Targeted digital marketing to renew the company image

There are probably few Ostrobothnians who haven't seen the blue and white buses that run every day between Kokkola and Vaasa. Ingsva, the largest bus company in Ostrobothnia, has long been a steady presence on the road and an important part of Ostrobothnia's infrastructure.
 
Despite Ingsva's well-established brand, the company has faced new challenges in recent years: they have struggled to reach the younger demographic and have also had difficulty finding new personnel, which is concerning for the future.
 

Elisabeth Andersson, Marketing Manager at Ingsva, realized that the company needed to find new ways to reach out to the younger audience, both to increase sales and to change the perception of what Ingsva does and who they are.
 
"Our customer base consists of older people, but also to a large extent of school students, college students, and commuters. To reach the younger demographics more effectively, we chose to invest in new and more engaging content", says Elisabeth.
 
At this stage, Ingsva, thanks to a recommendation from an acquaintance, decided to hire Someone for the job.
 
"We weren't quite sure how to approach reaching our younger target groups. We realized that we needed a partner who is knowledgeable about this and who can also see our industry with fresh eyes. When you've been working at the same company and in the same industry for a long time, you become a bit blind to your own operations. This is where Someone came into the picture."
 

The collaboration between Ingsva and Someone began with a workshop to determine who Ingsva wants to be on social media, identify their target audiences, set concrete marketing goals, and consider which platforms are best suited for their objectives. After the workshop, when all the major questions had been answered, it was up to Someone to create the content.
 
"Someone has created both organic content for our digital channels and content for several campaigns we have run throughout Ostrobothnia. To resonate with the younger audience, Someone has focused on entertaining and informative content that has genuinely captured attention and sparked interest. We have often received positive feedback from people who have seen and appreciated the content."
 

Since the end of 2022, Someone has also created campaign strategies to refresh Ingsva's image and assist them in recruiting new bus drivers. It is generally challenging within the transportation industry to recruit bus drivers, an issue that both bus companies and educational institutions across the country are trying to solve.
 
"Many may perceive the industry and profession as dull, and we want to change that perception. Being a bus driver is social, rewarding, and provides a lot of freedom and flexibility. Someone has truly thought outside the box and succeeded in creating energetic content that has made the younger generation see us in a whole new light."
 

One of Ingsva's long-term goals is to recruit 50 new bus drivers as the company's current drivers retire. Convincing young individuals to embark on a career as bus drivers required a lot of brainstorming and collaboration - a standard recruitment ad wouldn't suffice in this case.
 
The first step in the recruitment project was to create a new recruitment portal on Ingsva's website: a completely new recruitment world where those interested in the profession could find all the information they needed. The recruitment page is modern, user-friendly, and, most importantly, effective. It has helped Ingsva both inform and attract candidates.
 
The second step in the recruitment campaign was to create engaging and enjoyable content in an effort to change young people's perception of both the company and the industry, and to encourage them to pursue a career as bus drivers.
 
"It has been incredibly rewarding to see the results of the marketing campaigns. Someone has come up with ideas that have been fresh, unique, and, above all, well-received. Thanks to these campaigns, we have gained a significantly fresher image, and we have successfully recruited 10 new drivers. We even had to slow down our advertising efforts because we want to spread the recruitment over several years."
 
Elisabeth believes that the collaboration with Someone has worked well.
 
"Someone has not only helped us see our own operations with fresh eyes but has also made others see us in a new light. The staff at Someone is very versatile, and they have been bouncing ideas back and forth with us since day one to create the best possible outcome. We are truly satisfied and will continue to invest in digital marketing," concludes Elisabeth.