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.
Duke University has a bunch of old railroad ads at this link:
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/search/results?t=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 commercials on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeCIruqe0FM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saqb4MtVm4o
CSX has been advertising quite a bit from what I’ve seen. That weas an interesting site with the advertisements, thanks for the link.
It is true…the AAR has the the material and it has been posted several times. I don’t know where it is so perhaps someone with more savvy that me can bring it here.
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!)
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.
HEdward, your post is probably the most enlightening. I was supposing it had something to do with Tier III and Tier IVa since we’re well into Tier II. I’m also interested to hear they are heard all over. In our area (Washington DC) it sounded like another political advertisement specifically focused on politicians that only pop up when an issue is before Congress.
CSX stock has historically traded in the $25-40 range. I believe you can thank TCI for the price run up as they worked to acquire shares for their proxy fight. I also believe you can probably thank TCI for the price run down as they sell shares to meet their stakeholders liquidity needs with the world wide financial troubles.
You can rest assured that they are not spending Billons for the commercials…they throw around nickles like they were manhole covers. If they start running the ad’s at the Super Bowl then the advertising program my be headed to being a true cost center.
I saw the ads on the internet, on one of the news sites, CNN or Fox or something. But everytime I try to access the website www.csx.com I get this:
| Network Error (tcp_error) |
|---|
| A communication error occurred: “Operation timed out” |
| The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time. |
For assistance, contact your network support team. |
HOWEVER… the website www.csx-sucks.com seems to be up and running quite fine, never any error there.
I heard CSX was an evil corporation that will pick your pocket and steal your soul when you’re not looking. Is this true?
What’s the old saw? “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.” ???
Depending on your point of view, that description could describe most large corporations.
Yes, I’d say it appears to be true, on both an industry-wide (436 Ton-Miles [“TM”] of Freight per Gallon ) and at the CSX-specific (435 Ton-Miles of Freight per Gallon) levels (although I recall that the claim is moving 1 ton for 423 miles per gallon). Anyway, specific support for that claim is:
From the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) website,
http://www.aar.org/IndustryInformation/~/media/AAR/BackgroundPapers/466.ashx
which is a “Background Paper” by the AAR - Policy and Economics Department titled “Freight Railroads & Greenhouse Gas Emissions”, dated June 2008, Page 2 of 4, under the heading “Railroads Are Constantly Working to Improve Fuel Efficiency”, middle of 1st paragraph:
“In 2007, one gallon of fuel moved one ton of freight by rail an average of 436 miles”. [emphasis added]
For CSX itself, from the most recent available “Class I Railroad Annual Report - CSX Transportation, Inc. To The Surface Transportation Board For the Year Ended Dec. 28, 2007” [“CSXT - 2007 - Railroad Annual Report R-1”], at:
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/92/92932/R1_2007.pdf
From Table "755. RAILROAD OPERATING STATISTICS - Concluded, Line No. 110