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==Marketing Department origins==
The original [[Severn Valley Railway Society ]] included the roles of Publicity Officer and Sales Officer.<ref>SVR News 11</ref> Over the following years these roles developed into Departmental Managers for Sales and Publicity, with “Sales Department” reports regularly featuring in SVR News during the 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1994 the SVR created a new position of Marketing Manager to “improve “'''improve the public face of the Railway, to assist our Commercial Departments to become more attractive to their customers, to improve the public's awareness of the SVR and in so doing to bring in more visitors”visitors''”. John Leach had previously been employed in a similar role by Flying Scotsman Services.<refname=SVR113>SVR News 113</ref>
==Marketing Managers==
! Manager !! Dates !! Notes
|-
| John Leach || 1995 Summer 1994<ref name=SVR113/> to July 2010 || The SVR's Sales and Marketing Manager and first Marketing Manager, John Leach died 29 July 2010.<ref>[http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/8307620._Public_face__of_Severn_Valley_Railway_dies/ 'Public face' of Severn Valley Railway dies, Kidderminster Shuttle, 2 August 2010] (Retrieved 16 September 2018)</ref>
|-
| David Mee || July 2010 to November July 2012 || David assumed responsibility for marketing matters in addition to his role as Visitor Services Manager.<ref>[http://www.stmem.com/news/newarticle.php?id=1976 'New faces in Severn Valley Railway’s management team', Shropshire Tourism website, 7 November 2012] (Retrieved 16 September 2018)</ref>
|-
| Clare Gibbard || November July 2012 <ref>SVR News 180</ref> to May 2018 || Marketing & Communications Manager. Clare joined the SVR in a part-time role after five years as UK Marketing Manager for the Japanese Mitsubishi Pencil Co.
|-
| Victoria Carman || May to September 2018 || Interim Marketing Manager
|-
| Nicola Davies || November 2018 to 2019 || Marketing and Sales Manager
|-
| Lisa Palmer || October 2019 - December 2020 || Head of Sales & Marketing
|-
| Lesley Carr || December 2020 - || Head of Marketing and Communications,<ref group=note>In July 2020 Lesley Carr moved from the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|Charitable Trust]] to [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC|SVR(H)]] as Head of Communications, a new role which was previously covered by an external PR agency, Severn Communication (see above). From December 2020 the role included marketing.</ref> From November 2021 the Charitable Trust appointed their own Communications Manager, Loretta Milan (see below).
|-
|}
Between around 2008 and 2011 David Wilcock undertook a role of 'Severn Valley Railway press officer' and 'SVR Press & Media Affairs'.<ref>[https://www.shropshirestar.com/pictures/2008/03/21/perfect-day-for-railway-line/ Perfect day for railway line, Shropshire Star 21 March 2008]</ref><ref>[https://www.svr.co.uk/images/pr/Industry%20mogul%20is%20new%20SVR%20Chairman%20(2).pdf Example of a 2011 SVR Press Release]</ref> Wilcock founded Steam Railway magazine and was its news editor, though also contributed as a freelance journalist to other outlets such as ''The Railway Magazine''.
==Organisation==
A Marketing Committee of the Marketing Manager, staff and volunteers was in existence until February 2018 when the marketing function was reorganised as part of a Management Advisory Group structure, with a Marketing sub-group chaired by the Marketing Manager reporting to the Heritage Support Manager.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/copy-of-svr-holdings-board SVRLive]</ref>
The SVR(H) organisation chart at August 2020 showed the Sales & Marketing Manager and Head of Communications reporting to the General Manager.
==Marketing messages and campaigns==
An incomplete list follows.
*2021: '''The Great British Staycation''' for those unable to travel abroad due to [[2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic|COVID-19]]
*'''Every journey ends with a memory''' - current
*SVR TV advert on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F4g-CEusuM YouTube]
*2011: '''Many Happy Returns''' - when visitors made their first visit to the SVR in 2011 they received a voucher valid for a return visit in 2011 with one free ticket for each equivalent ticket purchased<ref>Express Points Web Round-Up, May 2011</ref>.
==Other marketing actvitiesactivities==
===On train surveys===
Volunteers hand out questionnaires to passengers, the responses to which are collated by the railway. The anonymous information helps determine where visitors come from how they heard about the railway, how they judge the facilities, where the railway perforned performed well and areas in which it can improve. ===Online survey responses===From [[Christmas services|Christmas 2019]] an online tool, Survey Monkey, was used<ref>[[Helen Smith]], NBI</ref>.
===Leaflet distribution===
Volunteers distribute promotional leaflets to various locations around the area, including hotels, campsites, pubs and cafes, to raise the Railway’s profile and attract more visitors.
==Internal communicationCommunications==The communications function has at times combined with marketing and at times been a discrete function. ===Communications Committee===A voluntary Communications Committee was appointed by [[Severn Valley Railway Company Limited|the Guarantee Company]] in 2015, which does not report to the Marketing Manager. The key aims and objectives include "to develop communications to existing and prospective members through all media".
===Communications Officer===
A voluntary Communications Officer was appointed by [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC|SVR(H)]] in August 2015, reporting to the Marketing Manager, "''to improve the communications flow between different departments, looking at the quality of material and it distribution using appropriate media; for example an internet site or social media. ''"<ref>SVR NBI</ref> The role predominently predominantly involved updating [http://www.svrlive.com SVR Live], an official SVR web site for members, shareholders and enthusiasts. This involved announcements and news items concerning matters like locomotive overhauls and infrastructure upgrades and news from various sources, including social media and SVR-related websites. The position became vacant in October 2017, and was not advertised for replacement.
===Communications CommitteeSVR Charitable Trust===A voluntary The Charitable Trust employed its own Communications Committee and PR manager who was appointed by [[Severn Valley Railway Company Limited|separate from, but worked closely with, the Guarantee Company]] SVR's marketing and communications department. Lesley Carr moved to SVR(H) in 2015July 2020 (see above), which does not report to when the Marketing role was advertised for replacement as a Fundraising Manager– Individual Giving. The key aims and objectives include "to develop communications to existing and prospective members through all media"From November 2021 the Trust appointed their own Communications Manager, Loretta Milan.
==External contractors and consultants==
===Severn Communications===
Public Relations is was until 2020 undertaken by an agency, Severn Communications Limited. The function moved to the Head of Communications.
===Nexus Creative===
Website design, website development and search engine optimisation are were undertaken by Nexus Creativeuntil the official website relaunch in November 2021. ==Notes==<references group="note"/>
==See also==