With several key projects coming up during late 2012 and throughout 2013, we invited Christina to handle special projects marketing for us across the South West & Wales on an interim basis. From the very start, her professionalism, enthusiasm and knowledge fully justified our confidence in her.
Christina’s first project was the launch of a brand new fleet of hybrid diesel-electric buses for Bath Park & Ride. This was a new contract for us, and it was important to make the right impression – both on the public and on our local authority partners – from the outset. Christina implemented a marketing campaign which included making sure the buses themselves proclaimed our messages loud and clear, both inside and out. She also organised a stakeholder and media launch event, where the Minister for Transport was the chief guest and keynote speaker.
In April 2012 our Eclipse Bus Rapid Transit services were one year old and proudly celebrating the fact that 64% more people now travel on these buses than previously travelled on the services they replaced. Christina devised and implemented a fully integrated marketing campaign to celebrate the first birthday, with town centre road shows, direct mail, e-marketing, a radio campaign, on-bus advertising and outdoor media.
Early in 2013 an exciting and rare opportunity arose to collaborate with our county and city council partners on the complete rebrand of an established bus priority route into the heart of Portsmouth. The introduction of The Star brand involved a unique collaboration with the Royal Navy and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to deliver a new brand that reflected First’s commitment to the city of Portsmouth and saluted its maritime heritage. I feel privileged to have had Christina’s support on this project, which involved every aspect of the marketing mix, from initial concepts to final delivery and of course a high-profile launch event for both stakeholders and the general public. Christina and I worked very closely together on every aspect of the project, which was delivered in record time and was highly praised by First’s senior management.
During the summer of 2013, Christina was asked by First’s corporate head office to cover the newly created role of Public Relations Manager, South Coast, until a permanent recruit was found. She did this for more than three months, and at the time of the Star launch she was handling both the marketing campaign and the PR. Needless to say we received some excellent media coverage.
“It is an absolute pleasure to work with Christina. I know I can rely on her to be as meticulous as I am when it comes to attention to detail, but this is never at the expense of creative flair or her ability to grasp the bigger picture.” Sarah Wallbridge, Regional Marketing Manager, First UK Bus, South, West & Wales