First Group gets Callcredit on board for campaign support

Transport company First Group is using state-of-the-art geodemographic profiling and direct marketing tools from Callcredit Information Group in order to increase the numbers of customers using its services.

The company, which runs bus services across the UK, has signed up to use Callcredit's MICROVISION system to profile consumers who live close to specific First bus routes. The powerful Geographical Information System (GIS) modelling tool allows First to accurately plot out routes and identify existing and prospective customer types living within specific catchment areas.

This is supported by Callcredit's Intelligence Creation (IC) tool, which allows First to use MICROVISION data to build targeted direct mail lists, in order to promote bus routes and ticket offers to the most appropriate groups.

In addition, regional subsidiaries First Greater Manchester and First Leeds have recently conducted a trial adding an email element to their direct mail campaigns, using data from Callcredit's flagship Define database, which has resulted in an 88% increase in registrations for marketing information and a 90% increase in money saving coupons being printed within one week of the email campaign being launched. First Group is currently looking into extending this approach across its UK network.

Linda Davies, Marketing Officer (North Region) at First Group, said: "We are always looking for new ways of promoting our services and tickets to new and existing customers and, with MICROVISION and IC, Callcredit offered the perfect solution.

"With a network covering much of the UK, being able to map our bus routes directly into MICROVISION and specify catchment areas was invaluable in helping us to identify and segment our customers with pin-point precision, enabling us to build highly-targeted mailing lists. We have also been very impressed with the results of the email trial in Manchester and Leeds, and we are working with Callcredit to explore ways of extending this to other First regions in the near future."

Glyn Cowlishaw, account director at Callcredit Information Group, said: "MICROVISION is a sophisticated and flexible system that can be used in a variety of ways - from location planning to customer analysis, making it ideal for First Group in helping to increase ticket sales, raise awareness of routes and encourage more customers to use the bus.

"We are very pleased that First's Manchester and Leeds teams have also been able to realise the uplift and cost benefits of including an email element in their campaigns with the help of our Define database, which boasts the most in-depth and up-to-date information currently available on the market. We are looking forward to working with First on future campaigns."