Driving purchase intent to 2× the UK market average through targeted strategy
+5.9% Increase in consideration among recent bus users, rising from 17.5% to 23.4% between July and October 2025.
+3.7% Growth in overall UK consideration, showing increased relevance and visibility across the wider market.
2x Purchase Intent compared to the UK bus-sector average, indicating a significantly stronger likelihood of future use.
5.4 Impression score, outperforming the sector benchmark and reflecting stronger brand perception.
7.5 Satisfaction score, well ahead of competitors and highlighting a positive customer experience.
+2.1% Reputation score advantage versus the sector average, reinforcing trust and brand confidence.
Stagecoach strengthened commercial performance, driving higher consideration and purchase intent across the UK bus market.
1
The Brief
Stagecoach entered the campaign with strong brand awareness, but lower consideration and limited differentiation. Recognition alone was not translating into preference or journeys, creating a clear challenge: convert awareness into active choice and increased usage.
The brief required shifting consumer behaviour, particularly among non-users, away from entrenched car-first habits. This meant repositioning the bus as a genuinely better transport option (not simply a cheaper alternative) and strengthening reasons to choose Stagecoach across both everyday and leisure travel.
Execution had to work across a complex operational landscape. Activity needed to flex at a regional level, accommodating differing OpCo structures, ticketing models and local priorities across England, Scotland and Wales, while still delivering a consistent and recognisable national brand story.
We were accountable for delivering multiple outcomes simultaneously. This included driving incremental journeys and revenue, accelerating digital adoption through app planning, installs, account creation and ticket sales, and improving brand health metrics such as consideration, recommendation and NPS.
Finally, performance and measurement had to remain robust despite heavy seasonality and burst-based travel moments, including summer leisure peaks. This required clear attribution across a mixed online and offline media plan, ensuring impact could be accurately measured and optimised throughout the campaign.
2
Our Approach
Our approach was built around aligning national brand ambition with regional execution. We worked closely with Stagecoach and its 16 regional operating companies to understand local market dynamics, ticketing structures and commercial priorities, while maintaining a consistent national framework that could scale across England, Scotland and Wales.
Using data-led insight, we identified where and when travel decisions were made, and which audiences were most open to behavioural change. This allowed us to prioritise channels and moments that could influence consideration and intent, particularly among non-users and occasional users. Activity was designed to challenge car-first habits by clearly demonstrating the practical and emotional benefits of choosing the bus, not simply the cost saving.
Measurement was embedded from the outset. We aligned brand, digital and commercial KPIs to ensure progress could be tracked across consideration, journeys, revenue and digital adoption, even through seasonal demand fluctuations and burst-based travel periods.
3
The Final Strategy
We delivered an integrated, multi-channel strategy that balanced high-reach brand activity with performance-led execution. Premium video channels were used to rebuild consideration and brand difference at scale, supported by outdoor and audio to reinforce mental availability in real-world travel moments.
Performance channels captured demand and converted intent into action, driving app engagement, ticket purchases and journey planning. Regional flexibility was built into the plan, allowing local teams to activate against specific priorities without diluting the national brand narrative.
By unifying brand and performance activity under a single measurement framework, we ensured each channel amplified the others, delivering stronger commercial returns, improved brand metrics and sustained momentum across both peak travel periods and everyday journeys.
BVOD (Broadcaster Video on Demand)
SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand)
Connected TV (CTV)
Programmatic Display & Video
Outdoor
Paid Social
Paid Search
Leaflets
Radio
Influencers
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