Spain has one of the largest railway infrastructures in the world and the second largest in Europe. Even the model Spanish High Speed (AVE) covers large shares in the transport market, such as the Madrid-Barcelona line. However, it remains one of the most underutilized sectors in the country, despite the €65 billion in investment over the last 80 years.
With a view to a greater environmental commitment, and promoting the recovery of the economy, the Government proposed a project to liberalize the train system. Thus, new companies have entered within the AVE market, which in these 80 years had had only one player, Renfe. The entry of new participants will promote the development of services through healthy competition, in addition to offering users a greater variety of prices and services.
Oh, and it will also favor the crossing of commercial campaigns between the two, as we have seen this week.
Let the train game begin
This Sunday one of the new companies in the railway scene, Ouigo, inaugurated its first service between Madrid and Barcelona. In response and seeking to reaffirm its position in the sector, Renfe launched a particular welcome campaign with a reference to Game of Thrones.
In the campaign, created by the agency Mrs Rushmore, We see how the Spanish state company welcomes new competitors, highlighting its 80 years of railway management. The intentions of the campaign are clear, Renfe wants to maintain its leadership in the sector, claiming to be ready to meet the challenge of competition. For its part, the French company Ouigo, He did not miss the opportunity to respond to this welcome with a campaign marked by a rather discreet tone of ridicule.
In its response, the French company highlights the monopoly that the Spanish company has maintained over this transport system in the last 80 years. Alleging that “playing alone 80 years can end up being boring”so they are delighted to join the proclaimed train game.
Dear : delighted to join the
— OUIGO Spain (@OUIGO_Es)
On the other hand, Levante Intermodality (ILSA) who will also participate in the Spanish railway liberalization has decided to join this campaign crossing this Monday. In his response, he also refers to the Game of Thrones series claiming that “Forgetting the Red Dragon is playing with fire.” Let us remember that the color red is representative of your brand, and will even be part of the uniforms and trains within your service.
With this campaign, ILSA strengthens its position within the competition, although it has not yet started operating with any service. However, they imply that they are working to bring their services to the AVE panorama as soon as possible. and join the train game.
Hello welcome
Meanwhile, we continue to train our Red Dragons.
See you on the tracks
— ilsarail.eu (@ilsarail_eu)
Renfe will have to keep up with its campaign
These three campaigns are a demonstration of creativity on the part of the three companies, who demonstrate their willingness to free competition in the railway sector. Still, the interplay between the campaigns and the speed of response in the Ouigo case has sparked public interest, raising questions about whether these were a coordinated effort between the companies, or simply good management by the marketing teams.
On the other hand, the Renfe campaign has also awakened dissatisfied responses by Spanish users. Mainly, referring to the prices and quality of its services after 80 years of monopoly of the state company, in addition to highlighting the use of images of foreign railways for its campaign, instead of betting on national landscapes.
If the entry of new rail operators serves to improve services and apply affordable rates, which make the train cease to be a luxury product, competition is welcome. It’s time to get the batteries after the end of the monopoly.
– Alfredo Serrano Sorá (@ASerranoSora)
What do I say, just as an opinion, that perhaps it would have been better to put Spanish lines and landscapes, instead of the Rhetic Railways. But wow…nice video
— JordiSanti® (@jordasso1)
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