Posted by Amtrak Uses Humor to Attract a New Generation of Passengers
The legacy brand Amtrak who’s been around for generations has faced an uphill climb to find relevance among the youth – a group they’re hoping will become a new generation of Amtrak passengers.
That’s why the icon of train travel has taken to what it calls “chaotic brain rotty” social media advertising to catch their attention – and the strategy is working.
Naleen Camara, senior social media specialist for Amtrak, says the brand is taking an “infotainment” approach to social media, balancing tips, tricks, and promotions for train travel with more “kooky and chaotic” content.
From ads reminiscent of monster truck rallies to anime fan art, the brand tailors its content to appeal to various audiences who might be amenable to train travel. “We have a very large audience,” says Jessica Davidson, vice president of digital and brand management for Amtrak, “and people respond to messages differently. Having that variety in content is really important for us.”
Amtrak is in the midst of upgrading its facilities, its trains, and subsequently its image to spin a modern take on a legacy brand, in what Davidson predicts will be “a modern era of rail.” With their NextGen Acela trains coming online soon, she says the brand is strategizing fun and informative ways to release information about the new fleet.
“We’re willing to put ourselves out there,” she said. “Out there” has been a consistent theme of the organization’s campaign in brainstorming quirky content and current trends the brand can jump on.
So far Zillennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are responding. Amtrak set an all-time ridership record of 32.8 million last year. The carrier is setting its sights on expanding its younger roster, with a goal of reaching 66 million riders by 2040.
They’re on the right track. Amtrak’s monster truck video that went live during the last week of June garnered more than 500,000 likes and shares on TikTok and Instagram. The company also saw a gain of 60,000 followers across social channels – including some viewers who said they were inspired to “give train travel a shot.”
Engagement with social posts is up, and even past content is seeing a boost as new followers go back into the archives to see previous posts, according to Camara, who says they are making their mark.
“It truly hits when you’re looking through the comment section and somebody’s telling you, ‘I had to double-check to make sure this was Amtrak,’ instead of some random person making this video on our behalf,” she said. Camara emphasized the company intends to keep going down this marketing track, even if it’s risky. Find out more.