The Motorcoach Marketing Council has announced the long-anticipated arrival of a new suite of services designed to help operators sell more charters, to more people, for more money. Do It For You is a new program that makes it possible for operators to go from idea to implementation without having to invest the time required to get it done.

We know that the tools developed through the GoMotorcoach program work. “These tools are really not a mystery. When we use them, we see results. It’s really that simple,” said Gladys Gillis, CEO of Starline Luxury Coaches. “Due to operational constraints, however, we often don’t get around to doing marketing as consistently as we know we should. Even with a full staff, we still wish we could do more,” she continued.

Gillis’ comment highlights something we’ve observed as a council: while many operators have the desire to increase their marketing efforts, it’s a struggle to find the time to do it. Christian Riddell, Executive Director of the Motorcoach Marketing Council, had this to say about the new program: “This is something that the council has talked about for the last 4 years. Despite the fact that people love what we teach and talk about when we attend shows, they go back to work and get buried beneath the herculean tasks associated with running a transportation company and the marketing gets pushed back. We know that operators want to do more and they understand the importance of it, but we also know that without a program like this, they simply don’t have the bandwidth to get it done.”

The council’s new program makes it easy to get the tools you need. From the website, operators can purchase pre-established packages or à la carte items. (One marketing package is designed for opening new markets, for example, while another is specifically geared toward recruiting new drivers.) When ordering, an operator provides us with a logo, some photos, and contact information, and then professional designers use those materials to build customized marketing products. Once these products are approved, the designers will send the artwork to the operator, submit an order to the printing company, or schedule the mailing list to be purchased, coordinate with the printing and mailing services, and get it in the hands of potential buyers. The end result? Operators are able to prioritize marketing without having to spend any time doing it.

“The council has been dealing with the time constraints that operators face since the beginning. Operator engagement has always been something that we look to as an indicator of our success,” said Riddell. “As we’ve talked with operators throughout North America over the last 2 years, we’ve realized that many companies aren’t using the tools simply because they can’t find the time. It isn’t a matter of not liking the tools or not wanting to use them; it’s just that the business of being a motorcoach operator is such that they haven’t found the time to get to it. This new program solves that problem,” he added.

Jeff Rogers, President of the Motorcoach Marketing Council, believes that this represents an exciting new opportunity for the industry. “As an operator, I know a few things for certain: fuel can never be cheap enough, and I will never have enough time to spend on my marketing. This new program is not just about another offering; it is about taking one of the biggest hurdles we have in this business off the table. As I look at my marketing plan for the next 24 months, this will be a big part of it. Point, click, done.”

À la carte items can be purchased for as little as ~$200, and packages start around $500. Significant discounts will be available for members of associations such as UMA, ABA, and IMG who are financial supporters of the council.

“We know that not everyone will want this kind of support, but there are a lot of companies out there for whom this will be the perfect solution,” Rogers said. “This will help a lot of operators see that these tools work. Once they get a taste for it, we know it will just snowball into an industry that is putting more and more of an emphasis on marketing. That emphasis can only raise awareness, increase ridership, and help firm up pricing, and it’s something we are very excited to be a part of,” he added.

To see the tools, services, and trainings the council offers, support their efforts with donations, subscribe to their quarterly magazine, or order Do It For You services, please visit the council’s website at motorcoachmarketing.org.

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About the Motorcoach Marketing Council
The Motorcoach Marketing Council is a nonprofit organization funded and developed for the industry, by the industry. Its ongoing mission is to develop tools, trainings, and resources that help operators sell more charters, to more people, for more money. By reaching more buyers through sales and marketing efforts, our goal is to increase motorcoach ridership in North America.