I can just barely get Rush here in Holland (radio station is in Grand Rapids) - I'll tune in tomorrow and check out the ad...
LOL! Maybe you can hear the commercial on CSX's website or maybe someone has put a video version on youtube. I am way out of CSX territory so I would miss it even if I did wade through a day of talk radio. How is the commercial? Anything interesting or exciting? Adam
There is always the MUTE, TIVO, VCR Fast Forward, etc. methods to get around that. :tb-wink: :tb-wink: :tb-wink: :tb-wink:
I would wonder if those commercials are local, or regional? Would it really be worth paying for national airing, to areas far from their service? Boxcab E50
If I were CSX I wouldn't bother paying to market to the western states since we're way out of their area. I would imagine that each station that picks up a show like Rush Limbaugh gets to go hustle some of its own advertising, unless Rush himself is reading the CSX ad. I would imagine that would be considered risky since Snapple got such a bad reaction from people who don't care for Rush's views when he was promoting their drinks himself. My wife can have a four-pager blown into the local paper picking out ZIP code areas she wants to focus on. I would imagine that radio advertisers can make some specifications as to their market, too.
You can hear it streaming audio on www.wowo.com A local northeastern Indiana radio station. The commercial talks about the fact they can haul a ton of freight 400 miles with one gallon of fuel. Then says something like dont you wish you were driving a train? Well heck yes I do.*L*
There are t.v. commercials out here too. One starts out showing a Civic hybid and says, "What can this car do for the environment? Not near as much as the car that is carrying it." It then goes on to tell about how trains can move so many tons at such distances on one gallon of fuel. Pretty cool commercial given the fact that the average American has no idea what trains haul and how effective railroads are. We also have CSX billboards that say, "Some people see a bright light just BEFORE they die" posted up around road crossings.
On a completely unrelated radio broadcast, this morning, I did hear a CSX commercial. Is there more than one version? Anyhow, I'd have to guess they're targeting a national audience. Boxcab E50
Heard one of the CSX spots on our local AM radio station this morning. Of course we have the CSX line running right through Holland to Chicago.
Heard the same one preceded by a different one. The one I hadnt heard before was about the increase in fuel efficiency and emmisions.
I have heard a few now. They must be done or approved by the CSX marketing section and I assume they are somewhat accurate. I haven't heard similar promotional advertising from other companies, but I would assume UP or BNSF would get something out there. What about CP/CN?
I don't quite understand why they are advertising in the mass market. Are there really that many potential rail shippers in the general population? It seems like the money would be better spent doing some targeted wining and dining of certain shippers, or spent doing some heavy duty analysis for targeted shippers on the amount of money they COULD be saving by shipping by rail vs. truck. I would be cautious about advertising only on politically-oriented shows, especially ones that have such a well-known political bent, but maybe CSX has information that their target market are mostly Ditto-heads.
Corporate Decision makers are traditionally politically conservative and their viewing interests historically gravitate toward the types of programing the CSX is sponsoring. While the CSX market is not ditto-heads, the market is on the right side of the political spectrum.