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Marketing is a major SHR function which significantly influence the image that the railway projects into the client community and their effectiveness largely determines the nett financial income generated by the railway which is available to fund the underlying loco, rollingstock and infrastructure maintenance and preservation activities.
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Marketing - Telling the world about SteamRanger!
Our most recently appointed member of the SteamRanger Management Team is Peter Michalak, now settling into his time as the newly created SHR Marketing Manager
The function of marketing our services through liaison with government, statewide and regional tourism bodies is a critical part of the Board of Management activities. In recent years this position has been undertaken by the Operations Manager prior to which outside consultants were sometimes involved.
Peter was appointed to this role in November 2014 after being a SteamRanger volunteer since 2009, and has been involved with many facets of the organisation since joining us.
Outside of SteamRanger, Peter comes from an IT background, where he currently works as a System Administrator at an eastern suburbs college. He is a qualified Station Master, recently qualified Guard and maintains SteamRanger's marketing website.
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A well coordinated marketing program was developed during 2015.
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FLEURIEU HERITAGE EXPERIENCE
The Governor The Honorable Hieu Van Le travelled on the Cockle Train on the 4th October to front the launch.
As the ticket shown here indicates the package involves return travel between Goolwa and Victor on the Cockle Train, a cruise on the Oscar W paddleboat and the travel on the horse tram to Granite Island. Fares range from $58 for adults, $49.50 for seniors and pensioners, $30 for children and a family ticket at $142
Tickets are sold at Tourist Information Centres at Victor and Goolwa
- "Out of the Blue"
Quite unexpectedly, a recent opportunity arose to promote our services to a wide audience viewing the "Out of the Blue" TV programme
With the assistance of one of our volunteers from way back, and now TV presenter Brenton Raglass, the producer/director of the program Neil Smith and filmcrew travelled on a recent Cockle Train and obtained some valuable video for presentation which was shown on Channel 7 Adelaide in July, with local and interstate repeats promised later.
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New Promotional Video
More recently we have had the opportunity to have a new promotional video produced.
In what may be a first for the South Australian railway preservation scene, SteamRanger Heritage Railway has joined forces with Australian Portraits and Hypervision Australia, to film a new promotional video utilising drones and traditional helicopter footage.
This film was prepared in conjunction with ‘Project Birdseye’ - a kick starter project, specialising in aerial photography, with the aim to brighten up hospital waiting room walls with stunning photography. For more information on the kickstarter project, visit http://www.hypervisioncreative.com/#!birdseye-sponsorship/c17gq.
Featuring spectacular footage shot between August and October 2015, the video highlights the incredible changes in the landscape over the railway’s length, and the changing scenery experienced by passengers, not only by those on the Cockle Train, but also those on board the Southern Encounter services out of Mt Barker. Filmed in Ultra-High Definition, this material can subsequently be utilised in other promotional activities.
The video is available for viewing on SteamRanger’s Youtube account -
CLICK HERE
Use left arrow at top left of your screen to return here
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New coloured promotional posters
Pete has also had a professional graphic designer produce a master generic poster (the one on the left below) for our
operations which we have put on display in large frames at all of our stations and in a smaller version elsewhere. Subsequently
he has produced three service specific versions to present a common look-and-feel across our printed marketing materials, and also match our printed brochures.
Pete has produced and installed a new SHR sign for the garden area at Mt Barker station to replace a rather tired and vandalised one that has been there for perhaps 15 years.
So "well done" Pete for all of the initiatives! We are sure that he would welcome a contact from anyone who can arrange display of his photos at other locations. Just email him at marketingmanager@ steamranger.org.au
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Promotional Signage in outside locations
And, finally, as another marketing initiative Pete is progressing display of signage for our own services above windows in railcars and centenary cars and is liasing with the Whale Centre, Coorong Cruises, the Australian Electric Transport Museum at St Kilda, Pichi Richi and National Railway Museum to put in place reciprocal arrangements.
This photo shows the type of signs being introduced
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Puff Puff Club Relaunch
And as a final marketing initiative Sarah Michalak coordinated the re-launching the previously very successful Puff Puff Club in late December 2015 in order to not only engage a younger audience (and their fare-paying parents), but also as a way to, in the long term, develop some new volunteers.
Long time volunteer John Draper has been engaged to develop a new logo to differentiate the old club from the new. The end result is illustrated at the left. The Puff Puff Club will be relaunched on Sunday 27th December at Victor Harbor station and should tie in nicely with the return of Rx207 and the start of the Christmas period daily Cockle Train services.
There will be an annual Puff Puff club event day, a newsletter, complimentary ticket to travel on the Cockle Train and a Birthday CArd as part of the annual membership fee of only $10!
Well done Peter for all these marketing initiatives!
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