Everything, but everything represents the brand – incomprehensible pricing structures by some companies in a sector therefore deliver a massive opportunity for a brand to cut through.

Image Source: Farm1

One of my colleagues had a journey up North to arrange – a one way ticket to Manchester. (Not for ever – he had a lift home to London). He spent ages researching online. This indicated that he would be expected to pay in the region of £140 for the journey with no guarantee of a seat. Seems a good deal of money for a three hour journey by train was his thought – can’t you fly to and from Paris for significantly less? (No offense intended Manchester, and none I hope taken.)

Then suddenly up popped a first class ticket for £59 which he snapped up. There was as much wine as he could drink for free (and I believe he drunk the carriage dry) and a nice Boeuf Bourguignon and cheese platter included. He could have had the profiteroles but he’s not really into puddings.
The overall message he took from this? Aside from a slight hangover from all the wine, and second rate French cooking ? That he was lucky, that the trains are generally very expensive, and that the train ticket pricing policy makes as much sense as something that makes no sense at all.

What an opportunity for a brand to cut through the nonsense with an everyday low prices strategy. Of course, transport isn’t the only sector full of pricing chaos, with opportunities for clear value propositions to differentiate and generate grateful advocacy from confused consumers.

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