Canberra Bus Stops:
Introduction:
Canberra bus stops are iconic, yet understated, works of functional art (Gee, 2016). They seem to defy categorisation: not modern, but nowhere near traditional. Art-deco with an austere flavour meets sixties science fiction a la 2001: A Space Odyssey. To my mind, they almost resemble the German bunkers on the beaches of Normandy from Saving Private Ryan.
Canberra bus stops are fruit ripe for picking by local brands hungry for cheap leverage. However, one danger a brand may face in associating itself with Canberra but stops is that they may not resonate with out-of-towners.
Successful Leveraging:
Canberrans are different from other Australians. They are better educated, more cultured and more environmentally conscious. Of course, this is a generalisation, but nonetheless has an element of truth to it.
Art and marketing are linked at the hip (Fillis & Renschler, 2005: p. 284). Therefore, by associating a brand with an object of artistic beauty, the brand stands to develop a deeper personal relationship with consumers, provided that the consumers recognise the artistic merit of the object in question. This is because such objects stimulate the curiosity of the consumer and appeal to their creativity (Schmitt, 1999) .
The erudite citizens of Canberra are the perfect targets for brands seeking to leverage Canberra bus stops. This is because Canberrans are not only familiar with the bus stops, but are also more likely to recognise their quirky aesthetic. Consequently, Canberrans will likely resonate (Keller, 2012) with brands leveraging the bus stops.
One idea might be for an environmentally conscious clothing brand (e.g. Patagonia) to offer a modest discount on a particular product to consumers who take a selfie at a Canberra bus stop and share it on social media to broadcast the environmental consciousness shared between themselves and the brand. This generates cheap exposure, but that is the incident, not the prize. Such a promotion, by highlighting common ground, develops a genuine relationship between consumers and the brand.
A Danger: STAY IN YO LANE
If a brand attempts to leverage Canberra bus stops to build relationships with consumers outside the ACT, I doubt its will have success. Marketing communication must be clear in order for brands to foster meaningful relationships with consumers. Hokey gimmicks and trend-hopping just doesn’t work. One need only look to the Kendall Jenner/Pepsi scandal to demonstrate this truism.
So even if a non-Canberran sees the selfie promotion and has a positive reaction, they might think “oh that’s cool I guess” and forget about it five minutes later. The promotion will not foster resonance because the non-Canberran will not anchor the bus stop to a deep sense of local pride.
Reference List:
Fillis, I. and Rentschler, R. (2005). Using creativity to achieve an entrepreneurial future for arts marketing. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 10(4), pp.275-287.
Gee, S. (2016). Are Canberra’s iconic bus shelters found anywhere else in the world?. [online] ABC News. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/curious-canberra/2016-08-08/canberras-iconic-bus-shelters-are-there-others-like-it/7681568 [Accessed 2 May 2019].
Keller, K. L. (2012). Strategic Brand Management. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Schmitt, B. H. (1999). Experiential marketing. Journal of Marketing, 15(1), pp.53-54.
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