Six-week ticket game to boost bus patronage

Press, 27 February 1984, Page 27

Six-week ticket game to boost bus patronage

Today marks the beginning of a major promotion by the Christchurch Transport Board, entitled Bus ’n’ Win.

In a move to increase patronage and to create more awareness of its services, the C.T.B. is running the promotion, which takes the form of a ticket game, for a period of six weeks.

Every person boarding a bus during this time will be given a ticket featuring a dollar amount and the idea is to collect three different coloured tickets with the same amount to win the cash.

In addition, there will be thousands of instant prizes as well as an opportunity for the holders of tickets featuring certain bus stop numbers to win more cash. It is thought that this is the first time that any bus organisation in Australasia has used this type of ticket game as a promotion, according to the C.T.B. assistant general manager, Mr A. J. Francis. “The whole idea is toencourage people to travel by bus, particularly those

who rarely consider it as an alternative means of transport,” Mr Francis said. The tickets, of which more than two million will be distributed during the six-week period, feature three panels. One is a discount coupon from one of the many local retailers taking part in the promotion, the second is a facsimile of a bus ticket featuring a coloured dollar amount ($1 to $1000), and the third shows a bus stop number for a “Housie” or “Bingo” type game. Every Tuesday, a route featuring several bus stop numbers will be published and if all are collected, a bonus of $lOO can be claimed.

If unclaimed, the prize will jackpot to the following week.

The cost of the prizes has been raised by selling promotion packages to the retailers taking part. Bus ’n’ Win is sponsored by the Canterbury Savings Bank, Mobil Oil (N.Z.), Ltd and Kentucky Fried Chicken (N.Z.), Ltd. Special containers have

been mounted inside each bus to enable drivers to dispense the tickets, and in an attempt to avoid services being disrupted, passengers are requested not to ask drivers to explain the game. Instructions are clearly marked on the tickets. Although C.T.B. staff and their immediate families are not eligible to enter this section of the promotion, a separate competition is being run for them in the form of prize draws. Bus ’n’ Win has been designed by James Marketing (N.Z.), Ltd, a sales promotion company specialising in retail promotions.

“We chose this type because it’s something different, an incentive for all participants because it’s creating publicity as well as encouraging retailer involvement,” said Mr J. Rennie, the company’s managing director.

“This promotion is not only designed to encourage people to ride on buses, but also to make them more aware of the services the C.T.B. has to offer.” he said