Customer: POLREGIO S.A.
Brief: Strengthening the image of POLREGIO as a leader in the passenger transport industry among the public and decision-makers. Building the image of an attractive and safe employer. Building the belief that developing the services of the national carrier is beneficial from the perspective of passengers, but also brings many systemic benefits.
Successes:
- Reaching out with messages to key stakeholders – Ministry of Infrastructure Prime Minister’s Office, Industrial Development Agency.
- Maintaining in the social discourse the justification of POLREGIO’s position on the disputes with trade unions and with the organisers of travel in individual provinces.
- Presence with key messages in opinion-forming media – TVP1, TVP Info, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Puls Biznesu, Rzeczpospolita.
- Media exposure of client’s representatives in the media – individual interviews and comments in the press.
- Positive reception of the developed videos as part of employer branding activities by the internal stakeholder.
Challenges:
- Lack of knowledge about the structure of rail transport in Poland (existence of a national carrier and the REGIO industry, consisting of local government railway companies, state-owned companies such as POLREGIO and a commercial carrier) and the distribution of power and development potential of individual carriers.
- Changing the perception of railways as a public service in favour of commercial potential (4th railway package).
- Complicated system of financing regional railways and the responsibilities of the Regional Transport Organiser – Marshal Offices and the Carrier – Railway Companies, which requires multifaceted education among stakeholders. Dispersed responsibility for the state and financing of rail transport in Poland.
- Dynamics of the transport industry accompanied by incidents and accidents.
Description:
Regional passenger transport is an important element of transport that allows many Poles to move comfortably and efficiently every day and to carry out their plans freely. It is an important factor in bridging existing social exclusion.
Unfortunately, the deepening problem of underfunding of this sector today translates into rolling stock shortages, infrastructure problems and poor timetables – too few routes and low frequency of travel. Growing demand for public transport, but also higher expectations in terms of standards, accessibility and meeting global environmental requirements, posed further challenges to the carrier and involved the need to educate the market about the role of interregional passenger transport in Poland. As a first aid communication team, we supported POLREGIO S.A. in managing communication with the media and the market environment, as well as in building awareness of the importance of the REGIO industry.
Activities:
- Active support for the Client’s press office in the field of corporate communication, including strategy development, recommendation of tactical actions and tools, media relations, content creation for the LinkedIn channel, expert positioning of the Client’s representatives and crisis communication.
- Organisation of a debate with an independent partner – the Rzeczpospolita daily, in order to draw attention to the problem of underfinancing of the REGIO sector – infrastructure, rolling stock and passenger service, as well as to publicly present the solution (funds from the National Fund for Environmental Protection).
- Supporting the Client in media relations activities, especially in the context of the process of talks with the social side – trade unions and transport organizers – provincial marshals.
- Recording and promotion on social media channels of a mini series of reports about women working in POLREGIO entitled “The Women’s Side of the Railway”, which illustrate the involvement and growing importance of women in the employment structure in the railway company. The series was prepared on the occasion of Women’s Day.
- Video recording of a passenger survey on the occasion of European Train Drivers’ Day, in which passengers thank train drivers for their work.