Brand in action: Transport for London
Paint the town red
What: The city’s growing cycle scheme began life in Barclays blue and saw their prominence grow alongside the partnership. Yet, in February 2015, Santander was announced as the new sponsor for the cycle hire launching a city-wide rebrand that had to address 11,500 bikes, 748 docking stations, 32 service delivery vehicles and staff uniforms for 150 people. The new livery is due to be fully rolled out by June, TfL says
How: For TfL and Santander, the bikes are more than mobile advertisements, they are part of TfL’s ambition to normalise cycling in the British capital. “TfL has a vision to help more people live more positively by providing an easy, enjoyable and accessible way of travelling in London. That’s a good fit with Santander’s promise to make things more simple, personal and fair for people,” says Chris MacLeod, marketing director at TfL. It is set to invest £1bn in infrastructure and safety measures for the cities growing pool of cyclists.
Why: Over the next seven years, Santander will commit over £50m to the newly-dubbed Santander Cycles. Since the rebrand, brand awareness of the cycle hire scheme has grown – it now sits at around 80% of Londoners. Usage is up to over 10m journeys (in 2014) and customer satisfaction is high, with 80% renewal rates. MacLeod says, “Cycling in London has trebled in the last decade and is now an important mode of transport in the capital. Cycling initiatives, including infrastructure, safety and Santander Cycles, are given equal weight in our communications mix. Using innovative, engaging and fun communication activities – with the support of Santander – will continue to raise the profile and encourage more people to use Santander Cycles for their daily commute or for leisure.”
