors reflected on his event experience: “As far as the partnership goes, kind of throwing two completely different things at someone at once, which are both unique and interesting and captures their interest brings them over.”
Peter Pan Bus Lines
77
Favorite Aspects of the Programs
The Udi’s and Glutino Brand Ambassador discussed how people that are fairly unexposed to gluten-free foods are not fully aware of the product; this is addressed by having to “teach them and the image around it.” The KIND Healthy Snacks Brand Ambassador valued her brand’s corporate social responsibility efforts, such as doing “kind acts.” Further, it is important to be motivated by something other than simply the product. Other Brand Ambassadors mentioned the free products, especially those that fulfilled needs (e.g., credit card holder on phone case and pens), and having a marketing budget. The marketing budget was useful for hosting events, such as a pizza party when products were not provided.
Free products, incentives and pay were the most commonly favored perks of the position. A Brand Ambassador mentioned how the company tried to make its Brand Ambassadors truly feel apart of the brand, so branded business cards were created for them.
Improvements to the Programs
A Brand Ambassador expressed that having another person to work with and represent the brand would have been beneficial. In the future, marketing events more to notify people would be helpful. The Zipcar Brand Ambassadors stated that having to achieve their weekly goals without an event supplementing them was unrealistic; they stated that the goals are effective when there are events that week, but not without an event.
Brand Ambassadors were asked to explain how the program can successfully attract future students to fulfill the roles. Most responded that a paid position would be the most attractive aspect. Additionally, having a detailed understanding of the role and its relevance to future career goals would also be intriguing.
Effectiveness of Brand Ambassador Programs
The general consensus was that Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool. The RUNA Tea Brand Ambassador discussed how the program generates more brand awareness, as someone sampled the product at an event and said, “I had no idea what it was” before the event. A handful of Brand Ambassadors stated that generating additional brand awareness works more effectively for smaller rather than larger companies. For example, the Coca-Cola Brand Ambassador noted that “Coca-Cola is trying to build more customer value,” as it already has strong brand awareness. The Victoria’s Secret PINK Brand Ambassador discussed how the program is effective in that the brand heavily listens to its Brand
Peter Pan Bus Lines
78
Ambassadors; the brand asked questions and surveyed its Brand Ambassadors and then implemented such feedback in future social media posts (e.g., on Instagram).
Recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines
Lastly, Brand Ambassadors were asked to formulate recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines should it implement a Brand Ambassador program. Coupons, student discounts and free rides were all recommended. Furthermore, a loyalty program was recommended, which some of these incentives can fall into. Another Brand Ambassador mentioned listening to customers and distributing surveys to understand the experiences. Finally, a partnership with groups or events for their transportation needs was recommended.
Key Takeaways
● Brand Ambassadors believe that these programs increase brand awareness and sales ● Resume building experience, a salaried position, and flexible hours are the main
factors that encourage students to apply to Brand Ambassador programs ● The main assignments these students have are distributing product, speaking to
campus organizations, sponsoring events, and partnering with other brand ambassadors
● Brand Ambassador programs can also be used as a channel for surveys and pre-tests
Peter Pan Bus Lines
79
Millennial Traveler Focus Group Findings General Intercity Travel Experiences
The intercity travel companies that are top-of-mind for these participants are Peter Pan Bus Lines, Greyhound, Amtrak and Megabus. They believe these companies are top-of-mind due to word of mouth reviews from friends and family, seeing the buses on campus and on the road and having these companies show up first on a Google search. Participants do not seek out formal reviews of transportation companies and are generally just trying to find the cheapest option. However, participants stated they would pay more if the cheapest option had particularly poor amenities or a bad safety record.
Parents are not typically involved in the payment of trips or the selection of a mode of transportation. Parents, if anything, may encourage taking transportation modes with convenient pick-up locations and discourage taking a mode of transportation with a particularly poor safety record.
The most popular mode of intercity transportation for focus group participants was a personal vehicle. It is important to note that these participants were mostly upperclassmen and noted that they previously took buses more often when they did not have cars on campus their first two years. However, when these participants do take another mode of transportation, it is usually Peter Pan Bus Lines. Other companies used include Megabus and Amtrak.
Participants typically select trains over buses because they believe trains offer a “smoother ride” and additional legroom. They also view trains as being a faster mode of transportation that “doesn’t hit traffic.” Trains were also deemed more reliable in terms of arrival and departure times. Additionally, participants noted that trains seem to not elicit nausea or motion sickness, as many buses do, allowing for greater comfort and an easier work environment for the duration of the trip. Some participants noted that the Penn Station train stop in New York City was a much better location than where the buses drop riders. There also seems to be an association with buses and “horrible Wi-Fi,” and a bus trip takes more time than the same trip via a personal vehicle or train. However, there seems to be some hesitation with the price of a train. Some participants said that they would only take a train if someone else were paying for it, such as a parent or employer.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
80
Participants seem to select buses over trains because of the convenient pick-up and drop-off locations on campus and in many cities. As previously stated, these participants find buses to be the cheapest option, after a personal vehicle; therefore, they are more inclined to use buses.
How Millennials Interact with Travel Companies on Social Media
Participants are generally hesitant to follow and engage with travel or intercity transportation companies on social media. Specifically for Facebook, there was division between having no desire to follow such companies and only following companies if they provided discounts and coupons through this channel. Participants do not typically use Twitter and would only look at or follow such companies if they are looking for more information about a service delay. Additionally, participants said they would not follow travel or intercity transportation companies on Instagram. For Snapchat, opinions were divided between (1) a desire to follow such companies out of curiosity or “if it was something funny like interviewing customers onboard” and (2) a strong adherence to not following any companies on this medium.
Participants were divided in opinion when asked what kind of deals they would like to see on social media. Preferences varied between deals specifically geared to University of Massachusetts Amherst students, deals geared to the general populace (because of impending graduation dates) and deals focusing on the trip instead of demographics. Participants are only seeking scheduling updates concerning routes that they have a ticket for or would be likely to take, such as a route from their campus. Participants suggested a text update or updates via a specific “Peter Pan @ UMass” social media account. One participant said, “If anything, I would like email updates from them...Like sending coupons.”
There was another difference in opinion regarding interest in social media contests from these brands. Some said they would definitely not participate, while others said they would only participate if there was a “high-value” prize. Some participants suggested that being entered to win a prize for taking a survey may be a more effective method of engagement. All participants agreed that they would not find any value in posts from the road, a practice that Amtrak uses. Most participants were only concerned with posts about amenities and routes if these amenities were new and particularly unique. Emphasizing USB ports, electrical outlets and Wi-Fi are fairly standard at this point and unnecessary to highlight. There was interest in such posts acknowledging a new or unique route.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
81
No particularly strong feelings were reported about engagement with posts about Peter Pan Bus Lines’ community service involvement.
Feelings Toward and Associations with Peter Pan Bus Lines
Participants had both positive and negative associations with Peter Pan Bus Lines. For example, some thought that Peter Pan Bus Lines is convenient, comfortable and “better than Megabus.” Particularly, one participant said, “I’ve used a bunch of buses all over the country, and Peter Pan is definitely a bit more roomy than others, and it has good amenities.” Others noted that Peter Pan Bus Lines is local. Contrarily, some participants viewed the company’s buses as uncomfortable, cramped and overpriced. Some said they have had multiple experiences when the company has oversold buses, causing cramped conditions and delays. Delays in general and flat tires were also common complaints.
The best aspects of participants’ recent experiences with Peter Pan Bus Lines were the convenience of the pick-up and drop-off locations, the buses appeared newer and the Wi-Fi was better than expected. However, the Wi-Fi service disconnected a few times. The worst parts of participants’ recent experiences with the company’s buses were the delays, increased prices and smell from the bathroom.
Loyalty Program Commitments
These participants joined loyalty or rewards programs for the following reasons: already a frequent shopper of the company, wanted to save money or the program provided status, deals or discounts after certain amount of purchases.
Participants belonged to such loyalty or rewards programs as Starbucks, Big Y, CVS ExtraCare, JetBlue’s TrueBlue, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, Marriott, Antonio’s, Subway and Sephora. Some of their favorite programs were Big Y and CVS ExtraCare for the significant daily savings. Cumberland Farms’ program was also cited as a favorite because it provides daily discounts and occasional free and discounted products just for being a member. Other participants most liked Starbucks because of the deals, status and free birthday drink; Sephora’s program was appreciated for its free birthday gift as well. One participant’s favorite loyalty or rewards program was Subway’s because “it gives you the points, but multiple options for what you want to spend those points on. So if you want to keep saving up for a foot-long instead of a 6-inch.”
Peter Pan Bus Lines
82
Recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines
Recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty or rewards program included providing discounts for every trip, using a digital punch card to redeem a free trip after a certain number of purchases or tracking miles traveled for use towards a free or discounted ticket. One participant suggested a system of increasing discounts where “the first ride is 100% [of total ticket cost] and then 99%. So, the more you go, the more discounts you get. And it may reset after a month or so or after a year.” Another participant suggested paying a small fee (maximum about $20) to be part of a student program where travelers get 30-40% discounted rides all year: “I would totally pay for a card that gave me an ID [code] that gave me discounted rides...Like $5 off every ride, and overall, rides for participants would be discounted because I pay for the student rider card. I would totally use it.” She and another participant confirmed that such a system was popular in the United Kingdom.
Key Takeaways
● Participants stated that they learned of modes of intercity travel through word of
mouth, from family and friends, as well as from online searches ● Participants said they would choose trains over buses due to smother rides, less traffic
and higher levels of reliability. However the price of train tickets was an issue with participants stating they would only travel by train if someone else paid for the ticket
● Participants did not like the idea of following brands on any form of social media and would only do so to learn about special discounts and possible travel alerts. Furthermore they stated that they would prefer to receive information about discounts and travel alerts direct via email or text message instead of through social media
● Peter Pan Bus Lines was viewed as convenient (having easily accessible pick-up and drop-off locations) and comfortable but also as overselling buses and having lengthy delays
● Participants liked the idea of a Loyalty Rewards Program and suggested having a special program dedicated solely to university students
Peter Pan Bus Lines
83
College Student Interview Findings Student Travel Behaviors and Preferences
Data gathered from the interviews suggest that most students (75%) learn about travel companies from word of mouth, mostly from friends and family. The other two most common ways respondents learned about travel companies was through the Internet, whether it be a Google search or travel website (e.g., SkyScanner, Rome2Rio), or seeing a certain brand of buses on the road or on campus. Approximately 40% of respondents used these two methods.
The most important factor of intercity transportation for students, based on this questionnaire, is price, with two-thirds of respondents listing it as one of their most important influences. Another common influence among about 40% of respondents was length of time to get to their destination. One student said, “If I know that it’s going to take a much shorter time to get to one place via one mode of transportation versus another, I will be more inclined to pay more for that shorter mode of transport.” Convenience and drop-off and pick-up locations significantly influenced the decisions of about 30% of respondents.
The most prevalent trip respondents took was from Boston to New York City and vice versa (20%). About 50% of respondents traveled to or from Boston on their most recent trip. Almost 60% of the students interviewed made their most recent intercity trip via car, citing the convenience, speed, comfort and low price of this mode of transportation. Trains were the second most common mode of recent intercity transportation, used by about 17% of respondents. These students stated they selected train travel because of the convenience, speed and space they felt was inherent in this mode of transportation. Buses were also used by 17% percent of students, about half of which had traveled with Peter Pan Bus Lines. These students typically chose to take buses due to their comparatively low price.
Previous Bus and Train Experiences
One-third of respondents had not taken a bus in the past year. Most of the students were upperclassmen, and many of them said they took buses frequently their freshman and sophomore years. However, they rarely use buses now because they have cars on campus. Even with this trend, about 46% of respondents took a bus 4-6 times within the last year. It is important to note, however, that some of these students took these buses while studying abroad.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
84
About 83% of interviewed students used Peter Pan Bus Lines at some point in their lives. These students most appreciated the convenience of Peter Pan Bus Lines and its pick-up and drop-off locations. Specifically, some students found that this bus was the only way to get on and off campus. The least liked aspect of traveling with Peter Pan Bus Lines was the unreliable Wi-Fi services (30%). Following poor Wi-Fi, the most common complaint was the stuffiness and overcrowding of the buses, cited by about 21% of respondents. Another 17% of students stated that the indirect routes and long travel times were the least enjoyable factors of traveling with Peter Pan Bus Lines.
The highest percentage of respondents, at 29%, traveled by train 6 or more times in the past year. Again, this data comes from a population of mostly upperclassmen, many of whom had studied abroad within the last year. In contrast, the second most common number of train trips within the last year among respondents (25%) was zero.
About 46% of students who traveled by train at some point in the past had most appreciated the speed of this transportation mode. Another 29% of respondents felt that convenience or ease of travel was the best aspect of train travel. Approximately 25% of students believed the level of comfort, in particular the ability to sleep during the trip and the feeling of not being too crowded, was the most enjoyable aspect of traveling by train. About 25% of respondents said that they did not have any complaints in regards to what they liked least about train travel; they were completely satisfied. However, another 25% of respondents reported high prices as their biggest complaint about traveling by trains.
Loyalty or Rewards Program Commitments
The most common reason why students joined loyalty or rewards programs was that the student was already a frequent shopper and regularly spent money on a particular good or service. The second most popular response was the personalized deals, rewards and free products provided by the loyalty or rewards program. Close behind was a desire to save money.
The most popular loyalty or rewards program among respondents was Starbucks, with about 42% of respondents belonging to the program. Big Y and CVS tied for the second most popular loyalty or rewards program with slightly more than 37% of respondents belonging to each. About 30% of students said that Starbucks was their favorite loyalty or rewards program, making it the most commonly selected favorite among this group. The second favorite among
Peter Pan Bus Lines
85
respondents was a tie between Big Y and CVS, with 12.5% selecting each. However, another 12.5% of respondents said that they are “not big into loyalty programs” and were unable to select a favorite. The top reason why 46% of students selected a particular loyalty or rewards program as their favorite was that it helped save money on products or services they were going to purchase anyway. Approximately 29% of respondents also appreciated seeing savings on each trip and over the course of the year while being part of these loyalty or rewards programs. The third most common reason was that the program provided discounts or free product after purchasing a certain amount, cited by 25% of respondents.
Key Takeaways
● A majority (75%) of students discover intercity travel modes through word of mouth
from friends and family ● Respondents listed price as the most important factor when determining a mode of
intercity travel ● About 83% of respondents have used Peter Pan Bus Lines at some point in their life;
they enjoyed the convenience of Peter Pan Bus Lines, but they disliked the crowded nature of the bus and the poor Wi-Fi
● About 25% of respondents stated that they believed train prices were too high ● The majority of respondents who participate in loyalty or rewards programs do so as a
means to help save money on products or services they already use or plan on buying
Peter Pan Bus Lines
86
South Station Interview Findings Peter Pan Bus Lines Experience
Half of the ten respondents have used Peter Pan Bus Lines. Those who took Peter Pan Bus Lines were then asked what they liked most about the experience and what could have been better. Aspects riders liked most about the experience include quickness, amenities and arrival at destination on time. One respondent noted that she liked a particular destination because she lives in the middle of nowhere and Peter Pan Bus Lines took her there. Respondents were then asked about areas for improvement. Two interviewees responded about the amenities; one wished the Wi-Fi worked better, and the second would have liked a television or entertainment on the bus. Another respondent felt that there were too many transfers, and he once experienced a bus breaking down. The last respondent stated that there were too many stops, and the experience would have been better with fewer stops.
Preference of Bus or Train
Respondents were then asked if they typically prefer to travel by bus or train; 3 respondents preferred to travel by bus, while 7 respondents preferred to travel by train. Next, the team asked respondents to explain their preference. Two respondents explained that buses being cheaper than trains influenced their preference. Another respondent stated a preference for bus travel because it is comfortable, and he likes the bus driver and the feeling of driving. Rail travelers listed a number of reasons for their preference, varying from the experience to perceptions. Four respondents alluded to speed and time of travel as factors: 2 respondents said it was faster than bus travel, 1 respondent said that rail travel has no traffic and the last respondent stated that trains stop less frequently than buses. Two respondents recognized safety. Other factors influencing this preference include more space, legroom, comfort, availability and times of travel. Respondents also reported that trains are cleaner, easier and have more stable Wi-Fi than buses. Interestingly, 1 respondent said that the preference of train over bus results in his lack of personal knowledge of buses.
Persuasion to Take Bus Over Train
The 7 respondents who preferred to travel by train were then asked what would persuade them to travel by bus instead. Five respondents noted that price (i.e., buses being a cheaper alternative to trains) would persuade them to take a bus over a train in the future. Additionally, 2 respondents stated convenience, specifically better pick-up and drop-off locations and times.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
87
The final respondent stated that she would travel by bus instead if she knew there were train delays.
Key Takeaways
● Peter Pan Bus Lines riders who were interviewed most appreciated the service’s
speed, amenities, and prompt arrival at the destination ● These same Peter Pan Bus Lines riders felt that the Wi-Fi could be improved and that
there were too many transfers and stops ● Travelers who prefer bus travel to train travel do so due to the lower price, comfort,
and feeling of driving ● Travelers who prefer train travel do so due to the speed of travel, comfort, safety, and
more stable Wi-Fi ● Train travelers said they could be persuaded to take a bus if it was the cheaper and
more convenient mode of transportation
Peter Pan Bus Lines
88
Qualtrics Questionnaire Findings Background Information
The online questionnaire created and distributed by the team received 193 responses. However, only 108 respondents finished the questionnaire in its entirety. These respondents were all college-aged individuals and included students from every year. Seniors were the most represented year, making up 71.03% of respondents, followed by Juniors (11.21% of respondents) and Sophomores (10.28% of respondents). The least represented group was Freshmen who only made up 7.48% of respondents. The respondents represented a large number of universities, including many that Peter Pan Bus Lines pointed out as high-priority targets. These schools are:
Acadia University
Boston College
Boston University
Bryant University
Clemson University
Cornell University
Emerson College
Harvard University
Hofstra University
Keene State College
Lesley University
Messiah College
Northeastern University
Rice University
Seton Hall University
Trent University
University of Massachusetts Amherst (50.93% of respondents attend University of Massachusetts Amherst)
University of Connecticut University of Delaware
University of New Hampshire
Peter Pan Bus Lines
89
Intercity Travel Information
Frequency of Travel The team asked respondents how often they participate in intercity travel to gain a general understanding of how often students, on average, travel each year. Approximately 24% of respondents had taken no round-trip journeys, while 25.93% of respondents took 1-2 round-trip journeys and 17.59% took 3-5 round-trips. The largest percentage of responses was for more than 5 round-trip journeys each year, with 32.41% of respondents choosing this option.
Respondents were provided with a list of options and were asked to choose all options that coincided with their personal travel days to understand when students actually travel. The most commonly selected options were school breaks that are usually a week or longer, including Thanksgiving Break (50.00% of respondents), Spring Break (44.44%) and Winter Break (42.22%). The next most common options were Move-in Day (30%) followed by Move-out Day (27.78%). The final group was smaller holidays, which were generally those on long weekends. These holidays included Columbus Day (25.56%), Veteran’s Day (13.33%), Halloween (8.89%), President’s Day (5.56%) and Patriot's Day (5.56%). About 53% of respondents also selected the “Other” option, which prompted a written response. The majority of these responses included responses, such as “Visiting Friends,” “Weekend Trips Home” and “Fall Break,” which is not practiced by all universities.
Respondents were then asked how far in advance they plan their trips and were provided with four options: “under a week,” “1 week-2 weeks,” “2 weeks-3 weeks” and “over a month.” The most common option was “1 week-2 weeks” in advance (37.62% of respondents). The next most selected options were “under a week” (28.71%) and “2 weeks-3 weeks” (28.71%). “Over a month” was the least common option (4.59%). A calendar depicting when students travel and how far in advance they plan can be found on the following page in Figure 1.6.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
90
Student Travel Calendar
Figure 1.6 This calendar depicts key travel days as reported by students and when they make travel plans in preparation for these travel days.
Features and Amenities The team asked students to rank two groups of data from most to least important to better understand their desires when traveling. The first group addressed which features students wanted most from a mode of intercity travel. This included “drop-off/pick-up locations,” “direct routes,” “departing and arriving on time,” “safety,” “comfort,” “amenities (e.g., Wi-Fi),” “speed of travel,” and “value” (what the student felt they were receiving in relation to how much they paid).
Peter Pan Bus Lines
91
The results from the first group illustrated what most mattered to students when traveling. The most important features, based on features chosen as a top-three amenity, were “drop-off/pick-up locations” (60.75%), “speed of travel” (49.54%) and “direct routes” (49.53%). “Departing and arriving time” and “value” also proved important as they were listed in the top-three section for 48.6% and 46.73% of respondents, respectively. Contrarily, “safety”, “comfort” and “amenities” proved less important, as respondents only listed them as one of their top-three important features at a rate of 24.3%, 14.95% and 5.6% respectively. Furthermore, “amenities” was listed as the least important feature to students 50.47% of the time.
The second group of data was designed to weigh what amenities students found most important when traveling. This question focused on the following amenities: “on-board bathrooms,” “reclining seats,” “Wi-Fi,” “power outlets,” “USB ports,” “easy access to baggage during tip,” “seat belts,” “food/beverage service,” “legroom” and “personal temperature control.” These amenities were chosen due to their prevalence on most modes of intercity travel. Students were then asked to rank these amenities in terms of personal importance.
The top-three amenities were “power outlets,” which was listed as a top-three amenity by 63.81% of students, followed by “on-board bathrooms,” which was listed as a top-three amenity 58.09% of the time and “Wi-Fi,” which was listed as a top-three amenity 52.38% of the time. “Legroom” and “reclining seats” were ranked as less important. However, they are still relevant, being listed as the top-three amenities 44.76% and 27.26% of the time, respectively. “Seat belts” and “USB outlets” proved to be less important to students and were listed in the bottom half of the table 69.53% and 66.68% of the time respectively. The least important features were “access to baggage,” which was listed in the bottom half of the table for 73.33% of respondents, “personal temperature control,” which was listed in the bottom half 84.22% of the time and “food/beverage service,” which was listed in the bottom half of the table for 92.37% respondents.
Modes of Intercity Travel Students were asked to rank “cars,” “buses” and “trains” from most favorable to least favorable mode of transportation to better understand overall opinions towards modes of intercity travel. Results showed that “cars” was the most favorable option, ranking number one 72.28% of the time. This question also showed that “buses” are viewed more favorably to “trains” in the eyes of the respondents, though not by much. “Buses” was listed as the most favorable form of intercity travel 14.85%. In contrast, “trains” was listed first by only 12.87% of respondents.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
92
Furthermore, “buses” was listed as the second most preferred mode of transportation 41.58% of the time. In comparison, ”trains” was only chosen as the second most favorable by 40.59% of respondents.
This information indicates buses as the more preferred mode of transportation when cars are unavailable. Trends illustrate that Millennials are using cars less often, and underclassmen at some universities are not permitted to have cars on campus. This provides Peter Pan Bus Lines the opportunity to capitalize on a market that prefers bus travel and does not have easy access to cars.
Competing Bus Companies The team worked to determine which buses students were actually riding after understanding how students travel. As such, the questionnaire listed a variety of companies, including “Peter Pan Bus Lines,” “Megabus,” “BoltBus,” “Greyhound,” “Adirondack Trailways,” “Jefferson Lines,” “Red Coach,” “N/A have not taken a bus in 2016” and “other”. The results were favorable to Peter Pan Bus Lines, which had been taken by 29.01% of respondents. Peter Pan Bus Lines was followed by competitors “Greyhound” and “MegaBus,” which were used by 16.03% and 10.69% of respondents, respectively.
This question indicated a relative lack of smaller competition. “BoltBus” and “Adirondack Trailways” were the only other companies logging a response with 3% and 0.98% of respondents selecting it. As such, the company should continue focusing on differentiating itself from larger competition, such as Greyhound and Megabus. Additionally, the chart on the following page (Figure 1.7) shows that 25.19% of respondents have not taken a bus at all in 2016, which further signifies that there is room for Peter Pan Bus Lines to expand in this market.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
93
Figure 1.7 Bus Companies Used in 2016 by College Students Bus Presence The team believed that the presence of buses on campus could influence student usage of buses. As a result, the next set of questions was formulated to determine if students were aware of buses that stopped on their campus. The data collected from this question showed that individuals generally knew if a bus stop was located on their campus. All respondents from the University of Massachusetts Amherst were aware that Peter Pan Bus Lines had a bus stop at Haggis Mall on campus. In addition, 62.26% of students who do not attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst said they were aware of a bus stop that was either on or close to their campus. The next question on this topic was designed to determine if having a stop on campus
Peter Pan Bus Lines
94
would make riding the bus a more favorable option, and 62.26% of respondents answered that it would make bus travel more favorable to other forms of intercity travel. This further signifies the importance of pick-up locations, rated as a top-three feature by 60.75% of respondents.
Loyalty or Rewards Program Information
Student Use of Loyalty or Rewards Programs The team sought to understand how many college students use loyalty or rewards programs. This information was gathered by asking respondents if they were currently members of any loyalty or rewards program. About 76% of respondents indicated they were not a part of a loyalty or rewards program, and 22.22 % of respondents indicated they were.
Next, the goal was to determine why students join loyalty or rewards programs. The first question for this purpose asked students to list the main reasons that they join a loyalty or rewards program by selecting any of the following five options: “saving money,” “already a frequent shopper,” “personalized deals and rewards,” “status (e.g., Starbucks Gold Status Member)” and “other”. Approximately 87% of respondents checked “saving money” as a main reason for joining a loyalty or rewards programs, and 83.33% checked “already a frequent shopper” as a reason. These were followed by “personalized deals and rewards” and “status (e.g., Starbucks Gold Status Member),” which were chosen by 75.00% and 37.50% of respondents, respectively. The “other” option was not chosen by any respondents, suggesting that there were no additional reasons for joining a loyalty or rewards program.
The team also asked college students what loyalty or rewards programs they are currently members of to gain greater insight into what programs research should focus on. The team provided a list of the highest rated loyalty or rewards programs found through preliminary research. This list included “Starbucks,” “TrueBlue by JetBlue,” “Sephora,” “CVS ExtraCare,” “Walgreens,” “Best Buy,” “L.L. Bean,” “Nordstrom,” “Amtrak Guest Rewards” and “Other.” “Starbucks” and “CVS ExtraCare” were the most used programs with 66.67% and 62.50% of respondents checking them off, respectively. These were followed by “Sephora” with 37.50%, “Walgreens” and “TrueBlue by JetBlue,” both with 20.83%, and “Nordstrom” and “Amtrak Guest Rewards” each used by 12.50% of respondents. “Best Buy” and “L.L. Bean” were the least used with only 8.33% of respondents. The “other” category, in which 37.50% of respondent selected, did not have consistent answers. This information helped guide the team in
Peter Pan Bus Lines
95
researching successful loyalty or rewards programs and can help determine how Peter Pan Bus Lines can implement these strategies.
Key Takeaways
● The questionnaire received 108 responses from 20 different universities ● The highest percentage of respondents take 5 or more round trips per year and are
most likely to travel on Thanksgiving or for the purpose of visiting family and friends ● Students tend to plan and book trips one to two weeks in advance ● The most important features of intercity travel for this demographic are the
convenience of pick-up and drop-off locations, speed of travel, and direct routes ● The most important amenities of intercity travel for this demographic are power
outlets, on-board bathrooms and Wi-Fi ● Students’ top mode of transportation is cars, followed by buses and then trains ● Most students take Peter Pan Bus Lines, followed by Greyhound, Megabus and
BoltBus ● About 22% of students are members of loyalty programs and joined to save money,
receive personalized deals and rewards and because they were already buying a lot from the company anyway
Peter Pan Bus Lines
96
RECOMMENDATIONS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
97
Peter Pan Bus Lines
98
Brand Ambassador Recommendation The team recommends that Peter Pan Bus Lines implement a Brand Ambassador program to encourage increased ridership, especially among college students. College students make up a large portion of the company’s customer base. The team sees an opportunity for Peter Pan Bus Lines to garner additional college student riders by executing a Brand Ambassador program.
This recommendation is designed to outline an ideal Brand Ambassador program based on data gathered from the Brand Ambassador focus groups and expert interviews.
Overview of Program
The program would aim to have Brand Ambassadors encourage underclassmen college students to use Peter Pan Bus Lines for their travel needs. One Brand Ambassador can represent each university, which are mentioned in the following section. The program would align with the academic year for students and consist of a variety of assignments from crafting social media postings to hosting events on campus. Brand Ambassadors would be required to attend a training prior to the program’s launch and communicate regularly with Peter Pan Bus Lines’ marketing team.
Universities Involved
Peter Pan Bus Lines currently targets the following key universities, which is why they are recommended to be represented in the Brand Ambassador program:
Boston College
Boston University
Bryant University
Dartmouth College
Hampshire College
Harvard University
Providence College
Roger Williams University
Smith College
Springfield College
University of Connecticut University of Massachusetts Amherst
Western New England University
Peter Pan Bus Lines
99
The company can leverage students at the aforementioned universities to acquire more student riders, although Peter Pan Bus Lines already has a presence at these universities.
Method of Obtaining Brand Ambassadors
Students can be introduced to the Brand Ambassador position via a number of routes. Peter Pan Bus Lines can post the position description and application information on job search engines, such as LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed and Glassdoor. The company can also leverage social media (e.g., Instagram or Facebook) to advertise the position, as a few Brand Ambassadors mentioned seeing such advertisements on these platforms. Peter Pan Bus Lines can also actively seek out and recruit students through LinkedIn, since one Brand Ambassador stated that he was recruited for two programs via this medium. Structure of Program
It is important to provide a clear, detailed structure of the Brand Ambassador programs. The following areas provide a glimpse of the most prevalent and successful structure based on interviews with Brand Ambassadors:
Duration
The team recommends an academic year-long program to coincide with students’ time at the university, as this was addressed frequently in the focus groups.
Participant Benefits Most Brand Ambassadors felt that money was an important benefit; they felt that pay was a successful motivator in accomplishing the program’s tasks. Brand Ambassadors without pay were disappointed to hear that others were paid for their work. Similarly, Brand Ambassadors appreciated the free products and incentives. Most Brand Ambassadors sought out the opportunity for experience and resume-building purposes. The position can help students focus on a particular career path; the opportunity allows students to understand what they want to do in the future.
Additionally, Brand Ambassadors valued that the programs typically involve interacting with people often and getting on their feet. Lastly, flexibility was a major component. Those that mentioned flexibility wanted to ensure that the program would complement, but not take away from, their academic responsibilities.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
100
Participant benefits in the Brand Ambassador program description should be clear and detailed, so the participants would fully understand the program’s offerings. It is recommended that Peter Pan Bus Lines pay Brand Ambassadors, include incentives and free products and stress the importance of flexibility in the job description.
Participant Responsibilities Brand Ambassadors reflected on their time commitment to the brand, ranging 1 to 15 hours per week. The weekly time commitment depends on the types of assignments. For example, weeks with events would require more time than weeks spent crafting a social media post. Some Brand Ambassadors are required to submit monthly reports regarding how they performed with data to the representative. The reporting varied by brand. A few methods include PowerPoint presentations and sending pictures. Additionally, numerous Brand Ambassadors attended a training before their work began.
Participants should be responsible for committing a certain number of hours per week, depending on the type of assignment. The team learned that the most effective Brand Ambassador programs required students to work an average of 5 hours per week and up to 9 hours when an event was scheduled. Additionally, monthly recaps in the form of a PowerPoint or Google document would be useful. Recaps would include what was accomplished that month, pictures and any new statistics.
Communication Adequate communication between the Brand Ambassador and the company is crucial. Most Brand Ambassadors communicated with a designated representative from the company, which appeared to work well. Brand Ambassadors reported communicating by phone, email, online communities, Facebook messenger or specialized app. Communication frequency depended on the structure of the program. Brand Ambassadors that had clear assignments to execute would communicate often with the representative--sometimes daily. Contrarily, poorly structured programs resulted in little communication (i.e., once a month) or none at all. Most others communicated weekly or biweekly, which most reported was the best frequency. Some Brand Ambassadors also had a weekly or monthly conference call scheduled with all the Brand Ambassadors in the program, which was deemed effective. Communicating with other Brand Ambassadors in the program was useful to understand what events they are planning and what is--and is not--working them. Brand Ambassadors reported that they conversed with the
Peter Pan Bus Lines
101
representative of the brand on the following: questions that arise, feedback from completed assignments and planning for upcoming assignments.
Brand Ambassadors should communicate with Peter Pan Bus Lines’ marketing team biweekly. Monthly conference calls that include all Brand Ambassadors is recommended for idea generating and advice.
Program Assignments
Peter Pan Bus Lines should provide its Brand Ambassadors with monthly goals and assignments, providing greater structure. Some Brand Ambassadors from the focus groups noted that it was sometimes difficult to meet goals (e.g., 5 pictures per week) when there was not an event. Furthermore, it may be beneficial for Peter Pan Bus Lines to give smaller tasks during quieter months instead of needing to meet the same goals each month. Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Brand Ambassadors should have the following assignments during the program: hosting or sponsoring events, posting on social media and talking to on-campus clubs and organizations, such as Greek Life.
Potential Program Expansion
Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Brand Ambassador program could expand to include other universities along the East coast, should the initial program be successful and result in the provision of increased funding. Contrarily, Peter Pan Bus Lines could choose to represent the same key universities, but the company could expand by adding more than one Brand Ambassador per university. A few Brand Ambassadors had co-representatives, and felt that having multiple representatives per university proved beneficial.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
102
Key Takeaways
● The team recommends that Peter Pan Bus Lines implements a Brand Ambassador
program to increase its college student riders base ● Brand Ambassadors are generally deemed a successful marketing team, generating
more brand awareness ● The Brand Ambassador program would target Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current key
university targets, being Boston College, Boston University, Bryant University, Dartmouth College, Hampshire College, Harvard University, Providence College, Roger Williams University, Smith College, Springfield College, University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Western New England University
● For the beginning of the program, one Brand Ambassador can represent each university previously listed with the hopes of expanded in the future to two Brand Ambassadors per university
● Assignments can consist of social media postings, hosting and sponsoring events and talking to on-campus clubs and organizations (e.g., Greek Life)
● Brand Ambassadors would communicate biweekly with Peter Pan Bus Lines’ marketing team, attend a training before the program officially launches and represent the brand during their universities’ respective academic calendar year
Peter Pan Bus Lines
103
Social Media Recommendation Social media has become an increasingly important form of communication and cannot be ignored by businesses as a means for reaching out to new and existing customers. Data from the 2016 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper report shows that 34% of individuals stated that social media influenced their purchases, up from 25% in 2015. In addition, 39% of individuals follow retailers on social media, up from 33% in 2015.
Peter Pan Bus Lines is currently heavily involved in social media with its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Peter Pan Bus Lines’ largest following is from its Facebook account with 8,571 followers, followed by Twitter with 8,378 followers and Instagram with 278 followers. The content varies based on platform, with Facebook and Twitter focusing mainly on promoting deals, scheduling changes and more personal information, such as announcing new hires. Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Instagram focuses mainly on location shots and suggested travel locations. The company is also active on Snapchat, but gaining information on this platform is difficult due to the nature of the app.
Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current social media activity can be improved to gain better traction with the college market. Social media trends vary greatly between Millennials and older generations, meaning different material is required to target each. The team’s focus groups with University of Massachusetts Amherst students showed a general lack of interest in following transportation brands on social media platforms. Students outlined limited and specific factors that would encourage them to specifically follow Peter Pan Bus Lines. One student stated he would only follow the company on Facebook if it provided him the chance to receive discounts. Another student said he would probably only look at Peter Pan Bus Lines on Twitter in the event of delays. Instagram and Snapchat proved to be even less attractive to students; some of which question what the company would post on Instagram. The general consensus among the group was that they would not consider following brands in general on Snapchat.
However, these findings do not necessarily indicate that Millennials are unreachable when they are on social media, just that the content needs to be shifted to better fit their desires. A way in which Peter Pan Bus Lines can shift its social media presence to better target the college market would be to introduce university-specific Facebook and Twitter pages for target schools. These pages would be run entirely by Brand Ambassadors and can be fine-tuned to give students what they desire at their respective universities. These specialized pages were viewed positively by the focus group participants due to the versatility they provided. The pages would provide
Peter Pan Bus Lines
104
the same type of content that can currently be found on Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Facebook and Twitter pages, such as special offers and schedule changes. However, the information would be filtered to only include information that was relevant to each university. This content would include special deals, relevant route changes, news about on campus events and special content to maintain the interest of students, which could include campus-wide trends and photos of students. For example, The Peter Pan Bus Lines University of Massachusetts Amherst Facebook page (see Figure 1.8 on the following page) would only have information about routes that came through the university and Amherst. This would prevent students’ newsfeeds from being overrun with irrelevant information.
This program is currently being successfully used by Victoria’s Secret PINK. One such example is at the University of Arizona where the University of Arizona-specific PINK page has 2,996 followers and 3,015 likes (see Figure 1.9 below) Implementing this process will provide greater reach in the college market, providing information that is catered specifically to the market that will be receiving it.
Figure 1.9 University of Arizona-specific Victoria’s Secret PINK Facebook page
Peter Pan Bus Lines
105
Figure 1.8 University of Massachusetts Amherst-specific Peter Pan Bus Lines Facebook page
Peter Pan Bus Lines should adapt the way it interacts with individuals online, in addition to creating university-specific pages to draw in the college market. Mintel reports show that the user generated content is the most favorable type of content on social media. The team suggests that Peter Pan Bus Lines implements a photo contest on Instagram in order to tap into this market. These contests would run for about a month. This time period ensures sufficient time to participate without losing consumer interest. However, photo contests produced mixed reactions among focus group participants. Students said they would only participate if there was a significant prize. Moreover, students were confused about how the contest would work, expressing concern about the limited content that could be generated while on a bus. To adequately address these concerns, the prize for such a contest could be a free round-trip journey, which is a large enough prize to draw interest. The visual subjects of the contests could be extended to destinations of Peter Pan Bus Lines trips to increase the content participants could use.
One example of an Instagram photo contest could be held in the month of November, ending the week before Thanksgiving. Peter Pan Bus Lines could send out promotions such as, “Take a snapshot of your favorite Peter Pan Bus Lines destination with the caption #GoingPlacesWithPPBL, and we'll bring you there for free!” Such contests can be extremely
Peter Pan Bus Lines
106
beneficial by increasing brand awareness through riders themselves while also rewarding individuals who use Peter Pan Bus Lines’ services.
The current Peter Pan Bus Lines’ social media strategy provides information that people want to hear in an easily accessible way. However, there is always opportunity to improve. Two such possibilities would be to implement university-specific Facebook pages at major target schools and user-generated content contests.
Key Takeaways
● Most students don't follow transportation brands on social media and would only do
so to receive discounts or learn about possible delays ● The creation of university-specific social media pages could increase interest among
college students in following Peter Pan Bus Lines and would provide them more relevant information
● Respondents would only participate in a social media contest if the prize was significant, mostly due to a lack of available on bus content available
● A photo contest regarding destinations and providing a free round trip journey could generate interest as well as user generated content, which is more favorable amongst consumers
Peter Pan Bus Lines
107
Student Discount Recommendation A major issue for college-aged students when it comes to intercity travel is high prices. “Value” (what they were receiving from a mode of travel compared to what they had paid) was listed by 46.73% of respondents as an important feature of intercity travel. Two-thirds of college students interviewed listed price as the single most important feature when determining a mode of travel. Additionally, several students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst focus groups stated that they would generally avoid traveling by train due to the steep price of travel. However, Peter Pan Bus Lines did not fare much better when students were asked about its prices. Words, such as “Overpriced” and “Increased Prices” were used to describe recent trips on Peter Pan Bus Lines. Peter Pan Bus Lines does not want these associations among consumers when price has proven such an important factor of intercity travel. One way in which Peter Pan Bus Lines can help shed this image is to decrease prices for students by expanding its current student discount system.
Peter Pan Bus Lines currently offers a student discount to individuals who are enrolled in high school or higher education, including college, university, community college, junior college, etc. These discounts are only available for tickets bought in person at a Peter Pan Bus Lines terminal or associated agencies. The ticket, in order to be eligible, must be purchased while school is in session, the student must have a valid student ID and the discount may not be combined with any other fares. Most students cannot benefit from this discount due to the restrictions in place and a lack of promotion of this service. Peter Pan Bus Lines could reach more students and increase ridership by digitalizing its current student discount.
Peter Pan Bus Lines recently introduced a new website and mobile app in a shift to digitalize its company and could follow up these steps by digitizing its student discount system. Currently, students are required to purchase a ticket at a Peter Pan Bus Lines terminal or associated agency to qualify for this discount. However, this is proving ineffective as most tickets are now bought through online portals from Peter Pan Bus Lines’ website or mobile app. Data from the 2016 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper report show that Millennials make 54% of their purchases online. Students are, therefore, missing out on the opportunity to save money and are continuing to perceive prices as too expensive. The system would require the student to create an account to qualify for the student discount on tickets. The student would log on to PeterPanBus.com and buy a ticket, and a box in the ticket purchase page would read, “To qualify for a student discount, create a Peter Pan Bus Lines account with you student email.” This would prompt the student to create an account with his or her student email address (e.g.,
Peter Pan Bus Lines
108
[email protected]). The discount would be added to the final price before checkout after the account is created. The student would still be required to show a valid student ID upon arrival at the bus terminal to prove that he or she does qualify for the discount. This policy is currently in place now and would remain with the same punishment for those who are not eligible.
Concerns about abuse of this program by individuals who may no longer be an active student trying to pass as a student can be prevented in several different manners. Firstly, Peter Pan Bus Lines should continue the process of requiring a valid student ID for any individual attempting to use a student discounted ticket. However, this is not a means of preventing 100% of individuals attempting to pass as a student for such discounted tickets. Further information about combating this scheme can be found by looking at companies with student discount service in place, such as Spotify. Spotify offers a special $5 rate for its premium service to students currently enrolled in any form of higher education. Spotify uses a company called SheerID to ensure all those who sign up for the program are indeed students. SheerID uses the same database used by the government to determine eligibility for financial aid and verifies students in a fraction of a second. This software can be implemented into Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current website, making it impossible for individuals to be aware of their review. SheerID’s success can be seen at a number of companies, including Spotify, Amazon, T-Mobile and Tommy Hilfiger.
This system would be beneficial to both students looking to save money and to Peter Pan Bus Lines. The company outlined a lack of emails and personal data as a major issue following the termination of the pool agreement with Greyhound. Requiring a student to create a Peter Pan Bus Lines account with a university email address would allow the company to gain access to a wealth of data, which previously would have been funneled to Greyhound. Furthermore, Peter Pan Bus Lines would be able to use its student discount as a means of promoting itself as a cheaper alternative to rail service, which is already associated with high prices.
Not only will this practice encourage increased ridership among college students, but could increase overall ridership overtime. Students who found inexpensive tickets through Peter Pan Bus Lines during their college career may be more inclined to use the company’s services after they have graduated as well. For example, Spotify did not see a spike in revenue through its use of a student fee, but has found potential in creating life-long users who will eventually turn into full-paying members in the future.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
109
Additionally, the company could combat this overpriced perception by creating an annual, one-day Back-to-School Sale on Labor Day during which college students get 30% off any tickets they buy. Students would also get 35% added to any credit they put towards their online account. Under this example, if a student put a $100 credit on his or her online account, Peter Pan Bus Lines would provide him or her an additional $35 for future trips. Having the sale on Labor Day would provide ample time to ensure that incoming Freshmen learn about Peter Pan Bus Lines and the sale. The company can promote this one-day sale through social media posts, through Brand Ambassadors and tabling at Freshmen and Welcome Back Events. This would encourage Freshmen to start using Peter Pan Bus Lines immediately and incite repeat customers.
Key Takeaways
● Price and value are important factors for students when determining a mode of intercity travel
● Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current student discount system requires that tickets are bought in person with a student ID
● Expanding the student discount to include online tickets would increase its effectiveness, as Millennials make 54% of their purchases online
● Requiring a student email to use discount would increase the amount of emails and travel data to which Peter Pan Bus Lines has access
● Offering a special Back-to-School sale would provide a positive first impression for students on a high travel weekend
Peter Pan Bus Lines
110
Direct Routes Recommendation Amtrak, one of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ major competitors, operates the Northeast Regional line and reaches many of the same cities as Peter Pan Bus Lines. This poses a uniquely difficult situation for Peter Pan Bus Lines in trying to differentiate itself from a competitor, which has some unmatchable offerings. One differentiating factor is that rail services, such as Amtrak, do not deal with the same traffic problems facing bus companies. Both college students and South Station travelers acknowledged this key difference and stated it impacted their choosing rail services over buses.
One possible way to combat this uniquely positioned competitor would be to increase the number of direct routes that Peter Pan Bus Lines offers. Direct routes proved very important to travelers, as 49.54% of the Qualtrics questionnaire respondents listed it as one of their top-three most important features of travel. Furthermore, 49.54% of respondents listed “speed of travel” as one of their top-three features; a college student interviewee suggested that he would pay more for a particular mode of transportation if he knew it would be faster. Decreasing the number of stops that each bus makes is one way to make travel faster. In doing so, Peter Pan Bus Lines could increase the number of travelers willing to take its buses.
Increasing the amount of direct routes that Peter Pan Bus Lines offers and shifting its advertising from amenities to speed of travel could help increase ridership with travelers of all ages.
Key Takeaways
● The perceived high level of traffic and slow speed experienced in bus travel are
deterring travelers of all ages from using Peter Pan Bus Lines ● Peter Pan Bus Lines can mitigate this concern by increasing the number of direct
routes offered ● The company can also shift its advertising to focus on this increased speed of travel to
encourage increased ridership
Peter Pan Bus Lines
111
Charter Services Recommendation Dedicated Sales Team
The team determined that a dedicated sales team is necessary to acquire increased charter service business through several interviews with local business and event planning organizations. Relationship management seems to be the most important aspect of securing such business. In an interview, Laura Yates, President of Dovetail Event Partners, said in reference to the importance of business relationships, “[...] if I need to book a motorcoach, I want to call and I want to know the person's name [...] I want a relationship with that person because I can't be let down.” This is an area where Peter Pan Bus Lines is uniquely positioned to differentiate itself. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review shows that people not only prefer, but tend to have more trust in a family-owned business, which Peter Pan Bus Lines can boast itself as.
Peter Pan Bus Lines can continue to build awareness and relationships by hosting informational luncheons that include a tour of a Peter Pan Bus Lines bus for prospective clients. This practice would help to create a positive first impression of the company and the buses themselves. Furthermore, these luncheons can serve as a platform for the sales team to promote additional opportunities to use charter services outside of special events and company outings. The sales team could speak to charter services’ use of quickly and easily visiting several regional offices and warehouses over the course of a day, allowing for executives of companies to see their entire work force instead of just one office. Another use of charter services could be to assist in entry-level recruitment or community engagement. Potential clients for Peter Pan Bus Lines to target with its charter bus services include event planning businesses, convention bureaus and large regional corporations.
Update Perceptions
A marketing campaign that raises awareness about Peter Pan Bus Lines’ most recent updates to the buses’ amenities and company’s services can also increase charter service requests. The tagline could be “Not your grandpa’s Peter Pan”; it would be directed toward individuals 35 years of age and over who may not have recent personal experience with the brand. This tagline would allow Peter Pan Bus Lines to not only promote its extensive and proud history but also its new fleet of high-tech buses, updated website and mobile app. The campaign could be featured on New England television stations, city billboards and social media channels, with a
Peter Pan Bus Lines
112
particular focus on Facebook. This campaign should highlight that the company’s buses include Wi-Fi, USB ports and electrical outlets.
Publicizing Safety Measures
For public universities, the most important aspect seems to be safety and reliability. These aspects of the company’s charter services can be highlighted by publishing its safety statistics in an aesthetically prominent manner on its website, particularly on the charter service page. Other aspects the company can highlight on this page include its drug testing, training and health check practices in a succinct, one-line manner. The designated salespeople should also advertise that the buses’ legroom, comfortable seats, climate control, Wi-Fi, power outlets, televisions and secured storage are highlighted to potential university clients.
Alternative Uses of Luxury Charter Service Buses
Some travelers and a charter service expert suggested that Peter Pan Bus Lines have a separate, more high-end line of buses to bring business travelers to and from major cities on a regular basis. Peter Pan Bus Lines could use vehicles currently reserved solely for charter services, such as the company’s Limo Coach, to bring business travelers to and from Boston and New York a few times per weekday. This service would increase the use of the Limo Coach during the week, while still providing availability for the frequently requested charter service use over the weekend. Alternatively, Peter Pan Bus Lines could design and manufacture a bus that includes more amenities that business travelers are looking for, such as workstations and outlets, maintaining the luxurious and spaciousness aspects of the Limo Coach.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
113
Key Takeaways
● The team recommends methods for Peter Pan Bus Lines to increase its charter service
use by implementing the following:
○ Dedicated sales team that increases awareness of the company’s charter services by holding luncheons for prospective clients that include tours of the buses, resulting in more positive brand perceptions
○ Marketing campaign highlighting Peter Pan Bus Lines’ recent updates, such as with its amenities, to show that it is not an outdated brand
○ More information on the charter services website page geared towards highlighting the company’s safety measures and reliability
○ Designing new, high-end buses or using the company’s current Limo Coach for heavy, weekday business travel to and from Boston and New York, which appeals to business travels seeking a luxurious and spacious experience for this prevalent journey
Peter Pan Bus Lines
114
Loyalty Program Recommendation Peter Pan Bus Lines anticipates launching a loyalty program in 2017, and the team recommends that the company incorporate additional aspects as the program grows. Preliminary research discussed in the ‘Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis’ highlights important considerations to brands. Participants in both the Brand Ambassador and Millennial Traveler focus groups recommended that Peter Pan Bus Lines implement a loyalty or rewards program mainly to save money. Findings from the Qualtrics questionnaire demonstrated loyalty or rewards program aspects most important to customers.
Preliminary, published research illustrated a number of findings that brands should be aware of, such as Mintel reporting that 23% of respondents felt that “my rewards or benefits expire before I can use them” (see Figure 1.3). Another Mintel report on frequent travel programs highlighted that members highly value collecting points to be redeemed for free travel. According to Harvard Business School’s Jose Alvarez, successful loyalty programs involve a customer reward for enrolling, personalized rewards and feedback from customers.
A Brand Ambassador specifically suggested that Peter Pan Bus Lines offers a loyalty program: “Take, like, four rides and get one half off or free or something. I used to take Peter Pan all the time Freshman and Sophomore year because I didn’t have a car, and the price was awful, but I had to do it. Like people would definitely use it, but they don’t want to pay for it.” Another Brand Ambassador essentially recommended a refer-a-friend program, utilizing social media, “Maybe you take a ride and you share it on Facebook or something and your friend gets her next trip like half off if you share the links, something like that. Just lowering the cost really.” Essentially, these Brand Ambassadors recommended decreasing the costs of bus travel, which can be done through a loyalty program.
Participants in the Millennial Traveler focus groups were specifically asked to recommend aspects of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty or rewards program. Participants suggested discounts for each trip, a digital punch card or a method of tracking mileage to be converted into discounted or free tickets. Tracking mileage relates to JetBlue’s TrueBlue program, in which the accumulation of points based on the price of each flight can later be redeemed for free tickets. Another suggestion was for a student rider card that would charge an upfront fee for joining but discount each ticket by at least $5.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
115
Respondents from the Qualtrics questionnaire demonstrated why they join a loyalty or rewards program, revealing that “saving money” was the most important (87.50%), followed by “already a frequent shopper of the brand” (83.33%) and “personalized deals and rewards” (75.00%).
The team recommends a loyalty program that provides discounted travel to frequent users and especially college students who deem Peter Pan Bus Lines too expensive. A few recommendations to consider based on findings include a discount for enrolling, the accumulation of points for discounted or free travel and personalized rewards. A loyalty program can appeal to current Peter Pan Bus Lines travelers, influencing the continual use of its services. Additionally, the loyalty program can help acquire more riders that see the benefit in using Peter Pan Bus Lines over competitor buses and other modes of intercity transportation.
Key Takeaways
● The team recommends particular consideration points for Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty
program
○ Upfront discount provided to travelers for enrolling in the program
○ Accumulation of points that can be redeemed for discounted or free travel
○ Personalized rewards ● Preliminary, published research and data gathered from focus groups and the
Qualtrics questionnaire were used to formulate the recommendation ● Students from focus groups stressed the importance of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ high
prices ● Of the Qualtrics questionnaire respondents, 87.50% said that “saving money” was
their primary and most important reason for joining a loyalty or rewards program ● The implementation of a successful loyalty program can lead to increased ridership,
especially for budget-conscious college students
Peter Pan Bus Lines
116
LIMITATIONS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
117
Peter Pan Bus Lines
118
Overview
The team discovered several limitations to the research throughout the completion of this report. These limitations were shortcomings, influences and conditions that were not controlled by the team and thus restricted methodology and conclusion. However, these limitations do not discredit the data, and the research still provided useful and actionable information. The limitations the team faced were as follows:
Time Frame
The research was conducted, analyzed and prepared for presentation over a 15-week period. This amount of time allowed the team to create and distribute an online questionnaire, hold focus groups and conduct in-person interviews with travelers at South Station in Boston. However, more time would be needed for more conclusive information to be gathered. Additional interviews and focus groups could have been conducted to provide a better understanding of the average traveler. Furthermore, the online questionnaire could have been based on information gathered from all in-person interviews opposed to the sole introductory interviews conducted in the first few weeks of the semester.
Location
The team traveled to South Station in Boston, Massachusetts to conduct in-person interviews with bus and train travelers. South Station was the only station the team traveled to when conducting these interviews. As a result, the information gathered from these in-person interviews will be heavily swayed to those individuals who live in and travel to Boston. Traveling to joint bus and train stations in other cities or states that Peter Pan Bus Lines operates in would have helped to better understand regular bus and train travelers.
Time of Day
The South Station interviews occurred on a Monday from 12:00-1:30 PM. Consequently, the information achieved carries a time limitation as it only provides information regarding mid-day travelers. Individuals who participate in mid-day travel may differ from those who travel early in the morning or later in the afternoon or night. Gaining a better understanding of all riders would require the team to conduct in-person interviews at several different times throughout the week.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
119
Proximity of Holiday
An additional time limitation for the in-person South Station interviews was that the interviews were conducted during the week of Thanksgiving, on Monday, November 21st. Holiday travel heavily differs from standard travel and generally carries a more negative connotation. Thus, the responses received may have been swayed by the possibility of poor travel conditions. Furthermore, the respondents interviewed may have different reasons for taking intercity buses or trains than individuals interviewed during a non-holiday week.
Online Data Collection
The team collected the majority of its data through online sources, including a Qualtrics questionnaire and emailed interviews. This has created a limitation on the data that was received. Online interviews do not provide the same flexibility as in-person interviews. Questions during an in-person interview can be adapted to better fit the respondent and gain greater insight on the responses. Online interviews also limited the ability to ask follow-up questions and delve deeper into certain topics. As such, in-person interviews provide a greater depth of information than their online counterparts. Conducting more in-person interviews would have been beneficial in gaining greater insight.
Reach of Questionnaire
One limitation of the team’s Qualtrics Questionnaire was the overall reach of the questionnaire. Distributing the online questionnaire to universities provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines was a manageable task due to connections held by the team. The questionnaire was then distributed via universities’ Facebook groups by the various contacts. The questionnaire did not receive the same amount of feedback from each school due to a lack of contacts at certain universities or the lack of a university Facebook group, which smaller universities generally do not have. Consequently, the data received from this questionnaire are skewed towards larger universities. More reliable data would have been necessary to gain greater levels of input from smaller universities.
Age of Respondents
The final limitation to the Qualtrics questionnaire, student focus groups and student interviews was the age of respondents. Approximately 82% of respondents of these data gathering methods were either a college Junior or Senior. Subsequently, much of the data received pertained to upperclassmen and their experiences and preferences. This poses a limitation, as the data is more relevant to one group of individuals than another. Furthermore, underclassmen
Peter Pan Bus Lines
120
are more likely to use buses and trains as a mode of intercity travel because of limited parking for cars on campus. More information from a wider age group would have provided a better overall understanding of the college market.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
121
Peter Pan Bus Lines
122
REFERENCES
Peter Pan Bus Lines
123
Peter Pan Bus Lines
124
General Background Amtrak. (2016), Amtrak. Retrieved from https://www.amtrak.com/home BoltBus. (2016), BoltBus. Retrieved from https://www.boltbus.com/ Ghosh, R. (2016, February). Seasonal Vacation Trends. Mintel Academic. Retrieved
September 28, 2016, from http://academic.mintel.com.silk.library.umass.edu/display/747656/
Greyhound. (2016), Greyhound. Retrieved from https://www.greyhound.com/ JetBlue. (2016), JetBlue. Retrieved from https://www.jetblue.com/ LimoLiner. (2016), LimoLiner. Retrieved from https://www.limoliner.com/ Macke, D. (2015, July). The Business Traveler. Mintel Academic. Retrieved September
28, 2016, from http://academic.mintel.com.silk.library.umass.edu/display/716585/
Megabus. (2016), Megabus. Retrieved from http://us.megabus.com/ Peter Pan Bus Lines. (2016), Peter Pan Bus Lines. Retrieved from https://peterpanbus.com/ Scheduled and Charter Bus Services in the US. (2016, January). IBISWorld US. Retrieved
from http://clients1.ibisworld.com/reports/us/industry/default.aspx?entid=1163
Synthesis of Traveler Choice Research: Improving Modeling Accuracy for Better Transportation Decisionmaking. (2013, August). U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved from
The Future of Technology in Travel - International - June 2011. (2011, June). Mintel. Retrieved from http://academic.mintel.com/display/545397/
Trailways of New York. (2016), Trailways of New York. Retrieved from https://trailwaysny.com/ Travel Booking - US- May 2016. (2016, May). Mintel. Retrieved from
http://academic.mintel.com/display/747814/ Travel & Tourism - US - Market Size. (n.d.). Mintel. Retrieved 2016, from
http://marketsizes.mintel.com/snapshots/USA/512/performance/single Trends. Prove It, Consumers are doing their homework and expecting proof before purchase. Mintel
Trends. Retrieved from http://academic.mintel.com/trends/#/trend/501738?application=h:12,m:784100
Trends. Influentials, The internet has democratized information - but not influence. Welcome to the era of consumer as PR piece. Mintel Trends. Retrieved from
Peter Pan Bus Lines
125
http://academic.mintel.com/trends/#/trend/239527?application=h:12,m:760029
UPS WhitePaper. (2016, June), Pulse of the Online Shopper White Paper. Retrieved on December 7, 2016, Retrieved from https://solvers.ups.com/ups-pulse-of-the-online-shopper/
Walker, J. L. (n.d.). Brand Rationality in Travel Demand Models. Retrieved from http://www.uctc.net/access/39/access39_demand_models.pdf
College Market American Transportation Association. Millennials and Mobility. Retrieved September
27, 2016, from http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Millennials-and-Mobility.pdf
Barton, C. (2013, March), Traveling with Millennials. The Boston Consulting Group. Retrieved on November 28, 2016, from http://www.bcg.com/documents/file129974.pdf
Dutzik, T., Inglis, J., & Baxandall, P. (2014, October). Millennials and Mobility. The Frontier Group. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.frontiergroup.org/reports/fg/millennials-motion
Expectations of Cars in the Future Among US Teen Internet Users. (2016, March). Autotrade and Kelley Blue Book Gen Z Automotive Study. Retrieved September 27, 2016. Retrieved from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=190468&dsNav=Ntk:basic%7cteens%7c1%7c,Ro:4,N:712,Nr:NOT(Type%3aComparative+Estimate)&kwredirect=n
Ghosh, R. (2016, April). Millennial Travelers. Mintel Academic. Retrieved from http://academic.mintel.com/display/748294/
Macke, D. (2016, May). Marketing to Millennials. Mintel Academic. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://academic.mintel.com/display/747762/
Marketing to College Students. (2011, July). Mintel Academic. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://academic.mintel.com/display/542937/#
Marketing to the iGeneration - US, (2016, April), Mintel Academic. Retrieved from http://academic.mintel.com/display/768710/?highlight
Newman, J. (2014, March). Spotify adds $5 Student Plan, but Note the Fine Print. TechHive. Retrieved December 5, 2016, from
Peter Pan Bus Lines
126
http://www.techhive.com/article/2111441/spotify-adds-5-student-plan-but-note-the-fine-print.html
SheerID. (2016). SheerID, Eligibility Verification for Exclusive, Protected Offers. Retrieved on December 2, 2016, from http://www.sheerid.com/
Competitors Airport Shuttle Operators in the US. (n.d.). IBISWorld US. Retrieved September 28,
2016, from http://clients1.ibisworld.com.silk.library.umass.edu/reports/us/industry/default.spx?entid=4858
American Bus Association (March 12, 2015), Motorcoach Census. Retrieved from abafoundation https://www.buses.org/assets/images/uploads/general/Report%20-%20Census2013data.pdf
Blumgart, J. (October 15, 2013), Why Trains Shouldn’t be Better Than Buses. Retrieved from Pacific Standard, https://psmag.com/why-trains-shouldn-t-be-better-than-buses-1c9add537898#.f7cjqko99
Entertainment Close-Up (September 2015), Amtrak Introduces New Brand Campaign: '500 Destinations. Infinite Stories'. ProQuest. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from ProQuest. http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1714189654/1DB6256A3A424448PQ/11?accountid=14572
Federal Railroad Administration (August 3, 2016), Quarter Ended March 31, 2016 (Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2016). Retrieved from US Department of Transportaion Federal Railroad Administration, http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L18308
Food Weekly News ( September 2016), Greyhound; Greyhound Announces Fare Sale: 20 Percent Off Tickets Purchased During Labor Day Weekend. ProQuest. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from ProQuest, http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1817781668/F8C7221DA58146C6PQ/7?accountid=14572
Highes, S. (January 2016), Megabus.com Partners with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation: Debuts pink bus; $1 will be donated to BCRF for every ticket sold on January 19. ProQuest. Retrieved September 24, 2016, from ProQuest, http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1757880652/791962BF359248DBPQ/1?accountid=14572http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethgreenfield/2012/07/24/bolt-bus-vs-amtrak-do-you-really-get-what-you-pay-for/#34e1307a3ac8
Peter Pan Bus Lines
127
Marketing Weekly News (August 2016), Greyhound; Greyhound Launches New Advertising Campaign That Takes A Modern Twist On Classic Greyhound Ads. ProQuest. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from ProQuest, http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1810643242/234C56FC0CC4517PQ/1?accountid=14572
PR Newswire (February 2016), SSI Gets on Board with Amtrak Guest Rewards: -- Offers Amtrak Customers New Ways to Earn Points --. ProQuest. Retrieved from ProQuest September 2016. http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1767315483/193B49252EF249A6PQ/1?accountid=14572
PRNewswire (July 2016), BoltBus Partners With GenHERation During Discovery Days: Day trips in various markets offer young women the opportunity to meet powerful female executives at well-known corporations. ProQuest. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from ProQuest. http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1804916508/234C56FC0CC4517PQ/5?accountid=14572
PRNewswire (June 2016), Greyhound and Six Flags Partner for "Live Unleashed Sweepstakes": #LiveUnleashedSweeps to offer trip worth more than $4,000. ProQuest. Retrieved September 2016, from ProQuest http://search.proquest.com/abicomplete/docview/1795841686/234C56FC0CC4517PQ/8?accountid=14572
Rivera, E. (August 2016), Rail Transportation in the US. IBIS World. Retrieved September 24, 2016, from IBIS World. http://clients1.ibisworld.com.silk.library.umass.edu/reports/us/industry/default.aspx?entid=1133
Loyalty Programs 3Cinteractive. (2016, March). Ways in Which US Brand Marketers Would Use a
Mobile-Enabled Loyalty Program. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=195508
Adara. (2016, May). Frequency with Which US Millennial Travelers Sign Up for Leisure Travel Rewards Programs. EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=192657&dsNav=Ntk:relevance| ewards|1|,Ro:0,Nr:NOT(Type:Comparative Estimate)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
128
Brooks, S. (May 25, 2015). CVS To Target: 21 Best Loyalty Rewards Programs. Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrived from http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/money/cvs-target-21-best-loyalty-rewards-programs
CrowdTwist, & Brand Innovators. (2016, May). Types of Rewards Offered as Part of Their Customer Loyalty Program According to US Digital Marketers. EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from
Customers Prefer SMS for Loyalty Program Updates. (2016, August 19). EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1014373&dsNav=Ntk:relevanc |loyalty|1|,Ro:3,Nr:NOT(Type:Comparative Estimate)
CVS Pharmacy. Help with ExtraCare FAQs. Retrieved from https://www.cvs.com/help/contact-us-faqs.jsp?type=extracare&topicid=200016
Duffy, D. (2003) "Internal and external factors which affect customer loyalty", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 20 Iss: 5, pp.480 - 485.Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/07363760310489715
Harland, B. (2016, July). Retailer Loyalty Programs. Mintel Academic. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://academic.mintel.com.silk.library.umass.edu/display/747832/
Macke, D. (2015, June). Frequent Travel Programs. Mintel Academic. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://academic.mintel.com.silk.library.umass.edu/display/716563/
Starbucks. (2016), Starbucks. Retrieved from https://www.starbucks.com/ Starvish, M. (2011, July 27). Customer Loyalty Programs That Work. Harvard Business
School: Working Knowledge. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/customer-loyalty-programs-that-work
To Have a Killer Loyalty Program, Retailers Need to Think Big. (2016, September 6). EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/article.aspx?R=1014440
Urban Airship. (2016, July). Preferred Methods for Installing Mobile Wallet Coupons/Offers vs. Loyalty Cards According to UK/US Internet Users. EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=194753&dsNav=Ntk:relevance|loyalty|1|,Ro:11,Nr:NOT(Type:Comparative Estimate) http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=192341
Peter Pan Bus Lines
129
U.S. News & World Report Travel. Best Airline Rewards Programs. U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved from http://travel.usnews.com/rankings/travel-rewards/airline-rewards/
Wahba, P.(February 22, 2016). Why Starbucks Is Overhauling its Loyalty Rewards Program. Fortune, Retrived from http://fortune.com/2016/02/22/starbucks-loyalty/
Weiss, L. (August 5, 2014). Which Travel Rewards Programs Should You Join? The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/us-news-travel/which-travel-rewards-prog_b_5651829.html
Other Department Store Retailing - US, (2016, September), Mintel Academic. Retrieved from
http://academic.mintel.com/display/789187/?highlight Hall, C., Astrachan, J. (April 27, 2015). Study: Customers Really Do Trust Family Owned More.
Harvard Business Review. Retrieved December 10, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2015/04/study-customers-really-do-trust-family-businesses-more
Reinhold, A. (2004, June/July). South Station Boston [Photograph]. Boston MA. SaleCycle. (2016, July). Digital Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate for the Fashion, Retail,
and Travel Industries Worldwide, Q2 2016. EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=195501
Social Media in Tourism (2016, March), Mintel Academic. Retrieved from, http://academic.mintel.com/display/766443/
Peter Pan Bus Lines
130
CONTACTS
Peter Pan Bus Lines
131
Peter Pan Bus Lines
132
Danielle Veronesi Marketing Director Peter Pan Bus Lines 1776 Main Street Springfield, MA 01102 1-800-237-8747 ext. 1038 [email protected] Michael H. Sharff Director of Planning Peter Pan Bus Lines 1776 Main Street Springfield, MA 01102 Springfield: (800) 237-8747 ext. 1328 Chelsea: (617) 887-2200 ext. 1926 Cell: (617) 653-8458 [email protected] Melissa Picknelly Vice President Peter Pan Bus Lines 1776 Main Street Springfield, MA 01102 [email protected] Jason MacNaught Senior Graphic Designer Peter Pan Bus Lines 1776 Main Street Springfield, MA 01102 [email protected]
Peter Pan Bus Lines
133
Peter Pan Bus Lines
134
MARKETING CONSULTANT
RESUMES
Peter Pan Bus Lines
135
Peter Pan Bus Lines
136
Elizabeth Imbrogna 15 Pleasant Street.Littleton, MA [email protected].
978-501-1202.LinkedIn.com/in/ElizabethImbrogna EDUCATION
Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Bachelor of Arts in Communication Candidate, May 2017 International Scholars Program Certificate GPA: 3.99 ; Dean's List All Semesters; Commonwealth Honors College; Recipient of the Welch Scholarship, funding all tuition, fees, room, and board
EXPERIENCE
Dovetail Event Partners, LLC Littleton, MA Ongoing Intern December 2008 - Present
• Collaborated on the organizing and implementation of high-end incentive programs • Managed an event staff of 12 and served as vendor liaison for an event for This Old House • Developed the company's 2015-2016 marketing plan and managed the company's social media accounts
Touchmark Promotions, Inc. Littleton, MA Marketing Coordinator May 2016 - September 2016
• Designed company's social media strategy and crafted all posts across platforms such as Facebook and Pinterest
• Wrote all copy for the company's new website that fit the personality and feel of the organization • Facilitated direct marketing mailings as well as fulfillment services for high-tech clients
The Castle Group Charlestown, MA PR Intern June 2016 - August 2016
• Designed public relations strategies for food & beverage, health, higher education, and real estate clients • Composed press releases, pitches, and briefing documents for journalists and client executives • Conducted company and industry research for the purposes of client acquisition and efficiency of strategy
Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, MA PR and Executive Office Intern June 2015 - August 2015
• Crafted press releases, pitch books, and national marketing copy for the region's hotels, including The Plaza, which were picked up by the New York Times and the Sunday Boston Globe
• Developed content for the hotel's social media pages and received Facebook advertising training • Supported executive management with VIP guest relations, charitable contributions, and staff management
WGBH Brighton, MA Masterpiece Intern May 2015 - August 2015
• Generated a social media brand study leveraged by the producers of the iconic British drama series • Assisted with the fall press mailing and developed promotional ideas for an upcoming program launch • Edited credits for accuracy, gathered content for promotional videos, and wrote transcripts
Cisco Systems Boxborough, MA Global Grow Services- Services Sales Intern May 2014 - August 2014
• Supported senior leadership, addressing field marketing, project management, and services bookings • Co-led a high-priority initiative focused on increased collaboration between global sales support programs • Created communications plan, developed joint value-add document, and reconciled program account data
ACTIVITIES
Isenberg Women in Business Society Fall 2013 - Present President Spring 2016 - Present
• Manage all operations of the 200+ member organization and oversee the 10-person executive board SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Office, Outlook, Open Office; Language: Proficient in Spanish and Italian
Peter Pan Bus Lines
137
CURRENT ADDRESS Peter Warren HOME ADDRESS
310 Belchertown Road [email protected] 403 Woburn Street
Unit 3 (781) 879-4607 Wilmington, MA 01887
Amherst, MA 01003-9213 www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-warren/87/baa/b46/
EDUCATION
University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA Isenberg School of Management Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Candidate, May 2017 College of Social and Behavioral Sciences ...............................................................................Candidate, May 2017 Bachelor of Science in Economics
• Recipient of John and Abigail Adams Scholarship • Commonwealth Honors College
Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla, Spain Academic Programs International January 2016 - May 2016
• International Marketing, International Business and Emerging Markets, The Global Economy, The European Union
EXPERIENCE
Sonus Networks Westford, MA Product Line Management Intern June 2016 - August 2016
• Compiled a win/loss report of all Sonus products to provide senior-level Product Line Managers with an in-depth understanding of our current market standings including suggestions on how to improve market share
• Used Salesforce.com to gather internal company information such as an inventory of marketing collateral and created spreadsheets within Salesforce.com to organize this information making it available to key stakeholders
• Built a report about the company's website Sonus.net, after analyzing information gathered from Google Analytics, to help better understand and explain how traffic flows into and through the website
• Updated the Solutions tab on the company website, Sonus.net, by editing and rewriting the sub-sections as well as redesigning the pages to be more aesthetically pleasing
Sonus Networks Westford, MA Marketing Communications Intern May 2015-August 2015
• Worked closely with the team to market Sonus' products and services through the creation of collateral including blogs, white pages and product reports
• Branded and promoted a 4-week webinar series “Sonus Academy RTC 101” as part of a small team by creating web-advertisements, internet videos and product blogs
• Analyzed competitors’ products and created a datasheet to highlight the advantages offered by Sonus Networks comparable products
ACTIVITIES
UMass Advertising Club 2/1/2015-9/1/2015 • Worked in team of 7 to increase brand awareness of our organization through creating a logo, website and
visual collateral Boy Scouts of America 2005-2013
• Earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts • Completed an Eagle Scout Service project which required me to not only work as part of a team but to
delegate work and learn to keep those under my control motivated and working to the best of their abilities • Led a team of 20 students at a time, delegated tasks and kept the students motivated
SKILLS
Computer: MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Salesforce.com (Intermediate), Google Analytics (Intermediate) Language: Spanish (conversational)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
138
RACHEL KIRSHTEIN 1 Shady Lane
Framingham, MA 01701 Phone (cell): 617-304-0732; [email protected]
SUMMARY: Highly motivated college student looking to apply my marketing experience in an internship opportunity. I hope to pursue a career in marketing, leveraging my studies in psychology. EDUCATION: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA Cumulative GPA: 3.81; Dean’s List; Expected Graduation date: May 2017 Member of the Commonwealth Honors College; Goal: Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology EXPERIENCE: Elevated Careers by eHarmony, Boston, MA Sales Consultant: September 2016-present
• Performing lead generation, conducting industry and competitive research, and using Salesforce PGR Media, Boston, MA Media Planning Intern: Summer 2016
• Worked with several teams in support of their respective clients • Created POP and campaign recap decks, updated positioning reports, and assisted with CRM
Cultural-Agenda, London, United Kingdom Public Relations Intern: January-April 2016
• Created media/trend releases, assisted in office management, and managed day-to-day PR tasks Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), Waltham, MA Marketing Intern: December 2014-January 2015; Summer 2015
• Researched mobile payments, loyalty/rewards programs, app functionality, and Google Trends • Developed surveys, FAQs, social media response plans, the Brand Ambassador training manual, and
supported the influencer and blogger programs • Helped prepare for a Marketing Summit to select merchants
Keds, Lexington, MA Brand Ambassador: UMass Amherst campus; 2013/2014 Academic Year; 2014/2015 Academic Year
• Marketed Keds products on campus by wearing them, hosting events, and utilizing social media • Provided Keds marketing team with student feedback regarding styles and trends
Brand Marketing Intern: Summer 2014 • PR, marketing research, social media and competitor research, event planning and logistics (Brave Life
Summit, Brand Ambassador program), organizing and satisfying product sample requests • Performed research and presented results (with interns across all brands) to executives of Wolverine
Worldwide for the intern group project on Corporate Social Responsibility CareerArc (previously TweetMyJobs), Marlborough, MA Sales Intern/Solutions Consultant: Summer 2013, and ongoing through the school year
• Performed lead generation, conducted industry and competitive research, developed presentations to support the sales team, used Salesforce, and provided general office administrative support
SKILLS: Proficient in: Brandwatch; Hootsuite; Salesforce; Google Drive; Social Media Marketing and Social Networking; Lead Generation; Microsoft Office UMASS AMHERST CLUBS:
• Marketing Club: Fall 2014-present • Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA); Founding member and Marketing Chair on the
Executive Board: Spring-Fall 2015 • Rotaract Club of UMass Amherst (community service): Spring 2014-Spring 2015 • House Council/Residence Hall Association: Fall 2013-Spring 2015
Peter Pan Bus Lines
139
Peter Pan Bus Lines
140
APPENDIX A
Peter Pan Bus Lines
141
Peter Pan Bus Lines
142
BRAND AMBASSADOR FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE
NOVEMBER, 2016
Warm up: Introduce self, assure answers kept confidential and not assigned to any one person. Only generalizations will be recorded and shared. Session protocol: I am timekeeper, may interrupt to keep on course, want thoughts from all not just one or few, hand count for consensus on agreement.
“For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base (ridership) for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand your experiences with Brand Ambassador programs and what have been the most successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if I record this for data logging?”
Awareness & Introduction: We will begin by asking about how you were introduced to the Brand Ambassador program(s).
1) How did you hear about the Brand Ambassador programs initially? (Article, word-of-
mouth/connection at company, brand website, email) a) How did you go about applying? Online?
2) What encouraged you to apply? a) Were you looking for resume-building experience? Already a huge fan of the
brand? Looking for free swag? Anything else? 3) When you found out about the program, how long did it say the commitment was for?
a) Academic year (~September to May)? Other time frame? b) When would it start and end?
Communication: We would now like to understand your communication method with the brand.
4) Who did you communicate with for the Brand Ambassador program? Agency or
brand’s marketing team? 5) How did you communicate with the people responsible for the Brand Ambassador
program? a) Phone calls? Emails? Meetings in person?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
143
6) How often did you communicate with these people? a) Weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.? b) What do you think is the best frequency of touch-base calls/emails?
Let’s now talk about what was reviewed and discussed during these touch-base times.
7) What did you discuss?
a) Updates? Planning for next assignments/events? 8) Did you need to present any specific information, such as how many people signed up
for the rewards program or email marketing list (for example) in a specific week? 9) If you needed to present data/statistics, how did you go about doing that?
a) Spreadsheets? PowerPoint presentations?
Experience: Now, we would like to delve into more of the details of the experiences you’ve had while representing the brand(s) on campus.
Let’s first talk about which Brand Ambassador programs you have participated in.
10) What Brand Ambassador programs have you participated in on your college campus? 11) If you’ve done more than 1, which was your favorite?
a) What made it your favorite? i) Was it a stronger brand resonation? Did you like the product offerings
more? Were their better perks or incentives for one over the other? Were you paid?
12) If you’ve done more than 1, which was your least favorite? Why?
Let’s now move on to the structure of the programs.
13) What was the structure of the Brand Ambassador program(s) you’ve been part of?
a) Weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc. assignments? 14) Did you think the structure was effective?
a) Did you accomplish too little or too much in the time allotted for each assignment?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
144
15) If you found the structure ineffective, what would make it better?
I’d like to now turn your attention to the assignments you have completed.
16) What kind of assignments did you complete?
a) Social media postings? Talking to people on campus? Hosting events? Anything else?
b) If you have used social media for assignments, which platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) were the most effective in generating brand awareness?
17) If you’ve hosted events, what kind of events have you put on? a) Where were the events? On/off campus? b) Did you partner with any campus organizations? Greek life? c) Is there anything that would’ve made the events more successful?
Thoughts & Recommendations: To conclude, we would like to get your overall thoughts on Brand Ambassador programs and recommendations for future Brand Ambassador programs.
18) What are the best ways for brands to attract prospective Brand Ambassadors?
a) Are there specific perks that you’d recommend to a company implementing a brand ambassador program for the first time?
Suggestions for Improvement: Finally, one last question.
19) Do you think that Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool?
a) Do you think Brand Ambassador programs are successful in increasing awareness and generating more sales for a brand?
Brand Ambassador Focus Group #1
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Moderator: Liz
Moderator: For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand your experiences with Brand Ambassador programs and what has been the most
Peter Pan Bus Lines
145
successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if we record this for data logging? Cool. Ok can you say your name, year, major, and what company or companies you work for?
Participant A: My name is Lauren. I am a Junior. My major is Natural Resource Conservation with a concentration in wildlife, and I work for RUNA Tea. It’s pretty small. Participant B: I’m Chris, a sophomore Marketing major, and I’m the rep for Monster Energy. Participant C: I’m Geoff. I’m a Senior Economics major and I was a rep for Hewlett-Packard. Participant D: I’m Melissa. I’m a Senior. I’m a Marketing and Psychology double major, and I am the PINK rep.
Moderator: Ok so we’re just going to start by talking about how you were introduced to your brand ambassador program. So, first, how did you hear about the Brand Ambassador programs initially? Was it an article, word of mouth, the brand website, an email or did you have a connection that alerted you about this opportunity?
Participant A: So I actually started drinking RUNA my freshman year, and they do a lot of work in the Amazon rainforest sustainable, so I was trying to get a part time job that worked with the environment somehow, so I actually emailed the New England rep, and she went to UMass. So, I was like, “Hey, do you guys have any openings?” And she got back to me and was like, “Yeah, we’re actually looking for someone.” Participant B: One of my fraternity brothers had graduated last year in the spring, and he was the Monster ambassador his last year, and he kind of opened it up to us and passed on a recommendation for me to his boss. I got the job that way. Participant C: I just found it on Indeed. Participant D: It was actually the first year PINK was on this campus and I found it because I followed VS PINK on Instagram, and they had a posted a lot about it there, and I also shopped on their website a lot, so I was like I’ll try this.
Moderator: So what specifically encouraged you to apply to these programs? Were you looking for resume-building experience? Were you already a huge fan of the brand? Looking for free swag? All of the above? Something else entirely?
Participant A: Yeah I was looking for both the resume-builder and also a part time job that was in my area of interest.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
146
Participant B: So I was pretty much the same thing. I was looking for a low-demand job, and I was a marketing major, so I felt like my skillset was good and would be positioned well and it would help me in the future. Participant C: Yep pretty much same. Participant D: I feel like I did a lot more work than you guys did. I was sort of doing it for the resume builder, but I didn’t really need any more resume-builders. I just really liked the brand, and I also might want to potentially work there in the future, so that’s why I looked at it.
Moderator: What do you want to do for the company full-time?
Participant D: I want to do marketing for a brand with that kind of product in the stores. And they actually did reach out to all the co-reps across the country, offering them internships, but I’m a senior, so I couldn’t even, like, apply, so it kind of sucks actually.
[Group Laughs]
Moderator: Ok good to know. So continuing on the same topic, what was the application process like? Was it online? Did you have an in-person, Skype, or phone interview?
Participant A: Skype and in-person. Participant B: One phone call. Participant C: Completed an application and then had a phone call. Participant D: I had to make a video application. It had to be a minute long, but it was actually really tough keeping it to a minute. I also had to answer questions like why I was interested in the program and what I am currently involved in. I then had a Skype interview. The girls that were selected for the program were then flown to Ohio for a 2-day training. It was like 8 hours each day. I couldn’t go because I had a full-time internship.
Moderator: Ok so, when you found out about the program, how long did it say the commitment was for? The academic year, like, September to May? Other time frame?
Participant A: Didn’t say the time frame. Participant B: Academic year, but it was kind of unclear. Participant C: No outline, it didn’t say. Participant D: Started in summer and ends in summer.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
147
Moderator: How many hours per week do you think you spend representing the brand?
Participant A: 3-4 hours in the Spring; in the Fall. Participant B: I have 2 monthly reports and they they take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. I put it what I wanted. Participant C: 10-15 hours and travel. Participant D: 9 hours for events and about 5 hours if there isn’t an event.
Moderator: Ok now we would like to ask you about your communication method with the brand. Who did you communicate with for the Brand Ambassador program? Was it through an independent agency or brand’s marketing team?
Participant A: Direct contact with RUNA team. Participant B: Regional Director of New England for Monster and someone else that took over the position. Participant C: Agency. Participant D: Communicated with the brand. We communicated through an app.
Moderator: How did you communicate with the people responsible for the Brand Ambassador program? Phone calls? Emails? Meetings in person?
Participant A: I had a training in person, and when I was hosting events, I needed to hand in a sheet that explained what I was doing. Participant B: I was given a training manual and emailed them photos. Participant C: Mine was all online. Participant D: I talked with them through our app. They have all of the brand ambassadors take surveys for them on this app too.
Moderator: How often did you communicate with these people? Weekly, biweekly, monthly? What do you think is the best frequency of touch-base calls/emails?
Participant A: Weekly or biweekly. I think it was the best frequency--not too long but not overwhelming. Participant B: Bimonthly, and I think this worked well.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
148
Participant C: Once every 2 or 3 weeks, but it wasn’t a good system because my duties weren’t very clear. Participant D: Sometimes daily. I would get sent pictures of product and was requested to give feedback often. I mostly talked to my boss once a week. I have to have specific events, so we talked often. I think the process worked.
Moderator: Did you need to present any specific information, such as how many people signed up for the rewards program or email marketing list (for example) in a specific week? How did you go about presenting the information?
Participant A: I presented some information through pictures. Participant B: Pictures of people with Monster. Participant C: I had a call report. Some questions weren’t relevant, though. Participant D: I had to send PowerPoints as recaps. They asked for specific information, so I usually knew what I needed to put on the slides. For example, I’d say how many people attended an event and if I was trying to sell products, I’d say how many bras I sold.
Moderator: Did you find the structure of the program effective? If you found them ineffective, is there anything that would’ve made them?
Participant A: There could’ve been more structure with the events. It would’ve been helpful if RUNA told me how to reach out to clubs or organizations when I was planning an event. Any guidance into how to approach them would’ve been helpful. Participant B: I didn’t get shipments of product at the beginning of October, and I’m supposed to get the shipments at the beginning of the month. Two shipments were cancelled, and I think the issues with my shipments resulted from my previous boss leaving and someone else stepping in. I didn’t find the structure too bad. I already knew how to talk to certain organizations. Participant C: The whole thing needed to be more effective--scheduling, forms. Participant D: Mine was very structured. There was a 2 day training in Ohio, and they flew all the campus reps out there. I couldn’t go because I had a full-time internship, but my co-rep was saying how it was like 8 hours per day of straight training at their HQ. They went over how we have mandatory events to complete with direction from them.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
149
Moderator: So now we’d like to focus on the assignments you have completed. What kinds of events have you put on? How many people did you host? Where were they? On or off campus? Did you partner with any organizations or clubs, such as Greek Life? And is there anything that could have made these events more successful?
Participant A: I’ve done demos in multiple places on campus that sell our product, so I’ve done it at Harvest, People’s Market,Taste of UMass. I’ve tried getting in touch with the managers of Bluewall to see if they’ll sell our product, but it’s really tough to get ahold of them. I’ve done events to give out free products in classes. I’ve gone to multiple different clubs like Marketing Club, the environmental club I am part of, and I’ve given some free products to friends too. We haven’t partnered with anyone. Since RUNA’s so small, I kinda wish we could get out there more and help increase people’s knowledge of it. Participant B: I was the recruitment chair for Kappa Sig for the Fall semester, so I already had 8 events planned. And I kind of just, you know, took advantage with that. Everybody was at our house already, so I might as well hand out Monster to them. I’ve done random stuff, like sampling. They actually don’t want us sampling in front of any stores that sell Monster--my only thought about it is that they don’t want us to give out free Monster to those that may already be going to buy some. I haven’t really done a structured event. More just like handing out samples to random people walking by. And, like I said, the fraternity event. I’m working on bringing it to the Marketing Club, and I think I’m doing that next week. And we have an event with the Association of Diversity in Sport- they have kind of like a video game tournament at the end of December. One of my friends is in the club, so I’m working with him to host that event. We are having a philanthropy casino night on Saturday, so I’m trying to see if- I’m trying to reach out to my boss and see if there’s a sponsorship opportunity there for Monster to be the primary sponsor for that. Participant C: My event were so weird and I don’t know...So they didn’t send me, like, a computer or anything, but they send me a printer. So, there were like, “Go to the campus center and show off this printer.” So, I went in and set up and was like, “Nobody is going to want to do this.” So I filled out a report that I was there for like 3 hours. I would go to Best Buy, Staples, and Wal-Mart literally in West Springfield, Hadley, Holyoke, Chicopee, and it was kind of boring, but I would go there and talk to their employees and be like, “Yeah, my job is kind of a joke, but hope it’s Ok that I chill here.”
[Group laughs] Participant D: We have to have certain events. We had to have a group fitness event, which was good for me because I’m actually also a group fitness instructor. We had store events that we
Peter Pan Bus Lines
150
did in the Holyoke Mall. We had to do some sort of Welcome Week- They told some schools exactly what they had to do. They didn’t tell us exactly what we had to do because UMass won’t work with them, so we just go on our own. So, yeah, those are the events we have to do. And we have to an event for the fashion show, like the Victoria’s Secret fashion show viewing next month. But then my co-rep and I are trying to do an event that involves more tabling and we’re asking girls to come up with ideas. I know I’m tabling at the JLB [Jewish Leaders in Business] MegaParty next week because they invited me. I’m in the business fraternity here at Isenberg, and we’re going to do a Zumba-thon, so I’m going to table at that. So it’s a mix, I guess, of the events they tell us and the events we come up with.
Moderator: So we just have a couple more questions, and then we’ll let you guys go. So these are just going to be your overall thoughts on Brand Ambassador programs in general.So if you’ve taken part in some- some programs- that you didn’t find as interesting as you anticipated, was there anything that would have made program better?
Participant A: I think having more than one campus rep would have been helpful. I would’ve liked someone to table with. I didn’t mind sitting there by myself, but it would’ve been nice having someone else to talk to. Participant B: It’s pretty easy to give out Monster on this campus. I rarely see people say that don’t want it. To be honest, I never really drank Monster prior to this job, but now I have 15 cases sitting in my room all the time, so might as well give it a shot. If it was a little more structured, I think that would make it easier. Because when all that stuff with my old boss going down, I was like hunting down to see who was higher up on her in the chain of command, and I couldn’t find anything, so I was just like out to dry and I had no idea what to do and this lady wasn’t getting back to me. If it was a little better structured and more organized, I think it would be a lot easier on the reps, but I don’t have many complaints. Participant C: Yeah, and I think everything could probably be better. I think I’ve gone on and on at this point.
[Group laughs and agrees]
Participant D: Yeah, so my co-rep and I weren’t crazy about -so they told us that we had to do an event in-store event in the Holyoke Mall that had to be between October 25h and 30th. And we were like, “That’s Halloween Weekend. Our store is 30 minutes away and no one is going to want to go there,” but we had to do it anyway. And that was annoying because we knew that it
Peter Pan Bus Lines
151
wasn’t going to be successful. I don’t mind doing Victoria [Secret] events so much, but I wish they were more responsive. And we asked, “Can we do it the weekend before or the weekend after?” Or some schools were doing an on-campus event, and we were like, “Can we do an on-campus event?” But they were like, “No, you have to do it.” So, that’s my biggest complaint. Actually, my biggest complaint is that I don’t get paid, so that blows.
Moderator: Especially with all of the work that you do.
Participant A: Wait, you don’t get paid?
Participant D: Yeah, I don’t get paid. Participant C: Is that legal? Do you get credits?
Participant D: I get paid in products. Technically I don’t work for them. Like, they made it very clear, like “Don’t tell people you work for us. You do not work for us, you promote our brand.”
Participant C: Yeah, that’s questionable. Participant B: I get $100 per report. Participant D: Yeah, so that’s actually my biggest complaint. And they pay us in product, which, I don’t know...is nice, but they’re not even sending us enough product to make it, like, completely worth it. And maybe if I was going to get a job after this, but, like I said, they didn’t even offer me a job.
Moderator: Yeah that’s super frustrating. Ok… Well, to conclude, Do you think Brand Ambassador programs are successful in increasing awareness and generating more sales for a brand? And, actually, one more question after that: What do you think are the best ways for brands to attract prospective ambassadors or those that have never held a Brand Ambassador position before? Are there specific perks that you’d recommend to a brand implementing a brand ambassador program for the first time?
Participant A: So I’d say what- Brand ambassadors for what I do are very passionate. Even just the people I’ve talked to, like friends and teachers about the product. And even when I wear t-shirts and caps around, people will ask me about the product. I’ve also had a lot of people come back to me and be like, “Oh I tried it at the Campus Center, and I really liked it! I had no idea what it was.” So, it’s definitely increasing awareness and sales. So it’s been really effective from my point of view. And then for attracting people to the job, I would say really advertising to kids who are really looking for a lower commitment job and also if you’re doing anything in school related to business, marketing, those would be the people to target to get them related
Peter Pan Bus Lines
152
experience. It’s honestly very good experience talking to people. And kind of just getting it out there to people who know how to market a brand, who know how to change what you’re saying depending on who you’re talking to. That’s been really eye-opening into marketing itself. Yeah. Participant B: I think that the brand ambassador program, like she says, doesn’t really affect the larger brand that much. When they release new products and stuff like that, I think- Because Monster just released a new product line called Fuze, and I, personally, had never heard of it before. And a lot of my friends who do drink energy drinks had never heard of it, so when they sent me a case of that and I was able to sample that, people were like, “Oh this is really good.” And I could write that in the report and send it back and they could put that into their work. I think stuff like that helps when they’re trying to promote new products. Brand awareness- I don’t think that changes that much. I mean everyone knows what Monster is, either you like it or you don’t. But definitely for, like smaller brands. One of my friends is an ambassador for Raging Mammoth, and they make this tool for 21+ people; it’s kind of like interesting ways to consume beer. Participant C: Oh, like the shotgun tool?
Participant B: Yeah. So like their brand’s not huge, and people see, like- He has T-shirts that he wears and he carries one on him at all times, so for brands like that, that don’t have huge awareness like Monster does, I think it would definitely be helpful to have a brand ambassador program. And to attract people to work there, I think incentive programs within the company, like if you- this doesn’t really apply to me because I’m not like really selling product- But I know, like, Tilt, if you get so many people to sign up for Tilt using your brand ambassador code, you can get, like crazy prizes. Like they have YETI coolers, crazy expensive stuff that they give out, and it’s paid, so that’s obviously a big part of it. And definitely reaching out to business, marketing students that want to work in maybe sales someday or promoting. I think that’s a good job. Participant C: I’d say that brand ambassador programs work as long as it’s the right product and as long as you’re marketing it, like, the correct way. Nobody’s going to care if, like, HP is coming out with a new laserjet printer, like-
[Group Laughs]
Participant C:Nobody’s like wicked crazy about that. So, as long as it’s the right product, I think it can totally work. For attracting students, I think really, honestly, like, being a brand ambassador is a great job. Like, I think that you won’t have hardly any problems with, like,
Peter Pan Bus Lines
153
getting a brand ambassador with a company. I guess incentivizing and paying well, but, yeah, I think that students are going to be lining up for jobs like these. Participant D: Um, I think they are [effective], like everyone else said. I think everyone knows about PINK already, so it’s probably more about retention than for a smaller brand. But I think it’s effective in that it gets girls excited about the stuff.
Moderator: Yeah, like when you were telling me about the Instagram freebies, I was pumped.
Participant D: Yeah, so people do get excited and we do give away stuff, so I’m hoping, maybe, if they like the products we give them, they will go out and buy more. Honestly, I think the biggest thing that they- PINK- get out of it is, honestly, all of the surveys and the questions they ask us. Like, they really use us as focus groups and to find out how to, like- and they listen to us. Like we’ll give them advice and then, like, I’ll see video posts that they asked us about on, like, Instagram, like a month later. And, like, they’ll take our feedback. They probably get a lot out of that from us. Maybe even more than, like, the sales that we drive. But, yeah, overall I think that brand ambassador programs are effective. And to attract people you need to pay them. Definitely that. I’m, like, highly motivated but, like, other people probably in, like, my shoes would be like “No thanks.” Um, PINK does have some incentives. Like they send free products. Not even, actually. They just send us products to give out and then are like, “You can take one shirt.” So, I mean they have incentive trips. Like there’s three big incentive trips, like one to New York City, one to their headquarters, and then one to their- they have, like, a retreat for, like three days. And they select a few girls to go to each one, but they don’t tell us- Like, they say “the BEST,” but I’m like, “Am I one of the best performers? Am I doing horribly?” I have nothing really to, like, try to measure compared to, like, the other reps, so it’s an incentive, but not really that much of an incentive. I have to do it really because I love the brand and getting a job and stuff, and it looks good on, like, a resume.
Moderator: Alright, that’s it. That concludes this focus group. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your help.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
154
Brand Ambassador Focus Group #2
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Moderator: Liz
Moderator: For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand your experiences with Brand Ambassador programs and what has been the most successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if we record this for data logging? Cool. Ok can you say your name, year, major, and what company or companies you work for?
Participant A: Hi, I’m Molly. I’m a senior, marketing major, and I represent two gluten-free companies, Udi’s & Glutino. Participant B: Hi, I’m Carly. I’m a senior, finance major, and I’m the Brand Ambassador for KIND healthy snacks. Participant C: Hello, I’m Phillipe. I’m a junior and double-major in business management and BDIC with concentrations in motivational psychology. I’m a Brand Ambassador for Coca-Cola and Campus Pursuits. Participant D: I’m Collin. I’m a senior, sports management major and I’m a Zipcar Brand Ambassador. Participant E: I’m Gabbie. I’m a senior, marketing major and I’m also a Brand Ambassador for Zipcar.
Moderator: Awesome. So, we are going to begin by asking you how you were introduced to the brand ambassador programs that you work for. I know that a couple of you guys have worked for multiple brand ambassador programs, so you can talk about the differences between them. You don’t have to pick just one. First of all, how did you hear about these Brand Ambassador programs initially? Was it through an article, word-of-mouth or a connection at the company, the brand’s website, an email from the brand? Something entirely different?
Participant A: Yeah, for me, I’m very interested in gluten free food because I’ve been a celiac for 10 years, and I thought, oh, I’ll do something with that. I was on Google, and I just came across the Brand Ambassador position. I clicked on the link and just applied through there.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
155
Then I got an interview, and that was basically it. I kind of started and stuck with the organization.
Participant B: I have a very similar story. I’ve always been interested in nutrition, and I think it was spring semester of my freshman year I was looking for experience, and I came across a job posting. I think it was on Monster.com, honestly, for KIND Healthy Snacks Field Marketing team in Boston. So I started off working there, and then they developed the university program, and I have been the first to be the Brand Ambassador at UMass. Participant C: For both Campus Pursuits and Coca-Cola, they recruited me through LinkedIn. For Campus Pursuits...for both, I did the interviews, and everything and go from there. Participant D: I found out about Zipcar (from Participant E in focus group). I don’t really have a good story. We worked together previously, so she basically just said hey here’s another job we can do together. Participant E: Yeah, I had actually gotten an email from them because of some senior leadership positions I have from student organizations on campus. They said that because of your positions with Greek life, you would be in a good position to try to get it up in the air. So I went through the application process.
Moderator: Ok, so some of you touched on the application process, but we are looking for specifics, so did you have to send in a resume or cover letter through an online portal, did you have interviews? If so, how many? What medium--Skype, in-person, over the phone?
Participant A: From what I can remember because it was like 2 years ago, I emailed my resume, and then they had an application form online that asked me to explain why I’m interested, what experience I have, and other general questions. And then I had an on-the-phone interview that lasted an hour; actually, it was me just talking a lot. And then that was it. Participant B: Yeah, I went through Monster.com. It directed me to then contacting KINDsnacks.com. I then sent them my cover letter and resume and got a phone call from the field marketing team leader in Boston. We had a brief phone interview, and I was asked to meet them at a Starbucks. And then we met and that’s it. Participant C: For both of them I was contacted through LinkedIn and when I replied, they both encouraged me to apply. I completed their applications. For Campus Pursuits, I filled out the application and then I had a Skype interview. For Coca-Cola I had to fill out the application and had a phone interview and for some reason it was supposed to be a few rounds, but I went through one and I was all good.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
156
Participant D: For us at Zipcar, Participant E forwarded me the email about the opportunity, sent in my resume, I can’t remember….did we send in a cover letter?
Participant E: I don’t think so. They had like an online application and we had to attach a resume there. And there was like one round of phone interviews. Participant D: Yeah, it was like a 20 minute to half hour phone interview. Very simple.
Moderator: What specifically encouraged you to apply? Were you looking for resume-building experience, were you already a huge fan of the brand, did you like getting free stuff, were you looking for a more flexible job, need money?
Participant A: Well for me, it was just kind of something I was passionate about just because it’s gluten free food that I can relate to, and I felt like I bring it up to it. It applies to my major, which is marketing, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity. It was unpaid at the time too, so I didn’t really care about that Participant B: I thought it was interesting and wanted to learn more about it. As a freshman, I was looking to get more experience and figure out what I wanted to do as a career, but I did already like the product a lot for sure. So when I saw that they were hiring, it got me excited of course
Participant C: I think for me since I wasn’t really looking for them, it was probably the flexibility. I wasn’t just going to be sitting at a desk, I was always part of their world, moving and doing something different. That it was more like I was adding my spice to it, and I think doing an internship like that was really encouraging and attractive to me Participant D: For me, I’m a sports management major, which doesn’t really apply to Zipcar, but I liked to focus on marketing and the job description seemed like they had a lot to do with marketing and tying that in with sales, and I was looking for extra sales experience outside of just sports. Plus the flexibility of like how the program worked and kind of being on your own and doing things you want to do and getting creative with something I really liked, so it seemed like a good fit Participant E: For me, it’s a couple of pieces. I was actually getting paid, and I knew that this was going to be a busy semester, but being able to make my own hours was huge for me. And I also had just crashed my car the last summer, so they were offering a decent amount of free driving credits for Zipcar, so that was pretty sweet
Moderator: When you found out about the program, how long did it say the commitment was for? Academic year? September to May? Didn’t say at all?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
157
Participant A: For mine, it was just for the school year, so from September to May. Moderator: And then you reapplied?
Participant A: No, I just kept doing it, but I just didn’t do it over the summer because I wasn’t at the university. Participant B: I started off in the Boston Field Marketing team, and then they opened the university program. It was supposed to be for a year, but then they just kept re-hiring me I guess. Participant C: For Campus Pursuits, they had a very detailed contract. It was for both semesters, and then you had the chance to reapply. You just reapplied to the specific job again. For Coca-Cola, they didn’t really specify it, and I thought it was just a 1-year thing, but then they’re like sign up is for eternity, so I guess it’s for good. Like an ongoing thing. Participant D: Zipcar’s very specific. It’s a 10-week program. Right now we’re in week 8 or 10, and then we’re done. Not really too sure if they’re going to continue it in the spring, like throughout the country. They’re still deciding that, so we’re kind of in limbo for next semester. But they’re very specific to what we’re doing right now. Participant E: It’s a lot more structured of a program than I’ve done in the past because it’s through an agency. It’s their job and Zipcar is one of their clients to create a Brand Ambassador program for them. So they send us stuff and we’ll get themes every couple of weeks.
Moderator: So, did they do that because of a trial program they’re in?
Participant E: They’ve done it on some campuses in the past already, but I think they are just deciding whether or not to continue it, so I’m not sure
Participant D: Yeah, I thought 10 weeks was kind of odd too. Ends before Thanksgiving, and we have a month left of the semester after, so I don’t know. Participant E: Yeah, they were talking about switching themes around for what works, based on feedback from Brand Ambassadors.
Moderator: Now I’d like to switch to talking about your communication method with the brand. I know some of you talked about this, but for the others, do you communicate with an agency or directly with the brand marketing team of your company?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
158
Participant A: I just sort of have one mentor. I’ve had three different mentors since I’ve been the ambassador, but she’s probably the one person I report to. I usually don’t talk to her that much, sometimes I email her questions, but it’s mainly just me doing it on my own and then reporting what I’ve been doing to her every month.
Moderator: So, you said you had three different mentors. Does that make your job more difficult?
Participant A: I mean, they’ve changed it many times, which is annoying, but they don’t answer me a lot, so when I have questions or when they don’t send me products and I have commitments, it can be very frustrating. I’ve had to deal with that a lot. I’ve had to get their phone numbers, so I can call them, so I’m trying to be more communicative with them. Participant B: Originally, I was talking to the Boston marketing team lead, and that was like my mentor and the person I went to, and then there was a regional, like eastern team marketing lead for only campus ambassadors that I was talking to last year, and now, since they keep expanding, I’m talking to the team leads of Massachusetts schools. So it has switched a lot for me too, which can be frustrating because we have to keep developing relationships with different people, so it’s sort of confusing sometimes. Participant C: For Campus Pursuits, at first we were talking to the co-founders directly because it was relatively new, but this year we have a team manager who facilitates a lot of the communication, so we report to him. For Coca-Cola, we have multiple communication things going on. We use a platform, Slack, and within Slack, there’s like three people who are in charge of talking to all the ambassadors across the country and answering questions, so we’re all in there and talking. When it comes to product-related things, I talk to the ??? (13:35) on campus. That’s my primary contact for product, but if I have questions about the job or assistance things I would use Slack. Participant D: For Zipcar we go through an agency called Fluent, and Fluent does a couple things. They do multiple brands and Brand Ambassador programs throughout the country, and so we have Scott, basically we report to him weekly about what’s going on. We send him a report weekly, which he looks over for all the Brand Ambassadors across the country. He helps to make sure we’re fulfilling the qualifications and duties that Zipcar has told them that they want us to do. In regards to how that works and how that makes us feel, it’s pretty annoying to have to go through a middleman because a lot of the information gets lost in the mix. Just one example for instance, in terms of getting paid. We were supposed to get paid like three weeks ago, but because Zipcar has to send the money to Fluent and Fluent has to send the money to
Peter Pan Bus Lines
159
us, and the amount of money we get paid is dependent on if we fulfill certain qualifications for the week. We can get deducted for not doing a report or whatever it may be, and Zipcar has been late with it, which means Fluent has been late with it, and at the end of the day that means we don’t get paid. And not having that direct, one-on-one contact with the actual brand we’re working for. Like we haven’t talked to anyone from Zipcar with this program. It’s pretty frustrating. Participant E: (agrees with Participant D--nods)
Moderator: You guys kind of touched on this a little bit, but what is your main mode of communication? Whether it be phone calls, emails, or in-person. I know you talked about Slack, so is there a certain medium entirely? And how frequent are these communications? Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?
Participant A: We set up a Google page, which is kind of like a Facebook group for all the ambassadors, but that didn’t really work out well. No one was really posting in that, so then they ended up doing a Facebook group, which is actually a lot better, and I’ve actually gotten in contact with my mentor through that. She finally answers me through Facebook messenger, but nothing else. I message her every month and send her pictures, but other than that, if I have a question, I don’t really talk to her that much. Participant B: I’m usually emailing my mentor/head person pretty frequently, almost daily I would say. We have an official phone call; I think it’s every 3 weeks, and then at the end of the month, on a Google doc, we record how many bars we gave out, we put our pictures, the events we did, things like that. But I’m talking to her pretty frequently.
Moderator: And what are you talking about on those calls? Like what’s the focus of the calls?
Participant B: Our focus is for the month, or what are my event plans and what campus partnerships can I seek out, should I be getting more product to give to students, like what’s my customer base, things like that.
Moderator: Ok.
Participant C: One thing we do is all ambassadors attend a webinar every month where we go over what the sampling calendar looks like, and what we have to do in this month, and what happened in the previous and future months. Other than that, primarily use email to talk to my
Peter Pan Bus Lines
160
contact on campus and probably weekly be like I need these products by Friday, can you send them in? Other than that, I don’t have a direct person that’s in charge of me. It’s very independent. Participant D: You want to take this since I took the last one?
Participant E: I think the only thing I’d add is that we have a weekly conference call with all the other Brand Ambassadors that are on the same schedule as us, so that’s actually something I really like because we get to hear what others have done during the week and what events they are planning for the next week.
Moderator: Ok. Do you have specific goals that you have to meet monthly? I know we talked about that a little bit, but are there any goals that you need to meet monthly or even weekly?
Participant A: For mine, it’s kind of a hot me like do what you want with it and make it your own. So when I do an event and need to report it back, I tweet it out to my 30 followers that I have, and I’ll put it in the Facebook group. So mine’s very unstructured. Participant B: I feel like mine’s very structured compared to that. I’m required to give out 2,000 bars a month, required to do at least three events per month, 7 occasion samplings, a demo, and like “Kind acts” which is spreading kindness to school. I’m required to do a lot of those. It’s very structured and they want you to report on exactly what I’m doing in the most detailed manner ever like I basically call they call it creative writing and I need to creatively depict what I’m doing on campus with my pictures to really show what I’m doing. Participant C: Our’s is very structured. They have the calendar for the whole year. We have to sample this certain product on this date to that date. There’s a lot of logistics around what products and how we’re getting them. Some of the things that are not very structured is they want to utilize social media, posts and things like that, and that’s a very self reporting kind of thing. There’s this document for like where you put the date that you submitted something and where you put the link and how many interactions you get, so with that, it’s kind of like it’s on you and they have a leaderboard, so you get points for how many retweets you get and other things. So they kind of track that, but in terms of how many social media posts, the only time you have to have something that’s structured is like hey we’d like you to make a post about it. Other than that, it’s very structured.
Moderator: With the leaderboard, do you feel like that’s an effective motivator? Like I have to be number one or is it like whatever, I don’t care?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
161
Participant C: With the leaderboard, the incentive is if you’re the top scorer, you get an internship with the company.
Moderator: Oh, wow.
Participant C: So it’s a big incentive.
Moderator: Yeah, it is.
Participant C: Yeah, I think for me personally, since this is my first time doing it, and there’s been no one else at UMass, it’s not a big incentive for me because I’m trying to get in the flow of everything, but in the future, I’m going to be going for that top spot.
Participant: Yeah, exactly.
Participant D: So at Zipcar, it’s extremely structured. We have phone conversations weekly. Participant E: We have like a chart for what we need. Participant D: Yeah. We need like two emails a week, five pictures a week, four social media posts for the entire 10 week program, we need three new member acquisitions for the 10 week program. Anything else? (turns to Participant E). Participant E: (laughs) Participant D: We need to host an event every two weeks. Participant E: I can’t think of it right now, but I should. Participant D: We need to attend the weekly calls. Participant E: The report every week. Participant D: We need to submit a report every week.
Moderator: You’re stressing me out.
Participant D: And that is that. Is it frustrating? Yes it is.
Moderator: So, how would you change it? I mean obviously you think that’s too much structure, right? And that there’s too much being asked?
Participant D: It depends on the week. Like this week we don’t have an event, so like…
Peter Pan Bus Lines
162
Participant E: It’s tough to get by with all these pictures when we don’t have an event at all, and yes we’re sending out emails and having conversations with people, but it’s not necessarily something you’re going to have swag on you to take a picture. So some of them are kind of unrealistic, but I do like the organization. I do know exactly what’s expected of me and what will happen if I don’t. Participant D: It’s good to know what’s expected of you, but not having that much structure when there aren’t events would be nice. It just doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but that structure is good when you do have an event.
Moderator: Ok, that’s good to know. Now we’d like to delve into more of the specifics of the experiences of the programs you’ve had on campus. For those that are part of more than one Brand Ambassador program, which is your favorite? For those that are part of one, what’s your favorite aspect of that program?
Participant A: I think for me I really like the gluten free food, and a lot of people don’t know anything about that. I kind of have to teach them and the image around it. A lot of people are like oh gluten free food, that’s gross, and I don’t blame them at all, but that’s my life. I think it’s kind of fun because I get to hold events and go to clubs and talk to them about gluten free foods. I sometimes talk to dining hall managers and I try to get more options on campus. It was more than just a Brand Ambassador thing for me, kind of like an organization, more of a passion for me. Participant D: Lifestyle. Participant A: A lifestyle. There it is. Participant B: I think my favorite aspect is the corporate social responsibility driven. The whole point of it is to not only to give out the KIND label but doing a kind thing. I’ve done so many cool that I would not have done like giving back to charities. I’m planning an event right now like getting hats and gloves and scarves and things to give to students walking to class that may not have them on a cold day. So it’s just things like that I wouldn’t get to do normally, but they really encourage me to do, and people appreciate when they can take part in something like that too effortlessly. It’s important to have another motivation besides just giving out the product. Participant C: For Campus Pursuits, my favorite part was the treasure hunting app. I really enjoyed hiding prizes. For that we could use Snapchat videos to hide the prizes, and I would add music and do cool camera angles. A lot people liked me for that. It was growing at UMass, and they’re like oh my gosh you should do this all the time. It’s nice because I could use the app through UMass and be like if you’re having a bad day, but there’s a prize around the corner for
Peter Pan Bus Lines
163
you to go find. For Coca-Cola, my favorite aspect is how big the company is because the own so many different products. So like a lot of times when I’m sampling and stuff, people are like oh you work for Coca-Cola? You work for Minute Maid? And I’m just for Coca-Cola, but I like to tailor for many different interests and tastes and not just being from 9-1 product. It’s really cool. Participant D: They come up with a lot of cool freebie stuff. Like we’ll give away this credit card holder on the back on my phone (shows phone), and I’ve never had one of those before. I like stuff like that. I always run out of pens, and they give us like way too many pens. Participant E: 200. Participant D: Yeah, so I’ve got pens for days. They came out with some really cool footballs, so they do a good job at tailoring to easy, simple interests that people will like to have Zipcar on them. Participant E: Yeah, I really like the way they organize all the themes that they send us stuff out to support it. I did an event for Cosmo a couple of years ago, and there was absolutely no organization. I felt I didn’t do anything on campus because I had no idea what they were expecting me to do and what was supposed to be going on. Having it laid out like this is what is supposed to happen.
Moderator: I know we talked about the themes a couple of times, but what’s an example or two of a theme?
Participant D: So, Zipcar-aeoke. Was how you pronounce it. Participant E: We had clips that would hold your phone and put it on the car vent. Like we had to film the Zipcar-aeoke video. Participant D: Or like the football event...there were tires that said Zipcar on them. Then we had footballs. So I would just throw footballs at people that were walking. They would get rattled, but then they would try to throw them through the Zipcar tires. Participant E: People were probably the most receptive to us when we paired up because we had food and games. I thought it was really cool. The partnership was good.
Moderator: We are going to talk about partnerships later, so bookmark it! Were there any specific perks and incentives, like we talked about money, that urged you to continue working for the company? Any that stand out in your mind?
Participant B: Definitely the money. Definitely the free products. And I guess a less materialistic answer to that would be like it’s cool to get to know other campus organizations and got to
Peter Pan Bus Lines
164
partner with Zipcar. Just a lot of events you wouldn’t have gotten to do if you weren’t in it. You don’t have to branch out without having to try harder to be required to go to all these events, and you get to go to things that you wouldn’t. Participant C: I’d say the thing that works is that if you’re doing a good job they’re always saying they can help you with resumes and stuff like that. Not looking at just the company itself, but around campus. They did provide us with a lot of cool incentives, and not just free products, like they give us business cards and tell us to put this in our emails, so the brand recognition and the company recognition helps with things like resume-building and communication with different people on campus, so it’s not just like I’m another person that’s trying to convince you why you should let me do this. Like hey I work for this company, so I like that professionalism that it comes with. I think the most important thing for me is being able to interact with people, especially at UMass because it’s such a big campus and you probably won’t see the majority of the people that go here. It’s kind of a way to get to people, so even if you don’t know them personally, they might remember you. Participant D: Oh, am I answering this one? (laughter)
Moderator: Ok. So, we touched on this a little bit with you guys, but for the rest of you, the structures that you have or the lack thereof, do you find this effective or ineffective?
Participant A: Mine’s very unstructured, so sometimes I get really lazy with it because I’m like, well, I don’t really have to do an event this weekend. I don’t have to do a post this week. But I also like it because I can do what I want with it. It’s very different from your guys’ brands for sure--it’s a new brand but also a new program, so I get to really just do what I want. I get to do whatever events I want to do, and I think that’s good because it adds a new flavor to what they’re looking for. Participant B: I think it’s effective because even though I have to report and give out at least 2,000 bars, I can still be creative, and if I don’t have time for an event that day, I don’t have to do the event. You make your own hours as long as you get the products out and get your pictures and at least do something during the month, it’s Ok. Participant C: I found the structure of what I had to do very helpful, but not having the structure within UMass dealing with all the logistics and everything else was kind of stressful because I have to set up all these meetings with different people on campus and things like that. But what happens if they say no, right? And for me, the first thing I remembered was that I have to get ice cream, and I tried to talk to Food Services to get ice cream, but he wouldn’t give
Peter Pan Bus Lines
165
me ice cream. So then I’m like, do I have to go out and buy ice cream on my own? Overcoming those little things is a little frustrating, but I think it was a big learning curve that I had to go through, and now I feel like there’s a good balance. I know what I have to do now, and the way of going about doing this activities is on me, so I like having that sort of autonomy. So I think as long as you know what’s going on and you have both of those, it’ll work out really well.
Moderator: We kind of briefly touched on this. So if you’ve hosted events for your brand ambassador programs, what were the events? Were they on or off campus? Did you partner with any campus organizations? And what do you think would’ve made the events more successful?
Participant A: For events, I talked to clubs and talked to them about gluten free lifestyles and things like that. I go to a lot of the club events and hand out food there. I hosted a conference two years ago and it was like a healthy living conference, like (Participant B) was there, and there was another ambassador and someone from the gym, things like that. I partner with (Participant B) a lot because she’s one of my roommates and because she has gluten free KIND bars, which kind of correlates.
Moderator: Is there anything you would’ve done to make them more successful?
Participant A: Probably just marketing them more. Letting people know I’m doing an event before I do it. To get the word out.
Moderator: Ok, yeah.
Participant B: I usually don’t make events, I usually sponsor events and go to events and hand out food. I do a lot with UPC (“University Programming Council”) and make sure there’s a healthy option on the table next to cookies and brownies. I do a lot of 5Ks for like sororities and fraternities or alumni association, yoga events, and things like that. In terms of making my own events, I usually don’t do that. I usually just go and table and hand out food, but I have partnered with different ambassadors, like we did a Zipcar event, and I partner with (Participant A) a lot for Udi’s. The prior Coca-Cola ambassador, I did an event with him before as well, but it’s not like an event, it’s more like we go to a 5K race and give out product and talk about picking a healthier alternative.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
166
Participant C: A lot of the events I had to do so far were social media-based. I had to do a Just Dance! one, promoted a FIFA one right now for xBox1. Like the sampling events were kind of successful because I had to get it set up, I had get a spot set up, and people just came and grabbed, which wasn’t that hard. But with the social media ones, and the ones that require registrations and things like that, those were a little more difficult in terms of how do I reach people. I could set up a table and do that, but in terms of getting them on social media platforms and getting people to read the messages, sign up for these things, and actually do them, it was a little more difficult. Like yeah you can come in and grab free product, but to get someone to come in and do something, so that’s something I’m trying to work on--how can that be more effective. Right now with the FIFA tournament, we’re supposed to get at least 60 people registered, and for me, I’m thinking I can send emails, contact the gaming clubs, but it’s just like how do I maximize communication to get that to happen. Until I can figure out the best way to go about it at UMass, it’d be more successful, but for now, it’s a give or take. Participant D: For us at Zipcar, the best way is already having the knowledge of being at school, like where people are and where people go. A lot of our events have been in high traffic areas where we know we can get to people like no questions asked. For example, with our partnership with KIND bars, we were right next to the library during class switching times, and so we knew hundreds of people were going to walk by us at once. And that was really effective. At least, as far as the partnership goes, kind of throwing two completely different things at someone at once, which are both unique and interesting and captures their interest brings them over. Participant E: One thing that’s been really helpful for our events is the marketing budget. We had a Zipcar pizza party at one of the main apartment buildings, which I think was helpful because we didn’t have an actual product to give out to people.
Moderator: So, for the marketing budget, do you submit your bills to the agency or…?
Participant E: They just sent us money at the beginning of the program.
Moderator: We’re almost done. We just have like three more quick questions. What do you think are the best ways for brands to attract prospective Brand Ambassadors? We talked about the incentives, but what would grab you if Peter Pan came up to you?
Participant A: If they sort of market it as something relevant to your career path, like that really attracted me to ours at least. It talked about how it was less of a sales program and more of
Peter Pan Bus Lines
167
building brand awareness on a campus, and branding was something I was really interested in within marketing. It sort of made sense with what I was doing in school. Participant D: We’re all broke college students, so I would heavily suggest against an unpaid Brand Ambassador program. More likely than not, you can get someone to do it anyways, even if it’s unpaid, simply because statistically speaking, there are thousands of people here who are going to want a job, but the effort level is going to suffer more likely than not because it’s unpaid. That would be the number one thing I would stress to any company trying to build this program. Participant C: I think the description of the job is really important and being able to show what other paths ambassadors have done. For me, hearing the description was cool enough. But I really wanted to know what I was going to be doing. Was I just going to be making calls? Was I going to be doing this or that? I think having a strong visual depicted in was important. Another thing I would describe...Also just like what the training was like. I know that when they were talking about the training that really caught my eye. They’re like you’ll go to the headquarters for training, and I’m like that’s really cool because they’re really trying to immerse us in the company. So something that really makes the potential ambassadors feel closer to the company, something that makes them feel valued, versus just we’re making you do this job because we need you to versus your skills and what you bring to the table is really important. Participant B: I agree with what everyone has said. One thing going off of what you just said, making the ambassadors feel like they’re part of the company because most of the time it’s just you as yourself as the ambassador, and you don’t really have a co-worker. You’re only talking to your boss over the phone, so there’s not much face to face action with the company. One thing that KIND did that I really enjoyed was that they fly all their ambassadors to Chicago and train them, you meet the CEO, and you really feel like you’re part of the company, and it makes you want to try harder and that they’re working towards a goal that you’re part of to reach that goal. But I definitely think money is important too. If I wasn’t paid, I wouldn’t have half the effort that I do to do this job. Like we are all working at the end of the day for experience and to get money because we are all broke college students. Participant A: I would say having a fun culture that people can relate to, so it’s not just strictly a job, but also having fun with it. And also being able to put what you’ve learned at school to the test. Marketing, especially for me. I can really expand on that and take what I’ve learned in class and put it into reality.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
168
Moderator: Cool. Ok, second to last question here. Do you think Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool, not just in the sense of building brand awareness, I think we can all agree that that’s a given, but in translating that brand awareness into actually sales?
Participant B: Yes. I mean just from past experience, my sales through the Trader Joe’s here and Whole Foods and Big Y are all tracked and they’ve gone up around here. I don’t know if it’s actually because I’m doing a good job or if just the brand has become better, but it’s definitely one incentive for me to try harder because I know my sales are getting tracked. I think that it is a way to actually sell the product because I meet so many people that didn’t know what these bars were and they tried it, and they’re hooked on them and want to go buy them or call their mom to send them a care package for it. I do think it’s a very effective way. Participant C: For what Coca-Cola is doing because they don’t have a big problem, I think what they’re really trying to do is consolidate all the products under them and be like hey all these products are under Coca-Cola and trying to build that recognition and also trying to branch out in different things to be more connected because I think the point like yeah you have all these machines everywhere, but there’s no contact or human interaction going on. In terms of building customer values, I think in that sense, yeah building more value and having someone to talk to and things like that, and there were some people at the core power who would see it at Harvard or something and try it and be like oh wow that’s really good, so I think in terms of building value and increasing sales, I think Coca-Cola is trying to build more customer value. Participant D: I don’t really know. (laughter)
Moderator: Ok, last question. This is really general, but do you guys have any recommendations for specifically Peter Pan? As people who are on campus, as college students, for Peter Pan creating a Brand Ambassador program, can you think of anything specific those Brand Ambassadors should be doing to get your business?
Participant B: Coupons. Participant D: Lower the prices. (laughter) Participant D: 100%.
Moderator: If the prices lower, a lot of people are against it because service or Wi-Fi is really poor, so would you consider that if the prices were lower?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
169
Participant D: If it was like half the cost, yeah. Or if you gave out a free ride or gave a student discount, like there’s no student discount I don’t think. There are like really simple things you can do. Participant E: This is something really simple, but like having a Brand Ambassador be very knowledgeable about all the ins-and-outs of it, like I didn’t know anyone that would be interested in Zipcar, so I was worried about doing the program, and then once I started talking to people, there were a lot of people that I usually just take a train to do this, or I need to get home and do this, and being able to tell them all the different features and all the benefits that would be useful to them, that worked really well. Participant A: Even like a loyalty program or something. Take like four rides and get one half off or free or something. I used to take Peter Pan all the time Freshman and Sophomore year because I didn’t have a car, and the price was awful, but I had to do it. Like people would definitely use it, but they don’t want to pay for it. Participant B: Maybe you take a ride and you share it on Facebook or something and your friend gets her next trip like half off if you share the links, something like that. Just lowering the cost really. Participant C: I was thinking like what could you get from a customer base? As an ambassador, can you have events that have surveys and things to see what the customers are actually saying about the services and seeing what kind of valuable information you could get from them? I personally feel like I have my issues, but people have so many different issues with say, Peter Pan, that wouldn’t be fully addressed. Participant A: I just thought of something, but if an organization was having an event and needed transportation, like partner with Peter Pan would be a good deal. Participant E: I feel like Greek Life is a good market for that because every time anyone has a formal, we have to take the bus there. So that’s like every organization every semester. If they could get into that market, that’d be good.
Moderator: Well, that is it. Thank you all so so much for your time.
GENERAL INTERCITY FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE
NOVEMBER 2016
Warm up: Introduce self, assure answers kept confidential and not assigned to any one person. Only generalizations will be recorded and shared. Session protocol: I am timekeeper, may
Peter Pan Bus Lines
170
interrupt to keep on course, want thoughts from all not just one or few, hand count for consensus on agreement.
“For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand your experiences with intercity ground travel (travel between two cities). For your frame of reference, we are focused on scheduled transportation instead of public transportation. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if we record this for data logging?”
Awareness & Introduction: We would like to begin by asking about your awareness of different modes of transportation.
1) When you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? What companies come to mind? Why do these brands come to mind? (e.g. you’re already a frequent user of the brand, friends/family reviews, online, in the news, social media, etc.)
2) Do you look for reviews of intercity transportation providers, such as Peter Pan, Amtrak, or any of the brands previously mentioned? If so, where do you seek these reviews?
Transportation Methods: We would now like to understand if your parents have an influence on your transportation methods.
3) Who typically pays for your intercity travel, specifically do your parents pay for or book these trips?
4) Do your parents suggest certain types of transportation and/or specific transportation companies? If so, why? (e.g. safety, price, convenience)
Now we would like to shift your focus to your desired modes and brands of transportation.
5) What is your most-used mode of intercity travel (i.e. train, bus, car)? Why?
6) What companies do you use the most if or when you travel by bus or rail (Amtrak, Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, BoltBus)? Why?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
171
7) Why would you choose to ride rail over bus or vice versa? (E.g. convenience, time of travel, location, features on-board, etc.)
Social Media: Now we’d like to talk about the kinds of transportation companies and how you use social media to communicate.
8) Would you ever follow a transportation company on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? Snapchat? Pinterest? Why or why not? Any other social media platforms?
9) What posts would you find valuable?
Deals in general? Deals geared towards college students in general? Deals geared toward UMass students in general? (How many participants voted? Why?)
General scheduling updates? Scheduling updates related only to UMass routes? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Contests? Photo contests? Raffles? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Pictures from the road? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Information about their routes and amenities? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Community involvement? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Branding: Now we’d like to transition into talking about how you view these intercity transportation companies.
10) What comes to mind when you think of Peter Pan Bus Lines?
11) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan Bus before? If so, what did you like most about the experience? What could have been improved?
Loyalty Programs:
Peter Pan Bus Lines
172
To conclude, we would like to get your thoughts on loyalty programs and recommendations.
12) Are you a member of a loyalty or rewards program?
13) Why have you joined a loyalty or rewards program? To save money, you already shop frequently, personalized deals and rewards (e.g. birthday present/deal), status (e.g. Starbucks Gold Status)?
14) What loyalty or rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016?
15) What is your favorite loyalty or rewards program? Why?
Thoughts & Recommendations: Finally, one last question.
16) If Peter Pan Bus Lines had a loyalty program, what kinds of rewards would you like to see? What would entice you into using the program?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
173
Millennial Traveler Focus Group #1 November 8, 2016
Moderator: Liz Imbrogna
Moderator: So, for our Honors Thesis Project we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base of our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand your experiences with intercity ground travel, which is travel between two cities. So, this could be travel from Boston to New York or, like, UMass to Boston. That sort of thing. For your frame of reference, we are focused on scheduled transportation instead of public transportation; the T isn’t included; We’re looking at things like Amtrak, Peter Pan, that sort of thing. Again, we thank you for your time and participation. Is it Ok if we record this for data logging?
[All participants nod]
Moderator: Great. We’re trying to keep this to around 30 minutes to get you guys out as quick as possible. We’d first like to begin by asking about your awareness of different modes of transportation. So, when you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? And, kind of, what companies come to mind? And why do these companies come to mind? To get your ideas flowing here, it could be you’re already a frequent user of the brand, you’ve heard reviews, you’ve seen them online, in the news, or on social media.
Participant A: For me, I think of intercity travel in Europe. I took the bus for school, and also for spring break we traveled to Philadelphia and wanted to get there as soon as possible. Usually buses I think of. Like Greyhound or Megabus. Participant B: I know of Megabus because it’s $5 to New York if you get it early enough, and then they jack the prices up after that. I’ve also used Peter Pan from UMass to Worcester. And that one was more expensive, and it wasn’t the best experience. Participant C: I think for me, the most common was from UMass to Boston for when I’m going home, and Peter Pan has that one frequently, so I’ve taken Peter Pan frequently. And I’ve used others to go to different cities. Like for New York, I would usually take Amtrak. Participant D: I feel like I think of them because I drive the Mass Pike every weekend going home, and I see them all the time
Moderator: Alright. So do you look for reviews of intercity transportation providers, such as Peter Pan or Amtrak? Or any of the other brands you mentioned? Like Megabus?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
174
Participant A: I feel like price is most important. Participant E: Yeah. Participant F: Like Amtrak is so expensive. Participant C: I mostly look at price. I’ve had friends that have had terrible experiences on Megabus, so I usually try to stay away from that. Participant B: I usually look at price when I’m weighing my options. Reviews don’t really matter.
Moderator: So, we’d now like to understand if your parents have any influence over your transportation choices. So, starting off, who typically pays for your intercity travel? Really what we are looking for is do your parents pay for your intercity travel? Bus tickets, train tickets, flight tickets?
Participant C: If I’m going home to visit them, yes. But if it’s something I’m doing on my own, no. Participant A: Never. No. Participant B: No. They just say take a bus to this stop and we’ll pick you up there. Participant A: Yeah, they tell me to take a bus to Worcester, but that’s like an hour from me.
Moderator: Do you know why they tell you to take a bus to Worcester?
Participant A: Because they don’t want to drive to Amherst. Moderator: So it’s closer. It’ll get you a little closer. Participant C: Why Worcester? That’s not close to you. Participant A: Because the bus to Providence is like $60. Participant C: What about Boston?
Participant A: Then it’s like a $20 T ride, and it takes like 5 hours.
Moderator: Ok, so kind of going off of that, you said that your parents would drive to a certain place to pick you up from the bus, but do they suggest certain types of transportation companies or types of transportation in general?
Participant C: They don’t like Megabus because they’ve heard very bad things about it. Moderator: When you say “very bad things,” what do you mean?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
175
Participant C: Like I know people who’ve said the buses have broken down and they’ve been stranded on the side of the road. I’ve heard that multiple times actually. Moderator: Anyone else?
Participant G: I don’t really take buses, so I’m not having very much input yet, but if I were to, going off of what [Participant C] said, the safety things would come into play from my parents.
Moderator: Going off that, do you think your parents are suggesting certain ones based off safety or…?
[Participants nodding]
Moderator: For the record, I’m seeing lots of nods. Do you think price or convenience come into play?
[Participants nodding]
Moderator: More nods. Ok. Awesome.
Participant A: And location too. Like the station in Worcester is really close to the highway, which is really easy to get to for them to pick me up.
Moderator: Good to know. And know we’d like to shift our focus to your desired modes and brands of transportation. So what is your most used mode of intercity travel? Train, bus, car? And why?
Participant E: When I can, well I have a car now, but I would try to find someone else who had a car, and I could get home quicker. It was so much easier. A better ride. Moderator: You said “better ride.” What do you mean?
Participant E: Faster, one-on-one, so more enjoyable, and it’s cheaper. Participant A: It’s more convenient finding someone who lives near you or in your town. Participant C: It’s better than sitting on a bus for 2 hours. Participant A: And for Peter Pan, you have to stop in Springfield, if you don’t get the direct one. So that adds a little more time on.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
176
Moderator: And what companies do you use the most if you travel by bus or rail? That can include Amtrak, Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, BoltBus
Participant C: I’d say probably Peter Pan. Moderator: Because of the bus stop at Haigis?
Participant C: Yeah. And if it’s a train, then Amtrak. Moderator: And why would you choose Amtrak?
Participant C: If I’m going to New York, I would take Amtrak because it’s more comfortable, and it’s quicker. I would pay extra money for that. And it goes to a better location because it goes into Penn Station.
Moderator: We kind of talked about this a little bit, but in what specific instances would you choose to ride a train rather than take a bus?
Participant A: Yeah, if my parents were paying for it, I’d be like yeah, get me a train. Also, traveling for work. Like corporate takes trains...Are there trains from here to Boston?
Participant C: Used to be. Participant A: I would totally ride that. Participant G: I took trains every day into Boston this summer, and it was easy. I don’t even think there was a bus from where I live to Boston. Yeah, so I love MBTA. Participant E: Well for me, I like trains because I can get work done on them. I can’t do work on a bus. I don’t know why, like I get nauseas on a bus, but I don’t get nauseas on a train. Participant C: Also, no traffic.
Participant B: I’d take a train because they are more time-centered oriented. Like I’ve taken buses that say you’re going to arrive at 5 and don’t arrive until like 6 or 6:30. And then you miss your other bus and have to wait for a few hours.
[Participants laughing]
Participant B: Yeah no, it happens a lot. Participant G: Yeah and for long weekends and stuff, it’s probably more reliable to take a train than a bus for traffic and everything.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
177
Participant A: That’s a good point. Traffic. Moderator: So, we talked about this a little bit especially with the whole pick up and drop off locations, but in what instances would you choose a bus over riding rail? So the opposite of what I just asked.
Participant A: Going home from UMass Amherst. Participant C: Yeah. Moderator: Specifically and only then?
Participant A: That’s my first thought because I don’t have a car here this year. I would go to work and can’t leave when other people leave, so I’m just stuck here. I rely on the bus a lot because of that. Like if I’m traveling to another city, the first thought is whose car can I borrow? Second is, how much does the train actually cost? And the third is, I’m always stuck in traffic going by bus.
Moderator: Ok. Participant A: How was that?
Moderator: That was great. Participant A: I always think whose car can I borrow? Usually it’s nobody’s.
[Participants laughing]
Participant C: All very true.
Moderator: Awesome. So now we’d like to talk about social media. Specifically your relationship with transportation companies on social media. So, would you ever follow a transportation company on Facebook?
Participant G: Absolutely not. Participant B: I might like them, but I wouldn’t follow them. Like hide all their posts.
Moderator: So why would you like them and not follow their posts?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
178
Participant B: Because I just like to see photos of my friends. Moderator: Anyone else?
Participant A: Only if they offered like a really good coupon. Participant E: Yeah.
Moderator: How about on Twitter?
Participant A: Yes. Yes. Like MBTA. Once over the summer, there were electrical wires on the tracks, and I was sitting in Attleboro and the bus wasn’t coming, so I was like how am I supposed to know what’s happening? So I ended up on Twitter, and they were updating every second, which was amazing. That’s what I’d do. Like if Peter Pan had a problem, I’d probably go onto Twitter.
Participant E: I’m like in the transportation field, so I want to be a transportation engineer, and if I had a professional Twitter, maybe I’d follow them and follow a bunch of transportation companies. Other than that, probably not.
Moderator: Ok, how about on Instagram?
Participant E: I don’t know what they’d be posting on it. Participant C: Pictures of the buses?
Participant A: With the algorithm, I would never like it, so it wouldn’t be in my feed anyways.
[All participants say no]
Moderator: Snapchat?
All: No
Participant C: The number one reason is that I don’t follow companies on Snapchat. What would they Snapchat?
Participant E: The bus? Participant A: Actually if it was something funny like interviewing customers on board, then you know what? Maybe I would.
Moderator: On Pinterest?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
179
All: No.
Moderator: Any other social media platforms that you would follow them on that I didn’t mention?
Participant C: This isn’t really social media, but if anything, I would like email updates from them. That’d be my only main thing really. Moderator: Why?
Participant C: Like sending coupons, or something along those lines. Participant A: Or updates. If they know I’m a frequent user of a certain line.
Participant C: This is a story, but when I was in London last semester, I signed up for updates from the Tube lines because they would tell you if some were going to be closed for a weekend or something for construction or something that had broken down, so that was convenient for planning for the weekend. It helped you to figure out another option to get there. So like something like that or updating about a new line coming out--that would be convenient.
Participant E: If it’s a long weekend coming up, and they know a lot of people will be buying bus tickets and that they can sell out, they could send an email being like, “Oh you’re trying to get home? We’re running out of tickets.”
Moderator: So, kind of going off of that, what posts would you find most valuable? Deals in general, deals geared towards college students, or deals geared towards UMass students? Which of those three would you find the most valuable, or which would you most want?
Participant G: Probably college students in general. Or UMass, but I don’t know. Participant E: Yeah, or you want to go with friends who don’t go to UMass. Participant A: A discount for UMass students would be a great idea. Moderator: Would you want to follow posts that have general updates across all their lines or find a way to personalize, such as just UMass routes?
Participant C: I think if they could somehow personalize it, like when you give your email address when you sign up; I think if they could personalize it for the routes. If there was a way
Peter Pan Bus Lines
180
to figure that out, that’d be good because I don’t need to get updates about a Philadelphia line. Like that’s not going to be important to me.
Participant A: Like if you only care about UMass routes, you could maybe create a UMass Twitter account, just updating for the routes most UMass students use. So like UMass Amherst to Boston. Like updates about going east if that’s a thing or if it’s happening. Because then you’d have a lot of students who already use Peter Pan who would be interested in that information. But, on the other hand, if there aren’t that many options other than getting to and from UMass and Boston.
Moderator: Yeah, that was actually my next question. Would you be more inclined to follow the company on Facebook or Twitter if it was like a Peter Pan UMass page. Like Peter Pan at UMass account or Peter Pan at UMass Facebook.
Participant A: I feel like it’d be more relevant. Participant B: I’d be more inclined if I was a frequent user of the service. Participant E: Yeah. Participant D: Yeah.
Moderator: General nodding of the heads. So, going off of other posts you’d find valuable, would you find contests valuable, such as photo contests or raffles?
Participant A: Probably not a photo contest. Participant C: Probably not a raffle. Participant A: Or like a survey maybe. Participant C: Yeah, a survey. Moderator: We have a survey up, guys. You should take it. You could win one of 10 prizes. Ok, anyways. Participant G: Maybe not photo contests. Um, I don’t know. I don’t know how you’d get people to participate. Participant C: It’s not what I’d think about on a bus. Like let me take a photo. Like while I’m on the Mass Pike…”Oh yeah, that tree looks nice.”
[Participants laughing]
Peter Pan Bus Lines
181
Moderator: You guys kind of answered that, but photos from the road?
Participant C: No
Participant E: No
Participant A: Do we post it or do they?
Moderator: They post it. Participant A: What kinds of pictures, though? Like how many can you take of a bus?
Moderator: No, like through the window while you’re on the bus. Sorry. Like your experience, not of the bus.
Participant E: I feel like when people take the bus, they aren’t looking for a view. They’re just looking to get from point A to point B. Not like, “Oh, look at that scenic route we’re taking.”
Participant C: I feel like I’m usually asleep on the bus, so I’m not really looking outside. Participant E: Think about the views you’re missing while trying to take a picture. Participant G: Unless it’s really cool, then like no. Participant A: If I saw the Eiffel Tower...like hell yeah. Participant C: I’d like to see a Peter Pan bus going by the Eiffel Tower.
[Participants laughing]
Moderator: Alright, so. Information about their routes or amenities? Kind of like product promotion type posts? Would you find that valuable? Or would that motivate you to use their services in any way?
Participant C: I mean if it was something that was really going to make the experience a lot better, then yeah that’d be useful to see. Participant A: If it was more unique than just Wi-Fi, bathrooms, extra legroom, USB ports, outlets. Like I feel like all of that should just be normal nowadays because that’s how we travel.
Participant C: Plus, all Peter Pan buses have all those things now anyways, right?
Moderator: Yeah. Yeah, they do. Anything else?
Participant G: I mean I feel like being knowledgeable about the brand. Like, “Oh, did you know you can take a bus here?”
Peter Pan Bus Lines
182
Moderator: How about posts that highlight their community involvement? Would you find that valuable? Would you engage with that?
Participant B: Yes.
Moderator: Overall nodding. Awesome. So, now we’d like to transition to talking about how you view these intercity transportation companies. What comes to mind when you think of Peter Pan Bus Lines? Be honest.
Participant E: Lately, overpriced. Participant A: Gets me where I need to go. Participant E: I feel like it’s relatively nice in terms of intercity buses. Participant A: They’re comfortable.
Participant B: So, I’ve taken them twice to go to Worcester, and one experience was good and the other was late because the bus driver took a wrong route. And then I missed one of the buses, and I had to wait for a while. Yeah, that wasn’t very good, but I take Peter Pan all the time because I’m on the baseball team. We take it to the airport, and they’re always a good experience. The newer buses are nicer. I’ve used a bunch of buses all over the country, and Peter Pan is definitely a bit more roomy than others, and it has good amenities.
Moderator: Great. Anyone else? Participant A: I feel like I don’t think of one breaking down or one flipping over on the highway a lot. Participant C: Yeah, like I feel like nothing too bad about Peter Pan. I feel like it’s the tiny bus companies that have issues. Participant B: I’ve had a couple flat tires with them. Moderator: Oh really?
Participant B: Yeah, but I’ve used them a lot.
Participant A: When I was in England, I was on a bus and we saw a bus that crashed into another bus in front of us. It was kind of the icing on the cake. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. They were really great though, and very convenient.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
183
Moderator: Anyone else? Ok. I think everyone has taken a Peter Pan bus before, so what’d you like most about that experience?
Participant A: The location of the stops are really convenient for people at UMass. Getting to Worcester. I live downtown and it comes downtown, so that’s convenient.
Moderator: Downtown Amherst?
Participant A: Downtown Amherst, yeah. And Haigis on campus is really good.
Participant C: The Wi-Fi. I thought it was better than expected. It only disconnected me a couple times, but it was actually pretty fast when I was using it.
Participant B: I think the best is having enough room to have your laptop up and stuff like that.
Moderator: I know in our initial meeting with the company, they didn’t feel like there was enough room for a laptop, but you do think so?
Participant B: Well, I kind of do. I was playing a game on it.
[Participants laughing]
Participant B: It was kind of angled. I wasn’t using it for work. I couldn’t do that. I have a smaller laptop now, maybe now it could work.
Participant C: I was actually doing work on it on Sunday. Honestly, it worked out fine; I found there was enough room for me. I was also in the front row, so there was probably some extra room.
Moderator: What did you like least about your experience?
Participant A: Having to take the bus.
[Participants laughing]
Participant A: I just really wish I had a car.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
184
Participant B: Sometimes the bathroom smells. It doesn’t really lock it in too well if you sit back there. Especially with 35 baseball players on the team.
[Participants laughing]
Participant B: On a 12 hour trip. Participant C: Most of the time I’ve taken them, they’ve run a bit late. It’s just kind of annoying. Moderator: How late?
Participant C: Usually it’s only between 15 minutes and a half hour, but it’s just annoying. Like you’re just ready to get home and leaving the stop 15 or 20 minutes later is kind of frustrating.
Moderator: Have you taken direct buses?
C: Yeah. Moderator: Do you find that it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s direct? Participant C: Yeah. It sort of happens with both of them. It happens more frequently when it’s not a direct bus.
Moderator: Our last topic that we’re going to talk about is loyalty programs. We’d like to get your general thoughts on loyalty programs and your recommendations. We’ll first begin by talking about loyalty programs in general--not in the transportation industry. Are any of you members of loyalty programs?
Participant C: Yes. Moderator: I see all nods, although I didn’t see one from you [to participant D], so are you not part of one? Participant B: [to participant D] Subway?
[Participants laughing]
Participant D: Yes, Subway.
Moderator: So, everyone is part of a loyalty or rewards program. So what are the reasons why you’ve joined a loyalty or a rewards program? It can be anything from saving money to you’re
Peter Pan Bus Lines
185
already shopping there frequently, personalized deals and rewards, a birthday present, or something like a status like with Starbucks’ program.
Participant A: Sephora has really good one, like dollars go towards points. Big Y you get more savings.
Moderator: Does it help that you can see your savings? Like use you card and this is only 99 cents. Is that helpful or? Would you pay attention to that?
Participant A: Yeah. Like you see that and you’re like oh good, that’s on sale. Or like CVS. Participant G: I was just going to say CVS. Participant A: I love CVS. Love 30% off. Or like 25% off your purchase. It’s like a happy day. Participant E: I like the punch cards too. I feel like that’d be a cool idea. Like you can get free bus tickets. Participant C: I’m going to join a loyalty or rewards program if I already go there enough, so I might as well get something out of it too. Participant A: Like Panera is great. Getting free drinks. Free chips. Participant G: I think like getting a discount for signing up is good--something to initially grab me. Participant A: I don’t like loyalty credit cards. Don’t do them. I would never get a Peter Pan credit card.
[Participants laughing]
Moderator: I don’t think they’re offering that, so don’t worry about it. Participant C: If they had a loyalty program that’d be awesome because I’ve used it so much at UMass already. Participant A: Did you use the buses in England at all?
Participant C: Yeah.
Participant A: So, they have a program where you can pay 15 pounds if you’re a student, or you’re in between 18 and 22 or something, and then it would discount all your rides in the future. You had your unique code on the back of your card. It was the best thing ever. I could get rides to London from Canterbury for like 8 pounds when it was supposed to be like 15 pounds.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
186
Moderator: So you had to pay to be part of the loyalty program? Participant A: Yeah, but like totally worth it. Participant C: Like for the discounts. If you use it enough, it ends up paying it off and getting discounts. Moderator: How long was it for? A year?
Participant A: That’s a great question. I think it was for a year. Like a full year membership, but I only used 4-6 months of it because i was only abroad for the semester. I was also trying to travel outside of England in addition to getting into London, so I was able to get discounted bus tickets to the airport. The trains in the UK are like 30 pounds to get from Canterbury to London. 30 pounds is like $55, which is absolutely ridiculous. Like insane. When I heard that I could pay 8 with the pass, that was great. There was also a rail card for discounted train tickets. I’d totally pay for it--completely worth it.
Moderator: Do you feel like you’d get the same value out of a program like that for Peter Pan? Do you think you’d use the bus enough to pay into the program?
Participant A: Yes. If it was worth it. Like how much is the discount going to be and how much is card? If it’s a $20 card, but only $2 off each ride, then that’s probably not worth it.
Moderator: How do the rest of you feel about that?
Participant C: Like if I’m going to pay into the program, it needs to be incentivized to use it more than I would regularly because I want to make out what I’ve paid into the program. I think for Peter Pan, it’d be good if they had a program that if you take x many rides, you get 1 free or something. I don’t know how many they would take to make that work, but I’ve been at UMass for 4 years now, and I’ve used the bus countless times. That would’ve been huge.
Participant E: I think if I used it more than I would, it’d be worth it. Moderator: You don’t feel like you currently use it enough?
Participant E: No, but that’s only because my brothers went here, so I always had a ride home. But I know a lot of people that have used it a lot, so I think it would be worth it overall at UMass.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
187
Moderator: Ok. So, we kind of touched on this a little bit, but what is your favorite loyalty or rewards program? And why?
Participant G: CVS
Participant A: Panera
Participant B: The Subway one is good because it gives you the points, but multiple options for what you want to spend those points on. So if you want to keep saving up for a foot-long instead of a 6-inch.
Participant G: Sephora’s is really great too, and for your birthday, you get a free gift. Participant E: Stop & Shop for gas is good. Participant B: Cumberland Farm’s is good. Participant A: Oh, Cumberland Farm’s is the best. Do you have the app?
Participant B: Yeah. It saved me like $60 on gas. That means I spent a lot of money there because 10 cents a gallon. You save money by linking your bank account directly. They have a phone app, and they have a card you can link it to. So you just like swipe or tap your card at the pump, and it saves you like 10 cents per gallon at the pump no matter what.
Moderator: Oh, that’s awesome.
Participant B: Yeah, like if it’s $1.89, you get it for $1.79. And I commuted 40 minutes to work in the summer in a Jeep, so I spent a lot of money, but I got 2-3 full tanks out of it. Moderator: Oh, wow. Participant C: Wow, that’s a lot of driving. Participant B: Yeah, I put on 15,000 miles this summer, but it saved me a lot of money.
Participant A: So for mine, I just sit in the car and I put in the pump number and it authorizes it, so I don’t even have to get out like when I’m in the cold, I just do it from my car.
Participant B: Plus they also give you free drinks. Participant A: Free drinks.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
188
Participant B: Snacks. Free promotions. A lot of free coffees. Free food. And then they give us free promotions like for a new product like a free cookie, which is good.
Moderator: I need to get this. Participant A: Yeah, it’s really good. You need to download the app and link it like with the routing number and account number.
Participant B: Yeah, because they save money on you by doing that, so they give it back to you. They don’t have to go through the credit card companies or your bank account. There are all those processing fees on them.
Participant A: It’s a lot of rewards. That’s a lot of loyalty.
Moderator: Again, we’ve kind of touched on this, but this is our last question before I let you guys go: If Peter Pan Bus Lines had a loyalty program, what kinds of rewards would you like to see and what would entice you into joining the program? Before we get into that question, I want to go back to (looking at participant E) you because you talked about having a punch card. Would you want a physical punch card or like a digital one if that was applied to Peter Pan?
Participant E: I feel like it would have to be digital for Peter Pan. Participant B: I think digital because you buy all the tickets online usually. Participant A: Like how many Antonio’s cards do I have lying around my apartment?
Participant C: You can also add those up. Moderator: So, going back to my original question, sorry...I got you guys off course. What kinds of rewards would you like to see and what would entice you into using the program?
Participant C: Free rides or money off rides. Or a points system based on how much tickets cost. That’d be good too.
Participant A: I would totally pay for a card that gave me an ID that gave me discounted rides. Having a specific code because I paid for it. Like $5 off every ride, and overall, rides for students would be discounted because I pay for the student rider card. I would totally use it.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
189
Participant B: I think increasing discounts. So the first ride is 100% and then 99%. So, the more you go, the more discounts you get. And it may reset after a month or so or after a year.
Moderator: Ok, yeah. That’s cool. Alright that was it. Thank you all so much again for coming. We really appreciate it.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
190
Millennial Traveler Focus Group #2
November 9, 2016
Moderator: Liz Imbrogna
Moderator: So, for our Honors Thesis Project we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base of our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand your experiences with intercity ground travel, which is travel between two cities. So, this could be travel from Boston to New York or, like, UMass to Boston. That sort of thing. For your frame of reference, we are focused on scheduled transportation instead of public transportation, so we’re not looking at things like the T; We’re looking at things like Amtrak, Peter Pan, that sort of thing. We thank you for your time and participation. And you guys already said it was Ok to record you for purposes of data logging, so great. So, we would like to begin by asking about your awareness of different modes of intercity transportation. So when you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? So, this could be what companies come to mind, the experiences you’ve had with it, and why do these things come to mind.
Participant A: I would say Peter Pan comes to mind and also, like, Amtrak, as far as intercity, actual on-the-road travel. Participant B: You want actual companies?
Moderator: Companies or, like, yeah. Participant B: Greyhound, Megabus
Participant A: Oh yeah
Participant B: [To Participant A] I feel like I’m stealing your answer
[Group Laughs]
Moderator: Ok, so why do these companies come to mind?
Participant B: Well, she [Participant A] said Peter Pan, so going off the bus theme. I don’t know any other train companies other than Amtrak
Participant A: I don’t know any… I guess when I’m searching for intercity travel those are the first options that pop up, like, Peter Pan and then Amtrak
Moderator: Ok
Peter Pan Bus Lines
191
Participant A: Other than flights
Moderator: You guys agree?
Participant C: Um yeah I just think of extendedly long, like, overly long times to get to places. Moderator: Mhm
Participant C: Like, longer than it takes in a car normally
Participant B: 100%. Participant D: I agree
Participant B: Oh and horrible Wi-Fi Participant E: [Entering the room] Oh, hey sorry. Moderator: [Laughs] It’s Ok, __________. There’s a seat for you right there. Participant E: Oh, Ok, cool.
Moderator: Alright, so do you look for reviews of intercity transportation providers, such as Peter Pan and Amtrak, or any of the other companies we just mentioned?
Participant A: Reviews?
Participants C & F: Not really
Participant F: Mostly because most companies have monopolies in the cities that I go to
Participant A: Yeah, exactly
Participant E: I like it when it’s cheapest Moderator: Ok
Participant B: Maybe a word-of-mouth review for me maybe, I guess, and if they said it was a horrible bus, I wouldn’t take it.
Moderator: Ok, so now we’re going to switch and talk about whether or not your parents have any influence over your transportation methods. So who pays for your intercity travel? Specifically, do your parents pay for your intercity travel?
All Participants: No
Participant F: I pay myself
Moderator: Ok. Do your parents suggest certain types of transportation and/or specific transportation companies?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
192
Participant A: It depends on the circumstance. Like this summer when I was coming home from New York to Boston, they wanted me home as soon as possible because it was kind of like an impulse trip. So, I took the train, specifically Amtrak. Participant C: I wouldn’t say my parents are involved
Participant D: Yeah, they’re not involved really
Participant E: No
Moderator: Ok, good to know. And now we would like to shift your focus to your desired modes and brands of transportation. So what is your most used mode of intercity travel, such as train, bus, car?
Participant D: Probably car Participant C: Bus
Participant A: Yeah, car Participant F: Probably car - depends on how far it is
Moderator: Ok, so why would you go by car or bus?
Participant B: Convenience for the car Participant A: Autonomy
Participant B: Yeah, I can leave when I want, and I don’t have to sit on a crowded bus, and it takes less time. It might even cost less depending on the bus ticket. Participant F: I agree with the cost Participant C: I don’t have a car, which is why I take the bus
Moderator: Ok cool. And what companies do you use the most if and when you travel by bus or rail?
Participant D: Peter Pan
Participant E: Peter Pan
Moderator: [Laughs] Participant A: I use Peter Pan and then when I was in Europe I used Megabus a little bit for one trip
Moderator: Mhm Ok
Participant B: I’ve used Megabus. It’s not that great. So now I just- Participant A: Solely Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
193
Participant B: -drive. If I took a train, I don’t think there’s anything other than Amtrak, so I would take Amtrak.
Moderator: Ok. And why would you choose to ride rail over bus?
Participant A: Doesn’t hit traffic
Participant F: Smoother ride
Participant B: More legroom. It’s- Participant A: The legroom is a huge plus
Participant B: -more relaxing to be honest. If I want to relax and, well, I can’t remember if the Wi-Fi works on Amtrak
Participant A: Barely
Participant B: But if I want to relax, it helps to have more legroom on the train. I just feel cramped on a bus. Moderator: How about you guys? Why would you choose rail over bus?
Participant C, D, E: I don’t
Moderator: Ok, so why do you choose bus over rail?
Participant D: I feel like it’s easiest, and, like, I go on the Peter Pan because it goes from UMass to the Cape where I live
Moderator: Mhm
Participant D: So, convenience
Moderator: Convenience in terms of pick-up and drop-off locations?
Participant D: Yeah
Moderator: Ok. Cool, cool, cool. And now we’re going to talk about transportation companies in relation to your social media use. So, would you ever follow a transportation company on Facebook?
Participant A: Probably not. Participant B: If they use like a discount or something, maybe
Participant C: Yeah
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: But other than that…
Participant D: Probably not
Peter Pan Bus Lines
194
Moderator: Ok
Participant E: With the discount though, that’s true
Participant B: If I was using them a lot and I knew I could get a discount or a coupon from them, I would follow them.
Moderator: Ok would you follow them on Twitter?
Group: No
Participant F: I may look them up on Twitter just to see if there’s a delay or something, but probably not follow. Moderator: Ok
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: I don’t really use Twitter, so…
Participant A: Yeah I don’t really use Twitter Participant C: Yeah, me too
Moderator: Ok. Instagram?
Participant A: Definitely not Participant F: Probably not
Moderator: Ok. Snapchat?
Participants A, C, & D: No
Participant F: Definitely not Participant E: Yes! Moderator: Yeah? [Laughs] Participant E: Yeah I don’t know
[Group laughs] Moderator: It would be entertaining?
Participant E: Yeah
Participant A: What would their content be?
Moderator: Last night one of the participants was talking about having a bus driver Snapchat from the road or something
Participant F: That’s not safe
Peter Pan Bus Lines
195
Participant E: I just want to see what Peter Pan would put on Snapchat Moderator: Yeah? Just curious to see what would be on there?
Participant A: He’d follow them for a day
Moderator: Ok so if you did end up following them - I think the consensus was on Snapchat- what posts would you find valuable?
[Group laughs]
Moderator: What?
Participant B: One person says Snapchat and that’s --
Moderator: Oh did I say Snapchat? I meant Facebook, I meant Facebook. So sorry! So, I think the consensus was Facebook, so what posts would you find most valuable: deals in general, deals geared toward college students, or deals geared toward UMass students in particular?
Participant F: All of the above, I think
Participant B: I mean we apply to all of those so…
Moderator: But which one of those three would you find most valuable or which would you be most likely to follow?
Participant C: Deals geared toward UMass students
Participant D: Yeah, UMass
Participant A: I’d want the most specific ones, but also it’s going to be less relevant once we graduate
Moderator: Mhm
Participant F: I would say- Participant E: Yeah, to me it would only matter if it was in general. Sorry- Participant F: No, sorry, go ahead
Participant E: It would only matter if I was planning a trip and then I saw also there was a discount Moderator: Mhm
Participant E: So it wouldn’t be the type of discount or if it applied to me; It would be the trip
Moderator: Ok
Participant F: I’m the type of person that impulse buys tickets based on how cheap they are, so if I find a cheap ticket in general, I’ll probably use that. Participant B: What if the day is wrong?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
196
[Group laughs]
Participant F: That’s literally how I got around Guatemala this summer. It cost me 200 bucks roundtrip. Participant B: Alright, that’s a little more exotic
Participant E: Did you take a Peter Pan bus?
[Group Laughs]
Moderator: Alright, alright, so in terms- Going back to posts on Facebook, which would you find general scheduling updates valuable or would you find scheduling updates only related to UMass routes most valuable?
Participant A: UMass routes
Participant C: Umm…most valuable: general scheduling updates or scheduling updates only related to UMass routes?
Participant E: Wait, what was that? I’m sorry
Moderator: Going back to posts on Facebook, which would you find Participant E: I wouldn’t find any updates valuable unless I had a ticket that had to do with that route. Participant C: Me too.
Moderator: Ok. So you would prefer more - so if you bought a ticket from UMass to Boston and you got an email update about that, would you find that more valuable about that specific route based on the ticket you bought?
Group: Yeah, yes
Participant E: If it was important Moderator: If it was important?
Participant A: If it was, like, a delay, and I got a text update and things like that Participant C: Yeah, I think that would be valuable because you might not check Facebook or see the email if there’s a delay
Participant A: Right
Peter Pan Bus Lines
197
Participant E: ‘Cause don’t they send the receipt, if you buy your ticket online, don’t they send the receipt to your email?
Moderator: Yep
Participant E: So, that’s already where, like, where you’re expecting stuff from them
Moderator: Ok. Good to know. Umm and then would you ever find contests, such as photo contests or raffles valuable from transportation companies on Facebook? Would you care about them? Would you participate in them?
Participant A: If I was feeling ambitious
Participant F: If it was, like, a high-value prize, I would
Participant A: Yeah
Moderator: Mhm
Participant F: Like...I don’t know… Like if it was a pretty long bus ride overnight, or something like that, to some far-off city, sure. Participant A: Very specific
Participant F: Or like...er - I cannot think today - Some credit voucher for some long trip or something like that
Moderator: Ok, mhm, good, good. Would you find pictures of the road interesting?
Group: No?
Moderator: Sorry - I should clarify: Pictures from the road, so like- Participant B: Like what?
Moderator: Like, from the trip. That sort of thing. Participant A: The lines in the middle of the road look beautiful this time of year [Laughs]. Umm...Still no. Participant E: No
Participant B: No
Moderator: Ok. Would you find information about their routes or amenities valuable?
Participant A: Only if the Wi-Fi was good
Participant B: Yeah Wi-Fi - good Wi-Fi- would be key on a bus
Participant A: Mhm
Peter Pan Bus Lines
198
Participant B: Like all bus Wi-Fi and train Wi-Fi is horrendous
Participant A: Megabus wasn’t too bad, and that was, like, amazing because I typically- Participant B: Really?
Participant A: Yeah. The one time I took a Megabus
Participant C: Peter Pan has gotten better though. Participant A: I haven’t taken Peter Pan in a while
Participant B: Yeah, I guess I haven’t taken it enough, but just in general it can be…
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: I just have preconceived notions that the Wi-Fi is horrible there
Participant F: Not trying to sound pretentious, but if you go to other countries, especially over in Europe, they have amazing bus Wi-Fi Participant A: That’s what I’m talking about. I took Megabus in Europe. Participant B: Ohhh
Participant F: Oh, yeah, Ok
Participant B: So I guess I don’t know what Megabus is like over here
Participant F: Yeah every bus over there has Wi-Fi, and it’s, like, faster than my 4G on my phone
Participant D: Wow
Participant F: Yeah and everyone’s connected to it, so they probably spend a lot more than most American companies do
Moderator: Mhm
Participant F: It’s the little things like that that make it a much better experience. Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: Wi-Fi is a big deal Participant A: To re-iterate, I love Wi-Fi [Group laughs] Participant B: Well, if I’m going to be sending pictures of the road- [Group Laughs] Participant B: -I’m gonna want good Wi-Fi.
Moderator: Alright, would you be interested in posts about Peter Pan’s community involvement?
Participants C, E, & F: No, Nope
Participant D: Probably not
Peter Pan Bus Lines
199
Participant B: Do I care? Or am I aware of it?
Participant A: Do you care
Moderator: Yeah, are you interested? Would you interact with it?
Participant B: Yeah, I would care a little, just because I’m from the Springfield area
Moderator: Mhm. Ok. Now we would like to transition to talking about how you view these intercity transportation companies. So, what comes to mind when you think of Peter Pan Bus Lines?
Participant E: Buses
Moderator: [Laughs] Good. Participant B: I mean for me, I think “local”
Participant F: Yeah, like New England
Participant B: Better than Megabus
Moderator: Ok. Participant D: Convenient Moderator: Convenient? Ok. Good to know
Participant B: I also think “uncomfortable”
Moderator: Uncomfortable?
Participant B: Yeah, like overcrowded - cramped, rather Participant C: I think of those little trays that are on the seat, like, in front of you. I tend to take buses a lot. For athletics, we always take Peter Pan
Moderator: Mhm
Participant C: And they have these little trays in front, so we have long bus rides, and you know how you put your legs up?
Participant A: Oh, yeah. So uncomfortable. Participant C: Yeah, it’s just so uncomfortable. I’m just always on those buses, so that’s just always what I think of.
Participant F: I know they’ve gotten a lot better over the years, but I remember a couple of times freshman and sophomore year that they wouldn’t have enough buses to meet the demand, so even if I got a ticket for, like, three o’clock, I wouldn’t leave until, like, five because they only had, like, three buses and would oversell them terribly.
Moderator: Ok.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
200
Participant F: But, from what I’ve heard, they’ve gotten better. Participant A: Was that to Springfield?
Participant F: No, to Boston.
Moderator: Ok, um.. And then have you- I think we kind of addressed this, whether or not you’ve ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before, but, if so what did you like most about the experience?
Participant D: Convenience. Participant A: It was pretty convenient, yeah. Moderator: Because of the pick-up and drop-off locations?
Participant D: Yeah. Participant A: Yeah, definitely the pick-up location was good, right here on UMass campus. Moderator: Mhm. Anything else?
Participant F: I think I had a pretty new bus, and that was a nice little touch.
Moderator: Ok. And what did you like least about the experience?
Participant A: There was a massive delay the last time I took it. Participant C: I’d say price. Participant F: Yeah, the prices have definitely gone up.
Moderator: Ok. Alright, cool. Alright, the last thing we want to talk about is we would like to get your thoughts on loyalty programs and recommendations. So, first of all, are you a member of a loyalty or rewards program?
Group: Yeah, mhm. Moderator: For the record, there’s general nodding. Participant F: Yes.
Moderator: Why have you joined a loyalty or rewards program in the past? It could be from saving money, you were already shopping there frequently, they provided personalized deals and rewards like a birthday present or deal, or they had different levels of status, such as the Starbucks Gold Status.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
201
Participant A: I chose mine partly because of status, because I wanted the Gold Card [at Starbucks], but also because you get free drinks along the way to go back. Participant B: If I - like I have my Big Y card - If I use it all the time, then I might as well get a rewards card because it builds up, and you can save some money. Participant A: And it saves you a decent amount of money per purchase. Participant B: Yeah. Participant A: Yeah, discounts, coupons, store locators, things like that. Participant C: Same. Moderator: Ok. Participant E: Really all the things you listed out. Participant D: Yeah, mine has points, so once you have a certain amount of points you can get a specific dollar discount or something.
Moderator: Ok. And what loyalty or rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016?
Participant F: Give me a name. Moderator: Uh, Starbucks- Participant A: Yeah, Starbucks, Big Y, CVS. Participant F: A lot of the airlines. Moderator: Like the JetBlue TrueBlue?
Participant F: Yeah, JetBlue, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and all of their affiliates. Moderator: Ok. Can anyone else think of anything?
Participant C: I think I belong to a hotel one- Participant F: A lot of hotel ones too. Participant C: - Like Marriott or something. Participant B: I have my Antonio’s pizza card.
[Group laughs]
Moderator: Ok, and what is your favorite loyalty or rewards program and why?
Participant F: Target’s Cartwheel, ‘cause you can search for things, like in a general category that you’re looking for, and it’ll give you some massive discount. You just scan a barcode when you’re done and it takes, like, a couple dollars off your total.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
202
Moderator: Ok, cool. Participant F: Usually it’s like 20 to 30 percent off. Participant B: Umm… I like my Big Y card a lot and free pizza from Antonio’s
Moderator: Mhm. Always a plus. Anyone else? Your favorites?
Participant C: I think Big Y’s my favorite too. Moderator: Mhm. Participant A: Starbucks. Moderator: Starbucks?
Participant A: Mhm. Moderator: The status?
Participant A: Yeah, and the deals. The birthday drink - You can’t match that.
Moderator: Ok. Alright, one last question: If Peter Pan Bus Lines had a loyalty program, what kinds of rewards would you like to see? And what would entice you to use the program?
Participant E: Discounts
Participant B: Yeah
Participant D: Definitely discounts
Participant A: A free ride here and there
Participant B: I feel like I would be more apt to be part of a bus lines loyalty program, if I use the bus all the time. Versus, some, like, retail stores, if they’re just trying to get me to go shop there, but I don’t need that kind of stuff, then I’m hesitant to join a loyalty program ‘cause I don’t really care, but if I use the bus all the time, like, I know I’m going to be taking the bus places, then I’m more likely to join a rewards program. I just don’t see what they stand to gain from that kind of program.
Moderator: Mhm. Ok. Participant F: If a bus company had a miles program, like- Participant A: Mhm
Participant B: Yeah
Participant F: -redeem miles for a free trip or something Participant A: That’s a good idea
Participant B: Kind of like airlines?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
203
Participant F: Yeah, especially for people that travel back and forth from UMass all the time, that adds up.
Moderator: Right.
Participant B: It’s like the same style, too - It’s transportation
Participant F: Right Participant D: Or even if they did something like Antonio’s, like, for however many rides you take, they, like, give you a free ride. It’s kind of like the miles, but…
Moderator: Ok, cool. Anything else? Alright, that’s it. Thank you guys so much for coming.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
204
APPENDIX B
Peter Pan Bus Lines
205
Peter Pan Bus Lines
206
South Station In-Person Interviews Respondents: Rail and Bus Travelers at South Station Monday, November 21, 2016 Location: South Station, Boston, Massachusetts Interviewer: Liz Imbrogna Respondent 1: (Was taking a Peter Pan Bus for the first time that day)
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Bus. 4) What made you choose bus over train? It’s cheaper.
Respondent 2: (Was riding BoltBus due to price relative to Peter Pan)
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Liked that it was quick. Wished Wi-Fi worked better. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Bus. 4) What made you choose bus over train? It’s cheaper.
Respondent 3:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Likes amenities. Too many transfers with PPBL and bus broke down once. Uses the D+J to get to Portsmouth, NH.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose train over bus? No traffic, generally safe, more spacious. 5) What would make you take bus over train? Price.
Respondent 4:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Bus. 4) What made you choose bus over train? More comfortable, likes the driver and the
feeling of driving.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
207
Respondent 5:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? It got to the destination on time. Would’ve liked TV/entertainment on bus. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose train over bus? It’s more comfortable, legroom, bathroom,
faster. 5) What would make you take bus over train? Price, cheaper.
Respondent 6:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Liked that the bus brings her to destination nearest her because she’s in the middle of nowhere. Experience would’ve been better if there were fewer stops.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose train over bus? More stable Wi-Fi and safety. 5) What would make you take bus over train? If she knows there are fewer delays on
trains. Respondent 7:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose train over bus? It’s cleaner and faster than bus travel. 5) What would make you take bus over train? If the buses’ stops were more convenient
and the price were cheaper. Respondent 8:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose train over bus? Fewer Stops. 5) What would make you take bus over train? Price.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
208
Respondent 9:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Nothing would have made it better, Wait times and poor information about wait times.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose Train over bus? Train was easier for respondent. 5) What made you choose bus over train? Convenience, if there were more pickup/drop
off locations, and better pick up times. Respondent 10:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No. 2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A. 3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train. 4) What made you choose train over bus? Lack of personal knowledge of buses; trains
have a lot of availability and times to travel. 5) What made you choose bus over train? If it were cheaper.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
209
Expert Interview: Adam Grant Area of Focus: Brand Ambassador Programs, Millennials & Marketing to College Students Monday, October 31, 2016 Moderator: Rachel Kirshtein Rachel: Alright, great so if it’s ok we’ll just jump right in with you. So just to provide a little bit about us we’re seniors at UMass Amherst completing our honors thesis in marketing, and like I said in the email we are consulting for Peter Pan Bus Lines for the semester and at the end of the semester we’re putting together a recommendation for them regarding ways to increase ridership and we’re interested in looking at the success of brand ambassador programs, and we found your article on Forbes.com, really insightful, and thought we would reach out to you. So, would it be ok to record this call for data logging purposes? Adam: Yeah, no problem. So, are you guys, when you say senior thesis are you talking about undergrad, or graduate? Rachel: We’re undergraduate students, we’re part of the honors college here Adam: Man, that’s funny, I went to Michigan State University, and we had the same setup, our capstone course, Advertising 46, we were working with a real-world client and had to put together research, then execution and recommendations, so I think I’m pretty familiar with what you guys have going on over there Rachel: Awesome, it’s crazy but it’s good experience for sure Adam: It is, was actually one of my favorite classes, I think you can learn a lot more outside of the classroom than you can within and this is a good example of that, of working with an actual brand and client vs, a kind of, a textbook, so Rachel: Got you, that’s awesome, cool, so I guess we’ll start jumping into the questions… Adam: Yup Rachel: … so we’d first like to understand your thoughts on marketing in general to college students. So how would you recommend college students to reconsider a brand they already know? Are there specific ways to win their hearts back if something went wrong along the way or other brands are interfering? Adam: Well, I think you asked a couple of questions within that one question and the beginning is why you should market to college students, and I’m under the belief that all brands should market to college students, it’s just the percentage of dollars they should devote to college students that matters. And so why you should even consider marketing to college students is we can, you guys can imagine yourselves now, I can imagine myself back in college, and we’re
Peter Pan Bus Lines
210
really away from mom and dad for the first time, we’re independent and we’re forced to make our own purchasing decisions because mom and dad are no longer filling the shelves with their favorite cereal, for example I always like to say when is the last time your parents have bought a different cereal for you. And at some point, those habits were formed, and usually they’re formed pretty early. So, when you’re independent for the first time, you know walking through the aisles of Walmart you’re much more open too different brands, and so you’re developing your purchasing habits your buying habits. And so, that’s why you want to get in the minds of college students at that time verses minds of mom and dad who have been forming that habit for a while now so it’s a lot harder to get them to change their cereal buying habits. Now you might be a brand like, let’s say like an alarm company, right, where you look at an alarm, like a home security alarm company and say, well that’s not, college students are not, probably not their ideal customer. But they’re going to become their ideal customer as they graduate, and if they don’t know who you are when you graduate you're really falling behind so maybe you spend a lower percentage of your budget for that awareness, and go after an older student like a senior, who when they graduate they may be buying their first home, so that home security purchase makes a lot more sense and if they remember you at some point in their senior year, likely going to include you in that process of decision making process so I think with, what is it, Peter Pan Bus Lines, is that what you said? Rachel: Yep Adam: Yeah so, they seem to be a little bit more relevant with college, I’m sure like, do they compete with like Greyhound, and, and all the other… Rachel: Yep Adam: ...kind of, ok so yeah, it’s probably cost effective travel and stuff like that makes sense why, you know. This project right here by them getting involved and you working on them you now will probably a lot more consider them as you graduate. Rachel: Exactly Adam: So, I don't know if that helped answer your, did that answer your question Rachel: No, it totally did, we were at first just trying to understand your perspective in general of marketing to college students so that was definitely helpful, and the parents stuff is completely relevant, so great Liz: So, the second part of that question, the how would you recommend getting college students to reconsider a brand they already know, so we are asking that because Peter Pan at least to the people we talked to on campus, they seem to view it as low quality and potentially inconvenient, and we are trying to potentially reshape that brand image. So, we were wondering your thoughts on reshaping brand images to college students
Peter Pan Bus Lines
211
Adam: Yeah so, I think it’s just paying, first of all its accepting what the market place thinks about you and actually doing something about it. Um so I’ll use Spirit Airlines as an example, I heard at a conference, I was at a conference speaking, and the guy before me, actually I was he hadn't gone before me because he did such an amazing job, was a guy working for Spirit, and he was in the marketing department as an executive and what he loved to do is take over brands that needed a little bit of, a little bit of help with their public image and Spirit Airlines, a lot of people think of Spirit, I’m sure there’re are some things that you guys have heard, you know he was saying, hey, you know it’s cheap but I don't get a good experience, and what he found was no one really understood Spirits value proposition, why they were cheap, why they were, he also found out through his research that a lot of people that had these misconceptions were going through Priceline and not Spirit.com so it was harder for him to control what people’s perception was when they were going through other brands to book on Spirit Airlines. But when they actually did an overhaul of their website and actually did a step by step process so people understood before they got on the plane that the pop wasn't included, that they needed to check their bags, so he made it a step by step process to educate on why spirit airlines is cost effective. So, I think that is an example of taking research, taking what is known and figuring out what I need to do to change that perception if the perception is false. Right, because the perception could be true and then you have to fix it within your own internal company. But doing that research, figuring out why that perception is the way it is and then shifting, and then changing it internally or making a marketing campaign if someone else is shaping that perception like Spirit Airlines with Priceline and Hotels.com and all those other places that you could book airlines, you know, walking them through the right process to find why it was cost effective, does that make sense? Rachel: Yeah absolutely, thank you. And we saw that you helped Coca-Cola and HP for example in the past, so we were just wondering what specific practices or tactics did you encourage with that kind of support for them, and kind of like, if you could just elaborate on what you did for the, if that’s ok? Adam: So unfortunately, I can't talk specifically about those brands, but a brand that I can talk through is Men’s Warehouse. Rachel: Ok, great Adam: So, do you mean sort of what we did or kind of go into a little bit of a more detailed question for me there to help me out Rachel: Yeah, just kind of like, what you did, what was accomplished, how the program was successful, some of its drawbacks Adam: Ok, I think that you just have to have a process when you’re going through a marketing program rather than, you know a lot of your classmates will go up there and just pitch ideas
Peter Pan Bus Lines
212
without much support, they’ll say, “hey let's do a brand ambassador program where our students will post on social media, and attend this event”, then if they get follow up questions they really can’t support why they are doing those activities, and they just figure because they’re students, they can kind of talk about , “hey this will be a good idea to my peers” That doesn't really make you qualified to say because I like it that my peers will like it, because there are so many different categories of peers right? Rachel: Right Adam: And so, you really have to address three questions before you develop your marketing plan and what you would like to do, so for example Men’s Wearhouse came to us because they wanted to increase more suits and before they were sort of just passing out coupons and saying, “Hey, we didn't really see any redemption.” But when I asked them these 3 questions I didn't get a lot of details, and this was through an agency so this wasn't Men’s Wearhouse, this was their agency. You got to just provide a laser beam of focus to every campaign, so the three questions is, what is your ideal student, who are you going after with Peter Pan Bus Lines. For Men’s Wearhouse we’re saying, “so what kind of student is going to buy more suits throughout their lifetime? That would be a business major. So, we are now going to focus on business majors.” Next up is what is the ideal time frame. Well when are students thinking about suits. It's actually the weeks leading up to a career fair. That’s when they are going to buy a suit, and typically they only buy one and they make it last throughout their college career. So, we are only going to focus on the couple of weeks leading up to a career fair. So, Peter Pan Bus Lines I’m sure there are times when students are thinking about travel and times when they are not. Rachel: Exactly, yeah Adam: I would define those periods in your presentation to Peter Pan Bus Lines, and really throw up an academic calendar and say, “here are the times that students are going to travel the most, so we are going to circle all of these dates and these are the dates we are going to be advertising. Rachel: Right, no that is a great idea Adam: And your ideal student is probably not someone who is in, I don't, you would have to look at the travel schedule for Peter Pan Bus Lines, I know, we live in Detroit, it’s not that widely known, I’ve heard of them but, so where are their common routes then taking a look at, you know obviously if you are living in a state does it make sense to use them or is it more like a route from Boston to New York, you looking for those students, you know. And then the last question is the ideal method, so when you get the students attention what are you going to say. Well for Men’s Wearhouse, we know that, if we are talking to them right before the career fair, they’re thinking about how do I prepare for a career fair, there is a reason that career services departments are presenting the message at the time. So we have to maintain that message but
Peter Pan Bus Lines
213
where Men’s Wearhouse can jump out is we can actually show them visually, we don't have to, just put it up on a PowerPoint presentation, we can have campus reps wear suits and have students touch and feel, talk about different instances where you would wear certain clothing and how buying a certain suit can have multiple uses besides just going to an interview, if you just took of the jacket and you had a button-up and pants, where that instance would work, they could provide more value to their first suit purchase. So really, it’s, our message is how do you put, how do you dress for success, how do you put your best suit forward. And then for tracking purposes, because every campaign, right, we have to be able to fully say it was successful, and so what is the goals of the client, now you’re going to have to learn, I don’t know if they have number goals or what they gave you. But Men’s Wearhouse is very much ROI (Return on Investment), so how do we prove there is an ROI from those conversations, which our concept was schedule meetings in front of student organizations which are business related, like the marketing club, finance club, accounting club and talk to students about putting your best suit forward and we pass out coupons at the end, and based on the traction of those coupons in the store we could measure those talks. Rachel: Got-it, cool. I think we will definitely have to pull on a bunch of that and for Peter Pan I know going back… Adam: If you made your presentation answering those three questions, if your, I don’t know, do you guys have an outline for a presentation, if you don't, like literally first who is our ideal student, Boom, why, Boom, here is our ideal time frame, Boom, why, Boom, like literally just put the academic calendar there and do circles. And then here is the ideal message, and combining all of these three things, here is the concept, I will bet you will win, I don't know if it's a competition Rachel: (Laughter), no that is definitely, I think, we will definitely have to strive for that Adam: Peter Pan Bus Lines, if their marketing department is across the line executives, I am sure they will be able to follow you to a tee Rachel: Ok, ok great. So the next kind of questions are kind of a little more specific into your personal experiences with brand ambassador programs, so I think I saw somewhere, I can’t remember where I saw that you have been a brand ambassador in the past for Apple, Microsoft, General Motors and we are just wondering, we are hosting a couple of focus groups and we are asking current and past brand ambassadors what their overall thoughts were, what did they think, what did they like most what did they like least. So I guess what we are wondering, through your personal experience, we were wondering if any of those brands you would like to discuss on what you liked most, and what you liked least about them and why? Liz: While working for them as a college student
Peter Pan Bus Lines
214
Adam: Yeah, I think is less about me individually and more, that Forbes article actually summarizes problems with campus rep programs and how to address them, you know, because students are joining campus rep programs for experience, right, to be able to talk about what they did when they take their first job interview. It also helps that you are working with a name brand, that can be seen on a resume and you get paid, you know because student debt is a big issue right now. So, you know, as a brand the programs I liked the most were brands that got involved with the program, that I didn't feel like I was task taker with, or just being able to talk with the agency and not being able to interact with the brand, because I am probably doing the campus rep program because I like the brand. So, I am not talking, I don’t have any dialog with the brand so I am just kind of told things to do, and they are really not taking my feedback into consideration, or making it easy to report back to them. You know it is going against the grain so you are probably less favorable about those programs. So, you look at your most successful programs and they really do a good job at building that student community where the brand is interacting with them and the students can interact with each other and they are not siloed and just talking to an agency or worse yet, not talking to anyone, just simply reporting back through an email or a portal. You know that is where they fall flat, you know because why, as a student why are you joining a student rep programs and the brand needs to address those things. And there are a lot of brands out there that simply don't do that, or rely their agency but, and that is a negative, because the brand, the student that is taking that program wants to interact with that brand in most cases with what I found. Rachel: Completely understandable. Our last few questions relate to, in your experience have you seen programs that have failed and why they are failing, is it that they aren't engaging enough, is it they don't have enough, the assignments aren’t enticing enough for the actual representatives. And then, any other kind of tips or tricks for brands which are just starting out. Adam: Definitely not a silver bullet, like one thing that is going wrong with every single program, it is kind of going back to my Forbes article, I summarize the common things that are going wrong, the three top things we find are going wrong with brand ambassador programs. We wouldn’t be in business if brands, agencies were doing a great job with their brand ambassador programs, so my claim to fame is really rescuing campus rep programs, that’s what I do, rescuing campus rep, brand ambassador programs. And there are just so many different ways where they fall flat. So, it is definitely not a silver bullet, where I can tell you this one thing is where all brands are missing the mark. But that Forbes article is where I find over 50% of the brands I talk to are missing the mark and how we correct them over at Campus Commandos. Rachel: Right, and yeah, I think in the article, the one we were reading, you were talking about how they are not paying on time, how they are not paying the reps on time, and then, maybe
Peter Pan Bus Lines
215
their recruitment strategy was a little off, so completely agree with those aspects. I have worked myself as a brand… Adam: I know, I mean I am constantly asking college students questions, you know, I am never one to say I know everything and relive my own college experience and use it as a past moving forward, I mean things are constantly changing, so we have an app called the Go-Commando app where all our students have downloaded it to become campus reps for our clients, but I am using that community to continue asking them questions. And that is a large part of why we did come out with the app because we know students are mobile first and they want to engage with us through their mobile device, so you know, they don’t want to go to a website, they don’t want to go to a dashboard. So you know, even in our own industry we are listening to college students and being proactive and hearing what they are saying hearing shifts and coming out with products and services that match that so we can continue to stay ahead, you know in the Brand Ambassador, in the Campus Rep Industry, but from what you guys have done, when you interview former campus rep, brand ambassador programs, just for my own knowledge, what have you been hearing? Rachel: So, we… Adam: What should I be doing if you were an entrepreneur starting up a company tomorrow, what should I be doing, Rachel: So actually, we are having our focus groups tomorrow and Wednesday (11/1-11/2) for our brand ambassadors on campus, so we will definitely have way more information then, to share with you if you would like Adam: Yeah, let me know, if I am missing anything you guys could really help me if the comments, I would love to see, I would only look at it I won't publish it or share it with any competitors or anyone Rachel: No, yeah, we would love to share. I have actually been a brand ambassador myself, for Keds, the classic American shoe company and... Adam: Wait, what was it? Keds the shoe company Rachel: Yeah, I was a brand ambassador for them my freshman and sophomore year Adam: Did they go through an agency or directly through the brand? Rachel: They went directly with the brand and then I interned with their marketing department at their actual headquarters, but so I worked with the brand marketing director and other brand marketing team members for that but they are small, they are, Keds’ sister brands like Sperry and Stride-rite and Saucony, but together they are not actually as big, I think we only had about 80 Keds team members in the office, so what happened was the program was actually fairly successful for the first two years then it just kind of, went out. I think there were some people
Peter Pan Bus Lines
216
moving around, some structural stuff. But it was at least successful from my end, for the most part. Liz: And we haven't done focus groups but we have interviews with people who have been active in a number of different ambassador programs, and like you were saying, they were saying that they wanted a specific target market and a specific goal that they needed to reach, if you just sent them out into the masses of college students they are going to be overwhelmed, and they had also mentioned that they are not going to work for a brand that they don’t feel understand them, or their personality, or their lifestyle. So very much they want a personal connection with any brand they are promoting. And then they want to be able to be recognized for performing well, whether it be prizes or a note of encouragement, like, “We see you have been doing this, thank you so much”. Adam: I think, I have found, if the brand can put a referral for you on LinkedIn, you know the digital resume, I like to say it is like paper business cards, when you get a business card now you add them online and you throw the card into a drawer and never look at it again, you know the rolodex of paper business cards are just not around anymore, so, I mean having some of those digital influences as part of your program, like if you are doing a great job I can put, or even if the CMO of the company, or even their assistant can just take the time to put a recommendation online, I think that goes a long way. Rachel: Absolutely right. Thank you so much for your time, we are actually all out of our questions on our end, we will definitely be in touch regarding feedback from our focus groups that are Tomorrow and Wednesday (11/1-11/2), we would love to share some of that information with you and thank you so much for you time, that was amazing and so helpful.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
217
Expert Interview: Jim Herlihy Area of Focus: Charter Services Sunday, November 27, 2016 Method: Liz Imbrogna emailed questions Questions Emailed:
1) Why did UMass decide to use Peter Pan Bus Lines as its main mode of transportation for athletes?
2) Has UMass Athletics ever considered using another bus company for its athletic events? If so, why and which companies?
3) Why has UMass Athletics continued its relationship with Peter Pan Bus Lines over the years?
4) What do you and your players value most in the modes of transportation used to travel to and from athletic events?
5) What have you and your players liked the most about traveling on Peter Pan buses? What have you and your players felt could have been improved?
6) What have you, personally, liked most about dealing with Peter Pan Bus Lines as a company? How could these interactions be improved?
Jim Herlihy’s Response Via Email: “Elizabeth: My comments for your group are below. Please note that I have been in the department for less than 90 days so I don’t have the historical knowledge that might help with some of the thinking from past administrations and their train of thought. I focused my answers on the process required and generally the thinking that goes into making these kinds of decisions. I hope they cover each of the questions you posed. UMass is a public university and as a result all materials and services that we procure are subject to a public bidding process (i.e. charter buses or airline flights). Here at UMass, purchasing for all department on campus is coordinated through the Office of Procurement and Campus Services. They help make sure that the University is compliant with all state regulations for public entities and we work closely with them on all bids and purchases.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
218
Compliance with laws and regulations from the vendor is paramount to determining services like travel. Procurement will review safety ratings and dependability records for any company that bids on providing travel. It is important that the vendor provides competent and professional drivers who are fully licensed and able to operate the size of vehicle needed (32-passenger, 36-passenger, 55-passenger, etc.) and that the vendor has demonstrated evidence of a track record of safety. We often want to see evidence that the vendor has a drug policy and testing program, training programs for drivers and is compliant with health checks as required by licensing requirement. We need to ensure that the vendor and drivers have a fully functioning method of communication at all times in case of some type of malfunction with the bus. If a company cuts corners in this part of the operation, we don’t want to take the risk. We value vendors who provide fully functioning buses that are in excellent working condition and clean. We prefer those who can provide amenities for our student-athletes, coaches and staff to travel comfortably. So we prefer buses with ample leg room and nice seats, climate controls, Wi-Fi, power outlets, televisions, and secured storage with locks. Bathrooms on the buses, especially for those on longer trips, is a big plus. Our student-athletes probably value the comfort and amenities during the travel, especially for those trips that are more than a few hours. The single biggest complaint would be the length of time they have to spend on buses travelling to and from the sites of competition. Our teams often travel to Virginia/DC or to Ohio/Pennsylvania by charter bus. Those can be long trips. In my short time here, I appreciate the customer service provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines. They work directly with our travel coordinator in athletics on departure and return times and sometimes, due to weather, adjustments have to be made and they have proven to be accommodating and very focused on meeting the needs of the students and coaches. Please let me know if you have additional questions or clarification. Best of luck on the assignment. I’d love to hear how it turns out. Jim Herlihy”
Peter Pan Bus Lines
219
Expert Interview: John Coakley Area of Focus: Charter Services Wednesday, November 23, 2016 Interviewer: Rachel Kirshtein (Notes below)
1) As head of FIC, can you please take a few minutes to describe your role to us? Governing and programming board--planning events, dealing with school officials and issues, aligning Greek life (sororities and fraternities) and meeting with athletics and housing.
2) When do you typically need charter services? Formals? Other large events? 3rd party venue within 30 minutes; usually once a semester; field trip services through UMass (only allows one guest per member); local school district buses.
3) When you’re weighing your options, what is most important to you? Price? Price. Budgeting--everything comes down to the cents they are spending.
4) How do you find out about certain bus companies? Do you have a list of companies you regularly use?
Local school district buses; no other privately owned companies. 5) Have you ever used Peter Pan Bus Lines as a charter service? If so, what did you like
most about the experience? What did you like least? Never used Peter Pan Bus Lines.
6) [If not,] what would persuade you to try Peter Pan over the other bus companies you’ve used?
Price; more comfortable (going further, like an hour long drive may be nice with a nicer bus, meaning Peter Pan bus over school bus); weekend trips, but John doesn’t know how that would work to rent a bus for a weekend.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
220
Expert Interview: Laura Yates Area of Focus: Charter Services (Niche Markets) Thursday, October 27, 2016 Moderator: Liz Imbrogna Liz: So what we’re doing is, one of the ways they want to increase ridership is through pursuing charter busses, mostly during weekdays. So we’re just going to ask you a couple questions about- Laura: Sure. Liz: Charter busses. I’m just going to ask you a couple of questions, just for our recording could you please just state the name of your organization. Laura: The name of my organization is Dovetail Event Partners. Liz: Thank you, and how often do you use intercity ground travel, so that means, for your purposes I think we would even include from airports to hotels, so how often do you use that within one calendar year. Laura: Just domestically? Liz: Yeah, just domestically. Laura: Well I don't do that much domestically, but within a calendar year I'm trying to think, um, you know who by the way, if you need another person, would be Laurence. Liz: Yes! I will definitely call her, I know she's been crazy busy. Laura: She does so much work in Boston and she is always chartering busses. Liz: Alright, I will definitely call her I know, I just feel so bad... Laura: Do you have her email? Liz: I have her Dovetail email. Laura: That’s good. Liz: Ok awesome. Laura: Ok. so, anyway, because for me, lets see within this last calendar year I was only doing it for like for getting from the cruise ship to, I mean from the hotel to the cruise ship or the hotel or something like that. And in 2017 I'll be in Hawaii. Although its domestic that's sort of a different story, and it would be the same thing you know I need 350 people to get from point A to point B, but then also if they're going on a tour we'll need vehicles as well so you want me to try and figure that, is that what you're looking for? Liz: Yeah lets do like a guesstimate, can we say like round trips, can we say like is it around 10 times a year, is it around 5 times a year, 15- Laura: Let's say about 15 times a year.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
221
Liz: 15 times a year, Ok awesome, and so when you book those do you book those through your DMCs or do you book those individually? Laura: I usually do, I usually do them through my DMC. Liz: Ok, so are- do the DMCs give you any choice about which companies to choose or do they just- is it completely on their own, independent? Laura: They are usually making the decisions based on relationships that they have that are based not only on pricing, while sure that's important, but within my industry more than pricing, service and you know vehicle and its condition is much more important than pricing. Liz: Ok awesome. That's really important. And then so because I know your groups are really large but if it’s something like Diamond Club are you more apt to go for bus or through private car services, and why? Laura: It would depend on how, where I was going, and how quickly I needed to get there... Liz: Ok. Laura ...and if i was moving a bunch of-if i was doing, if i was doing an airport transfer, people are coming in scattered arrivals possibly from international destinations, so there isn’t a cost efficiency to have a mini-coach or coach there if only four people are on the plane, so in that, you know i would be looking at somebody who has, it seems like an important thing, that has a fleet of vehicles that weren’t just motor coaches and that weren’t just mini-coaches or sedans. The ideal if I had a one stop who had everything… Liz: Right. Laura:...but in a larger movement where I’m moving a bunch of people from point A to point B at the same time, I would always use a motor coach. Liz: Ok awesome, and, so we were talking about service and price being really important-are, do you know of any specifics.. Laura: Can I just be -before you do that… Liz: Yeah. Laura: I think, I don’t know where this goes anyplace, but from my perception and for many years I worked for a DMC in Boston, and I was working along with Coach, or Coach USA, or there is a line locally called Yankee… Liz: Yep. Laura: And we were always chartering them, it never would have occurred to me to charter a Greyhound bus or a Peter Pan Bus, and the reason is because I only think of those brands like if I wanted to go to New York for the weekend- Liz: Right. Laura: -or I wanted to maybe even go to like, when I was in college my boyfriend was in North Adams, and I used to take the Peter Pan bus to North Adams, from wherever it was, I can't
Peter Pan Bus Lines
222
remember where I got on, on 128 or something. And it never even, because you just don't see those types of vehicles doing city runs… Liz: Exactly. Laura: ...so, you know I think that you know they were trying to, I think they would want to talk to the local companies that were doing to create relationships with companies, DMCs, corporations that were doing intercity transfers… Liz: Mhm. Laura: ...Rather than long hall. I think that they just - I don't think they are associated in that department Liz: Right, so do you think that it would be beneficial for them to have like a sales team dedicated specifically to charter services where- Laura: Yeah. Liz: - they reach out. Laura: I think, because if we, If I'm the DMC and I need to book a motorcoach, I want to call and I want to know the person's name and I want a relationship with that person because I can't be let down. Liz: Right. Laura: I can't be calling an 800 number and booking something. It has to be - and things that I remember, like with Yankee, I remember one time they got a new - some new - there was a new vanpool vehicle that they had gotten in, and I remember, they came - they drove to our offices in Marlborough, into the parking lot and you know, invited, I think they brought in lunch or something, so that we could see the vehicle... Liz: Right, yeah. That’s a great idea. Laura: That's how nice they were. Because right now if you were trying to tell me to use a Peter Pan bus, like, I would probably, you know - I'm just thinking that they're outdated. You know that's the other thing is, do they have wifi? I mean this is what I'm finding. I'm umm - I’m doing something in Mexico right now, and I'm working with a DMC, and they're talking about transfers and it's a bit of a long - this is for Demandware -it's a bit of a long transfer from the hotel down to Tulum, which is one of the Mayan ruins It's like an hour drive. One of their points that they are stressing in their competitive proposal, was that WiFi is available on all their motorcoaches… Liz: Right. Laura: ...and for an hour long ride that, you know, that would be so important to a bunch of salespeople - Liz: Exactly.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
223
Laura: -To be able to do things, or to look at Facebook, or to close a contract, or whatever. So that’s something else, that’s the kind of services that I would recommend to you. You know behind ocal DMCs, convention bureaus would be another person, another great place to go. Liz: Oh. Laura: Because convention bureaus work directly with a lot of associations Liz: Ohhhh, Ok good point. Ok. Laura: And the Boston Convention Bureau is very strong and very well-repped Liz: Ok alright well that’s awesome. Thank you, thank you. So, another question. You were talking about a lot of things that you would want on, like, long-haul trips. You talked about wifi. I’m just gonna list a couple amenities for you, and if you want to tell me if these, like, matter to you or not. Laura: Mhm. Liz: Just let me know. So, bathrooms onboard? Laura: Yes, well it depends on, well you know I can drive for an hour without a bathroom, but after that I think you need to have bathroom facilities. Liz: Ok. USB ports? Kind of like as replacements for chargers. For, like, iPhones? Laura: I think that would be a great amenity. Liz: Food and beverage service? Laura: No. Liz: No? Not important? Ok. Laura: No. First off, I don’t even know how you can do food and beverage services on a motorcoach unless you are really having it specially designed or whatever. But if I’m doing, let’s say I’m taking a group to New York City and, rather than flying, I decided to drive them all down, I would do - I would probably give them all boxed lunches or something. Liz: Ok, yeah. So you would do that separately anyway? Laura: Yeah, I would do that separately I think… Yeah. Because also I think if they’re not in the food or beverage business - Liz: Yeah. Laura: - Then I think- I don’t think it would be good. Liz: Yeah exactly. And then, reclining seats? Laura: Umm… Yeah I think, again, an hour you don’t need to, but if now we’re driving down to Washington D.C., you know? This is day-time charter service, but I think it depends. You know, let’s just cut off under 90 minutes. Liz: Yeah, I don’t think- It’s not- Laura: Anything over 90 minutes, it would be a nice feature. Liz: Mhm. Ok, and then -
Peter Pan Bus Lines
224
Laura: I still think wifi - Liz: Yeah. Laura: -Is really important, the most important thing these days Liz: Wifi absolutely most important. And with that, would you say also outlets, similar to USB ports, for charging various devices in those short 90 minute periods? So, my thought on that, when I was looking into these things is that- Laura: Huh. Liz: -If you’re coming back from a tour, after taking all of those pictures or whatever- Laura: Ohhh. Liz:-Or, like, whatever excursion that we have on- Laura: Yeah. Liz: -I know that, personally, when I was doing that, I wanted to be able to charge my phone on the way back. Laura: Yeah, you’re right, yes. Yes. Liz: Sorry I just talked you into that answer. Laura: No, no, you didn’t talk me into it, you illuminated it. Yes, I agree. Liz: Ok. Laura: I mean it’s all about technology, right? Liz: Right. Exactly. Laura: And you know what I think? Can I? The other thing is that in increasing day-time charter, if they don’t want to get into the market of intercity transportation- Liz: Mhm. Laura: -then, if they’re trying to do regional stuff, like taking away business from, like, US Air, which is now American, and Delta, have the shuttles that go between New York and Boston, and also Boston and D.C. Like, with New York and Boston, it’s like every hour on the hour, running that shuttle - Liz: Right, and do you mean, like, direct routes from Boston to New York? Not, like - because they do- Laura: Right because also you can take the train - Liz: Right. Laura: -Which is also an option, and - But it’s expensive. Liz: Yeah. Laura: And I think there’s also something - I think it’s called the Metro Liner or something, that’s specially fitted and goes from Boston to New York, and, you know, there’s wifi, there’s chargers, the seats are oversized. Liz: Mhm. Ok, the Metro Liner.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
225
Laura: And there’s a lot of amenities. I’ve talked to people who just love it. But, it’s not cheap, so, maybe there’s a market for somewhere between the Bolt Bus and the Metro Liner that you can - that, you know, you are going between two well-traveled destinations, and you’ve got amenities, but they’re not luxe amenities, but they are amenities nonetheless, you know? Like the wifi, like the USB chargers. Liz: So, like, a mid-market bus charter service? Laura: Yeah. I don’t think it’s well-publicized. I know Hayley has gone back and forth to New York, I’ve gone back and forth to New York, and it never occurred to me to take a bus. I take the train or I fly Liz: You take the train or you fly. And- Laura: And here’s the other thing: Departure points. Like from here [Littleton, MA], for me, to go to New York, I have to go to either the one at the 128 station- Liz: Right. Laura: -Or the airport, or South Station, right? Liz: Yeah, for us it’s totally inconvenient. Laura: Like, I know people from Framingham, where there’s like a Logan express, there’s nothing from like our little corridor here, you know? Maybe it’s from Worcester or something like that Liz: Yeah, I don’t even think they have one out of Lowell, so - Laura: They do? Liz: No, I don’t think they have one in Lowell. At least they don’t advertise it that much. Laura: No, and that would be- Lowell would be a great spot. Liz: Right, like UMass Lowell or something. Laura: If there was a good bus service from Lowell to New York, I would always take it. Liz: Awesome. Ok that was really helpful. Thank you. Laura: Yeah and you know what the other thing is? I want to know about driver safety. Sometimes I think about these drivers and - I think it would be good to have some statistics on driver safety. Because, you know you’ve heard about the YO, the Chinese buses, or whatever they’re called, from Chinatown… I can’t remember. Liz: Oh, yeah. Laura: There’s been a lot of accidents. Liz: So you would want specific statistics, like, on the website? Laura: Say again? Liz: Sorry - So you would want specific statistics on, like, the website or something like that? Is that what you’re saying?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
226
Laura: Yeah, yeah. I don’t know where you would put it. I mean, I don’t think the drivers should get up when you get on the bus and say, “I would like to report my driving record.” Because well, you know- Liz: Well, Peter Pan does have one of the highest- Laura: -Because I think about that everytime Hayley takes the bus. I’m like, “Be careful! Those buses have a lot of accidents.” Because I think they’re just not paying their drivers well. Liz: Ok. Laura: Because, you know, when you’re paying twenty bucks for a bus ride to New York, you’re not getting the best equipment or the best drivers, in my mind. Liz: Mhm. Ok. Good to know Laura: Ok? Liz: Ok so then something else we’ve also been focusing on is - So, does it matter to you in your business that Peter Pan is a family-owned, locally-owned business. Does that mean anything to you,or is it just -? Laura: I think - I didn’t know that - and I think that’s a good thing to talk about. I think that people - I think it’s very timely, you know. People like to buy locally. I think that’s um, yeah.I think they should update their logo and stuff. Do they still have the Peter Pan guy? Liz: Yeah, they do. Oh you betcha. Laura: I mean Dairy Queen is now DQ, Saturday Night Live is now SNL, National Cash Register is NCR. I think there is- I think maybe- Liz: Yeah, so - Laura: You know Turtle and Hughes is now that relay logo- Liz: Yeah, I love it. Their acronym would be PPBL though, so - Laura: I think of it as an outdated branding. Liz: Sorry. [To Rachel] What do you want this for? For the questions? To add that to like our other surveys? Rachel: I think it was interesting that she said she didn’t know that [Peter Pan is a family-owned, locally owned business]- Liz: Yeah, exactly, I didn’t know that until they told us they were a family-owned business. Rachel: Yeah, I think we should be asking people first if they know it’s family-run and then if that’s important to you. Liz: Yeah, exactly. Sorry, Laura. Rachel just asked us a question - Rachel just joined us too. Laura: Hi, Rachel. Rachel: Hi! Laura: It’s just I have no idea, just from a customer perspective, I just have no idea what the inside of a Peter Pan bus might look like.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
227
Liz: So you want, like, a virtual tour? Laura: If it’s new or, you know if they were doing any advertising. Is it, you know...I mean I just don’t know. Liz: Right. Laura: I mean, I think you could capture people’s attention. Liz: Yeah. Laura: I mean, if you do, like, direct mailing or something or other to, whether it be HR managers, marketing managers, DMCs, convention bureaus. You know, sort of like, we’re not your grandpa’s Peter Pan type thing. Liz: Ohhhh. Laura: Family-owned, but not- Liz: Laura, you are a wealth of information.We’re loving this. Thank you. Laura: You know, I’m just going to write it up today. Liz: Could you just write up our whole report for us? Laura: Would you like the PowerPoint to go with it? Liz: Yeah, that’d be great. Yeah. I love it, I love it. Laura: Yeah, so I mean the thing is here I am at 55 - The last time I rode a Peter Pan bus, I was in college. Liz: Yeah. Laura: And that’s my memory of Peter Pan. Liz: Ok, That, that is good to know. Ok. Laura: And it was from UMass. I rode it from UMass. Liz: Oh heyyy. Yeah, wait. Yeah I forgot to mention Laura is a UMass alum. Group: Yay! Liz: Ok, so one last question. Are there any specific dates and times that you require charter services? Laura: I don’t think there is. I don’t think there’s particular hours. Liz: Yeah, it’s all over the place. Laura: Yeah, it’s all over the board, depending on when a particular meeting starts or what time you have to be in New York, what time… you know. Liz: What time people’s flights get in and like that. Laura: Yeah. Liz: Alright, awesome. Thank you! Laura, this has been absolutely fantastic.We really appreciate it. Laura: Glad I could help!
Peter Pan Bus Lines
228
Expert Interview: Lindsey Casella Area of Focus: Brand Ambassador Programs Thursday, October 27, 2016 Moderator: Rachel Kirshtein Lindsey: Hey, Rachel. Rachel: Hey, Lindsey. Lindsey: How are you? Rachel: I’m so good. How are you? Lindsey: I’m doing well thank you for calling, it's been a busy day at the office so definitely nice to have a second to still a chat with you. Rachel: Yeah, thank you so much for taking the time. I don't even think the whole thing will be more than like 15 minutes really. It's just like a handful of questions so, um, I actually have my other group members Liz and Peter with me as well. Liz: Hey, Lindsey. Lindsey: Oh. Hi, Liz; Hi, Peter. Peter: Hello. Rachel: So they're just here to help out and kind of help guide it a little bit, if they have any questions they’ll chime in. I definitely don't want to take up any more of your time, so is it cool if we jump right in? Lindsey: Yeah, go for it. Rachel: Ok. So it may sound a little, um, kind of monotone because we have a little script just to kind of keep it - keep bias as minimal as possible… Lindsey: No, I love it. Rachel: ...so we’ll do our best, and stop if you, stop me at any point if you have any questions or comments. Lindsey: Ok, sounds good. Rachel: Ok, so a little blurb, for our honors thesis project we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the customer base of the ridership for our client Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so we would like to understand your experience as a brand ambassador programs and what have been the most successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation, and is it ok if I record this for data logging? Lindsey: Yeah of course, and then can you just repeat who your client is again? Rachel: Peter Pan Bus Lines, they are… Lindsey: Ok, got it. Rachel: Yup. Ok, so…
Peter Pan Bus Lines
229
Lindsey: Could you go into more detail about them though, I'm familiar with, like with the competitors but just touch, refresh me on that I think that will help with perspectives. Rachel: Yeah, so our other competitors are Megabus, Boltbus, Greyhound. Those are pretty much the main ones. So the purpose of these questions is really just kind of general, just mainly your experiences. Not really focusing on the bus industry in particular. So just kind of getting your experiences down. But definitely stop us on the way if you have questions. Lindsey: Ok. Rachel: Ok, so we will begin by asking how you were introduced to the brand ambassador program. How did you hear about the brand ambassador programs initially. Was it word of mouth, a connection at a company, brand website, email? Lindsey: I think it really varies based on the brand. Certain brands do it through LinkedIn, PINK was different obviously i have always been super invested in the brand, have always really idealized it and thought it was really cool so I followed it and always looked out for when they were accepting applications but for maybe not for the less glamorous brands, they have always done a really great job at finding me. So based on my experiences, my past work with brands, brands like Timberland’s reach out to tell me about opportunities. Rachel: Very cool, yeah I know because you've done so many different brand ambassador programs that are all amazing for any of these questions you can feel free to touch on one or even a few or all of them if you want... Lindsey: Yeah. Rachel: ...so the next question is when you found out about the program how long did it say the time commitment was for, like was it for an academic year, kind of like a September to May, or was it a full year. Lindsey: I would say it really varied based on the brand and their marketing calendar, or like what they were planning on doing. So for Pink it makes sense because it's a collegiate brand that they targeted girls during their academic school year, um so kickoff would be in July and then would continue for the entire academic year. Then for other brands like Schwinn the whole year like starting in, I would say it started in March and doesn't end until the end of the season, so 2017. And then Timberland was specific, they decided to do it around the parent weekend, because a lot of student maybe don't necessarily have the money to go into their stores so they thought that is specific was their key focus, so they did it kind of towards, they made it the end of the semester so i think really it depends on what the brands target market was, what their key season was reflected the program itself. Rachel: Gotcha, do you feel like one was the most effective over the others, or again just kind of depending on all the brands individually?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
230
Lindsey: I think it depended a lot on the brands brands individually and in terms of their ability to communicate what they need to me as the ambassador. Rachel: Gotcha, and that's a great segue because our next section kind of talks about communication with the brand… Lindsey: Ok. Rachel: ...so i guess for any of the programs you participated in who did you communicate with for the program was it directly a brand marketing team and a collection of people in the team? Lindsey: For every one except for one it was usually a direct connect to the program. The only one I think that wasn’t was Timberland. They had an outside agency. That they paired up with that worked specifically with different campus rep programs. Rachel: Awesome. And how did you communicate with these people for the program? Was it phone calls? Emails? Lindsey: Yeah, so it definitely depended on the formality of the program. So some programs would be through email, some would be sending photos through DropBox and [Google] Drive. For programs that were more developed and have been around for a while, like PINK, we would actually communicate through our own website, and they have an app for their campus reps that they communicate with. So it definitely was very much based on the brand and how much they adjusted it to their individual programs. Rachel: Awesome. And then going off that, how often did you communicate with them? Was it, like, a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly basis? Lindsey: Umm… for? Rachel: For any one of them. Lindsey: For any one of them, on average, I would say a few times a week. With PINK probably being the most demanding, probably daily, just because we would not only execute and hold these events on campus, but also be responsible for looking at blogs and seeing what other campus reps were doing, and then we could actually have the opportunity to do that through the website. And then I would say that was probably the most demanding. Rachel: Ok. Cool. And then so now we’d like to talk a little bit about what was discussed or what was submitted for these touchbase times. So was it, like, updates, planning for next assignments or events? Lindsey: It would be definitely a mix of that, but then certain brands would also conduct some sort of qualitative research through their program. Rachel: Cool, and did you submit that type of research, was it like spreadsheet form or did you have to form like a presentation? Lindsey: It was more like opinions, kind of like question and answer.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
231
Rachel: Yep. And did you, for any of your programs, have to present any sort of specific information, such as, like, how many people signed up for a rewards program if it was applicable, or an email list? Did you ever get requests from the brand for something like that? Lindsey: Yeah, definitely, for sure. I can see if I can pull up an old recap or something like that and send that to you as well. Rachel: That would be awesome. Thank you. Ok, cool. So now we would like to delve a little more into the details about the experiences you’ve had while representing a brand on campus. So, let’s first talk about which brand ambassador programs you have participated in while you were a college student, and I know Keds was one. Worked with you on that one. And I know PINK was one as well. And I know Timberland, when did you participate in that one? Lindsey: I participated in that one my senior year. Rachel: Alright. Lindsey: The fall semester. Rachel: And is Schwinn something that you’re doing now? Like outside of-? Lindsey: Yeah, Schwinn is an active kind of thing that is ongoing. Rachel: Yeah and for Schwinn is that not necessarily targeted to college students then do you know? Lindsey: No, that’s not college specific. It’s more of a content creation ambassador program. Rachel: Gotcha. And then, I know this is kinda a hard question, but since you’ve done more than one are you able to assign a favorite to any of them and why? Lindsey: Yeah, I definitely say hands down it would be PINK. Rachel: Yeah, considering you’re working there, I could see that. Lindsey: Yeah,they did a really great job. So, yeah in terms of the whole experience, that one was more rewarding than one of my classes. Rachel: Yeah, how did you find it, in particular, to be the most rewarding, if you don’t mind? Lindsey: How did I find it in particular? So I always thought that collegiate collections, like having your school name on a PINK product was really cool, and so my freshman year when Temple was participating in a contest to have reps on campus, I thought maybe in the end that could help if we voted and won. So when we did win, I was obviously very excited and we were added to the campus rep program. There are about a hundred schools across the country and Canada that have campus reps. And what I always thought was really cool was being able to work with a brand directly rather than just executing campaigns in class. I was able to have internships because I was in a city, but for people who didn’t have that, it’s great exposure. So, I kept calling and looking for updates, and then, because I was only a sophomore, I was actually able to participate on the street team to support the reps. And then they went ahead and,
Peter Pan Bus Lines
232
towards the end of my sophomore year, recommended me to apply for the campus rep program. So that’s how that happened. Rachel: Cool. And, on the flip side,is there one you would say that was your least favorite and why? Do you think it was just less - Lindsey: Yeah one that was probably my least favorite, that I don’t even speak to, that I don’t add to my LinkedIn or resume, just because I don’t think it really adds anything, was Insomnia Cookies. Rachel: Gotcha. Awesome. Lindsey: Yeah, so it was just a little disorganized in terms of how their marketing team communicated. And then it was fun because everyone gets free cookies,but then it wasn’t even up to code with regulation because you can’t pass out free food on campus when it’s not individually wrapped, so we would get in trouble on campus. It was just a little less organized, so definitely not my favorite experience. And it was less strategic. Rachel: Gotcha. And so now we’re gonna talk a little more about the structure of the program. So we touched on a little bit at first, but you said some of the programs you’ve been apart of were meeting or would touch base every six weeks or so. And I think we already covered - I’m just going down my list to make sure we covered everything we wanted to cover. But did you think that structure was overall effective or if you had an ideal type of program would you maybe choose a different type of structure? Or do you think there’s a need for bi-weekly calls or anything? Or does it just depend on how many assignments you’re doing and if they’re going smoothly and so forth. Lindsey: I definitely think calls are helpful because it helps to make sure that everyone’s tracking and up-to-speed. And it’s always easier to respond via calls than, like, a chain of emails. So I think they are very effective, but I don’t necessarily think they need to be that common, just because it’s hard to coordinate with that many people. So I think just being strategic around when you’re having the calls, making sure it’s around, like, a large event, not just for every little talk because it will be difficult to schedule. Rachel: Ok. Definitely. And then, on average, for your assignments, do you think you had overall enough time to complete them? Too little? Too much? Lindsey: I would say, for the most part, I had a decent amount of time. Of course my first priority is being a student, but when you’re really passionate about a brand in specific and the experience and if the offer is compelling and you think that students will respond to it, then it’s really easy plan- Rachel: Cool. So now we’d like to turn your attention to the assignments you’ve completed. So I know you talked about hosting events. Were social media postings, just talking to people on campus, or other tactics used alongside those events?
Peter Pan Bus Lines
233
Lindsey: Could you just repeat that question? I’m really sorry. Rachel: Yep. So you talked about hosting events as some of the assignments you completed. Lindsey: Mhm. Rachel: Were social media postings, and just talking to people on campus about the brand, or just anything else you could think of, were those also kind of part of overall assignments? Lindsey: Yeah, so in the end I would say, I’m just trying to think if there was something...For PINK I would say there were in-store interactions. For Timberland there was site visits and specifics. Because they wanted to target, like, parents, it would be intersecting tour groups that were on campus, being in big pep rallies or those types of events that was key rather than hosting our own because it wasn’t necessarily- you couldn’t execute or draw people to your event. It was more targeting your key audience on campus. And then another thing was going to like the stadium and like passing out different things on game day. When people were with their parents or something with Timberland. I’m trying to think...For Schwinn, they’re a little interesting where they actually just want content from their brand ambassadors, so we will just take photos with the product on, like, a bi-monthly basis and then they’ll have us author posts, and then they’ll implement it into their feed. So that one is really content-driven. I think the one that probably provided the most variety would be the PINK campus rep program, and, with there being a hundred campus reps all over the country, they all run their own social media sites, so they are completely supporting their own campus. The execution there is an extension of our marketing, but just more targeted. So, I would say that one would definitely be the most demanding, but we also have the most support because then as a campus rep you have this routine that is able to fully back you and support you with this execution. So that’s a little- I hope that answers your questions- that’s a little overview of what’s out there. Rachel: No, yeah, that was very helpful. And going off of social media, which of them was most successful at generating brand awareness? Like, predominately Instagram and Twitter? Or were there other ones? Lindsey: I think it definitely depended 1. On the brand 2. On what you were promoting. I think I had a lot of success - you wouldn’t even think for this to be your number one- but, like Facebook events. But, especially, not even like for super exciting brands, but also the less exciting ones as well because you can do targeted ads, and not just, like, target your campus reps’ friends and friends of friends, but you can really expand your reach and being in the area, I think that helps a lot in terms of finding people and it reminds them- it sends them a reminder prior to the event. So, if you’re executing events, I would say that one. In terms of responding, obviously, I would say the weakest platform would be Twitter. And then Instagram would probably be the strongest out of all of the brands I work with. Rachel: Cool.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
234
Lindsey: In terms of their priority list. Rachel: Yep. And just to go off the hosting events parts of assignments again, when you did host events, were they on campus? Or off campus? Did you partner with any campus organizations? Lindsey: All three. [Laughs] So, both on and off location depending on who they were targeting. Then for a brand like PINK, sometimes they would partner with, like, college companies or HerCampus. Those were some on campus or local collabs or college companies. There was a fashion business club, so strategic partnerships based on the audience. Again, it’s a brand targeting college - collegiate females, so, like, sororities and those types of things were, like, obviously some important groups to reach out to. Rachel: Yep. And have you found that any of the events that you’ve hosted in the past maybe weren’t as successful as you had anticipated? Could you think of any reason - or any ways these events could have been more successful in the future? Was there anything that could have improved? Lindsey: Yeah, just knowing the college lifestyle. So, for us, we had an in-store event at a store that was about 45 minutes away, so it was hard to get college students, especially on a campus where students didn’t have cars to drive there. I think being aware of that prior to planning and executing the event will really optimize your time, the students’ time, and really making sure that they respond well to a great event. So, of course you should plan for that. Rachel: And, to conclude, we would like to get your overall thoughts on brand ambassador programs and recommendations for future programs. So, what are the best ways you think for brands to attract student ambassadors, or, like specific perks that you would recommend to a company implementing a program for the first time? Lindsey: I would say, for a brand implementing it for the first time, for example, Timberland, where I was maybe a little bit les sure of the brand, how it fits my own personal, like, personal interest in my individuality. I didn’t want to sign up for a brand that I didn’t really know if it represented me. So what was nice was them providing, like, a deck of who they are, who they targeted. And then also one of the things that helped that brand stand out for me, and I think that was rewarding for them long-term was they did provide a hefty amount of free product, which was great because then people saw me using it, and I could speak to- speak to the product. I got to go in store and select it. So it was nice because I was continuously, like, a walking advertisement. Not just hosting the events, but wearing the product. And then for brands, like, PINK I think one of the most rewarding experiences was being able to go to the brand training, and hear from the different teams, and I think just seep in- I guess early on in my college career what I might not have had exposure to, that onboarding process was really great. Keds did that as well, really well, but something that PINK did that was very different
Peter Pan Bus Lines
235
was that they provided incentive-based trips to girls that were really doing well or just words of encouragement, and I think that keeping that relationship with girls that are putting so much time in that maybe aren’t being paid I think is a great way to help girls stay in- or anyone stay invested in the program. Rachel: Great. Awesome. So, I think our last question may seem kind of silly, but do you think brand ambassador programs are an overall effective marketing tool? I mean it sounds like you’ve had amazing experiences, but do you consider them to really generate good awareness on campuses or even off campus for certain brands who are really trying to have a greater footprint? Lindsey: Yeah, I think really knowing your target well and knowing- making sure you invest in the right people in those target markets can make for a really rewarding, beneficial experience for both., the brand and the individual participating. Rachel: Great. Thank you so much. That was all the questions that we had. That was so helpful. Do you have any other questions for us? Lindsey: No, not that I can think of off hand. I’m super pumped for you guys. It sounds like a really cool project that you’re working on. Rachel: Great. Thank you so much, Lindsey.
Peter Pan Bus Lines
236
College Student Interviews Area of Focus: Travel Experiences/Preferences & Loyalty Programs September-November, 2016 Moderator: Team
1) When you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? What companies come to mind? Why do these brands come to mind? (e.g., you’re already a frequent user of the brand, friends/family reviews, online, in the news, social media, etc.)
● WOM (18)
○ Other students
○ Family & Friends ● Social Media (1) ● Seeing the buses (9) ● Advertised and tickets sold in college bookstore (1) ● Apps (1) ● Previous Experience (1) ● Internet (9)
○ Google “Bus to New York,” “Train to New York”
○ SkyScanner, Rome2Rio 2) What is most important to you when you travel by bus/rail? (Examples: convenience, time of travel, location, features on-board, etc.)
● Price (16) ● Features on Board (5)
○ Wi-Fi
○ Outlets ● Location of pick-up/drop-off sites (7) ● Time length of trip (9)
○ “If I know that it’s going to take a much shorter time to get to one place via one mode of transportation versus another, I will be more inclined to pay more for that shorter mode of transport.”
● Arrival and Departure times (2) ● Comfort (1) ● Cleanliness (2) ● Direct routes (2)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
237
● Convenience (7) ● Safety (2) ● Quality (1) ● Legroom (1)
3) When was the last time you traveled?
● Last Year (1) ● Last Month (2) ● Two months ago (1) ● Last weekend (2) ● Yesterday (2) ● Today (1) ● More than a year ago (1) ● Columbus Day Weekend (1)
4) Where did you go?
● Boston to NYC (5) ● Boston to Charlotte (1) ● Littleton to UConn (1) ● Boston to Vermont (1) ● Boston to Raleigh (1) ● West Hartford to UConn (1) ● Boston to UConn (1) ● NYC to UConn (2) ● UConn to New Jersey (1) ● NYC to UMass (1) ● Boston to UMass (1) ● Waltham to UMass (1) ● Littleton to Boston (1) ● UConn to Bradford, CT (1) ● Amherst to Long Island (1) ● Amherst to Raynham (1) ● Toronto to Rochester (1) ● New Jersey to Boston (1) ● Albany to UConn (1)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
238
5) Why did you travel by the mode you chose?
● Bus; Peter Pan (2) ● Bus; Coach USA (1)
○ “Amtrak was three times more expensive” ● Bus; Greyhound (1)
○ Through a campus group that had arranged transport [Harvard] ● Plane (2)
○ Fastest, had Wi-Fi ● Car (14)
○ Most convenient
○ “I don’t like driving or parking in a city” x2
○ Too much luggage for a bus (was moving into school)
○ I already paid for it; “A tank of gas is $30. If a ticket was cheaper than that, I might consider it”
○ Comfort
○ Fastest ● Train (4) [Commuter Rail, Amtrak]
○ Fastest
○ Convenience
○ Space 6) In 2016, roughly how many times have you traveled by bus? *Provide the following options to them* (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, more than 6 times)
● Zero (8)
○ “I used to take the bus all the time, but now that I have a car I don’t” ● Four (6) ● Five (1) ● More than six (5) ● Twice (3) ● Once (1)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
239
7) Have you ridden a Peter Pan bus? If so, what did you like most and least about the experience?
● Most
○ Price (2)
○ Comfortable (1)
○ Clean (1)
○ Easy (2)
■ In terms of buying a ticket and using the app
○ Good customer service (1)
○ Electrical Outlets (1)
○ N/A (1)
○ Pick-up/drop-off locations (4)
○ Safe drivers (1)
○ Convenience (5)
■ Only way to get off campus without a car
○ Reliable (1)
○ Fast (1)
○ “Got me where I needed to go” (1)
○ “I could sleep because I didn’t have to drive” (1)
○ Wi-Fi (1)
○ Clean bathroom (1)
○ Arrival and departure times (1) ● Least
○ Pick-up/drop-off locations (3)
○ Unreliable Wi-Fi (7)
○ Overbooking leading to bus delays (1)
○ Indirect route/Transfers (4)
○ Stuffiness/Overcrowdedness (5)
○ Lack of comfort (1)
○ Can’t cancel a ticket after you buy it (1)
○ Time length of trip (4)
○ Price (1)
○ Unreliable (2) [breakdowns or delays]
Peter Pan Bus Lines
240
● N/A (4) 8) In 2016, roughly how many times have you traveled by rail? *Provide the following options to them* (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, more than 6 times)
● 1-2 (4) ● 3-4 (3) ● 0 (6) ● 5-6 (3) ● More than 6 (7)
9) If you traveled by rail in 2016, what did you like most and least about the experience?
● Most
○ Times (1)
○ Convenient (7)
○ Reliable (1)
○ Fast (11)
○ Clean (3)
○ Wi-Fi (1)
○ Comfortable (6)
■ Able to fall asleep
■ Not too crowded
○ No traffic (3)
○ Amenities (2)
■ Electrical Outlets
■ Better seats
■ Food cart
○ Price (2)
○ Don’t have to drive yourself (2) ● Least
○ Price (7)
○ N/A- Satisfied (7)
○ Time length of the trip (1)
○ Uncomfortable (1)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
241
○ Overcrowded (1)
○ Times (1)
■ Your life is based on their schedule, and if you miss a train, the next one may be over an hour away”
10) Which of the following reasons have you joined a loyalty/rewards program? (check all that apply)
1) Saving money - 14 respondents 2) You are a big fan of the company - 17 respondents 3) Personalized deals and rewards (e.g. birthday present/deal) - 16 respondents 4) Status (e.g., Starbucks Gold Status) - 9 respondents 5) Other: - 2 respondents (They keep asking)
11) Which of the following loyalty/rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016?
● Big Y (9) ● Dunkin Donuts (3) ● American Eagle (3) ● Bare Minerals (1) ● Price Shopper (6) ● TCBY (1) ● TrueBlue (1) ● CVS (9) ● Panera (1) ● Walgreens (3) ● Nordstrom (3) ● Starbucks (10) ● Staples (1) ● Sephora (4) ● Marriott/Starwood (3) ● British Airways (1) ● Almost Every store (2) ● Rite Aid (1) ● Harris Peter Grocery Stores (1) ● Old Navy (1) ● Michael’s (1)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
242
● FL Roberts Gas Station (1) ● Barnes & Noble (1) ● Subway (1) ● GameStop (1) ● Dick’s Sporting Goods (1) ● Amtrak (1) ● American Airlines (1) ● ShopRite (1)
12) Briefly state and explain your favorite brand loyalty/rewards program.
○ Company
■ Dunkin Donuts (1)
■ TCBY (1)
■ Price Shopper (2)
■ CVS (3)
■ Sephora (1)
■ Starbucks (7)
■ Big Y (3)
■ N/A- “Not really big into loyalty programs” (3)
■ GameStop (1)
■ Marriott/Starwood (1)
○ Why
■ Promotions and free product (5) ● “They’ll literally send you gifts”
■ Go there frequently (5)
■ Status (2)
■ Birthday deal (3)
■ Discounts and free product for purchasing a certain amount of product (6)
■ Everyday (noticeable) deals (4) [Grocery shopping cards and CVS]
■ Convenient (1) ● They print coupons for you right on the spot [CVS]
■ Shows how much you save each trip and over the year (3)
■ Saves me money on stuff I would buy anyway (6)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
243
Notes: - “Freshman and Sophomore year my mom and dad were driving me, and now that I
have a car, I usually drive myself to and from school” - “I only do it [loyalty programs] when it’s easy to sign up” - “I usually take Peter Pan buses when I go to New York City” - “I’m not a huge fan of buses. I’d rather have my parents pick me up.” - “Freshman and Sophomore year I used to do it [take Peter Pan buses] all the time to get
home until I got my car on campus.” - “I own a car, so I’m more inclined to use that because I already paid for it” - “I don’t like that some rewards programs let your points expire, and I don’t like any
programs that you have to pay to be part of.” - “I take Peter Pan buses home because I don’t have a car”
Peter Pan Bus Lines
244
APPENDIX C
Peter Pan Bus Lines
245
Peter Pan Bus Lines
246
Final Report Student Travel Survey December 10th 2016, 6:21 pm EST Q1 - Do you attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst?
Answer % Count
Yes 50.93% 55
No 49.07% 53
Total 100% 108
Q2 - What college do you attend? What college do you attend
Rice University
Messiah college
Harvard
Keene State
Lesley University
University of Rochester
University of New Hampshire
Boston University
Acadia University
Cornell
University of New Hampshire
Seton Hall University
Emerson College
Harvard
Northeastern
Hofstra University
Arizona state
Peter Pan Bus Lines
247
Cornell University
Moody Bible Institute
Cornell University
Valdosta State University
Moody Bible Institute
UConn
Marist College
Clemson
Northeastern
Northeastern
Florida State
Bennington College
Northeastern University
Bryant University
Bryant
Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University
University of Connecticut
Boston College
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Trent University
University of Connecticut
Lesley University
Northeastern University
UConn
Northeastern University
Peter Pan Bus Lines
248
UConn
The University of Delaware
FH Dortmund
University of Delaware
University of Chicago
Ithaca College
Q2 - What year are you?
Answer % Count Freshman 7.48% 8
Sophomore 10.28% 11
Junior 11.21% 12
Senior 71.03% 76
Total 100% 107
Q3 - How often have you used intercity ground travel (travel between two cities) in 2016?
Answer % Count
0 Round trips 24.07% 26
1-2 Round trips 25.93% 28
3-5 Round trips 17.59% 19
More than 5 Round trips 32.41% 35
Total 100% 108
Peter Pan Bus Lines
249
Q4 - Please select following reasons that you participate in intercity ground travel? (check all that apply)
Other (Please Specify) Other (Please Specify)
Midterm recess
FUN
Weekend visits home, travel while I was studying abroad in London
None
Concert/ special event
for fun
Concert
None
Visiting friends, no specific holiday date
Weekend trip
Just to go home sometimes
Peter Pan Bus Lines
250
Weekends
visiting a friend
Visiting friends
Visiting friends
Travel
Trips to Connecticut, NYC, and Quebec City
Just to travel and see new cities
visiting a friend
summer travel
Sports/visiting friends
Travel
General travel purposes (such as to visit a new city, visit a friend, travel home, etc)
Visiting significant other
I went to Westfield one weekend to visit friends
Travel abroad
Family events
To get home and back
Visiting a friend
Visiting friends at other universities.
Travel for interviews
Travel in Europe
I never have
visiting friends on a weekend
Random visits home
Birthday Parties
While studying abroad
None
Random weekends
Summer, study abroad
Peter Pan Bus Lines
251
Work
go back home for weekend
Visiting Friends
Ithaca College's "Fall Break" (weekend after Columbus)
Q5 - How far in advance do you plan trips that involve intercity travel?
Answer % Count
Under a week 28.71% 29
1 week - 2 weeks 37.62% 38
2 weeks - 3 weeks 28.71% 29
Over a month 4.95% 5
Total 100% 101
Peter Pan Bus Lines
252
Q6 - Please rank how important the following features of intercity travel are to you on a scale of 1-8, with 1 being the Most Important and 8 being the Least Important. (Drag and drop into your desired position)
Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Value 19.63% 21 15.89% 17 11.21% 12 14.95% 16 8.41% 9 10.28% 11 10.28% 11 9.35% 10 107
Speed of Travel
19.63% 21 15.89% 17 14.02% 15 7.48% 8 11.21% 12 11.21% 12 14.95% 16 5.61% 6 107
Safety 14.02% 15 9.35% 10 0.93% 1 14.95% 16 16.82% 18 16.82% 18 12.15% 13 14.95% 16 107
Drop-off and Pick-up Locations
22.43% 24 18.69% 20 19.63% 21 14.02% 15 8.41% 9 4.67% 5 5.61% 6 6.54% 7 107
Direct Routes
11.21% 12 18.69% 20 19.63% 21 16.82% 18 15.89% 17 8.41% 9 6.54% 7 2.80% 3 107
Comfort 0.00% 0 3.74% 4 11.21% 12 6.54% 7 18.69% 20 23.36% 25 30.84% 33 5.61% 6 107
Arriving and Departing on Time
12.15% 13 16.82% 18 19.63% 21 16.82% 18 15.89% 17 5.61% 6 8.41% 9 4.67% 5 107
Amenities (e.g. WiFi)
0.93% 1 0.93% 1 3.74% 4 8.41% 9 4.67% 5 19.63% 21 11.21% 12 50.47% 54 107
Peter Pan Bus Lines
253
Q7 - Rank the following on-board amenities on a scale of 1-10, based on level of importance to you as a traveler. 1 being the Most important and 10 being the Least Important. (Drag and drop into your desired position)
Q8 - Rank the modes of intercity transportation listed below from most used method (#1) to the least used method (#3) within 2016. (Drag and drop into your desired position)
Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total
Having Bathrooms
29.52%
31 15.24%
16 13.33%
14 15.24%
16 7.62%
8 4.76%
5 6.67%
7 1.90%
2 3.81%
4 1.90%
2 105
Having Reclining Seats
4.76%
5 10.48%
11 12.38%
13 17.14%
18 20.95%
22 16.19%
17 11.43%
12 1.90%
2 1.90%
2 2.86%
3 105
WiFi 17.14%
18 20.95%
22 14.29%
15 16.19%
17 17.14%
18 5.71%
6 5.71%
6 0.95%
1 0.95%
1 0.95%
1 105
Power Outlets 23.81%
25 20.95%
22 19.05%
20 12.38%
13 10.48%
11 5.71%
6 3.81%
4 0.95%
1 1.90%
2 0.95%
1 105
USB Ports 0.00%
0 4.76%
5 10.48%
11 4.76%
5 13.33%
14 14.29%
15 19.05%
20 14.29%
15 8.57%
9 10.48%
11 105
Easy Access to Baggage During Trip
2.86%
3 3.81%
4 5.71%
6 3.81%
4 10.48%
11 17.14%
18 20.95%
22 17.14%
18 15.24%
16 2.86%
3 105
Seat Belts 11.43%
12 2.86%
3 4.76%
5 6.67%
7 4.76%
5 8.57%
9 7.62%
8 16.19%
17 19.05%
20 18.10%
19 105
Food/Beverage Service
0.00%
0 0.00%
0 0.95%
1 3.81%
4 2.86%
3 8.57%
9 13.33%
14 21.90%
23 26.67%
28 21.90%
23 105
Legroom 9.52%
10 20.00%
21 15.24%
16 15.24%
16 7.62%
8 13.33%
14 7.62%
8 4.76%
5 4.76%
5 1.90%
2 105
Personal Temperature Control
0.95%
1 0.95%
1 3.81%
4 4.76%
5 4.76%
5 5.71%
6 3.81%
4 20.00%
21 17.14%
18 38.10%
40 105
Peter Pan Bus Lines
254
Question 1 2 3 Total Train 12.87% 13 40.59% 41 46.53% 47 101 Bus 14.85% 15 41.58% 42 43.56% 44 101 Car 72.28% 73 17.82% 18 9.90% 10 101 Q9 - If you have taken a bus in 2016, which bus companies have you used? (check all that apply)
Answer % Count
Other(Please Specify) 13.73% 14
N/A--have not taken a bus in 2016 32.35% 33
RedCoach 0.00% 0
Jefferson Lines 0.00% 0
Adirondack Trailways 0.98% 1
Greyhound 20.59% 21
BoltBus 3.92% 4
Megabus 18.63% 19
Peter Pan Bus Lines 37.25% 38
Total 100% 102
Q10 - Have your parents ever played a role in your decision to take a bus (Pay for the ticket, book the trip, encourage bus travel, etc.)
Answer % Count
Yes 44.00% 33
No 54.67% 41
Not sure 1.33% 1
Total 100% 75
Q11 - Which bus company have you used the most often in 2016? Which bus company have you used the most often in 2016?
Megabus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
255
Greyhound
Greyhound
Bolt
Kings transportation
Greyhound
Greyhound
Mega Bus
Greyhound
Megabus
Student agency
Peter Pan
Coach USA
None
Shortline
MegaBus
Chicago Transit Authority
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Alterini Bus
School's personal bus company (Soanish bus, not sure what the company is)
peter pan
mega bus
Peter Pan
Greyhound
RIPTA
Meinfernbus
MeinFernbus/Flixbus
N/A
Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
256
Peter Pan
Peterpan
Flixbus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan!
Peter Pan
Peter pan
Peter Pan
Megabus
Peter Pan
FlixBus
none
Megabus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
AlSA
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Boltbus
Peter Pan
peter pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
257
Megabus
Q12 - Are you aware that Peter Pan Bus Lines stops at UMass (Haigis Mall)?
Answer % Count
Yes 100.00% 39
No 0.00% 0
Not Sure 0.00% 0
Total 100% 39
Q13 - Have you ever taken a Peter Pan bus from UMass (Haigis Mall) in 2016?
Answer % Count
Yes 71.79% 28
No 25.64% 10
Not Sure 2.56% 1
Total 100% 39
Q14 - Are you aware of any bus companies that have bus stops on or near your college campus?
Answer % Count
Yes 62.26% 33
No 20.75% 11
Not Sure 16.98% 9
Total 100% 53
Q15 - Please list the bus companies that you are aware of that come to or near your college campus. (Examples: Greyhound, Peter Pan Bus Lines, BoltBus, Megabus, etc.)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
258
Please list the bus companies that you are aware of that come to or near your campus Kings transportation
Greyhound, shortline, campus2campus
Peter Pan bus lines
Megabus
Greyhound, Trailways, Coach USA
Greyhound, Megabus
Trailways, Shortline
Greyhound
Peter Pan bus lines
Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, and a lot more because I'm in Boston
there is a vermont company i think called yankee trails?
Peter Pan Bus Lines, Megabus
Peter Pan, RiPta
RIPTA
Greyhound, Peter Pan
RIPTA
RIPTA
Greyhound, peter pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Greyhound, Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
GoBus
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Greyhound, Bolt, Mega, YoBus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Megabus
Megabus
Peter Pan Bus Lines
259
Coach USA (Short Line)
Q16 - Would you be more inclined to take a bus over other intercity transportation methods if there was a stop on or near your college campus?
Answer % Count
Yes 62.26% 33
No 18.87% 10
Not sure 18.87% 10
Total 100% 53
Q17 - Are you a member of a loyalty/rewards program?
Answer % Count
Yes 22.22% 24
No 75.93% 82
Not Sure 1.85% 2
Total 100% 108
Q18 - Which of the following reasons have you joined a loyalty/rewards program? (check all that apply)
Answer % Count
Saving Money 87.50% 21
You were already a frequent shopper 83.33% 20
Personalized deals and rewards (e.g. birthday presents/deals) 75.00% 18
Status (e.g. Starbucks Gold Status) 37.50% 9
Other (Please Specify) 0.00% 0
Total 100% 24
Q19 - Which of the following loyalty/rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016? (check all that apply)
Peter Pan Bus Lines
260
Answer % Count
Starbucks 66.67% 16
TrueBlue (JetBlue) 20.83% 5
Sephora 37.50% 9
CVS Extracare 62.50% 15
Walgreens 20.83% 5
Best Buy 8.33% 2
L.L. Bean 8.33% 2
Nordstrom 12.50% 3
Amtrak Guest Rewards 12.50% 3
Other (Please Specify) 37.50% 9
Total 100% 24
Other (Please Specify) Other (Please Specify)
Express
GNC
Dunkin Donuts, American Airlines
Designer Shoe Warehouse Victoria's Secret Stop & Shop
Price Chopper
American Eagle Outfitters, Moe's
Big Y, Dicks Sporting Goods, American Eagle
Dunkin Donuts
AlSA, Express, ULTA, DSW
Peter Pan Bus Lines
261
Peter Pan Bus Lines
262
APPENDIX D
Peter Pan Bus Lines
263
Peter Pan Bus Lines
264
Competitive Analysis Notes
Amtrak • Specialized Cars include Sleeper Cars, Quite Cars and Dining Cars • First Class Options provide more space and larger drop down tables
BoltBus • Free Wi-Fi is not Guaranteed on every trip
Megabus • Specialized Cars Include Double Decker Buses which provide a Panoramic View • Wi-Fi is not Guaranteed on Every trip
LimoLiner • Specialized Cars are their general Buses, which provide larger seats and more space
Trailways of New York • Specialized Cars are newest batch of Buses which have extra room and hardwood floors • Leather Seats are only an option on the newest fleet of buses