Dueling Railroad Ads

[Anderson]

It's a bit surreal, watching CNN at the CA. In the last hour, I've seen a Norfolk Southern ad, a CSX ad, and just now a a Union Pacific ad. It's kind of amusing seeing railroads "duking it out" like this...any idea what's behind them getting into a bit of an ad war, though?

 

[RampWidget]

It's a bit surreal, watching CNN at the CA. In the last hour, I've seen a Norfolk Southern ad, a CSX ad, and just now a a Union Pacific ad. It's kind of amusing seeing railroads "duking it out" like this...any idea what's behind them getting into a bit of an ad war, though?

I see it as more of a branding campaign by the freight RRs to build awareness of the value & efficiency of rail transportation and to associate those specific companies with that. The average consumer really doesn't have a whole lot of interaction with freight RRs or how they fit into the distribution of both bulk and consumer goods.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a good healthy rivalry either. Wonder where BNSF's national ad campaigh is?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

When I moved to San Antonio you could choose Southern Pacific, Missouri Pacific, or Missouri Kansas Texas to ship your goods. That was the era of rivalries. These days all those roads are part of a single massive conglomerate known as Union Pacific. The same thing has happened in hundreds of other locations over the years. Now we're down to a handful of extremely large railroads that generally avoid serious competition with each another. That's not a rivalry. That's an oligopoly. The television advertisements are not meant to compete with other railroads. They are meant to compete with trucking companies.

 

[George Harris]

The television advertisements are not meant to compete with other railroads. They are meant to compete with trucking companies.

Because that is where the greatest potential for growth of their business and the greatest real practical improvement in fuel usage per ton-mile of freight movement.

 

[Ozark Southern]

It's a bit surreal, watching CNN at the CA. In the last hour, I've seen a Norfolk Southern ad, a CSX ad, and just now a a Union Pacific ad. It's kind of amusing seeing railroads "duking it out" like this...any idea what's behind them getting into a bit of an ad war, though?

I see it as more of a branding campaign by the freight RRs to build awareness of the value & efficiency of rail transportation and to associate those specific companies with that. The average consumer really doesn't have a whole lot of interaction with freight RRs or how they fit into the distribution of both bulk and consumer goods.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a good healthy rivalry either. Wonder where BNSF's national ad campaigh is?

This one's been running pretty frequently for me on Hulu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRoGVVav9iI

 

[railiner]

The television advertisements are not meant to compete with other railroads. They are meant to compete with trucking companies.

Because that is where the greatest potential for growth of their business and the greatest real practical improvement in fuel usage per ton-mile of freight movement.

The "land bridge" double stack trains will have a new competitor in a couple more years. That is when the new, wider lock, Panama Canal is to be completed. It will allow much larger super-container ships to cross the isthmus. Could have some impact on the business.....

 

[railiner]

It's a bit surreal, watching CNN at the CA. In the last hour, I've seen a Norfolk Southern ad, a CSX ad, and just now a a Union Pacific ad. It's kind of amusing seeing railroads "duking it out" like this...any idea what's behind them getting into a bit of an ad war, though?

I see it as more of a branding campaign by the freight RRs to build awareness of the value & efficiency of rail transportation and to associate those specific companies with that. The average consumer really doesn't have a whole lot of interaction with freight RRs or how they fit into the distribution of both bulk and consumer goods.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a good healthy rivalry either. Wonder where BNSF's national ad campaigh is?

This one's been running pretty frequently for me on Hulu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRoGVVav9iI

That one, while featuring a BNSF locomotive, is sponsored by General Electric. They run similar 'image' ads for their jet engine division, as well as medical equipment and other divisions. What they seem to have given up for the most part when compared to yesteryear are consumer ads for things like light bulbs and appliances.....

 

[Ozark Southern]

It's a bit surreal, watching CNN at the CA. In the last hour, I've seen a Norfolk Southern ad, a CSX ad, and just now a a Union Pacific ad. It's kind of amusing seeing railroads "duking it out" like this...any idea what's behind them getting into a bit of an ad war, though?

I see it as more of a branding campaign by the freight RRs to build awareness of the value & efficiency of rail transportation and to associate those specific companies with that. The average consumer really doesn't have a whole lot of interaction with freight RRs or how they fit into the distribution of both bulk and consumer goods.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a good healthy rivalry either. Wonder where BNSF's national ad campaigh is?

This one's been running pretty frequently for me on Hulu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRoGVVav9iI

That one, while featuring a BNSF locomotive, is sponsored by General Electric. They run similar 'image' ads for their jet engine division, as well as medical equipment and other divisions. What they seem to have given up for the most part when compared to yesteryear are consumer ads for things like light bulbs and appliances.....

It may not be produced by or for BNSF, but it certainly advertises their product. In my opinion, it's a better ad for BNSF than it is for GE. More importantly, it definitely fits in with the trend described by the OP.

 

[Anderson]

The idea of the ad campaigns being either public awareness or being meant to compete with LD truck shipping makes sense. And...I think it's fair to say that there is at least some competition among BNSF/UP and CSX/NS (and CN/CP). Not like there was back in the 50s and 60s among, say, the Pennsy and NYC, but there's some competition there since a lot of the markets served are nearly identical.

 

[fairviewroad]

It may not be produced by or for BNSF, but it certainly advertises their product. In my opinion, it's a better ad for BNSF than it is for GE.

Yeah...I didn't really realize it was a GE ad until the end. Some great shots of the EB route along the Columbia River, though!

 

[RampWidget]

The television advertisements are not meant to compete with other railroads. They are meant to compete with trucking companies.

Because that is where the greatest potential for growth of their business and the greatest real practical improvement in fuel usage per ton-mile of freight movement.

The "land bridge" double stack trains will have a new competitor in a couple more years. That is when the new, wider lock, Panama Canal is to be completed. It will allow much larger super-container ships to cross the isthmus. Could have some impact on the business.....

It certainly will. And my guess is that East Coast ports that are deep enough (or soon will be) for post-Panamax ships will benefit a great deal.

 

[railiner]

The television advertisements are not meant to compete with other railroads. They are meant to compete with trucking companies.

Because that is where the greatest potential for growth of their business and the greatest real practical improvement in fuel usage per ton-mile of freight movement.

The "land bridge" double stack trains will have a new competitor in a couple more years. That is when the new, wider lock, Panama Canal is to be completed. It will allow much larger super-container ships to cross the isthmus. Could have some impact on the business.....

It certainly will. And my guess is that East Coast ports that are deep enough (or soon will be) for post-Panamax ships will benefit a great deal.

Just waiting to sail thru it some day on the QM2.

By the way....like your "interests"