After some more in-depth inquiry, my new acquaintance with the local bus company has come up with some more information.
Quote: “There are no scientific studies about the effectiveness of markings in the bus doorway, but numerous findings from everyday experience.” No need to give this statement another whack on the head, we’ve heard it much too often. Beep. Next.
Quote: “We do not understand why a possibly curt request to free the doorway is not considered to be compatible with the basic ambition to satisfy our customers.” It’s really hard not to get sarcastic here. Considering the possibility that they actually mean it, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.
And finally, they told me their campaign was published on posters (sorry, that’s too much information on them and thanks to my cool new iGadget I’m not quite bored enough to read a dozen paragraphs on the verge of insulting me), a press release (who wants to read an article about a company starting a no-fun campaign?) and a brochure that was mainly spread at schools (finally, mass marketing to an audience who will not listen — why should they?). And the web, of course! The last resort. Buried in the clutter, it didn’t save them.
I’ll send them a final mail to round this off, containing two questions: What have you learned from this and what will you do different in the future?