Transdev offers unique bus sponsorship deals to drive Yorkshire’s business success

Operator’s move to promote local firms from city to coast follows successful trials with prestige retailer John Lewis

Yorkshire-based bus operator Transdev is giving local firms a chance to take their message onto the road with a unique new bus sponsorship deal – following a successful trial with one of Britain’s most prestigious retailers.

Transdev teamed up with prestige retailer John Lewis to promote its newest store in the North, in the Victoria Gate shopping mall opposite Leeds City Bus Station, with high-profile messaging on two buses seen daily on the bus firm’s flagship routes.

The trials on The 36 route into Leeds from Harrogate and Ripon, and on Coastliner linking the Yorkshire Coast and York with Leeds, have successfully attracted more customers to travel to John Lewis’ Leeds store by bus – an environment-friendly choice which also helps to ease congestion and pressure on parking facilities.

Transdev says the new approach is about more than simple advertising, as sponsoring a bus opens the door to further opportunities to promote local business to a far wider audience than a traditional static billboard, with bus sponsorships available on its busiest routes across West and North Yorkshire.

The bus operator’s Commercial Manager Matt Burley says: “Attracting customers to reach a business by bus makes sense. It takes away the hassle of congestion and car parking, and at the same time, helps Yorkshire firms to meet and beat carbon reduction targets by encouraging their customers to choose the most environment-friendly way to travel to their front door.

“We’re also offering businesses a chance to become part of our expanding ‘Transdev Treats’ network of visitor, shopping and leisure attractions, each of which offers customers a discount when they arrive by bus – an ideal way to boost footfall at a time when any one-way journey on our buses costs only £2. In return, we’ll give a special discount on the already low cost of sponsoring a bus.

“John Lewis instantly saw the unique advantage in linking their brand with ours, and now their name can be seen across miles of town and country, inviting potential customers to hop on a bus and be chauffeur driven to the door of their store. We believe bus sponsorship is a formula for business success for firms throughout Yorkshire.”

Business owners can find out more about bus sponsorship and the benefits available by emailing Transdev Commercial Manager Matt Burley at: matt.burley@transdevbus.co.uk.