please empty your brain below
When this was discussed over at London Reconnections recently there was a lot of talk about the brand value of the London Underground and how this should be protected from being damaged by lucrative, but usually short-term, sponsorship deals. It was never clear to me, though, what exactly what this brand value is, how it's measured and how much it's worth.

http://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/beyond-the-barriers/

whiff | 04.06.13 - 2:57 a.m. | #

I will stubbornly refuse to adopt any bs names. Might have to get some new tippex too.

| 04.06.13 - 3:40 a.m. | #

I'm surprised this has come from the Conservative party, the party of big business and small government. Companies have a set amount to spend on advertising. If that money isn't spent on advertising on public assets then it will be spent in the private sector. This means that although fares increase, the money in the economy not going through the government will increase instead of decreasing, so people will be able to afford the rises. It also allows new companies to come into the market, as most advertisements are for a shorter duration than what TfL will require. Unfortunately this requires politicians to be able to explain arguments to the public, and it results in football stadiums with silly names.

Bob | 04.06.13 - 7:03 a.m. | #

Ikea Ampere Way. Been there, done that, was a pain in the backside. I want less ads in my life thank you very much. Maybe I better move to Bhutan...

Andrew Bowden | 04.06.13 - 7:12 a.m. | #

When I heard this on the news last night I thought you would have a piece about it today. I am against it as well. I hate to see how everything seems to be up for sale to the highest bidder and nothing is sacred anymore. One example that really winds me up is in football it is no longer just the "FA Cup", it is now the "FA Cup sponsored by EON".

Barry | 04.06.13 - 7:23 a.m. | #

The report's author, Gareth Bacon, uses the FA Cup as an example of successful non-tacky rebranding. Sigh.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 04.06.13 - 7:31 a.m. | #

Hear hear, and marvellous to read. DG does polemic as well as he does everything else.

Sarah | Homepage | 04.06.13 - 7:45 a.m. | #

Sport sponsorship and name association goes back many years, fifty years ago we had Gillette Cup Cricket, many others followed sponsoring Cricket, NatWest, Benson and Hedges.
On many suburban rail stations today there are additions to the station names, where a local company has paid to have their name under the station name, i.e. "Station name" home of XXX Solicitors. Maybe if that was the practice followed by the tube network it would be not so bad, eg, "Bond Street", then below "for Selfridges". In fact I seem to recall Knightbridge tube station being the "Home of Harrods", was that sponsored I wonder.

John | 04.06.13 - 8:13 a.m. | #

...but just think of how much cash you could raise by selling off all the original station signage to fanatics like DG.

popartist | 04.06.13 - 8:16 a.m. | #

John, I am not against sports sponsorship per se, I can fully accept the league cup being called the Capital One Cup. I even remember it being called the Milk Cup. I just think some things should should be as they always were. I am not even against Eon sposoring the FA Cup, it is just the way it is done. Have their logos on the graphics at the start of the programme, on the ribbons tied to the cup, on the hoardings around the pitch, even have the Eon Man of the Match. Just don't keep announcing it as the "FA Cup Sponsored by Eon" it is not it is the "FA Cup".

After that rant back to the topic in hand. I think people are use to a certain amount of branding, I mean we have "North Greenwich for the O2" on the Jubilee line and "Custom House for ExCel" on the DLR. I can accept things like that, just not renaming stations as they will have to keep being renamed when the sponsorship changes.

Barry | 04.06.13 - 8:49 a.m. | #

In the Madrid Metro I still haven't seen Line 2 rebranded to Vodafone (though that's the red line anyway) but what has just happened is that the busiest station in the network has been rebranded Vodafone Sol in the latest map:

http://www.metromadrid.es/export/sites/metro/comun/documentos/planos/Planomayo2013.pdf

framed | 04.06.13 - 8:56 a.m. | #

Here's an idea as an alternative. We could put advertisements on the sides of the buses and possibly inside as well above the windows. Do the same at station platforms too.

For the pièce de résistance how about instead of the paper adverts on the sides of escalators make them all digital displays and act in unison to a very captive audience. Surely firms would love that and pay a fortune which would help to keep the fares down. The go one step further and have a single company sponsor all escalators. Loads of marketing opportunities abound. [product name here] gets you up in the morning etc.

The obvious thing to do is get the announcements sponsored as people switch off to that so won't get irritated.

Mind the Gap. Clothing store for women, men and kids.

The rear door will not open. If you want doors to open for you then sign up to the Open University.

We are currently being held at a Signal. Signal Toothpaste for brighter teeth.

Please evacuate the station now. Suffering from constipation ? Senokot helps you evacuate your bowels. Please leave the station now.

Actually thinking about it the last one is not such a bright idea. The announcement itself may cure constipation in some people of a nervous disposition.

Pedantic of Purley | 04.06.13 - 9:35 a.m. | #

I mentioned 'the dome' in conversation with someone the other day. "Do you mean the O2?" they said? 'No, it's the Dome...' i asserted. "I haven't called it that in years!" they replied. "Well don't be a sucker to corporate branding then", I retorted. They apologised and called it the dome. Another one rescued from the dark side...

geofftech | Homepage | 04.06.13 - 9:36 a.m. | #

A comment seen somewhere else sums the whole thing up " Why don't we just call the whole country Tescos"

mclm | 04.06.13 - 9:45 a.m. | #

I completely agree. I am one of those whose jaw dropped in horror. Utterly disgraceful. Well done TfL for standing their ground, for the moment at least!

Though Pedantic of Purley's suggestion would be a hoot. Quite often you get a driver with a wry sense of humour, and that would be perfect for raising a chuckle!

CornishCockney | 04.06.13 - 10:01 a.m. | #

I wholeheartedly agree - it's a horror scenario. It would be beyond disgusting if they did that. I am completely and utterly against renaming Tube stations with corporate names.

AdsTerror | 04.06.13 - 10:10 a.m. | #

A few stations have been named (or renamed) after the local businesses they served - Arsenal, Great Central (now Marylebone), Crystal Palace, Denham Golf Club.

Conversely, Watford's Harlequin Shopping Centre appears to have been named after the Euston-Watford line, which was branded for a while as the Harlequin line (presumably HARLEsden and QUEENs park - better than Wat- Eus!), and there are many Midland, Great Eastern, (etc) Hotels up and down the country.

Adding "for Selfridges" etc to station name signs doesn't seem too high a price to pay provided that the station name is still clearly recognisable even to people unfamiliar with the area and/or language. (the crassest examples are where the words "Welcome to" are added to the station name, in the same typeface!)
The cost of removing any advertising at the end of the contract should be paid up-front

| 04.06.13 - 10:15 a.m. | #

I, for one, would welcome the Bakerloo Line being sponsored by Immodium and the Ham&City being sponsored by Tampax.

As for bus sponsorship, the W5 from my house already goes to "Harringay Sainsbury's". Disgraceful.

David | 04.06.13 - 10:45 a.m. | #

I wonder how many people ride the dangleway and think 'Ah Emirates! I must take a trip to Dubai'. I wonder how many realise that Emirates is an airline and not just a stadium. Do people think 'What a fine bicycle - I must move my account to Barclays'? But I can only assume that they do, or companies wouldn't go on sponsoring things. I can see that it might have an impact if your brand was relatively unknown, but I find it hard to believe that many Borisbike riders haven't heard of Barclays. And if they haven't, does it mention anywhere that Barclays is a bank?

Peter CS | 04.06.13 - 11:23 a.m. | #

The naming of bus stops based upon what is in their immediate locale is different to sponsorship. In this case its useful to know that if you wanted that shop, you get off there. There are loads of examples of bus stops named after the pub they are outside. Hilton Docklands Riverside Hotel used to run a shuttle bus but once they withdrew that, had the bus stop outside renamed to that; I have wondered if they paid for that privilege above mere costs for the renaming itself

mdb | 04.06.13 - 11:43 a.m. | #

They're raising the prospect of horrific entire station and line renaming so that people will accept the slightly less worse "sponsored by" suffix.

Oxford Circus sponsored by Apple
Stratford sponsored by Westfield
Euston sponsored by Virgin
...

That probably wouldn't need new signage at all, just more prominent advertising hoardings for the sponsor.

Sykobee | 04.06.13 - 11:48 a.m. | #

Since pubs now seem to change their names on a whim, has anyone any examples of what happens if a nearby bus stop carries the pub name? Is it changed and who pays?

Brock | 04.06.13 - 1:29 p.m. | #

There's more than a few bus stops out there where the pub has closed or renamed, and the bus stop hasn't been changed. Certainly a renamed pub in Tooting that fits the bill.

Andrew Bowden | Homepage | 04.06.13 - 1:30 p.m. | #

I recall being somewhat lost on some hedged D road somewhere in deepest South West Devon, to emerge at a cross roads, the only existent or remaining sign (we had the impression that the locals didn't like visitors) saying 'Chip Shop' and pointing due East. We never did figure that one out, but we did have a lurking suspicion that it wasn't a real sign.

Antipodean | 04.06.13 - 1:38 p.m. | #

re: Pub closures and bus stops - a lot of the E-number bus routes used to start/terminate at the 'Greenford Red Lion'. Since that pub closed (and is now flats I think) the stop has been renamed and all the destination blinds changed to 'Greenford Broadway'.

andy c | 04.06.13 - 2:44 p.m. | #

To which can be added Royal Oak tube station which should probably now be called the Portchester.

whiff | 04.06.13 - 3:19 p.m. | #

@ Brock, surely the classic example of that is Angel tube station, the original pub of that name closed in the 1920s and has only recently (1990s) been replaced by a Wetherspoons called The Angel. when I lived in the area in the 70s the whole area round the road junction was referred to as "Angel".

amber | 04.06.13 - 4:24 p.m. | #

G-Mex tram station in Manchester was named after the exhibition centre that's near to it, although at the time the centre was owned by the council so I guess that's OK.

When the centre changed its name to Manchester Central a few years back, GMPTE stuck to their guns and even had signs installed in the new corporate style saying G-Mex!

A couple of years later they decided that the name "Deansgate-Castlefield" was better, despite the fact it's an awful name, and renamed it that, but most locals, and indeed the TfGM twitter feed still call the stop and the building "G-Mex".

Kirk | 04.06.13 - 6:37 p.m. | #

"Watford's Harlequin Shopping Centre" is now renamed as "intu Watford" - sheesh. The same for Lakeside, I believe.

Gordon | 04.06.13 - 9:48 p.m. | #

Hear hear, thanks for a hearty post.

| 04.06.13 - 10:47 p.m. | #

Appalled, appalled at this idea. However, have you seen the map with all the stations anagrammed in the most amazing way - incredibly clever and quite hilarious. Not sure how to transmit this, but could try if wanted.

Vivienne | 07.06.13 - 12:47 p.m. | #

My reaction to your post on London Underground touting for brand sponsorship - http://strat-talking.com/li/8

Greg | Homepage | 11.06.13 - 12:24 p.m. | #











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