East Midlands Railway, is a train operating company in England, owned by Abellio, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise. Shortly after Abellio were awarded the franchise in 2019 I worked with them to help communicate their plans for the East Midlands rail franchise to staff and stakeholders, and tell a story of social and economic prosperity, driven by investment in the rail infrastructure to boost connectivity.
All employee communications led with a deliberate ‘what’s in it for me?’ message, to convey how the changes would positively impact them. Secondary messages focussed on the benefits for customers and communities.
I developed a distinctive, illustrative style to give the fledgling franchise a friendly and approachable personality which, during a period of change that could have caused uncertainty and stress, were important qualities to convey.
This visual style was adaptable and flexible enough to work across all elements of the campaign, tying everything together and ensuring a consistent and memorable brand image.
Deliverables included two videos, one for staff and one for stakeholders, the former of which was supported by a series of posters and a full vinyl wrapped double decker bus – the focal point of their mobilisation roadshow.
"Graham and Laws of Attraction were professional and supportive right from the first telephone call. In the space of just 4 weeks we moved from concept to delivery, with the final video being used on engagement roadshows across the entire East Midlands network, with around 1,400 employees viewing the video in a little over two weeks. Feedback on the video was really positive with all colleagues saying how informative it was, so much so that the video is still used today on Induction to welcome new colleagues into the business."
Andy Parry
Organisational Development Manager at EMR
Organisational Development Manager at EMR
