CSX Railroad advertisements

aegrotatio:

CSX is blanketting the Washington DC area with radio and television advertisements on stressing the fuel efficiency and traffic congestion advantages of the railroad industry. What is the aim of these advertisements? Are they being seen outside Washington DC? More to the point, are they played on the radio outside of Washington DC? In our area we see lots of lobbying like this and I am wondering what they might be lobbying for.

These ads are appearing all over the country.  As with any advertising campaign, CSX is looking for brand awareness and building a positive image, especially with regard to fuel efficiency and the environment.  Target viewers are most likely investors, shippers and politicians (i.e. regulators).

Years ago, the American Association of Railroads used to run radio ads extolling the virtues of the railroads.  Now it's up to the railroads themselves.

John Timm

The CSX ads are running on the radio in the Detroit area, and quite a few times at that. I guess when you think about it, we're all customers of railroads on a certain level since almost everything we use on a daily basis has been on a train at some point. I was a little surprised when I first heard them, but I guess building brand awareness and image is good in whatever field you're in.

 Ross

As rail proponents we all lament that the general public forgets that railroads exist....except when they are blocked by a train at a road crossing or when the get informed by the media of a major incident.  In an physical environment that his going Green, and a legislative environment that has some shipper seeking the re-regulate the railroads back to the pre-Staggers era it is time for the railroad to begin the PR case...We Exist and We Exist to the benefit of the environment and to the economic benefit of the shipping public when compared to competing modes.  The railroads advertising campaigns are addressing the invisibility of the railroads.

I first heard these advertisements in September.I was heading home from Maine and heard them in Massachusetts.Besides being surprised at the ads I was even more surprised by the frequency of the ads.

I am still questioning the validity of the claim they are making that they can move 1 ton of freight 426 miles on 1 gallon of fuel. Any one know if this is true?

CSX has been advertising quite a bit from what I've seen.  That weas an interesting site with the advertisements, thanks for the link.

Watch out CSX's commercials might brainwash you !!! Just Kidding. I live in Kentucky and have seen a lot of CSX's commercials too. What is intresting to me is this. They are spending billions of bucks on commercials but claim to not have any money. Get this CSX's stock price is now 33 bucks per share. When I joined the company last year it was 69 bucks a share.

On another note..I do like the commercials 

Environmental based ads are.......NOT TO DRUM UP BUSINESS!!!!!!

Sadly, everytime I post something along these lines it get pulled for being political.(hint!)

HEdward:

Environmental based ads are.......NOT TO DRUM UP BUSINESS!!!!!!

I hate to be the cynic here, but an ad campain by this particular railroad wouldn't be out there unless there somehow was money to be derived from it.

I've seen them on TV here in Kansas. I can't remember if they were on Fox news or the Discovery channel.

One of those squeeky money wasters in congress tried to propose impossibly high engine emissions standards for locomotives.  CSX and the other RRs would stand to lose huge amounts of money to try to meet those standards.  Advertising that they are already the most environmentally friendly means of transporting frieght is a defensive strategy.