Using organic to make an impact

We know how important organic social media is. And perhaps it’s even more important for travel operators like East Midlands Railway. It’s a place to create communities, inspire patrons, engage newcomers and inform. 

We understood the importance of balancing inspirational content with something to engage and excite travelers, whilst maintaining an informational tone of voice when the inevitable delay or strike was looming. And since 2020, we have seen:

Promoting trains, riding trends

The new Doctor has been revealed. Bernie Sanders is going viral. Miles has been announced as the next celebrity to enter the jungle. Having our finger on the pulse and keeping an eye on upcoming trends is something we do instinctively at Fluid. And finding relevant trends for EMR to tap into was thoroughly enjoyable. And as it turns out, their audience liked it too.

Massive impact with creator partnerships

Using influencers in the travel sector is nothing new. But we challenged ourselves to think differently, asking one key question... “what if a train operator had an influencer strategy like Gymshark or Huel?”.

Families looking to find a fun day out. Couples looking for a romantic weekend city-break. Adventurers looking to escape the big smoke and explore the Peaks. We’ve partnered with a range of creators across the country to help show how trains can give you access to anything. 

NottsNomad traveled to Matlock, Cromford, London and even showed us around his hometown of Nottingham - inspiring over 100,000 views of his photos and videos. MuseumMum demonstrated everything there was to explore in the capital with her two children, catching the interest of over 66,000 people. CurlyVoyageFam took us on a journey through Sheffield and London, gathering 25,000 views in the process. 

This is just a snapshot of how we tapped into the talents of Instagram creators to show off some of the best destinations on EMR’s network:

Augmented reality

It’s safe to say that nobody in the team at Fluid had any idea how much people loved the HST (High Speed Train) until EMR announced that they were being discontinued on their line. The outpouring of love and memories from train enthusiasts was like nothing we’d ever seen before - which made us think, what if we could keep some of that magic alive?

As part of the campaign surrounding the final HST journey from St Pancras, we created a replica CGI model of the train and used this as a Spark AR filter on Instagram and Facebook.

Following the success of the AR HST (which is still used to this day) we wanted to bring EMR’s mascot, Miles, to life – and so AR Miles was born.

Paid advertising

Paid advertising is one of the most effective strategies for brands to get their content in front of those who are likely to enjoy it best. And it’s something we’re well versed on at Fluid. To accompany EMR’s full paid strategy, we took on the challenge of running Facebook and Instagram ads to showcase influencer partnerships, promote sales, and ultimately - to get people hopping on board EMR’s trains.
 

Miles of potential 

It’s safe to say that EMR’s brand mascot, Miles has given us, erm, miles of potential. After inheriting the initial CGI model, we have worked to create a fully flexible evolution of Miles that's fully rigged from head to toe (well the fluffy bit at the end of his legs) - meaning that any weird and wonderful poses dreamt up by the team can be made a reality, static and animated.

Miles tucking into a miso drenched vegan chicken nugget at a food market? Check. Miles making a snow angel to celebrate Christmas? You bet. Miles brought to life through augmented reality? Done and done.
 

Creative and very forward thinking…

Fluid have proven to be very creative and forward thinking. They can deliver in extremely short periods of time. Always ready to receive and give quick feedback, they are a valuable and reliable partner to our business.

- Josh Fitzsimmons, Lead Marketing Manager, EMR