This document provides an executive summary and overview of a research project conducted for Peter Pan Bus Lines. The consultants conducted research to help Peter Pan increase ridership by targeting college students, competitors' customers, non-bus travelers, and charter service users. The methodology included literature reviews, interviews, focus groups, and a survey. Key findings indicated that brand ambassador programs, social media, student discounts, direct routes, and a loyalty program could help increase ridership. Detailed recommendations and limitations of the research are provided later in the report.

1. Prepared By:
Liz Imbrogna, Peter Warren, Rachel Kirshtein
December 16, 2016

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................4
OPPORTUNITY FORMULATION ........................................................................................................8
RESEARCH QUESTIONS .....................................................................................................................12
METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................18
PUBLISHED RESEARCH ......................................................................................................................22
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS.........................................................................................................................24
LOYALTY OR REWARDS PROGRAM ANALYSIS ......................................................................................34
MILLENNIAL ANALYSIS ..........................................................................................................................39
EXPERT INTERVIEWS...........................................................................................................................42
FOCUS GROUPS.....................................................................................................................................48
BRAND AMBASSADOR FOCUS GROUPS..................................................................................................50
MILLENNIAL TRAVELER FOCUS GROUPS...............................................................................................53
IN-PERSON & PHONE INTERVIEWS...............................................................................................56
COLLEGE STUDENT INTERVIEWS............................................................................................................58
SOUTH STATION INTERVIEWS ................................................................................................................60
QUALTRICS QUESTIONNAIRE.........................................................................................................64
FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................................68
RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................96
BRAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM ..........................................................................................................98
SOCIAL MEDIA ......................................................................................................................................103
STUDENT DISCOUNTS ...........................................................................................................................107
DIRECT ROUTES.....................................................................................................................................110
CHARTER SERVICES...............................................................................................................................111
LOYALTY PROGRAM..............................................................................................................................114
LIMITATIONS.......................................................................................................................................116
REFRENCES............................................................................................................................................122
CONTACTS ............................................................................................................................................130
MARKETING CONSULTANT RESUMES......................................................................................134
APPENDIX A ..........................................................................................................................................140
APPENDIX B...........................................................................................................................................204
APPENDIX C ..........................................................................................................................................244
APPENDIX D..........................................................................................................................................264

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Peter Pan Bus Lines operates scheduled and chartered bus services along the East coast. Peter
Pan Bus Lines is one of the largest, family-owned bus companies in the United States. The
company currently operates 250 vehicles, has 750 employees, drives more than 25 million miles
per year and brings in $100 million in sales through its East coast travel routes.
The company sought out marketing consultants from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
to address a desire for increased ridership. The anticipated termination of Peter Pan Bus Lines’
pool agreement highlighted the concern of Greyhound’s control of customer information and
marketing presence. The target markets include the following: college students, travelers using
competitor bus companies, non-bus travelers and potential users of charter services. The
methodology to address these market segments included published literature and fieldwork.
Fieldwork can be broken down into the following: interviews with experts, college students and
South Station travelers; focus groups with college students; and a Qualtrics questionnaire.
The team established that Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool to
increase brand awareness and contribute to increased sales. College student travelers were
found to most value pick-up and drop-off locations, direct routes and speed of travel; in
general, findings also indicated that college students deem Peter Pan Bus Lines services too
expensive. College students tend to utilize bus services as underclassmen, but such use
diminishes as their college career progresses. Additionally, the team found that people joined
loyalty programs to save money, have personalized deals and because they were already a
frequent shopper of the brand. Charter services experts alluded to the high value they place on
reliability, relationship-building and safety. Lastly, South Station travelers determined they
would choose bus over rail travel if bus prices were cheaper and these companies offered more
convenient pick-up and drop-off locations and times.
The team formulated recommendations based on the results. Recommendations included the
following: loyalty or rewards program structure, social media focus areas, Brand Ambassador
program implementation, specific student promotions, additional direct routes and Boston to
New York City luxury service.
Additional detailed information, data and findings are provided throughout the remainder of
the report.

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OPPORTUNITY
FORMULATION

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Peter C. Picknelly established Peter Pan Bus Lines in 1933 in Springfield, Massachusetts with
two jitney passenger vehicles, operating routes in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Today, the company is proud to have over 80 years of business success and is still owned by the
Picknelly family. Peter Pan Bus Lines operates 250 motor coaches, employs 700 individuals, and
has approximately $100 million in annual sales. The company also operates substantial
scheduled line-run services throughout Massachusetts, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic
States.
In addition, Peter Pan Bus Lines is currently part of a pool agreement with Greyhound, which
started in 1999. This agreement was formed so that all ticket bookings, regardless of the bus
company, would go through Greyhound’s website, as Peter Pan Bus Lines did not have one at
that point. As a result, Greyhound now has access to all the customer data. In addition, this pool
agreement resulted in a relative lack of Peter Pan Bus Lines advertisements south of New York,
though the company does operate in that area of the country.
Now, Peter Pan Bus Lines is ultimately seeking to increase ridership in a competitive market
and digital age. The company has recently developed its own website and mobile app, allowing
it to match its competitors on the digital front and cut its connection with Greyhound. Peter Pan
Bus Lines wishes to utilize these improvements to differentiate itself and expand further into
the following markets: travelers who use a mode of transportation other than buses; travelers
who take advantage of competitor bus companies; college students; and niche markets who
may use charter buses for travel purposes.
For Peter Pan Bus Lines to increase its ridership, the following questions were examined:

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS

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1) What are the most important features to travelers when selecting a mode of intercity
transportation? Do loyalty programs play into this decision? If so, how?
Based on the Choice Model on the following page (Figure 1.1), travelers first decide that there is
a need to get from point A to point B at a particular time. Next, they consider transportation
options, such as planes, trains, personal vehicles, and buses. Consumers then determine their
set of most important evaluative criteria to help select their mode of transportation.
Differentiating criteria may include amenities, such as free [and reliable] Wi-Fi, bathrooms,
electrical outlets and food and beverage services. Customers also may consider convenience,
time of travel, price, comfort, availability, etc. Travelers are able to compare and decide upon
their mode of transportation once these criteria have been established. As such, understanding
and showcasing the amenities most important to customers will help to differentiate Peter Pan
Bus Lines from its competitors. These insights will come from asking customers how they feel
about certain amenities and travel attributes through questionnaire-guided interviews and
surveys. Industry reports concerning the most important evaluative criteria travelers also will
be of use.
One possible factor impacting the decision-making process is loyalty programs. Customers of
the most effective loyalty programs (i.e., Starbucks) and of those in the travel industry will be
asked for their opinions to determine the impact of loyalty programs on purchases. Additional
information will come from industry research found in academic journals and articles on
successful loyalty programs. This research will also focus on the types of customers that seek
out loyalty programs. In addition, case studies of most effective loyalty programs across
industries will be analyzed.

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Figure 1.1 Peter Pan Bus Lines Choice Model

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2) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines be seen as an alternative to rail services?
Travelers who do not take buses frequently opt for rail services, such as Amtrak. Amtrak’s
Keystone Service and Northeast Regional lines have already logged 743 passenger-miles per
train-mile (which is the total number of miles traveled per passenger per train) in the first two
fiscal quarters of 2016. This is in comparison to the 32.74 passenger-miles per mile traveled by
motor coaches in 2015 (taken from the 2015 Motor Coach Census). These metrics show the
massive number of travelers who are opting for rail services. Understanding the travelers who
are choosing rail services can assist Peter Pan Bus Lines to tap into this market. The strategies to
achieve Peter Pan Bus Lines positioning as the go-to mode of intercity transportation will come
from researching the buying and traveling behaviors of travelers who are most likely to choose
rail services over Peter Pan Bus Lines. This information will assist in highlighting the major
differences between rail services and Peter Pan Bus Lines and enable the company to better
differentiate itself as a rail service alternative.
3) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines differentiate itself from fellow bus competitors?
Travelers have a myriad of bus companies to select from once they have chosen bus travel as
their preferred mode of transportation. Peter Pan Bus Line’s most significant competitors
include First Group PLC, owner of Greyhound and BoltBus, and Stagecoach Group PLC, owner
of Megabus. These two companies claim 27% market share of the scheduled and charter bus
services industry. Differentiating itself from these companies will hopefully allow Peter Pan Bus
Lines to increase market share and ridership. The task of differentiation has changed drastically
as consumers now spend more time researching travel options and consulting others before
making purchasing decisions. Therefore, it is highly important to determine the most important
choice criteria to consumers and the public perceptions of Peter Pan Bus Lines on these criteria.
Information on this subject will be gathered from interviewing current Peter Pan Bus Lines’
customers and its bus competitor customers concerning their decision-making process. This
information will provide a better understanding of how competitors’ customers view Peter Pan
Bus Lines and how to better position the brand.

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4) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines acquire more college student riders of its regularly
scheduled services?
College students provide a major market for Peter Pan Bus Lines. As part of the millennial
generation, they make up the largest age cohort in the United States. In addition, this market
segment is driving less, favoring the most convenient and cheapest forms of public transport.
Peter Pan Bus Lines needs to understand the drivers and influencers of college students’ choice
of a bus to increased ridership. These insights include understanding what role cultural factors,
personal experiences, beliefs and public opinion play in a college student’s decision-making
process. Parents of college students also could be an influence, as many parents are the people
who either directly buy or provide the money for bus tickets. Information will be gathered
through interviews and surveys with students and parents who have and have not taken Peter
Pan Bus Lines. Published written materials and interviews with experts will aid the
understanding of college student trends. These data will help Peter Pan Bus Lines to better
understand the decision-making process of college students and enable the company to reach
out to the market in a more efficient manner.
5) How can Peter Pan Bus Lines acquire more weekday charter service business?
Currently, Peter Pan Bus Lines provides a charter bus service to customers for special
transportation needs. This service uses the same buses used for Peter Pan Bus Lines’ day-to-day
services to cut down on idle buses and keep operations running at top levels of efficiency. A
majority of these charter bus requests tend to fall on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, which
coincide with the busiest days for the normal Peter Pan Bus Lines services. More demand for
charter buses during the week has become increasingly important. The overall goal is to tap into
niche charter markets, such as Greek Life, college athletics and business groups to extend Peter
Pan Bus Lines’ charter services to the weekdays. Research will be conducted with online
databases and with interviews to identify groups that would benefit from a weekday charter
bus service. Targeting these niche charter groups would ultimately provide Peter Pan Bus Lines
with a relatively untapped market allowing a more efficient use of its fleet of buses.
More specifics on the research methodology can be found on the following page.

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METHODOLOGY

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The information analyzed in the report was gathered in mostly two methods: published
research and fieldwork.
Published Research
Library databases were used to gather published research related--but not limited--to industry
analysis, consumer market analysis and market research tools. Mintel reports, IBIS World and
eMarketer among other databases were used to gather data related to the competitors in the rail
and scheduled bus industries, loyalty program, and Millennials. Research also included
newscasts, online posts and newspaper articles to help create a clear public image of the bus
industry and Peter Pan Bus Lines in particular.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork was also conducted to help gauge public opinion and learn more about the target
markets, in addition to the published data that was reviewed. Research was collected in four
principle methods: interviews with experts in related fields; in-person and over-the-phone
interviews guided by questionnaires; focus groups; and an online, Qualtrics questionnaire. The
goal was to better understand the needs and buying behavior of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ target
markets. This information was gathered from regular Peter Pan Bus Lines travelers, competitor
bus company riders, rail travelers, college students and local social groups, such as Greek Life,
athletic teams, businesses, etc.

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PUBLISHED RESEARCH

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Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis provides a brief overview of the major competitors in a certain industry.
In this case, intercity travel companies were analyzed to provide a better understanding of the
competition, which Peter Pan Bus Lines faces. This analysis is segmented into five main parts: a
brief overview of the company's history and services, amenities offered, loyalty programs,
social media presence and recent media presence. This increased understanding of the market
will aid in determining the best way to position Peter Pan Bus Lines as the best option for
intercity travel.
Amtrak
Amtrak, or The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, is a national railway corporation.
Amtrak’s mission statement, “Delivering intercity transportation with superior safety, customer
service and financial excellence” speaks Amtrak’s drive to provide the best possible service to
its customers. Amtrak offers over 2,100 routes through 46 states and includes services that
connect Washington D.C., New York City and Boston. This positions Amtrak as a legitimate
competitor to Peter Pan Bus Lines in the intercity travel market. Amtrak prices vary greatly
depending on the train and the number of stops, but a round-trip journey on the slower,
regional service between New York and Boston costs about $98.
As a rail service, Amtrak offers certain amenities that one might not find on a bus. Amenities,
such as specialized cars, including sleeper cars, dining cars, and quiet cars are offered as an
alternative to the normal train cars. These specialized cars are offered for individuals who
desire to sleep or work during their trips and would find that harder to achieve in the normal
cars. Amtrak also enables travel with bicycles and pets. Additionally, Amtrak offers several
amenities, which are common in intercity travel, such as restrooms, free Wi-Fi, power outlets
and reclining seats. First-class seats are more spacious and equipped with larger, drop-down
tables for working.
Amtrak’s loyalty or rewards program, Amtrak Guest Rewards, is extremely complex due to the
number of ways customers can earn points, and the different levels of membership provided.
Amtrak Guest Rewards will be discussed in more detail in this report’s ‘Loyalty or Rewards
Program Analysis.’
On Instagram, Amtrak has over 46,000 followers and posts nearly every day. The company’s
posts focus almost entirely on the views passengers can see from the train. Amtrak, through

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providing these scenic pictures, implies that travel by train is not simply a means of getting
from Point A to Point B, but an opportunity to see incredible sights in comfort. The trip is a
desirable experience within itself. Amtrak’s Facebook page has over 500,000 followers. On this
social medium, the company also posts nearly every day with content focusing more on train
travel tips, information about potential destinations and on-board amenities. Amtrak uses its
Facebook page to encourage followers to travel in general, while the company’s Instagram
account encourages followers to specifically travel by train. The company’s Twitter content,
followed by over 114,000 users, is very similar to its Facebook content. The Twitter content
delivers the information in a more personal manner, relying on shorter messages and using
friendlier tones. Amtrak’s Twitter account has an increased focus on specific Amtrak amenities,
which is not seen on the company’s other social media accounts. This suggests that Amtrak’s
goal on Twitter is to encourage followers to choose Amtrak. Additionally, as with most
companies on Twitter, Amtrak uses this medium as means of quick and easy customer service.
Amtrak has recently received a great deal of negative press. Most of this press focuses on train
accidents, including multiple crashes in which pedestrians were killed. Amtrak was also
mentioned in an article about a proposed federal government act, which would extend TSA’s
focus on rail systems.
Amtrak, although not a coach bus provider, remains a significant competitor to Peter Pan Bus
Lines in the intercity travel market. Amtrak, belonging to a different mode of transportation, is
naturally differentiated, offering amenities that Peter Pan Bus Lines cannot match, such as
specialized cars and traffic free travel. Understanding how Amtrak operates will better enable
Peter Pan Bus Lines to capitalize on opportunities to compete with rail travel.
Greyhound
Greyhound is Peter Pan Bus Lines’ largest and most significant competitor. Greyhound’s parent
company, First Group PLC, claims the largest market share in the scheduled and chartered bus
industry at 15.6%. In addition, Greyhound has a unique competitive advantage over Peter Pan
Bus Lines after participating in a pool agreement. The results of this pool agreement gave
Greyhound access to a great deal of customer information, as a majority of the ticketing for the
pool agreement was executed through Greyhound’s website. In addition, Greyhound received
near exclusive advertising access south of New York.

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Greyhound was founded in 1914 and now travels to over 3,800 destinations, carrying about 18
million passengers per year. Since 1914, Greyhound’s icon has become one of the most
recognizable in the world. Greyhound offers Greyhound Package Express for same-day
package delivery in addition to scheduled and chartered bus services.
Similarly to Peter Pan Bus Lines, Greyhound can boast an outstanding safety record. Its buses
also feature eco-friendly engines, leather seats, individual air conditioners and electrical outlets,
three-point seat belts and an on-board bathroom. Wi-Fi is free for all passengers. Greyhound
offers a group discount for groups of 7 passengers or more and has a separate telephone
number for these bookings and standard charter services.
Greyhound’s loyalty or rewards program is called Road Rewards. Participants receive 10% off
their next trip just for joining and then earn two points for every round trip. Participants receive
15% off their next ticket, a companion pass for a friend and 10% off food at a Greyhound station
when they earn 6 points. Participants receive 20% off their next ticket and a companion pass for
a friend when they earn 10 points. At 16 points, participants receive a free Greyhound ticket
anywhere. Participants lose points and must start re-earning if they do not use their points
within a 12-month period.
The company sports over 4,000 followers on Instagram, but posts irregularly, often letting
months pass in between posts. The content of Greyhound’s occasional posts mostly focus on
special deals and announcements. In contrast, the company posts on Twitter approximately
every other day. Greyhound’s Twitter and Facebook content centers on travel destinations,
special deals and cross-promotions, such as with the new Jack Reacher film. For this movie,
Greyhound offered a “Hit the Road Jack” sweepstakes to celebrate their role in Jack Reacher 2.
The winner of the sweepstakes gets a free trip to New Orleans, a 3-night stay in the French
Quarter, two tickets to Mardi Gras World and a $300 cash stipend to spend on the trip. Though
common with many companies, Greyhound’s Twitter and Facebook accounts are used as means
to resolve quick customer service issues. Thus, many of the comments on the company’s
Facebook page are negative. The comments on Greyhound’s Twitter page are more positive,
which is surprising considering the similar nature of the posts on the two social media
platforms. The company also interacts well with its sister companies, such as BoltBus,
demonstrating to customers that the gaps in service for one company are filled by another’s
service.

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Recent news stories featuring Greyhound have not been positive. Headlines have included a
crash in San Jose, which killed 2 people and injured 19 more; this accident was attributed to
driver fatigue. Another recent story discusses an illegal immigrant who had been deported 10
times and allegedly raped a child on a Greyhound bus.
BoltBus
Peter Pan Bus Lines and Greyhound created BoltBus in 2008. The goal of BoltBus was to offer
“safe, non-stop, premium level bus transportation with fares as low as $1 between New York,
NY and Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ and Boston, MA” (BoltBus.com).
Peter Pan Bus Lines operates BoltBus services in the Northeast region, while Greyhound
exclusively operates BoltBus services on the West coast and Canada, territories, which were
reached while BoltBus was expanding in 2013.
BoltBus boasts its $1.00 fares, but there is a catch to getting this deal. BoltBus claims that each
schedule offers at least one $1.00 ticket, but it is sold randomly, although mainly towards the
beginning of the schedule’s ticket-selling period. A passenger has a greater chance of getting a
ticket for $1.00 if he or she purchases a ticket as soon as possible.
BoltBus does not advertise many amenities. It offers extra legroom for its coaches, Wi-Fi, power
outlets and standard amenities, such as on-board restrooms and air conditioning. BoltBus also
advertises that on certain occasions some amenities are unavailable due to operational issues.
Supplement busses will be provided without the amenities that are usually offered should
operational issues occur.
Bolt Rewards, the loyalty or rewards program for BoltBus, has a simple offering. Passengers get
a free, one-way trip when they purchase 8 trips. The free trip is eligible at any time and does not
expire, regardless of how long it is held for. However, BoltBus.com does not clarify if the free
trip is earned after the passenger takes 8 round-trip journeys or if the passenger only needs to
take 8 one-way trips.
The company is present on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and provides customer service
contact information on all platforms. BoltBus is least involved on Instagram with a following of
169, and two posts published in 2015. BoltBus has roughly 5,800 followers on Facebook and
posts about twice per month. BoltBus uses Facebook to post pictures, videos and service alerts
or updates. BoltBus is most active on Twitter with 55,800 followers and tweets, on average, 5

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times per month. Twitter content consists of service alerts, communication with other brand
sponsors for events and with customers regarding their experiences. BoltBus uses its social
media as a means of promoting GenHERation, a female empowerment network, which BoltBus
sponsors. BoltBus uses Facebook and Twitter to communicate with other sponsors of
GenHERation, such as Warner Bros. and TOMS. Additionally, it promote events, such as the
recent GenHERation Discovery Days, which is a career exploration tour that reached 10 million
people and included First Lady Michelle Obama.
The most recent news on BoltBus dates back to May 2015 when a bus traveling from New York
City through Massachusetts caught fire and exploded; thankfully, none of its passengers were
harmed during this accident.
Megabus
Megabus is a budget competitor to Peter Pan Bus Lines. As an international bus company, it
belongs to the larger Stage Coach Group that operates several transportation companies in both
North America and Europe. Megabus itself travels between more than 100 cities in more than 35
states, including Washington D.C. and Ontario, Canada. It also provides transportation to
several universities, including the University of Cincinnati and the Ohio State University.
Megabus looks to differentiate itself by offering fares for $1 and providing pick-up locations on
the street, opposed to at a standard bus terminal.
Megabus offers few amenities, as it is a bargain bus line. It offers reclining seats, seat belts and
restrooms. Power outlets are present at each seat, including a panoramic view on the double-
decker luxury buses. Wi-Fi is available for each trip, but the website provides a disclaimer that
Wi-Fi is not guaranteed to be functional for the entirety of the trip. Pricing for Megabus trips
start as low as $1 to $3, increasing slowly as the departure date approaches. Prices generally
reach a maximum of around $20 and always include a $0.50 booking fee.
Megabus does not have its own loyalty or rewards program, but it does allow customers to
create accounts on its website. Creating an account is done to facilitate the planning and
booking process, maintaining all travelers’ information in one place.
Megabus is present on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It has about 508,000 followers on
Facebook, 36,500 followers on Twitter and 10,400 followers on Instagram. Megabus is active on
these accounts, posting roughly once a week. The posts focus on promotion and customer

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outreach. They almost always include a photo with the post. These photos include buses,
pictures of passengers and the Megabus mascot posing with riders. Megabus has also recently
promoted Breast Cancer awareness by focusing on its pink bus. Megabus is not particularly
responsive to comments on its pages, but it does respond to some, generally when the
comments are favorable towards the company.
Megabus’ recent news presence has been mixed. The most recent news on Megabus refers to a
court case for a man who allegedly fired a gun on the bus during one of the trips. Prior to this
incident, the news speaks of a crash that occurred in September. Additionally, a Hillary Clinton
staffer got stuck on a broken-down Megabus that he took for budgetary reasons. Megabus is
better perceived through two stories from October; one speaks about Megabus’ new pink bus,
which is being used to raise Breast Cancer awareness, and the other about the renaming of a
Vermont bus to the “Green Mountains Bus”.
LimoLiner
LimoLiner was founded in 2003 as a mode of intercity travel as an alternative to rail and air
services. LimoLiner’s service is limited to New York and Boston with three stops, being
Midtown Manhattan in New York City, Back Bay in Boston and the Sheraton Framingham
Hotel & Conference Center in Framingham. LimoLiner operates seven buses with a staff of
twenty, including drivers, attendants, office workers and maintenance crews. On average,
LimoLiner offers eight services each day, four leaving from Boston and four leaving from New
York.
LimoLiner’s goal is to reach the niche market of individuals looking for first-class flight travel
on the ground. The first-class goal is achieved through providing high-end amenities that are
expected from air travel. Such high-end amenities include large, leather recliners, which limits
the number of seats on each liner but increases individual legroom and comfort. The presence of
attendants on the liner providing complimentary hot food and drinks to riders also emulates air
travel. On-board satellite radio and TV (News and Business channels) are available, in addition
to a DVD video and current magazines. Similarly to most forms of intercity travel, high-speed
internet, individual power outlets and on-board bathrooms are provided on every liner. Pets are
allowed on board for a $39 fee. Tickets cost $99 each way with discounted prices for early
morning trips, including a specialized discount for military personnel and current university
students and faculty.

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LuxeLoyalty is the loyalty or rewards program for LimoLiner, which will be discussed in more
detail in this report’s ‘Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis’.
LimoLiner is active on Facebook and Twitter, though it has a relatively small following.
LimoLiner has 2,290 followers on Facebook and 479 followers on Twitter. LimoLiner posts
similar content on both its Facebook and Twitter pages, focusing mainly on special offers and
information regarding events occurring at its destination cities.
Most recent news stories mentioning LimoLiner are positive, speaking to the comparison
between rail services (e.g., Amtrak) and the high-end bus service provided by LimoLiner.
Trailways of New York
Trailways of New York is the largest intercity bus service in New York State. Trailways
completes an average of 142 trips, carrying over 3,500 passengers and traveling more than
22,000 miles a day. Trailways of New York operates under four brands: Adirondack Trailways,
Pine Hill Trailways, New York Trailways and NeOn Bus. Trailways operates almost exclusively
in New York State, offering only one stop in New Jersey and four stops in Canada. Trailways
has stops in several New York-based universities, including Clarkson University, Paul Smith’s
College, Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, Syracuse University, SUNY
Albany, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Oneonta. Trailways New
York also provides a charter service for customers who wish to rent an entire bus for a trip.
Trailways of New York advertises very few amenities for its fleet of buses. However, Trailways
boosts excellent safety standards, backed by its Department of Defense Certificate, and a new
fleet of high-end buses. New, high-end buses are equipped with leather recliners and hardwood
floors. All Trailways buses include complimentary Wi-Fi, individual power outlets and on-
board restrooms. Trailways offers discounts for current students and active duty military
personnel. Ticket prices range from $20 to upwards of $70 for longer trips.
Trailways of New York does not offer a loyalty or rewards program for its travelers.
Trailways of New York is active on several different social media channels, including Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn. Trailways has the greatest following on Facebook with 2,819 followers
and posts about twice a week; posts include travel opportunities and personal stories about
employees, such as retirement announcements. Most posts are accompanied with a picture.
Trailways’ second highest following is on Twitter with 859 followers. The Twitter content is
similar to its Facebook content, covering mostly travel information; examples of content include

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additional routes and personal information, such as retirements and work anniversaries.
Trailways only has 59 followers on LinkedIn and does not have any active content.
The most recent news on Trailways of New York is about a passenger bus, which caught ablaze
while traveling from Long Island to Albany, NY. The fire was caused by an overheated flat tire.
A second bus was dispatched to collect the passengers, and all passengers reached their final
destination unscathed; the bus, however, was a complete loss.
The previously mentioned competitors were reviewed for their services, features, loyalty or
rewards programs, social media presence and recent news stories, which aids the
understanding of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ competitiveness in the chart on the following page (see
Figure 1.2). Information about competitors’ features and amenities will provide a better idea of
how to properly promote Peter Pan Bus Lines’ own features, differentiating itself in the
marketplace. Understanding how competitors execute and operate loyalty or rewards programs
allows the company to see competitor success, forming its own loyalty or rewards program off
these effective practices. Social media and news stories are large drivers of public opinion.
Understanding how Peter Pan Bus Lines’ competitors are being portrayed by these drivers can
help the company differentiate itself further from such competitors.

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Figure 1.2 Chart showing various features on each bus *More Information can be found in
Appendix D.

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Key Takeaways
• Amtrak, Greyhound, Megabus, BoltBus, LimoLiner and Trailways of New York were
included in the competitive set with Amtrak and Greyhound being Peter Pan Bus Lines’
most significant competitors
o Greyhound contributes the largest market share of scheduled and chartered bus
services at 15.6%
• Service, features, loyalty or rewards programs, social media presence and recent news
stories of each competitor were explored to thoroughly understand the competitive set
• LimoLiner and Amtrak offer luxurious and first-class experiences respectively, appealing to
travelers willing to pay more for better quality
• Greyhound and Trailways of New York both offer charter services
• Amtrak, BoltBus, Greyhound and LimoLiner offer customers a loyalty or rewards program

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Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis
Overview
The goal of this analysis is to understand the most important aspects of loyalty programs and
what constitutes their success. Understanding the importance of loyalty programs helps
determine if loyalty programs play a role in travelers’ decisions when selecting a mode of
intercity transportation. Aspects of consumers who use loyalty programs in general, retailer
loyalty programs, and specifically travel loyalty programs are considered. Peter Pan Bus Lines’
loyalty program will be implemented in 2017, so ideally this information with assist with future
program features and updates.
Loyalty Program Trends
Fundamental aspects of loyalty programs need be addressed before delving into travel- and
transportation-related loyalty programs. A July 2016 Mintel report on ‘Retailer Loyalty
Programs’ provided sufficient data. The 25-34 year age group participates in the most loyalty
programs, 15 programs on average. Data from March 2016 revealed that consumers are
frustrated with certain programs: 36% felt that it takes too long to earn rewards they are
interested in; 34% stated that many loyalty programs are irrelevant to them; 23% noted that
their rewards or benefits expire before they can redeem them (see Figure 1.3. below for more
information). These frustrations are important to consider for when Peter Pan Bus Lines
executes its loyalty program. Additionally, consumers highly value personalization as a loyalty
program feature. Personalized rewards based on consumers’ interests (42%) and early access to
special deals (40%) took the top spots for desired loyalty program features.
Figure 1.3 “Loyalty Program Frustrations, March 2016” Taken from Mintel’s July 2016 ‘Retailer
Loyalty Programs’ report

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Designing a Successful Loyalty Program
Jose Alvarez, a senior lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, reflects
on successful customer loyalty programs. Alvarez stated that customer engagement is the most
significant component of loyalty programs (Harvard Business School 2011). Brands need to
understand how to create partnerships with their customers. Alvarez suggests that successful
loyalty programs depend on connecting with the customer at three levels: (1) customer reward
for enrolling; (2) personalized rewards based on desires; and (3) feedback loops initiated by
retailer or customer. As such, Alvarez affirms that listening to the customer’s intentions is
pertinent to a successful loyalty program execution. He utilizes the example of Nordstrom’s
rewards program, demonstrating Nordstrom’s effective personalization strategies through its
Personal Book software. The software is capable of storing a customer’s birthday, color
preferences, and sizes of items.
CVS ExtraCare
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sarah Brooks of GObankingrates.com lists CVS and
Starbucks as the top two spots respectively for ‘CVS to Target: 21 best loyalty rewards
programs’ (2015). CVS ExtraCare is heralded at being one of the best programs, saving
customers significant amounts of money. Members earn 2% back on every purchase when
presenting their ExtraCare card at checkout. Through the ExtraCare program, members
accumulate ExtraBucks, which are automatically added at checkout from their card or printed
on the receipt for later use. Offers are also sent to members’ email and home address. The ‘send
to card’ functionality allows members to send offers to their cards, so they do not need to
provide a tangible coupon rather it is applied automatically from the card.
Starbucks Rewards
Starbucks is a leader for successful loyalty programs: Forbes reported, “Starbucks has one of the
most successful loyalty programs in the world of retail and restaurants, with over 11 million
active members” (2016). Starbucks has a simple, yet enticing program, ‘Starbucks Rewards’.
Customers load money on their cards, and the more they purchase products with the card, the
more stars they collect towards free drinks or food items. Business Insider reported that
Starbucks had $1.2 billion in customer funds loaded on their physical or digital cards and had
12 million users as of Q1 of 2016. Starbucks’ success goes far beyond incentivizing; it cultivates a
lifestyle and positive experience for its customers. One of the most successful aspects of

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Starbucks’ loyalty program is its ‘Mobile Order & Pay’ functionality, which provides an
incredibly efficient system for customers who do not have spare time.
Travel Loyalty Program Trends
A Mintel report on frequent travel programs from March 2015 reported that 54% of Americans
belong to a travel rewards program. The average member does not take full advantage of the
benefits of the rewards program. However, the program’s members deem collecting points for
free travel more important. Respondents were asked for their preferred types of rewards, and
64% preferred free flights and 53% preferred a free night stay at a hotel. Moreover, only 35%
believe that rewards programs decrease their travel costs. These consumers are price-sensitive:
78% of hotel or flight rewards members agreed with, “I will seek out a good travel deal,
regardless of which rewards program I belong to.”
JetBlue’s TrueBlue
JetBlue’s TrueBlue is a successful frequent flyer rewards program. The Huffington Post ranked
JetBlue’s TrueBlue program as the number one spot for ‘Best Airline Rewards Programs 2014-
2015’, surpassing Southwest Rapid Rewards and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan respectively
(2014). According to U.S. News’ ‘Best Airline Rewards Programs’ for 2016-2017, TrueBlue took
the second spot with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan taking the first. Members enjoy numerous
benefits: points do not expire, can be used any time for any seat, and can be shared through
family pooling (jetblue.com). Members earn at least 6 points per dollar spent on JetBlue.com, and
they can acquire points by completing JetBlue’s surveys. JetBlue’s credit card is another method
for earning points. As of November 2016, customers can earn 5,000 bonus points after spending
$1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. Customers can earn triple the points on JetBlue.com
purchases, twice the points on restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point on all other
purchases. Purchasing the ‘Even More Space’ seat, flying with a pet or purchasing a JetBlue
Getaways package are additional ways to earn points. Additionally, members can collect
badges and see their standings in the leader board. The below chart (Figure 1.4) demonstrates
the additional points members can earn depending on the type of fare they choose.

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Figure 1.4 Additional methods for JetBlue passengers to earn more points
Amtrak Guest Rewards
Amtrak Guest Rewards is a free program that can also be paired with the Amtrak Guest
Rewards MasterCard. The system of earning and redeeming rewards through this program is
split into four levels: Member, Select, Select Plus, and Select Executive. Those with less than
5,000 points belong to the Member level, those with between 5,001 and 10,000 points belong to
the Select level, those with between 10,001 and 20,000 points belong to the Select Plus Level, and
those with more than 20,000 points belong to the Select Executive level. Program participants
can earn 2 points for every $1 spent on Amtrak travel and through deals from Amtrak’s
partners. In addition, participants get a 25% point bonus, meaning they earn 2.5 points for every
$1 spent, when booking Business Class travel. Participants receive 50% bonus, 3 points for every
$1 spent, when booking Acela First Class travel. As participants move up in program levels,
they receive an increasing percentage of automatic points bonus for each level (25% for Select,
50% for Select Plus, and 100% for Select Executive). In the upper levels of the program,
participants also receive class upgrades, access to private lounges, priority call handling, and
exclusive offers. Amtrak Guest Rewards Participants can use their points to earn free Amtrak
trips, hotel stays, car rentals, and gift cards for varying levels of points. Those customers who
enroll in an Amtrak Guest Rewards MasterCard will also automatically earn 20,000 points.
LimoLiner’s LuxeLoyalty
LuxeLoyalty is the loyalty rewards program, which LimoLiner offers to its riders. Any
individual who rides LimoLiner is automatically registered for LuxeLoyalty and starts earning
points immediately. Points are earned by purchasing both full price and discounted tickets as
well as referring a friend to LimoLiner. LuxeLoyalty points never expire and can be redeemed
at any point in time. When enough points have been accrued, they can be redeemed for several
rewards, including free on board items, free pet fare and free tickets, both one-way and

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roundtrip. If a traveler purchases 20 one-way trip or 10 round trip tickets in a 12-month period,
they are eligible for LuxePremier Status. LuxePremier Status provides special benefits including
complimentary companion passes, a special offer on their birthday, no booking surcharge when
booking online and advanced meal selection.
Key Takeaways
• On average individuals participate in around 15 loyalty or rewards programs and their
biggest complaint about these programs is that it takes to long to earn rewards
• Successful loyalty programs connect with customer on three levels
o Customer reward for enrolling
o Personalized rewards based on desires
o Feedback loops initiated by retailer or customer
• A move away from physical coupons amongst loyalty programs is proving very popular
with consumers with CVS ExtraCare providing a send to card option, removing the need for
paper coupons and Starbucks providing a mobile pay and order option
• Travelers are price sensitive yet only 35% believe loyalty programs actually reduce costs of
traveling

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Millennial Analysis
The Millennial cohort, composed of individuals born between 1983 and 2000, constitutes the
largest age cohort in the U.S., encompassing about 25% of the U.S. population. These
individuals are most likely to have college degrees compared to all other generations in the U.S.,
with college graduates making up 35% of the cohort. Female Millennials are also most likely to
be either college graduates or current college students.
All generations of Americans have been driving less over the past sixty years. However,
particularly Millennials have been significantly reducing their car trips in favor of public
transportation and walking or biking. Driver's licenses around this age group are also declining,
from 85% of high school students in 1996 to 73% of students in 2010. Many universities
contribute to this decline by restricting car ownership among students on campus.
Conversely, domestic travel is projected to increase in the coming years. Millennials are some of
the most likely individuals to contribute to this increase, as they tend to value experiences, such
as travel, more than material goods. They tend to choose their mode of transportation based on
the factors surrounding each trip they take. Additionally, 46% of Millennials choose their mode
of transportation based on price and convenience. Their focus on price is likely because of the
limited discretionary income that most Millennials claim. They are also twice as likely to travel
as a hobby. Approximately 40% of Millennials are also trying to work--whether it be
coursework or professional work--while traveling. In addition, the most common reason
Millennials travel is to visit friends and family.
Companies with best advertising tactics acknowledge the diversity of Millennials, focusing on
how this group perceives itself. For example, non-Caucasian individuals or those making less
than $50,000 a year tend to be less represented in advertisements geared toward Millennials, a
trend that is not lost on this demographic. According to Mintel, while Millennials view
themselves as “responsible,” “realistic” and “confident,” they believe older generations view
the age cohort as “tech-obsessed,” “materialistic” and “busy”. This discrepancy contributes to
Millennials’ uncertainty toward products, services and behaviors associated with these older
generations. Millennials between the ages of 18 and 24 tend to exhibit brand loyalty at a rate
three times higher than that of any other generation.
Millennials are seeking specific features and qualities of transportation systems. For example,
they want these transportation methods to be more reliable and provide them with real-time

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updates. They also desire high-quality Wi-Fi on the mode of transportation and while waiting
for the transportation provider to arrive. The American Public Transportation Association
found that 35% of Millennials would also like their transportation choice to digitally provide
personalized, local recommendations and facts. It is projected that these features and trends will
increase in the next ten years.
It is important to note that Millennials currently deem the process of booking travel as requiring
too much effort. This age cohort’s members also highly prefer booking their travel online,
emphasizing the need for well-functioning, online ticketing sites. Millennials tend to book travel
through online aggregators, such as Kayak and SkyScanner, or online travel agencies, such as
Expedia, possibly to minimize exerted effort. Additionally, 75% of Millennials have travel apps
on their mobile devices. This age cohort is likely conduct more comparative research when
booking travel, and they are more likely to book travel via a mobile device. Millennials tend to
be more social than other generations and are more likely to be traveling with those outside of
their family. As such, Millennials are frequently looking to book a block of seats on their
designated mode of transportation. Lastly, they are also booking farther in advance than other
generations.
Key Takeaways
• Millennials, those born between 1983 and 2003, total 25% of the U.S. population and highly
value traveling
• Over the years, Millennials have significantly reduced car travel, opting for public
transportation and walking or biking
• About 46% of Millennials choose their mode of transportation based on price and
convenience, which is likely exemplified due to their limited income
• Roughly 40% of Millennials like to work while traveling, emphasizing the need for work
spaces on their chosen mode of transportation
• Approximately 75% of Millennials use mobile travel apps and are more likely to book travel
through the mobile app

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EXPERT INTERVIEWS

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Overview
Five experts were interviewed to gain insight into the team’s areas of focus. A unique set of
questions was developed for each interviewee. Interviews were conducted over the phone and
via email. Phone interviews lasted around thirty minutes to an hour.
Lindsey Casella,
Brand Ambassador Expert
The group interviewed Lindsey Casella to gain further insight into what makes Brand
Ambassador programs effective. Lindsey is a recent college graduate who worked for a variety
of Brand Ambassador programs, including Victoria’s Secret PINK, Keds, Timberland and
Insomnia Cookies. She provided the group with information about how these programs were
successful, both for the companies and the students working for them.
Adam Grant,
Brand Ambassador and Millennial Expert
The team also interviewed Adam Grant, an executive at Campus Commandos, a consulting
firm focusing on the implementation and management of Brand Ambassador programs. He has
also written several articles for Forbes on Millennials and various aspects of Brand Ambassador
programs. He was able to provide the team with more insight into how these programs can be
successful from the company’s perspective and some of the biggest mistakes companies make
when implementing a Brand Ambassador program.

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Laura Yates
Charter Services Expert
The group interviewed Laura Yates, President of Dovetail Event Partners, a company that
produces corporate events and trips, to learn more about how to encourage various
organizations to take advantage of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ charter services. She expressed what
she and her clients value most from charter services. She provided specific guidelines that Peter
Pan Bus Lines would have to follow to acquire her business.
Jim Herlihy
Charter Services Expert
The team interviewed Jim Herlihy, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and
Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to learn more about athletic
organizations’ relationship with charter services. He informed the group of the University of
Massachusetts Amherst’s process for purchasing travel, the regulations involved and the
current relationship the university’s athletic organizations have with Peter Pan Bus Lines.
John Coakley
Charter Services Expert
Lastly, the team interviewed John Coakley, the leader of the InterFraternity Council (IFC) at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst, to learn more about how Panhellenic organizations,
especially fraternities, use charter buses for various events. He told the team when he typically

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needs charter services, which charter service providers he has used and what may entice him to
use Peter Pan Bus Lines in the future for this purpose.
Key Takeaways
• The team interviewed five highly qualified specialists in several fields, including:
o An experienced Brand Ambassador to gain insight on effective practices from
the Brand Ambassador’s and company’s perspectives
o An executive at Campus Commandos, a company which helps improve Brand
Ambassador programs, to gain insight on successful and harmful Brand
Ambassador program practices
o The President of Dovetail Event Partners to gain insight on how businesses
search for and choose charter services
o The Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance and Administration at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst to gain insight on how athletic
departments decide on and use charter services
o The head of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s InterFraternity Council
to gain insight on when student organizations, such as fraternities, use charter
services and how they choose particular services

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FOCUS GROUPS

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Brand Ambassador Focus Group Description
Overview
Two focus groups with Brand Ambassadors for a number of companies were held to gather
specific information used to form the Brand Ambassador recommendations.
Process for Obtaining Participants
The team was able to generate a list of all the current Brand Ambassadors at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst by reaching out to well-connected friends. The team contacted all of
these Ambassadors, explaining this project and asking if they could attend either of the two
focus groups to discuss their Brand Ambassador experiences. Everyone responded, but a few
could not attend due to prior commitments. The team created an event on Facebook for the
invitees of each focus group, which aided as a reminder and an organizational tool.
Structure
The focus groups were anticipated to be roughly a half hour in length. Both began at 7:30 PM in
the same classroom in Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. There was a large table for all Brand Ambassadors to and the moderator, Liz, to sit
around. A computer and phone were both used to record the focus groups after asking for
permission. Two recording techniques were used to ensure that if one did not work properly,
the other could be used as a backup. Additionally, Rachel and Peter took notes on key concepts
during the focus groups. These notes helped when it was time to transcribe the recordings. The
moderator had a printed copy of a ‘Moderator’s Guide’ (see Appendix A) created for the focus
groups, which included an introduction to the purpose, segues, and probes for influencing
greater discussion when needed. The guide was beneficial in keeping the Brand Ambassadors
on track with the questions and ensuring that all our questions were asked. All Brand
Ambassadors were provided with Peter Pan Bus Lines gifts (water bottle, pen, chapstick, and
social media card).
Goals
The main goal was to understand the overall experiences the Brand Ambassadors have had
from the moment they learned of the program to present. The questions were broken up into
five sections: How the Brand Ambassadors were made aware of this opportunity, how they
communicated with the brand, what was expected of them, the assignments and experiences

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holding the position, and recommendations for making future Brand Ambassador programs
more successful.
Questions Asked
For section 1, the Brand Ambassadors were asked to go into greater detail about their
introduction to the brand, what encouraged them to apply, how they went about applying, and
the program’s time duration listed, if any. Section 2 inquired about communication specifics:
communication with the brand directly or an agency; method of communication (email, phone,
etc.); frequency of communication (weekly, biweekly, etc.); what was discussed; planning for
upcoming assignments; and methods of sharing data. Section 3 sought to understand what was
required of these Ambassadors, both in terms of hours worked each week and submissions to
the brand. In the fourth section, the team delved into each Brand Ambassadors’ personal
experiences with the programs. This includes the assignments they completed, events they
hosted and their opinions on the effectiveness of the program’s structure. Finally, Section 5
emphasized areas for improvement and recommendations to make Brand Ambassador
programs more effective and successful. The Brand Ambassadors were asked to articulate what
works for companies trying to entice students to represent the brand (i.e., perks and incentives).
Lastly, they were asked about the general effectiveness and success of Brand Ambassador
programs in terms of generating sales and generating greater brand awareness.
Focus Group Number 1
The first focus group for Brand Ambassadors was held on Tuesday, November 1st. There were
four Brand Ambassadors present for this group. There were 2 females and 2 males. The
following companies were represented: Hewlett-Packard, Monster Energy, RUNA Tea and
Victoria’s Secret PINK. These Brand Ambassadors are majoring in Marketing, Psychology and
Economics. This focus group ran for 35 minutes.
Focus Group Number 2
The second focus group for Brand Ambassadors was held on Wednesday, November 2nd.
There were five Brand Ambassadors present for this group. There were 3 females and 2 males.
The following companies were represented: Campus Pursuits, Coca-Cola, Glutino, KIND
Healthy Snacks, Udi’s and Zipcar. These Brand Ambassadors are majoring in Marketing,
Business Management, Psychology, Finance and Sports Management. This focus group ran for
46 minutes.

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Key Takeaways
● The team conducted two focus groups with a total of nine Brand Ambassadors
● Participants represented a variety of majors with the majority hailing from the
Isenberg School of Management
● Each focus group lasted roughly 40 minutes (one was 35 minutes; the other was 46
minutes)
● These Brand Ambassadors represented Hewlett-Packard, Monster Energy, RUNA Tea,
Victoria’s Secret PINK, Campus Pursuits, Coca-Cola, Glutino, KIND Healthy Snacks,
Udi’s and Zipcar
● Brand Ambassadors were asked how they were made aware of this opportunity, how
they communicated with the brand, what was expected of them, the assignments and
experiences holding the position and recommendations for making future Brand
Ambassador programs more successful

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Millennial Traveler Focus Group Description
Overview
Two focus groups with college students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst were
held to gather information on how to increase ridership for Peter Pan Bus Lines among college
students.
Process for Obtaining Participants
The team reached out to friends at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to participate in the
focus groups. The group explained this project and asked if these students could attend either of
the two focus groups to discuss their intercity travel experiences. The team created two
Facebook events through which these students confirmed their attendance, so the team could
monitor the number of participants per session. Most of these students were upperclassmen
and, while there was a diversity of majors present, many of the students were members of the
Isenberg School of Management.
Structure
The focus groups were anticipated to be roughly a half hour in length. Both began at 7:30 PM in
the same classroom in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. There was a large table where all participants and the moderator, Liz [for both], sat. A
computer and phone were both used to record information from the focus groups after asking
for permission. Two recording techniques were used to ensure that; if one did not work
properly, the other would act as a backup. Additionally, Rachel and Peter took notes on key
concepts during the focus groups. These notes helped when transcribing the recordings. The
moderator had a printed copy of a ‘Moderator’s Guide’ (see Appendix A) created for the focus
groups, which included an introduction to the purpose, segues and probes for influencing
greater discussion when needed. The guide was beneficial in keeping the participants on track
and ensuring that all questions were addressed. All participants were provided with Peter Pan
Bus Lines gifts (water bottle, chapstick, and social media card).
Goals
The main goal of the focus groups was to understand the motivations, influences, preferences
and overall experiences of Millennial travelers.

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Questions Asked
The questions were divided into four sections. The first section focused on the participants’
general intercity travel experiences. The second section focused on how they interact with travel
companies on social media. The third section focused on participants’ feelings toward and
associations with the Peter Pan Bus Lines brand. Lastly, the fourth section focused on their
commitments to loyalty or rewards programs. For section one, participants were asked to go
into detail regarding how they select certain brands and modes of transportation, what internal
factors, such as personal preferences, and external factors, such as parent or guardian
preferences, may impact their decision. The second section asked participants to describe which
types of social media posts from transportation companies they would find most valuable
and/or would be most likely to interact with across various social media platforms. In the third
section, participants were asked to describe what they thought of when thinking of the Peter
Pan Bus Lines brand and what experiences they may have had with it. Lastly, participants were
asked what loyalty or rewards programs they are part of and their motivation to join these
programs. Participants were also asked what they would like to see in a Peter Pan Bus Lines
loyalty or rewards program.
Focus Group Number 1
The first focus group for Millennial Travelers was held on Tuesday, November 8th. There were
six participants. There were two males and four females. The participants are majoring in
Accounting, Marketing, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Biochemistry. This
focus group lasted 37 minutes.
Focus Group Number 2
The second focus group for Millennial Travelers was held on Wednesday, November 9th. There
were seven participants. There were four males and three females. The participants are
majoring in Finance, Accounting, Operations & Information Management, Marketing and
Sociology. This focus group ran for 19 minutes.

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Key Takeaways
● The team held two student focus groups
● Participants represented a variety of majors with the majority hailing from the
Isenberg School of Management
● Each focus group lasted roughly 30 minutes (one was 37 minutes; the other was 19
minutes)
● Topics included how and why students choose a mode of intercity travel, past travel
experiences, how participants interact with brands on social media and how
participants use loyalty or rewards programs

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IN-PERSON & PHONE
INTERVIEWS

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College Student Interview Description
Overview
Team members conducted over-the-phone and in-person interviews over the first week in
November with college students at a variety of universities. This included schools that Peter
Pan Bus Lines is currently targeting as well as schools that the company is not pursuing as
actively. This variety of schools was used deliberately to gain a better understanding of the
college student market as a whole.
Goals
These interviews were focused on determining what factors influence students’ selection of
modes of transportation and what encourages students to join and continue using loyalty or
rewards programs.
Participants
There were twenty-four interview participants, all of which were college students, from several
universities. These included the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston University,
University of Connecticut, Northeastern University, Elon University, University of Clemson,
Harvard University and Boston College. The majority of students interviewed attended the
University of Massachusetts Amherst (8 students) and the University of Connecticut (10
students). The remainder of the students was divided equally among the remaining
universities. Most of these students were upperclassmen at their respective universities.
Questions
The interview questions were divided into three sections. The first section focused on the travel
preferences of these students, specifically how they learn about transportation companies and
what features and amenities are most important to them when selecting modes of
transportation. The second section was geared toward what these students liked and disliked
about any previous bus or train experiences. The final section focused on why respondents
joined loyalty or rewards programs, what programs they belonged to and what they liked most
about these programs. The questionnaire was composed of thirteen questions and took about
fifteen minutes per interview.

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Key Takeaways
● In-person and phone interviews were conducted with 24 college-aged students
● Respondents attended a wealth of different universities including the University of
Massachusetts Amherst, Boston University, University of Connecticut, Northeastern
University, Elon University, University of Clemson, Harvard University and Boston
College
● Questions focused on respondents’ intercity travel habits, preferences and experiences
as well as their use and preferences in regards to loyalty or rewards programs

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South Station Interview Description
Overview
Brief in-person interviews were conducted at South Station in Boston, Massachusetts to
understand how Peter Pan Bus Lines can be considered as an alternative to rail services.
Figure 1.5 South Station, Boston, Massachusetts
Process for Obtaining Participants
Boston’s South Station was chosen as the hub for data collection because of the intersection of
rail and bus travelers. The interviews took place on Monday, November 21st at 1 PM. The team
wanted to gather data from people of many different travel preferences. The team was stationed
in the concourse, food court, and seated waiting areas. The team approached participants by
initially asking if they had a few minutes to talk about their travel experience. A few turned the
team away, stating they were not interested or did not have time. Ten participants conversed

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with the team; 5 were approached near the train terminal, and 5 were approached near the bus
terminal.
Structure
For the research, Rachel initiated the conversation with participants, Liz asked the questions
and Peter took notes. Each respondent was asked the same questions, although some follow-up
questions were omitted if they were inapplicable to the respondent. Most conversations lasted
roughly 3-5 minutes, but a few respondents were interested in learning more about the team’s
thesis project, so those conversations lasted closer to 10 minutes. All respondents were provided
with Peter Pan Bus Lines gifts (water bottle, chapstick, and social media card).
Goals
The main goal was to understand why or when travelers who typically travel by train would be
inclined to take a bus instead. This phase of the team’s data gathering aimed to answer
Question 3 in the ‘Opportunity Formulation’ section.
Questions Asked
The first question asked if the respondent has taken a Peter Pan bus in the past. The respondent
was then asked what he or she likes most about the experience and what could have been
improved if he or she rode a Peter Pan bus. Next, the respondent was asked about his or her
preferred mode of intercity transportation: bus or train. Lastly, the respondent was asked what
would influence him or her to travel by bus instead of train if he or she stated the preference for
traveling via train over bus.

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Key Takeaways
● Data were collected on how Peter Pan Bus Lines could be seen as an alternative to rail
services
● Travelers were interviewed in South Station because both bus and rail travelers are on
site
● The researchers interviewed 10 people on both rail and bus platforms and provided
Peter Pan Bus Lines giveaways
● Questions focused on respondents’ travel preferences and experiences

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QUALTRICS QUESTIONNAIRE

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Overview
An online Qualtrics questionnaire was created to assist in reaching a larger audience of college
students at a greater variety of schools than could be reached through in-person and over-the-
phone interviews.
Distribution
Several different methods of distribution were undertaken to ensure that the questionnaire
reached a large variety of students at several different universities, with focus directed towards
the universities where Peter Pan Bus Lines has important markets. This included students from
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Rice University, Messiah College, Harvard University,
Keene State College, Lesley University, University of New Hampshire, Boston University,
Acadia University, Cornell University, Seton Hall University, Emerson College, Northeastern
University, Hofstra University, University of Connecticut, Clemson University, Bryant
University, Boston College, Trent University and University of Delaware. The primary methods
for sharing the questionnaire were through Facebook and direct email. The team, being students
at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was able to post the questionnaire in each of the
students’ class years. The team was also able to distribute the questionnaire to other schools
though friends who posted in their respective university’s Facebook groups. Emails asking for
participation were drafted for smaller universities, which did not have their own Facebook
groups. These emails were sent to friends at these universities and forwarded by those friends
to other students that attended the same university. These two modes of distribution allowed
the team to reach a large audience across both small and large universities.
Structure
The questionnaire was designed to be taken online and required only five minutes to complete
to ensure students provided useful information and completed the questionnaire to its entirety.
Respondents were led through the questionnaire and were shown questions that were only
relevant to them. For example, if respondents checked off that they attended the University of
Massachusetts Amherst, they were shown questions pertaining only to the University of
Massachusetts Amherst. This process decreased the chance of respondent error in the
questionnaire. Ten $25 vouchers for Peter Pan Bus Lines were raffled as an incentive to increase
participation in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was opened on November 2nd and
remained open for a total of three weeks.

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Goals
The questionnaire focused on determining which factors of intercity travel students consider
when planning a trip and what drives students to participate in loyalty or rewards programs.
Questions
The questionnaire was divided into two sections: the first was focused on intercity travel and
student preferences in regards to intercity travel, and the second focused on loyalty or rewards
programs. The intercity travel section of the questionnaire included demographic questions to
determine where the respondents attend school and their current year. This information led to
more general intercity travel questions to determine how often the respondent travels, days of
travel and how far in advance intercity travel is planned. The next set of questions focused
specifically on the respondents’ preference of features and amenities of intercity travel. The final
questions in the intercity portion of the questionnaire focused particularly on bus travel,
respondents’ familiarity of certain brands and the presence of certain bus companies on their
campuses. The second section of the questionnaire was shorter and focused on loyalty or
rewards programs, asking respondents which, if any, loyalty or rewards programs they were
members of and why they joined.
Key Takeaways
• Questionnaire was live for 3 weeks and was distributed to 20 universities by means of
Facebook and direct email
• Questionnaire sought to understand 2 parts: (1) students’ general intercity travel frequencies
and preferences, including their important amenities and features, and (2) the reasons they
have joined a loyalty or rewards program and which programs they are members of
• Certain questions geared towards University of Massachusetts Amherst students because of
large Peter Pan Bus Lines presence on campus
• 15 of the 20 universities represented are in the Northeast region, which aligns with Peter Pan
Bus Lines’ bus service routes
• 10 $25 gift cards were used to incentivize participation in exchange for student emails

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FINDINGS

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Expert Interview Findings
Lindsey Casella Interview Findings
From Lindsey, the team learned that many brands reach out to prospective Brand Ambassadors
through sites, such as LinkedIn. Programs’ schedules varied, but for specifically college-focused
brands, it makes sense to base the schedule of the program around the academic year. Some
brands communicated and sent materials through emails, DropBox and Google Drive, while
more developed programs communicated through their own website or app. Having
strategically-timed calls, such as around big events, can also be helpful. Brand Ambassadors
would communicate with those running the program a couple times per week. Some activities
such programs can pursue are tabling at big campus events, such as sports games and pep
rallies, creating and or managing social media content and actively seeking out the target
market, such as by intercepting tour groups. Facebook events were particularly effective at
targeting the intended audience and the reminders that are sent to potential attendees.
Potential Brand Ambassadors are particularly drawn to brands that resonate well with their
interests, personality and lifestyle, so it is important for brands to identify these aspects in
recruitment materials. In particular, providing a PowerPoint deck or PDF of this information
can be effective. Providing Brand Ambassadors with branded products was also helpful in
generating awareness among college students. Checking in with Brand Ambassadors from
other universities regarding their successes and receiving brand training was also helpful.
Brand Ambassadors are likely to be more committed when the company is engaged with the
Brand Ambassadors, providing words of encouragement or rewards. Brand Ambassadors find
success in programs that are strategic, well-organized and well-aware of the campus and its
policies when implementing assignments.
Lindsey emphasized that companies need to understand the college lifestyle when making
requests of their Brand Ambassadors. For example, asking them to hold events far away from
campus is troublesome and likely ineffective as many college students lack cars on campus.
Additionally, the company should be aware of college students’ schedules for midterms and
finals, limiting events and assignments during these times.
Adam Grant Interview Findings
Adam believes, based on his experience, that all companies should market to college students
because these students either currently or will contribute to sales. College students’ newfound

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independence provides an opportunity for companies to convince potential customers to
establish new brand loyalty.
He also said that businesses should ensure their customers understand the company’s business
model to improve its brand image. For example, a company should ensure the customer
understands what is meant by the company’s cost leadership business model. In this example,
the company would explain to customers how the minimal services and/or amenities allow the
company to provide such low prices.
Adam discussed that companies with effective marketing campaigns have a specific target,
found a time period when this market is most likely to purchase the company’s product or
service and understands how capture this market’s attention. For example, Men’s Wearhouse
found that business students are likely to purchase more suits over their lifetime than any other
type of college student. The company also found that these students are most likely to purchase
a suit around the time of a career fair. Lastly, the company realized having a campus
representative show and wear the product and describe instances when suits are necessary
would be an effective at capturing the audience’s attention, as many of these students were
inexperienced in purchasing suits. Therefore, the company knew a marketing campaign
targeting business students around the time of a career fair with interactive suit displays would
be successful.
Concerning Brand Ambassador programs, Adam emphasized that most students join such
programs for the purpose of putting the experience on their resumes. These students are
particularly drawn to big name brands because such companies will stand out on their resumes.
Additionally, students seem to be particularly attracted to programs that are paid. These
students appreciate programs when the brand is dedicated and interactive, as many students
are likely applying because they like the brand and feel a connection to it. This need for
connection to the brand also extends to the other student ambassadors. Adam found that most
enjoyed Brand Ambassador programs were those that allowed the Brand Ambassadors to easily
and regularly communicate with one another. Particularly, students want to engage with the
brand and with fellow Brand Ambassadors through an app, which is easily accessible on their
mobile devices. Adam has found that Brand Ambassadors appreciate companies who write
recommendations for them on LinkedIn.

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Laura Yates Interview Findings
Her smaller, corporate event planning business uses charter buses about 15 times per year.
There are no particular days or times she typically requires charter services. However, the
companies she contracts, called Destination Management Companies, generally book these
services. In her industry, pricing is important, but not as important as quality, vendor
relationship and advanced awareness of exactly what everything looks like and functionality.
Laura and colleagues typically need a company that has a variety of available vehicles, ranging
in size from sedans to motor coaches. Chartering Peter Pan buses or those of the company’s
competitors is not typically considered.
Laura suggested that having the transportation company build a relationship with Destination
Management Companies, large corporations, convention bureaus or event planning businesses
may help increase awareness. Having a dedicated sales team for charter services and
relationship-building with the salesperson is particularly important in this industry.
Furthermore, they “can’t be let down” and want to call one person directly rather than an 800
number through the process. Laura suggested a way to build this relationship and increase
awareness: bring a bus to the offices of a potential client, tour the vehicle and provide lunch.
Currently, Laura and colleagues view Peter Pan Bus Lines as being outdated, but they have not
interacted with the company in many years. She suggested that these dedicated salespeople
emphasize that, “This isn’t your grandpa’s Peter Pan!”
In terms of amenities, strong Wi-Fi is the most important, followed by USB ports and electrical
outlets. Bathrooms and reclining seats would also be important on trips over an hour in length.
Food service is not important, as she would have another company provide food and beverages.
For personal travel, Laura looks for a direct, mid-market bus from Boston to New York and
back a few times per day. These buses would preferably have strong Wi-Fi, USB ports, fewer
and more spacious seats and surfaces to work on for laptops and other mobile devices. Laura
was unaware of departure points other than Springfield, Worcester, and South Station, which
were inconvenient for her. She would use a departure point from Lowell frequently if it was
well-publicized. When booking her daughters’ travel, her main concern is safety. She would like
to see drivers’ safety statistics on the website and how frequently these buses break down.
Currently, she thinks that buses have a lot of accidents. She would also like to be able to see a
virtual tour of the bus on the website.

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John Coakley Interview Findings
John informed the team that Greek organizations typically need a bus about once a semester.
Usually these organizations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst use field trip services
through the school and local school district buses. Price is the biggest deciding factor for these
potential clients. In fact, John emphasized that price was everything to these budget-conscious
organizations. The organization has not used Peter Pan Bus Lines or any other privately-owned
bus company, however John sees potential use for longer trips if it were more comfortable than
school buses (assuming price is about the same).
Jim Herlihy Interview Findings
Jim provided insight into how the athletic departments of public universities purchase charter
services. Public universities are required to have a public bidding process for all transportation
services, having another department ensure that the purchase and use of such services meet
state regulations. These athletic departments highly consider safety and dependability records.
Specifically, these departments may require that the charter service provide evidence of driver
drug testing, training and health checks. Additionally, the company must have a
comprehensive communication system in place in case of emergencies or malfunctions.
These departments particularly value the following amenities: ample legroom, comfortable
seats, climate control, Wi-Fi, power outlets, televisions and secured storage with locks.
Bathrooms are also important for longer trips, and cleanliness is extremely important overall.
In regard to customer service, Jim noted his very positive experiences with the Peter Pan Bus
Lines team. He finds the team reliable, adaptable and accommodating to the needs of students
and coaches.

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Brand Ambassador Focus Group Findings
Introduction to Brand Ambassador Position and Application
A handful of Brand Ambassadors learned of the position through friends at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst. LinkedIn, Monster.com and Indeed were also used. A few participants
were already followers of the brands; one reached out to the company regarding internship
opportunities, and another followed the brand on Instagram and saw the opportunity
advertised.
The Brand Ambassadors next noted what encouraged them to apply. The most prevalent
responses were resume-building, seeking experience and helping to understand career goals.
Additionally, many thought the positions aligned well with their majors. A few were already
very passionate about the brand, which was an encouraging aspect. Flexibility of hours and
getting paid were also important factors
An online application followed by a phone interview was the most common application
process. A handful of Brand Ambassadors had Skype interviews, and a few had in-person
meetings.
The team was interested in understanding if the application stated a particular time frame for
the program’s duration. The majority reported an academic year commitment. Some were
unclear as the description stated the program would last “one year” or there was no time frame
listed. The Zipcar program lasted 10-weeks and ended before Thanksgiving. The Victoria’s
Secret PINK program began in the summer and ended in the following summer.
Communication
Direct contact with the brand was the most common, which 7 of the 10 Brand Ambassadors
articulated. The remaining 3 Brand Ambassadors communicated with an agency as a
middleman. Zipcar uses an agency called Fluent.
A multitude of communication methods were used. Digital communication appeared to be the
most prevalent, using such channels as an app (e.g., Slack), Facebook and email. Webinars and
conference calls were also common methods.

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The team sought to understand the frequency of communication with representatives from the
brand or agency. Weekly or biweekly seemed to be the most effective according to the Brand
Ambassadors, though responses included daily, weekly, biweekly, tri-weekly, monthly and
bimonthly.
The next talking point related to the information that was exchanged between the Brand
Ambassador and the brand or agency. Conversations covered discussing goals for the month,
planning events, requesting products, brainstorming partnerships and reporting on previous
assignments. Providing pictures of people with the products was the most common source of
reporting. Some Brand Ambassadors were required to submit reports or presentations, which
will be further discussed in the following section.
Responsibilities
Some Brand Ambassadors have specific goals set for each month. KIND Healthy Snacks
requires that its Brand Ambassadors distribute 2,000 bars and have at least 3 events per month,
have 7 occasional samplings and submit a monthly report. Zipcar requires 2 emails and 5
pictures per week, and 4 social media posts and at least 3 new member acquisitions during the
10-week program duration. These Brand Ambassadors must also submit a weekly report.
Victoria’s Secret PINK outlines specific events for its Brand Ambassadors to host, which will be
discussed in greater detail in the ‘Assignments’ section. Brand Ambassadors that needed to
submit weekly or monthly reports had specific information to present as requested by the brand
or agency. Examples of required information in these reports included an overview of the
assignment(s), number of products sold and pictures.
Time commitment to the program was correlated with the Brand Ambassadors’ responsibilities.
Weekly hours devoted to the job varied by semester and if there was an event on a given week.
Anywhere from 1 to 15 hours per week were devoted to the program, depending on the task(s)
for the week. Some Brand Ambassadors also had to travel to conduct in-store events, which did
not contribute to the aforementioned hourly range. A Brand Ambassador noted that 9 hours are
devoted if there is an event that week and 5 hours during weeks without an event.
Responsibilities reflected the Brand Ambassadors’ perceived structure of the program. About
half of the Brand Ambassadors deemed their programs well-structured in terms of expectations,
assignments and communication. Brand Ambassadors that expressed their programs’ structure
could have been better offered suggestions for improvement. One Brand Ambassador would

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have preferred more guidance relating to reaching out to organizations. Another Brand
Ambassador stated that the poor communication on the part of the brand hindered productivity
and efficiency. As such, reliable communication is necessary.
Assignments
Events were the most popular type of assignment. Events consisted of sampling or distributing
products, talking to clubs and organizations on campus, sponsoring events and partnering with
other Brand Ambassadors.
Talking to Isenberg School of Management’s Marketing Club came up a few times in
conversation, which seems appropriate because a Brand Ambassador position has marketing
roots. Additionally, the Coca-Cola and Campus Pursuits Brand Ambassador partnered with the
University of Massachusetts Amherst’s University Programming Council (UPC), which hosts a
number of events for students throughout the academic year. Sponsoring events already
scheduled and hosted by other people or organizations was also mentioned. The Udi’s and
Glutino Brand Ambassador hosted a healthy living conference a few years back. The KIND
Healthy Snacks Brand Ambassador sponsored 5K races and yoga events in the past because of
the fitness tie with nutrition. The Victoria’s Secret PINK Brand Ambassador was required to
host specific events, such as an event for “Welcome Week,” a group fitness-related event and
store events (e.g., event at Victoria’s Secret PINK store in the Holyoke Mall). In general, the
Brand Ambassadors have found success in hosting or sponsoring events that have similarities
to the brand they are representing (e.g., KIND Healthy Snacks and healthy living events).
The Brand Ambassador for Campus Pursuits discussed a treasure hunting activity as one of his
favorite aspects of the program. He utilized the Campus Pursuits app to execute a treasure hunt
on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Snapchat videos were used to hint at
products that were hidden on campus.
Brand Ambassadors that have collaborated for events seem to find such events effective. The
KIND Healthy Snacks Brand Ambassador has partnered with Brand Ambassadors from Coca-
Cola, Glutino, Udi’s and Zipcar in the past. One of the Zipcar Brand Ambassadors reflected on
his event experience: “As far as the partnership goes, kind of throwing two completely different
things at someone at once, which are both unique and interesting and captures their interest
brings them over.”

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Favorite Aspects of the Programs
The Udi’s and Glutino Brand Ambassador discussed how people that are fairly unexposed to
gluten-free foods are not fully aware of the product; this is addressed by having to “teach them
and the image around it.” The KIND Healthy Snacks Brand Ambassador valued her brand’s
corporate social responsibility efforts, such as doing “kind acts.” Further, it is important to be
motivated by something other than simply the product. Other Brand Ambassadors mentioned
the free products, especially those that fulfilled needs (e.g., credit card holder on phone case and
pens), and having a marketing budget. The marketing budget was useful for hosting events,
such as a pizza party when products were not provided.
Free products, incentives and pay were the most commonly favored perks of the position. A
Brand Ambassador mentioned how the company tried to make its Brand Ambassadors truly
feel apart of the brand, so branded business cards were created for them.
Improvements to the Programs
A Brand Ambassador expressed that having another person to work with and represent the
brand would have been beneficial. In the future, marketing events more to notify people would
be helpful. The Zipcar Brand Ambassadors stated that having to achieve their weekly goals
without an event supplementing them was unrealistic; they stated that the goals are effective
when there are events that week, but not without an event.
Brand Ambassadors were asked to explain how the program can successfully attract future
students to fulfill the roles. Most responded that a paid position would be the most attractive
aspect. Additionally, having a detailed understanding of the role and its relevance to future
career goals would also be intriguing.
Effectiveness of Brand Ambassador Programs
The general consensus was that Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool.
The RUNA Tea Brand Ambassador discussed how the program generates more brand
awareness, as someone sampled the product at an event and said, “I had no idea what it was”
before the event. A handful of Brand Ambassadors stated that generating additional brand
awareness works more effectively for smaller rather than larger companies. For example, the
Coca-Cola Brand Ambassador noted that “Coca-Cola is trying to build more customer value,”
as it already has strong brand awareness. The Victoria’s Secret PINK Brand Ambassador
discussed how the program is effective in that the brand heavily listens to its Brand

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Ambassadors; the brand asked questions and surveyed its Brand Ambassadors and then
implemented such feedback in future social media posts (e.g., on Instagram).
Recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines
Lastly, Brand Ambassadors were asked to formulate recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines
should it implement a Brand Ambassador program. Coupons, student discounts and free rides
were all recommended. Furthermore, a loyalty program was recommended, which some of
these incentives can fall into. Another Brand Ambassador mentioned listening to customers and
distributing surveys to understand the experiences. Finally, a partnership with groups or events
for their transportation needs was recommended.
Key Takeaways
● Brand Ambassadors believe that these programs increase brand awareness and sales
● Resume building experience, a salaried position, and flexible hours are the main
factors that encourage students to apply to Brand Ambassador programs
● The main assignments these students have are distributing product, speaking to
campus organizations, sponsoring events, and partnering with other brand
ambassadors
● Brand Ambassador programs can also be used as a channel for surveys and pre-tests

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Millennial Traveler Focus Group Findings
General Intercity Travel Experiences
The intercity travel companies that are top-of-mind for these participants are Peter Pan Bus
Lines, Greyhound, Amtrak and Megabus. They believe these companies are top-of-mind due to
word of mouth reviews from friends and family, seeing the buses on campus and on the road
and having these companies show up first on a Google search. Participants do not seek out
formal reviews of transportation companies and are generally just trying to find the cheapest
option. However, participants stated they would pay more if the cheapest option had
particularly poor amenities or a bad safety record.
Parents are not typically involved in the payment of trips or the selection of a mode of
transportation. Parents, if anything, may encourage taking transportation modes with
convenient pick-up locations and discourage taking a mode of transportation with a
particularly poor safety record.
The most popular mode of intercity transportation for focus group participants was a personal
vehicle. It is important to note that these participants were mostly upperclassmen and noted
that they previously took buses more often when they did not have cars on campus their first
two years. However, when these participants do take another mode of transportation, it is
usually Peter Pan Bus Lines. Other companies used include Megabus and Amtrak.
Participants typically select trains over buses because they believe trains offer a “smoother ride”
and additional legroom. They also view trains as being a faster mode of transportation that
“doesn’t hit traffic.” Trains were also deemed more reliable in terms of arrival and departure
times. Additionally, participants noted that trains seem to not elicit nausea or motion sickness,
as many buses do, allowing for greater comfort and an easier work environment for the
duration of the trip. Some participants noted that the Penn Station train stop in New York City
was a much better location than where the buses drop riders. There also seems to be an
association with buses and “horrible Wi-Fi,” and a bus trip takes more time than the same trip
via a personal vehicle or train. However, there seems to be some hesitation with the price of a
train. Some participants said that they would only take a train if someone else were paying for
it, such as a parent or employer.

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Participants seem to select buses over trains because of the convenient pick-up and drop-off
locations on campus and in many cities. As previously stated, these participants find buses to be
the cheapest option, after a personal vehicle; therefore, they are more inclined to use buses.
How Millennials Interact with Travel Companies on Social Media
Participants are generally hesitant to follow and engage with travel or intercity transportation
companies on social media. Specifically for Facebook, there was division between having no
desire to follow such companies and only following companies if they provided discounts and
coupons through this channel. Participants do not typically use Twitter and would only look at
or follow such companies if they are looking for more information about a service delay.
Additionally, participants said they would not follow travel or intercity transportation
companies on Instagram. For Snapchat, opinions were divided between (1) a desire to follow
such companies out of curiosity or “if it was something funny like interviewing customers
onboard” and (2) a strong adherence to not following any companies on this medium.
Participants were divided in opinion when asked what kind of deals they would like to see on
social media. Preferences varied between deals specifically geared to University of
Massachusetts Amherst students, deals geared to the general populace (because of impending
graduation dates) and deals focusing on the trip instead of demographics. Participants are only
seeking scheduling updates concerning routes that they have a ticket for or would be likely to
take, such as a route from their campus. Participants suggested a text update or updates via a
specific “Peter Pan @ UMass” social media account. One participant said, “If anything, I would
like email updates from them...Like sending coupons.”
There was another difference in opinion regarding interest in social media contests from these
brands. Some said they would definitely not participate, while others said they would only
participate if there was a “high-value” prize. Some participants suggested that being entered to
win a prize for taking a survey may be a more effective method of engagement. All participants
agreed that they would not find any value in posts from the road, a practice that Amtrak uses.
Most participants were only concerned with posts about amenities and routes if these amenities
were new and particularly unique. Emphasizing USB ports, electrical outlets and Wi-Fi are
fairly standard at this point and unnecessary to highlight. There was interest in such posts
acknowledging a new or unique route.

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No particularly strong feelings were reported about engagement with posts about Peter Pan Bus
Lines’ community service involvement.
Feelings Toward and Associations with Peter Pan Bus Lines
Participants had both positive and negative associations with Peter Pan Bus Lines. For example,
some thought that Peter Pan Bus Lines is convenient, comfortable and “better than Megabus.”
Particularly, one participant said, “I’ve used a bunch of buses all over the country, and Peter
Pan is definitely a bit more roomy than others, and it has good amenities.” Others noted that
Peter Pan Bus Lines is local. Contrarily, some participants viewed the company’s buses as
uncomfortable, cramped and overpriced. Some said they have had multiple experiences when
the company has oversold buses, causing cramped conditions and delays. Delays in general and
flat tires were also common complaints.
The best aspects of participants’ recent experiences with Peter Pan Bus Lines were the
convenience of the pick-up and drop-off locations, the buses appeared newer and the Wi-Fi was
better than expected. However, the Wi-Fi service disconnected a few times. The worst parts of
participants’ recent experiences with the company’s buses were the delays, increased prices and
smell from the bathroom.
Loyalty Program Commitments
These participants joined loyalty or rewards programs for the following reasons: already a
frequent shopper of the company, wanted to save money or the program provided status, deals
or discounts after certain amount of purchases.
Participants belonged to such loyalty or rewards programs as Starbucks, Big Y, CVS ExtraCare,
JetBlue’s TrueBlue, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, Marriott, Antonio’s, Subway and Sephora. Some of
their favorite programs were Big Y and CVS ExtraCare for the significant daily savings.
Cumberland Farms’ program was also cited as a favorite because it provides daily discounts
and occasional free and discounted products just for being a member. Other participants most
liked Starbucks because of the deals, status and free birthday drink; Sephora’s program was
appreciated for its free birthday gift as well. One participant’s favorite loyalty or rewards
program was Subway’s because “it gives you the points, but multiple options for what you
want to spend those points on. So if you want to keep saving up for a foot-long instead of a 6-
inch.”

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Recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines
Recommendations for Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty or rewards program included providing
discounts for every trip, using a digital punch card to redeem a free trip after a certain number
of purchases or tracking miles traveled for use towards a free or discounted ticket. One
participant suggested a system of increasing discounts where “the first ride is 100% [of total
ticket cost] and then 99%. So, the more you go, the more discounts you get. And it may reset
after a month or so or after a year.” Another participant suggested paying a small fee
(maximum about $20) to be part of a student program where travelers get 30-40% discounted
rides all year: “I would totally pay for a card that gave me an ID [code] that gave me discounted
rides...Like $5 off every ride, and overall, rides for participants would be discounted because I
pay for the student rider card. I would totally use it.” She and another participant confirmed
that such a system was popular in the United Kingdom.
Key Takeaways
● Participants stated that they learned of modes of intercity travel through word of
mouth, from family and friends, as well as from online searches
● Participants said they would choose trains over buses due to smother rides, less traffic
and higher levels of reliability. However the price of train tickets was an issue with
participants stating they would only travel by train if someone else paid for the ticket
● Participants did not like the idea of following brands on any form of social media and
would only do so to learn about special discounts and possible travel alerts.
Furthermore they stated that they would prefer to receive information about discounts
and travel alerts direct via email or text message instead of through social media
● Peter Pan Bus Lines was viewed as convenient (having easily accessible pick-up and
drop-off locations) and comfortable but also as overselling buses and having lengthy
delays
● Participants liked the idea of a Loyalty Rewards Program and suggested having a
special program dedicated solely to university students

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College Student Interview Findings
Student Travel Behaviors and Preferences
Data gathered from the interviews suggest that most students (75%) learn about travel
companies from word of mouth, mostly from friends and family. The other two most common
ways respondents learned about travel companies was through the Internet, whether it be a
Google search or travel website (e.g., SkyScanner, Rome2Rio), or seeing a certain brand of buses
on the road or on campus. Approximately 40% of respondents used these two methods.
The most important factor of intercity transportation for students, based on this questionnaire,
is price, with two-thirds of respondents listing it as one of their most important influences.
Another common influence among about 40% of respondents was length of time to get to their
destination. One student said, “If I know that it’s going to take a much shorter time to get to one
place via one mode of transportation versus another, I will be more inclined to pay more for
that shorter mode of transport.” Convenience and drop-off and pick-up locations significantly
influenced the decisions of about 30% of respondents.
The most prevalent trip respondents took was from Boston to New York City and vice versa
(20%). About 50% of respondents traveled to or from Boston on their most recent trip. Almost
60% of the students interviewed made their most recent intercity trip via car, citing the
convenience, speed, comfort and low price of this mode of transportation. Trains were the
second most common mode of recent intercity transportation, used by about 17% of
respondents. These students stated they selected train travel because of the convenience, speed
and space they felt was inherent in this mode of transportation. Buses were also used by 17%
percent of students, about half of which had traveled with Peter Pan Bus Lines. These students
typically chose to take buses due to their comparatively low price.
Previous Bus and Train Experiences
One-third of respondents had not taken a bus in the past year. Most of the students were
upperclassmen, and many of them said they took buses frequently their freshman and
sophomore years. However, they rarely use buses now because they have cars on campus. Even
with this trend, about 46% of respondents took a bus 4-6 times within the last year. It is
important to note, however, that some of these students took these buses while studying
abroad.

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About 83% of interviewed students used Peter Pan Bus Lines at some point in their lives. These
students most appreciated the convenience of Peter Pan Bus Lines and its pick-up and drop-off
locations. Specifically, some students found that this bus was the only way to get on and off
campus. The least liked aspect of traveling with Peter Pan Bus Lines was the unreliable Wi-Fi
services (30%). Following poor Wi-Fi, the most common complaint was the stuffiness and
overcrowding of the buses, cited by about 21% of respondents. Another 17% of students stated
that the indirect routes and long travel times were the least enjoyable factors of traveling with
Peter Pan Bus Lines.
The highest percentage of respondents, at 29%, traveled by train 6 or more times in the past
year. Again, this data comes from a population of mostly upperclassmen, many of whom had
studied abroad within the last year. In contrast, the second most common number of train trips
within the last year among respondents (25%) was zero.
About 46% of students who traveled by train at some point in the past had most appreciated the
speed of this transportation mode. Another 29% of respondents felt that convenience or ease of
travel was the best aspect of train travel. Approximately 25% of students believed the level of
comfort, in particular the ability to sleep during the trip and the feeling of not being too
crowded, was the most enjoyable aspect of traveling by train. About 25% of respondents said
that they did not have any complaints in regards to what they liked least about train travel; they
were completely satisfied. However, another 25% of respondents reported high prices as their
biggest complaint about traveling by trains.
Loyalty or Rewards Program Commitments
The most common reason why students joined loyalty or rewards programs was that the
student was already a frequent shopper and regularly spent money on a particular good or
service. The second most popular response was the personalized deals, rewards and free
products provided by the loyalty or rewards program. Close behind was a desire to save
money.
The most popular loyalty or rewards program among respondents was Starbucks, with about
42% of respondents belonging to the program. Big Y and CVS tied for the second most popular
loyalty or rewards program with slightly more than 37% of respondents belonging to each.
About 30% of students said that Starbucks was their favorite loyalty or rewards program,
making it the most commonly selected favorite among this group. The second favorite among

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respondents was a tie between Big Y and CVS, with 12.5% selecting each. However, another
12.5% of respondents said that they are “not big into loyalty programs” and were unable to
select a favorite. The top reason why 46% of students selected a particular loyalty or rewards
program as their favorite was that it helped save money on products or services they were
going to purchase anyway. Approximately 29% of respondents also appreciated seeing savings
on each trip and over the course of the year while being part of these loyalty or rewards
programs. The third most common reason was that the program provided discounts or free
product after purchasing a certain amount, cited by 25% of respondents.
Key Takeaways
● A majority (75%) of students discover intercity travel modes through word of mouth
from friends and family
● Respondents listed price as the most important factor when determining a mode of
intercity travel
● About 83% of respondents have used Peter Pan Bus Lines at some point in their life;
they enjoyed the convenience of Peter Pan Bus Lines, but they disliked the crowded
nature of the bus and the poor Wi-Fi
● About 25% of respondents stated that they believed train prices were too high
● The majority of respondents who participate in loyalty or rewards programs do so as a
means to help save money on products or services they already use or plan on buying

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South Station Interview Findings
Peter Pan Bus Lines Experience
Half of the ten respondents have used Peter Pan Bus Lines. Those who took Peter Pan Bus Lines
were then asked what they liked most about the experience and what could have been better.
Aspects riders liked most about the experience include quickness, amenities and arrival at
destination on time. One respondent noted that she liked a particular destination because she
lives in the middle of nowhere and Peter Pan Bus Lines took her there. Respondents were then
asked about areas for improvement. Two interviewees responded about the amenities; one
wished the Wi-Fi worked better, and the second would have liked a television or entertainment
on the bus. Another respondent felt that there were too many transfers, and he once
experienced a bus breaking down. The last respondent stated that there were too many stops,
and the experience would have been better with fewer stops.
Preference of Bus or Train
Respondents were then asked if they typically prefer to travel by bus or train; 3 respondents
preferred to travel by bus, while 7 respondents preferred to travel by train. Next, the team asked
respondents to explain their preference. Two respondents explained that buses being cheaper
than trains influenced their preference. Another respondent stated a preference for bus travel
because it is comfortable, and he likes the bus driver and the feeling of driving. Rail travelers
listed a number of reasons for their preference, varying from the experience to perceptions. Four
respondents alluded to speed and time of travel as factors: 2 respondents said it was faster than
bus travel, 1 respondent said that rail travel has no traffic and the last respondent stated that
trains stop less frequently than buses. Two respondents recognized safety. Other factors
influencing this preference include more space, legroom, comfort, availability and times of
travel. Respondents also reported that trains are cleaner, easier and have more stable Wi-Fi than
buses. Interestingly, 1 respondent said that the preference of train over bus results in his lack of
personal knowledge of buses.
Persuasion to Take Bus Over Train
The 7 respondents who preferred to travel by train were then asked what would persuade them
to travel by bus instead. Five respondents noted that price (i.e., buses being a cheaper
alternative to trains) would persuade them to take a bus over a train in the future. Additionally,
2 respondents stated convenience, specifically better pick-up and drop-off locations and times.

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The final respondent stated that she would travel by bus instead if she knew there were train
delays.
Key Takeaways
● Peter Pan Bus Lines riders who were interviewed most appreciated the service’s
speed, amenities, and prompt arrival at the destination
● These same Peter Pan Bus Lines riders felt that the Wi-Fi could be improved and that
there were too many transfers and stops
● Travelers who prefer bus travel to train travel do so due to the lower price, comfort,
and feeling of driving
● Travelers who prefer train travel do so due to the speed of travel, comfort, safety, and
more stable Wi-Fi
● Train travelers said they could be persuaded to take a bus if it was the cheaper and
more convenient mode of transportation

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Qualtrics Questionnaire Findings
Background Information
The online questionnaire created and distributed by the team received 193 responses. However,
only 108 respondents finished the questionnaire in its entirety. These respondents were all
college-aged individuals and included students from every year. Seniors were the most
represented year, making up 71.03% of respondents, followed by Juniors (11.21% of
respondents) and Sophomores (10.28% of respondents). The least represented group was
Freshmen who only made up 7.48% of respondents. The respondents represented a large
number of universities, including many that Peter Pan Bus Lines pointed out as high-priority
targets. These schools are:
Acadia University
Boston College
Boston University
Bryant University
Clemson University
Cornell University
Emerson College
Harvard University
Hofstra University
Keene State College
Lesley University
Messiah College
Northeastern University
Rice University
Seton Hall University
Trent University
University of Massachusetts Amherst (50.93% of respondents attend University of Massachusetts
Amherst)
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of New Hampshire

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Intercity Travel Information
Frequency of Travel
The team asked respondents how often they participate in intercity travel to gain a general
understanding of how often students, on average, travel each year. Approximately 24% of
respondents had taken no round-trip journeys, while 25.93% of respondents took 1-2 round-trip
journeys and 17.59% took 3-5 round-trips. The largest percentage of responses was for more
than 5 round-trip journeys each year, with 32.41% of respondents choosing this option.
Respondents were provided with a list of options and were asked to choose all options that
coincided with their personal travel days to understand when students actually travel. The most
commonly selected options were school breaks that are usually a week or longer, including
Thanksgiving Break (50.00% of respondents), Spring Break (44.44%) and Winter Break (42.22%).
The next most common options were Move-in Day (30%) followed by Move-out Day (27.78%).
The final group was smaller holidays, which were generally those on long weekends. These
holidays included Columbus Day (25.56%), Veteran’s Day (13.33%), Halloween (8.89%),
President’s Day (5.56%) and Patriot's Day (5.56%). About 53% of respondents also selected the
“Other” option, which prompted a written response. The majority of these responses included
responses, such as “Visiting Friends,” “Weekend Trips Home” and “Fall Break,” which is not
practiced by all universities.
Respondents were then asked how far in advance they plan their trips and were provided with
four options: “under a week,” “1 week-2 weeks,” “2 weeks-3 weeks” and “over a month.” The
most common option was “1 week-2 weeks” in advance (37.62% of respondents). The next most
selected options were “under a week” (28.71%) and “2 weeks-3 weeks” (28.71%). “Over a
month” was the least common option (4.59%). A calendar depicting when students travel and
how far in advance they plan can be found on the following page in Figure 1.6.

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Student Travel Calendar
Figure 1.6 This calendar depicts key travel days as reported by students and when they make
travel plans in preparation for these travel days.
Features and Amenities
The team asked students to rank two groups of data from most to least important to better
understand their desires when traveling. The first group addressed which features students
wanted most from a mode of intercity travel. This included “drop-off/pick-up locations,”
“direct routes,” “departing and arriving on time,” “safety,” “comfort,” “amenities (e.g., Wi-Fi),”
“speed of travel,” and “value” (what the student felt they were receiving in relation to how
much they paid).

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The results from the first group illustrated what most mattered to students when traveling. The
most important features, based on features chosen as a top-three amenity, were “drop-off/pick-
up locations” (60.75%), “speed of travel” (49.54%) and “direct routes” (49.53%). “Departing and
arriving time” and “value” also proved important as they were listed in the top-three section for
48.6% and 46.73% of respondents, respectively. Contrarily, “safety”, “comfort” and “amenities”
proved less important, as respondents only listed them as one of their top-three important
features at a rate of 24.3%, 14.95% and 5.6% respectively. Furthermore, “amenities” was listed as
the least important feature to students 50.47% of the time.
The second group of data was designed to weigh what amenities students found most
important when traveling. This question focused on the following amenities: “on-board
bathrooms,” “reclining seats,” “Wi-Fi,” “power outlets,” “USB ports,” “easy access to baggage
during tip,” “seat belts,” “food/beverage service,” “legroom” and “personal temperature
control.” These amenities were chosen due to their prevalence on most modes of intercity travel.
Students were then asked to rank these amenities in terms of personal importance.
The top-three amenities were “power outlets,” which was listed as a top-three amenity by
63.81% of students, followed by “on-board bathrooms,” which was listed as a top-three amenity
58.09% of the time and “Wi-Fi,” which was listed as a top-three amenity 52.38% of the time.
“Legroom” and “reclining seats” were ranked as less important. However, they are still
relevant, being listed as the top-three amenities 44.76% and 27.26% of the time, respectively.
“Seat belts” and “USB outlets” proved to be less important to students and were listed in the
bottom half of the table 69.53% and 66.68% of the time respectively. The least important features
were “access to baggage,” which was listed in the bottom half of the table for 73.33% of
respondents, “personal temperature control,” which was listed in the bottom half 84.22% of the
time and “food/beverage service,” which was listed in the bottom half of the table for 92.37%
respondents.
Modes of Intercity Travel
Students were asked to rank “cars,” “buses” and “trains” from most favorable to least favorable
mode of transportation to better understand overall opinions towards modes of intercity travel.
Results showed that “cars” was the most favorable option, ranking number one 72.28% of the
time. This question also showed that “buses” are viewed more favorably to “trains” in the eyes
of the respondents, though not by much. “Buses” was listed as the most favorable form of
intercity travel 14.85%. In contrast, “trains” was listed first by only 12.87% of respondents.

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Furthermore, “buses” was listed as the second most preferred mode of transportation 41.58% of
the time. In comparison, ”trains” was only chosen as the second most favorable by 40.59% of
respondents.
This information indicates buses as the more preferred mode of transportation when cars are
unavailable. Trends illustrate that Millennials are using cars less often, and underclassmen at
some universities are not permitted to have cars on campus. This provides Peter Pan Bus Lines
the opportunity to capitalize on a market that prefers bus travel and does not have easy access
to cars.
Competing Bus Companies
The team worked to determine which buses students were actually riding after understanding
how students travel. As such, the questionnaire listed a variety of companies, including “Peter
Pan Bus Lines,” “Megabus,” “BoltBus,” “Greyhound,” “Adirondack Trailways,” “Jefferson
Lines,” “Red Coach,” “N/A have not taken a bus in 2016” and “other”. The results were
favorable to Peter Pan Bus Lines, which had been taken by 29.01% of respondents. Peter Pan
Bus Lines was followed by competitors “Greyhound” and “MegaBus,” which were used by
16.03% and 10.69% of respondents, respectively.
This question indicated a relative lack of smaller competition. “BoltBus” and “Adirondack
Trailways” were the only other companies logging a response with 3% and 0.98% of
respondents selecting it. As such, the company should continue focusing on differentiating itself
from larger competition, such as Greyhound and Megabus. Additionally, the chart on the
following page (Figure 1.7) shows that 25.19% of respondents have not taken a bus at all in 2016,
which further signifies that there is room for Peter Pan Bus Lines to expand in this market.

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Figure 1.7 Bus Companies Used in 2016 by College Students
Bus Presence
The team believed that the presence of buses on campus could influence student usage of buses.
As a result, the next set of questions was formulated to determine if students were aware of
buses that stopped on their campus. The data collected from this question showed that
individuals generally knew if a bus stop was located on their campus. All respondents from the
University of Massachusetts Amherst were aware that Peter Pan Bus Lines had a bus stop at
Haggis Mall on campus. In addition, 62.26% of students who do not attend the University of
Massachusetts Amherst said they were aware of a bus stop that was either on or close to their
campus. The next question on this topic was designed to determine if having a stop on campus

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would make riding the bus a more favorable option, and 62.26% of respondents answered that
it would make bus travel more favorable to other forms of intercity travel. This further signifies
the importance of pick-up locations, rated as a top-three feature by 60.75% of respondents.
Loyalty or Rewards Program Information
Student Use of Loyalty or Rewards Programs
The team sought to understand how many college students use loyalty or rewards programs.
This information was gathered by asking respondents if they were currently members of any
loyalty or rewards program. About 76% of respondents indicated they were not a part of a
loyalty or rewards program, and 22.22 % of respondents indicated they were.
Next, the goal was to determine why students join loyalty or rewards programs. The first
question for this purpose asked students to list the main reasons that they join a loyalty or
rewards program by selecting any of the following five options: “saving money,” “already a
frequent shopper,” “personalized deals and rewards,” “status (e.g., Starbucks Gold Status
Member)” and “other”. Approximately 87% of respondents checked “saving money” as a main
reason for joining a loyalty or rewards programs, and 83.33% checked “already a frequent
shopper” as a reason. These were followed by “personalized deals and rewards” and “status
(e.g., Starbucks Gold Status Member),” which were chosen by 75.00% and 37.50% of
respondents, respectively. The “other” option was not chosen by any respondents, suggesting
that there were no additional reasons for joining a loyalty or rewards program.
The team also asked college students what loyalty or rewards programs they are currently
members of to gain greater insight into what programs research should focus on. The team
provided a list of the highest rated loyalty or rewards programs found through preliminary
research. This list included “Starbucks,” “TrueBlue by JetBlue,” “Sephora,” “CVS ExtraCare,”
“Walgreens,” “Best Buy,” “L.L. Bean,” “Nordstrom,” “Amtrak Guest Rewards” and “Other.”
“Starbucks” and “CVS ExtraCare” were the most used programs with 66.67% and 62.50% of
respondents checking them off, respectively. These were followed by “Sephora” with 37.50%,
“Walgreens” and “TrueBlue by JetBlue,” both with 20.83%, and “Nordstrom” and “Amtrak
Guest Rewards” each used by 12.50% of respondents. “Best Buy” and “L.L. Bean” were the least
used with only 8.33% of respondents. The “other” category, in which 37.50% of respondent
selected, did not have consistent answers. This information helped guide the team in

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researching successful loyalty or rewards programs and can help determine how Peter Pan Bus
Lines can implement these strategies.
Key Takeaways
● The questionnaire received 108 responses from 20 different universities
● The highest percentage of respondents take 5 or more round trips per year and are
most likely to travel on Thanksgiving or for the purpose of visiting family and friends
● Students tend to plan and book trips one to two weeks in advance
● The most important features of intercity travel for this demographic are the
convenience of pick-up and drop-off locations, speed of travel, and direct routes
● The most important amenities of intercity travel for this demographic are power
outlets, on-board bathrooms and Wi-Fi
● Students’ top mode of transportation is cars, followed by buses and then trains
● Most students take Peter Pan Bus Lines, followed by Greyhound, Megabus and
BoltBus
● About 22% of students are members of loyalty programs and joined to save money,
receive personalized deals and rewards and because they were already buying a lot
from the company anyway

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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Brand Ambassador Recommendation
The team recommends that Peter Pan Bus Lines implement a Brand Ambassador program to
encourage increased ridership, especially among college students. College students make up a
large portion of the company’s customer base. The team sees an opportunity for Peter Pan Bus
Lines to garner additional college student riders by executing a Brand Ambassador program.
This recommendation is designed to outline an ideal Brand Ambassador program based on data
gathered from the Brand Ambassador focus groups and expert interviews.
Overview of Program
The program would aim to have Brand Ambassadors encourage underclassmen college
students to use Peter Pan Bus Lines for their travel needs. One Brand Ambassador can represent
each university, which are mentioned in the following section. The program would align with
the academic year for students and consist of a variety of assignments from crafting social
media postings to hosting events on campus. Brand Ambassadors would be required to attend a
training prior to the program’s launch and communicate regularly with Peter Pan Bus Lines’
marketing team.
Universities Involved
Peter Pan Bus Lines currently targets the following key universities, which is why they are
recommended to be represented in the Brand Ambassador program:
Boston College
Boston University
Bryant University
Dartmouth College
Hampshire College
Harvard University
Providence College
Roger Williams University
Smith College
Springfield College
University of Connecticut
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Western New England University

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The company can leverage students at the aforementioned universities to acquire more student
riders, although Peter Pan Bus Lines already has a presence at these universities.
Method of Obtaining Brand Ambassadors
Students can be introduced to the Brand Ambassador position via a number of routes. Peter Pan
Bus Lines can post the position description and application information on job search engines,
such as LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed and Glassdoor. The company can also leverage social media
(e.g., Instagram or Facebook) to advertise the position, as a few Brand Ambassadors mentioned
seeing such advertisements on these platforms. Peter Pan Bus Lines can also actively seek out
and recruit students through LinkedIn, since one Brand Ambassador stated that he was
recruited for two programs via this medium.
Structure of Program
It is important to provide a clear, detailed structure of the Brand Ambassador programs. The
following areas provide a glimpse of the most prevalent and successful structure based on
interviews with Brand Ambassadors:
Duration
The team recommends an academic year-long program to coincide with students’ time at the
university, as this was addressed frequently in the focus groups.
Participant Benefits
Most Brand Ambassadors felt that money was an important benefit; they felt that pay was a
successful motivator in accomplishing the program’s tasks. Brand Ambassadors without pay
were disappointed to hear that others were paid for their work. Similarly, Brand Ambassadors
appreciated the free products and incentives. Most Brand Ambassadors sought out the
opportunity for experience and resume-building purposes. The position can help students focus
on a particular career path; the opportunity allows students to understand what they want to do
in the future.
Additionally, Brand Ambassadors valued that the programs typically involve interacting with
people often and getting on their feet. Lastly, flexibility was a major component. Those that
mentioned flexibility wanted to ensure that the program would complement, but not take away
from, their academic responsibilities.

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Participant benefits in the Brand Ambassador program description should be clear and detailed,
so the participants would fully understand the program’s offerings. It is recommended that
Peter Pan Bus Lines pay Brand Ambassadors, include incentives and free products and stress
the importance of flexibility in the job description.
Participant Responsibilities
Brand Ambassadors reflected on their time commitment to the brand, ranging 1 to 15 hours per
week. The weekly time commitment depends on the types of assignments. For example, weeks
with events would require more time than weeks spent crafting a social media post. Some
Brand Ambassadors are required to submit monthly reports regarding how they performed
with data to the representative. The reporting varied by brand. A few methods include
PowerPoint presentations and sending pictures. Additionally, numerous Brand Ambassadors
attended a training before their work began.
Participants should be responsible for committing a certain number of hours per week,
depending on the type of assignment. The team learned that the most effective Brand
Ambassador programs required students to work an average of 5 hours per week and up to 9
hours when an event was scheduled. Additionally, monthly recaps in the form of a PowerPoint
or Google document would be useful. Recaps would include what was accomplished that
month, pictures and any new statistics.
Communication
Adequate communication between the Brand Ambassador and the company is crucial. Most
Brand Ambassadors communicated with a designated representative from the company, which
appeared to work well. Brand Ambassadors reported communicating by phone, email, online
communities, Facebook messenger or specialized app. Communication frequency depended on
the structure of the program. Brand Ambassadors that had clear assignments to execute would
communicate often with the representative--sometimes daily. Contrarily, poorly structured
programs resulted in little communication (i.e., once a month) or none at all. Most others
communicated weekly or biweekly, which most reported was the best frequency. Some Brand
Ambassadors also had a weekly or monthly conference call scheduled with all the Brand
Ambassadors in the program, which was deemed effective. Communicating with other Brand
Ambassadors in the program was useful to understand what events they are planning and what
is--and is not--working them. Brand Ambassadors reported that they conversed with the

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representative of the brand on the following: questions that arise, feedback from completed
assignments and planning for upcoming assignments.
Brand Ambassadors should communicate with Peter Pan Bus Lines’ marketing team biweekly.
Monthly conference calls that include all Brand Ambassadors is recommended for idea
generating and advice.
Program Assignments
Peter Pan Bus Lines should provide its Brand Ambassadors with monthly goals and
assignments, providing greater structure. Some Brand Ambassadors from the focus groups
noted that it was sometimes difficult to meet goals (e.g., 5 pictures per week) when there was
not an event. Furthermore, it may be beneficial for Peter Pan Bus Lines to give smaller tasks
during quieter months instead of needing to meet the same goals each month. Peter Pan Bus
Lines’ Brand Ambassadors should have the following assignments during the program:
hosting or sponsoring events, posting on social media and talking to on-campus clubs and
organizations, such as Greek Life.
Potential Program Expansion
Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Brand Ambassador program could expand to include other universities
along the East coast, should the initial program be successful and result in the provision of
increased funding. Contrarily, Peter Pan Bus Lines could choose to represent the same key
universities, but the company could expand by adding more than one Brand Ambassador per
university. A few Brand Ambassadors had co-representatives, and felt that having multiple
representatives per university proved beneficial.

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Key Takeaways
● The team recommends that Peter Pan Bus Lines implements a Brand Ambassador
program to increase its college student riders base
● Brand Ambassadors are generally deemed a successful marketing team, generating
more brand awareness
● The Brand Ambassador program would target Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current key
university targets, being Boston College, Boston University, Bryant University,
Dartmouth College, Hampshire College, Harvard University, Providence College,
Roger Williams University, Smith College, Springfield College, University of
Connecticut, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Western New England
University
● For the beginning of the program, one Brand Ambassador can represent each
university previously listed with the hopes of expanded in the future to two Brand
Ambassadors per university
● Assignments can consist of social media postings, hosting and sponsoring events and
talking to on-campus clubs and organizations (e.g., Greek Life)
● Brand Ambassadors would communicate biweekly with Peter Pan Bus Lines’
marketing team, attend a training before the program officially launches and represent
the brand during their universities’ respective academic calendar year

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Social Media Recommendation
Social media has become an increasingly important form of communication and cannot be
ignored by businesses as a means for reaching out to new and existing customers. Data from the
2016 UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper report shows that 34% of individuals stated that social
media influenced their purchases, up from 25% in 2015. In addition, 39% of individuals follow
retailers on social media, up from 33% in 2015.
Peter Pan Bus Lines is currently heavily involved in social media with its Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Peter Pan Bus Lines’ largest following is from its Facebook
account with 8,571 followers, followed by Twitter with 8,378 followers and Instagram with 278
followers. The content varies based on platform, with Facebook and Twitter focusing mainly on
promoting deals, scheduling changes and more personal information, such as announcing new
hires. Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Instagram focuses mainly on location shots and suggested travel
locations. The company is also active on Snapchat, but gaining information on this platform is
difficult due to the nature of the app.
Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current social media activity can be improved to gain better traction with
the college market. Social media trends vary greatly between Millennials and older generations,
meaning different material is required to target each. The team’s focus groups with University
of Massachusetts Amherst students showed a general lack of interest in following
transportation brands on social media platforms. Students outlined limited and specific factors
that would encourage them to specifically follow Peter Pan Bus Lines. One student stated he
would only follow the company on Facebook if it provided him the chance to receive discounts.
Another student said he would probably only look at Peter Pan Bus Lines on Twitter in the
event of delays. Instagram and Snapchat proved to be even less attractive to students; some of
which question what the company would post on Instagram. The general consensus among the
group was that they would not consider following brands in general on Snapchat.
However, these findings do not necessarily indicate that Millennials are unreachable when they
are on social media, just that the content needs to be shifted to better fit their desires. A way in
which Peter Pan Bus Lines can shift its social media presence to better target the college market
would be to introduce university-specific Facebook and Twitter pages for target schools. These
pages would be run entirely by Brand Ambassadors and can be fine-tuned to give students
what they desire at their respective universities. These specialized pages were viewed positively
by the focus group participants due to the versatility they provided. The pages would provide

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the same type of content that can currently be found on Peter Pan Bus Lines’ Facebook and
Twitter pages, such as special offers and schedule changes. However, the information would be
filtered to only include information that was relevant to each university. This content would
include special deals, relevant route changes, news about on campus events and special content
to maintain the interest of students, which could include campus-wide trends and photos of
students. For example, The Peter Pan Bus Lines University of Massachusetts Amherst Facebook
page (see Figure 1.8 on the following page) would only have information about routes that
came through the university and Amherst. This would prevent students’ newsfeeds from being
overrun with irrelevant information.
This program is currently being successfully used by Victoria’s Secret PINK. One such example
is at the University of Arizona where the University of Arizona-specific PINK page has 2,996
followers and 3,015 likes (see Figure 1.9 below) Implementing this process will provide greater
reach in the college market, providing information that is catered specifically to the market that
will be receiving it.
Figure 1.9 University of Arizona-specific Victoria’s Secret PINK Facebook page

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Figure 1.8 University of Massachusetts Amherst-specific Peter Pan Bus Lines Facebook page
Peter Pan Bus Lines should adapt the way it interacts with individuals online, in addition to
creating university-specific pages to draw in the college market. Mintel reports show that the
user generated content is the most favorable type of content on social media. The team suggests
that Peter Pan Bus Lines implements a photo contest on Instagram in order to tap into this
market. These contests would run for about a month. This time period ensures sufficient time to
participate without losing consumer interest. However, photo contests produced mixed
reactions among focus group participants. Students said they would only participate if there
was a significant prize. Moreover, students were confused about how the contest would work,
expressing concern about the limited content that could be generated while on a bus. To
adequately address these concerns, the prize for such a contest could be a free round-trip
journey, which is a large enough prize to draw interest. The visual subjects of the contests could
be extended to destinations of Peter Pan Bus Lines trips to increase the content participants
could use.
One example of an Instagram photo contest could be held in the month of November, ending
the week before Thanksgiving. Peter Pan Bus Lines could send out promotions such as, “Take a
snapshot of your favorite Peter Pan Bus Lines destination with the caption
#GoingPlacesWithPPBL, and we'll bring you there for free!” Such contests can be extremely

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beneficial by increasing brand awareness through riders themselves while also rewarding
individuals who use Peter Pan Bus Lines’ services.
The current Peter Pan Bus Lines’ social media strategy provides information that people want to
hear in an easily accessible way. However, there is always opportunity to improve. Two such
possibilities would be to implement university-specific Facebook pages at major target schools
and user-generated content contests.
Key Takeaways
● Most students don't follow transportation brands on social media and would only do
so to receive discounts or learn about possible delays
● The creation of university-specific social media pages could increase interest among
college students in following Peter Pan Bus Lines and would provide them more
relevant information
● Respondents would only participate in a social media contest if the prize was
significant, mostly due to a lack of available on bus content available
● A photo contest regarding destinations and providing a free round trip journey could
generate interest as well as user generated content, which is more favorable amongst
consumers

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Student Discount Recommendation
A major issue for college-aged students when it comes to intercity travel is high prices. “Value”
(what they were receiving from a mode of travel compared to what they had paid) was listed by
46.73% of respondents as an important feature of intercity travel. Two-thirds of college students
interviewed listed price as the single most important feature when determining a mode of
travel. Additionally, several students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst focus
groups stated that they would generally avoid traveling by train due to the steep price of travel.
However, Peter Pan Bus Lines did not fare much better when students were asked about its
prices. Words, such as “Overpriced” and “Increased Prices” were used to describe recent trips
on Peter Pan Bus Lines. Peter Pan Bus Lines does not want these associations among consumers
when price has proven such an important factor of intercity travel. One way in which Peter Pan
Bus Lines can help shed this image is to decrease prices for students by expanding its current
student discount system.
Peter Pan Bus Lines currently offers a student discount to individuals who are enrolled in high
school or higher education, including college, university, community college, junior college, etc.
These discounts are only available for tickets bought in person at a Peter Pan Bus Lines terminal
or associated agencies. The ticket, in order to be eligible, must be purchased while school is in
session, the student must have a valid student ID and the discount may not be combined with
any other fares. Most students cannot benefit from this discount due to the restrictions in place
and a lack of promotion of this service. Peter Pan Bus Lines could reach more students and
increase ridership by digitalizing its current student discount.
Peter Pan Bus Lines recently introduced a new website and mobile app in a shift to digitalize its
company and could follow up these steps by digitizing its student discount system. Currently,
students are required to purchase a ticket at a Peter Pan Bus Lines terminal or associated agency
to qualify for this discount. However, this is proving ineffective as most tickets are now bought
through online portals from Peter Pan Bus Lines’ website or mobile app. Data from the 2016
UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper report show that Millennials make 54% of their purchases
online. Students are, therefore, missing out on the opportunity to save money and are
continuing to perceive prices as too expensive. The system would require the student to create
an account to qualify for the student discount on tickets. The student would log on to
PeterPanBus.com and buy a ticket, and a box in the ticket purchase page would read, “To qualify
for a student discount, create a Peter Pan Bus Lines account with you student email.” This would
prompt the student to create an account with his or her student email address (e.g.,

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johndoe@umass.edu). The discount would be added to the final price before checkout after the
account is created. The student would still be required to show a valid student ID upon arrival
at the bus terminal to prove that he or she does qualify for the discount. This policy is currently
in place now and would remain with the same punishment for those who are not eligible.
Concerns about abuse of this program by individuals who may no longer be an active student
trying to pass as a student can be prevented in several different manners. Firstly, Peter Pan Bus
Lines should continue the process of requiring a valid student ID for any individual attempting
to use a student discounted ticket. However, this is not a means of preventing 100% of
individuals attempting to pass as a student for such discounted tickets. Further information
about combating this scheme can be found by looking at companies with student discount
service in place, such as Spotify. Spotify offers a special $5 rate for its premium service to
students currently enrolled in any form of higher education. Spotify uses a company called
SheerID to ensure all those who sign up for the program are indeed students. SheerID uses the
same database used by the government to determine eligibility for financial aid and verifies
students in a fraction of a second. This software can be implemented into Peter Pan Bus Lines’
current website, making it impossible for individuals to be aware of their review. SheerID’s
success can be seen at a number of companies, including Spotify, Amazon, T-Mobile and
Tommy Hilfiger.
This system would be beneficial to both students looking to save money and to Peter Pan Bus
Lines. The company outlined a lack of emails and personal data as a major issue following the
termination of the pool agreement with Greyhound. Requiring a student to create a Peter Pan
Bus Lines account with a university email address would allow the company to gain access to a
wealth of data, which previously would have been funneled to Greyhound. Furthermore, Peter
Pan Bus Lines would be able to use its student discount as a means of promoting itself as a
cheaper alternative to rail service, which is already associated with high prices.
Not only will this practice encourage increased ridership among college students, but could
increase overall ridership overtime. Students who found inexpensive tickets through Peter Pan
Bus Lines during their college career may be more inclined to use the company’s services after
they have graduated as well. For example, Spotify did not see a spike in revenue through its use
of a student fee, but has found potential in creating life-long users who will eventually turn into
full-paying members in the future.

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Additionally, the company could combat this overpriced perception by creating an annual, one-
day Back-to-School Sale on Labor Day during which college students get 30% off any tickets
they buy. Students would also get 35% added to any credit they put towards their online
account. Under this example, if a student put a $100 credit on his or her online account, Peter
Pan Bus Lines would provide him or her an additional $35 for future trips. Having the sale on
Labor Day would provide ample time to ensure that incoming Freshmen learn about Peter Pan
Bus Lines and the sale. The company can promote this one-day sale through social media posts,
through Brand Ambassadors and tabling at Freshmen and Welcome Back Events. This would
encourage Freshmen to start using Peter Pan Bus Lines immediately and incite repeat
customers.
Key Takeaways
● Price and value are important factors for students when determining a mode of
intercity travel
● Peter Pan Bus Lines’ current student discount system requires that tickets are bought
in person with a student ID
● Expanding the student discount to include online tickets would increase its
effectiveness, as Millennials make 54% of their purchases online
● Requiring a student email to use discount would increase the amount of emails and
travel data to which Peter Pan Bus Lines has access
● Offering a special Back-to-School sale would provide a positive first impression for
students on a high travel weekend

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Direct Routes Recommendation
Amtrak, one of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ major competitors, operates the Northeast Regional line
and reaches many of the same cities as Peter Pan Bus Lines. This poses a uniquely difficult
situation for Peter Pan Bus Lines in trying to differentiate itself from a competitor, which has
some unmatchable offerings. One differentiating factor is that rail services, such as Amtrak, do
not deal with the same traffic problems facing bus companies. Both college students and South
Station travelers acknowledged this key difference and stated it impacted their choosing rail
services over buses.
One possible way to combat this uniquely positioned competitor would be to increase the
number of direct routes that Peter Pan Bus Lines offers. Direct routes proved very important to
travelers, as 49.54% of the Qualtrics questionnaire respondents listed it as one of their top-three
most important features of travel. Furthermore, 49.54% of respondents listed “speed of travel”
as one of their top-three features; a college student interviewee suggested that he would pay
more for a particular mode of transportation if he knew it would be faster. Decreasing the
number of stops that each bus makes is one way to make travel faster. In doing so, Peter Pan
Bus Lines could increase the number of travelers willing to take its buses.
Increasing the amount of direct routes that Peter Pan Bus Lines offers and shifting its
advertising from amenities to speed of travel could help increase ridership with travelers of all
ages.
Key Takeaways
● The perceived high level of traffic and slow speed experienced in bus travel are
deterring travelers of all ages from using Peter Pan Bus Lines
● Peter Pan Bus Lines can mitigate this concern by increasing the number of direct
routes offered
● The company can also shift its advertising to focus on this increased speed of travel to
encourage increased ridership

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Charter Services Recommendation
Dedicated Sales Team
The team determined that a dedicated sales team is necessary to acquire increased charter
service business through several interviews with local business and event planning
organizations. Relationship management seems to be the most important aspect of securing
such business. In an interview, Laura Yates, President of Dovetail Event Partners, said in
reference to the importance of business relationships, “[...] if I need to book a motorcoach, I
want to call and I want to know the person's name [...] I want a relationship with that person
because I can't be let down.” This is an area where Peter Pan Bus Lines is uniquely positioned to
differentiate itself. A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review shows that people not
only prefer, but tend to have more trust in a family-owned business, which Peter Pan Bus Lines
can boast itself as.
Peter Pan Bus Lines can continue to build awareness and relationships by hosting informational
luncheons that include a tour of a Peter Pan Bus Lines bus for prospective clients. This practice
would help to create a positive first impression of the company and the buses themselves.
Furthermore, these luncheons can serve as a platform for the sales team to promote additional
opportunities to use charter services outside of special events and company outings. The sales
team could speak to charter services’ use of quickly and easily visiting several regional offices
and warehouses over the course of a day, allowing for executives of companies to see their
entire work force instead of just one office. Another use of charter services could be to assist in
entry-level recruitment or community engagement. Potential clients for Peter Pan Bus Lines to
target with its charter bus services include event planning businesses, convention bureaus and
large regional corporations.
Update Perceptions
A marketing campaign that raises awareness about Peter Pan Bus Lines’ most recent updates to
the buses’ amenities and company’s services can also increase charter service requests. The
tagline could be “Not your grandpa’s Peter Pan”; it would be directed toward individuals 35
years of age and over who may not have recent personal experience with the brand. This tagline
would allow Peter Pan Bus Lines to not only promote its extensive and proud history but also
its new fleet of high-tech buses, updated website and mobile app. The campaign could be
featured on New England television stations, city billboards and social media channels, with a

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particular focus on Facebook. This campaign should highlight that the company’s buses include
Wi-Fi, USB ports and electrical outlets.
Publicizing Safety Measures
For public universities, the most important aspect seems to be safety and reliability. These
aspects of the company’s charter services can be highlighted by publishing its safety statistics in
an aesthetically prominent manner on its website, particularly on the charter service page.
Other aspects the company can highlight on this page include its drug testing, training and
health check practices in a succinct, one-line manner. The designated salespeople should also
advertise that the buses’ legroom, comfortable seats, climate control, Wi-Fi, power outlets,
televisions and secured storage are highlighted to potential university clients.
Alternative Uses of Luxury Charter Service Buses
Some travelers and a charter service expert suggested that Peter Pan Bus Lines have a separate,
more high-end line of buses to bring business travelers to and from major cities on a regular
basis. Peter Pan Bus Lines could use vehicles currently reserved solely for charter services, such
as the company’s Limo Coach, to bring business travelers to and from Boston and New York a
few times per weekday. This service would increase the use of the Limo Coach during the week,
while still providing availability for the frequently requested charter service use over the
weekend. Alternatively, Peter Pan Bus Lines could design and manufacture a bus that includes
more amenities that business travelers are looking for, such as workstations and outlets,
maintaining the luxurious and spaciousness aspects of the Limo Coach.

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Key Takeaways
● The team recommends methods for Peter Pan Bus Lines to increase its charter service
use by implementing the following:
○ Dedicated sales team that increases awareness of the company’s charter
services by holding luncheons for prospective clients that include tours of the
buses, resulting in more positive brand perceptions
○ Marketing campaign highlighting Peter Pan Bus Lines’ recent updates, such as
with its amenities, to show that it is not an outdated brand
○ More information on the charter services website page geared towards
highlighting the company’s safety measures and reliability
○ Designing new, high-end buses or using the company’s current Limo Coach
for heavy, weekday business travel to and from Boston and New York, which
appeals to business travels seeking a luxurious and spacious experience for this
prevalent journey

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Loyalty Program Recommendation
Peter Pan Bus Lines anticipates launching a loyalty program in 2017, and the team recommends
that the company incorporate additional aspects as the program grows. Preliminary research
discussed in the ‘Loyalty or Rewards Program Analysis’ highlights important considerations to
brands. Participants in both the Brand Ambassador and Millennial Traveler focus groups
recommended that Peter Pan Bus Lines implement a loyalty or rewards program mainly to save
money. Findings from the Qualtrics questionnaire demonstrated loyalty or rewards program
aspects most important to customers.
Preliminary, published research illustrated a number of findings that brands should be aware
of, such as Mintel reporting that 23% of respondents felt that “my rewards or benefits expire
before I can use them” (see Figure 1.3). Another Mintel report on frequent travel programs
highlighted that members highly value collecting points to be redeemed for free travel.
According to Harvard Business School’s Jose Alvarez, successful loyalty programs involve a
customer reward for enrolling, personalized rewards and feedback from customers.
A Brand Ambassador specifically suggested that Peter Pan Bus Lines offers a loyalty program:
“Take, like, four rides and get one half off or free or something. I used to take Peter Pan all the
time Freshman and Sophomore year because I didn’t have a car, and the price was awful, but I
had to do it. Like people would definitely use it, but they don’t want to pay for it.” Another
Brand Ambassador essentially recommended a refer-a-friend program, utilizing social media,
“Maybe you take a ride and you share it on Facebook or something and your friend gets her
next trip like half off if you share the links, something like that. Just lowering the cost really.”
Essentially, these Brand Ambassadors recommended decreasing the costs of bus travel, which
can be done through a loyalty program.
Participants in the Millennial Traveler focus groups were specifically asked to recommend
aspects of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty or rewards program. Participants suggested discounts
for each trip, a digital punch card or a method of tracking mileage to be converted into
discounted or free tickets. Tracking mileage relates to JetBlue’s TrueBlue program, in which the
accumulation of points based on the price of each flight can later be redeemed for free tickets.
Another suggestion was for a student rider card that would charge an upfront fee for joining
but discount each ticket by at least $5.

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Respondents from the Qualtrics questionnaire demonstrated why they join a loyalty or rewards
program, revealing that “saving money” was the most important (87.50%), followed by
“already a frequent shopper of the brand” (83.33%) and “personalized deals and rewards”
(75.00%).
The team recommends a loyalty program that provides discounted travel to frequent users and
especially college students who deem Peter Pan Bus Lines too expensive. A few
recommendations to consider based on findings include a discount for enrolling, the
accumulation of points for discounted or free travel and personalized rewards. A loyalty
program can appeal to current Peter Pan Bus Lines travelers, influencing the continual use of its
services. Additionally, the loyalty program can help acquire more riders that see the benefit in
using Peter Pan Bus Lines over competitor buses and other modes of intercity transportation.
Key Takeaways
● The team recommends particular consideration points for Peter Pan Bus Lines’ loyalty
program
○ Upfront discount provided to travelers for enrolling in the program
○ Accumulation of points that can be redeemed for discounted or free travel
○ Personalized rewards
● Preliminary, published research and data gathered from focus groups and the
Qualtrics questionnaire were used to formulate the recommendation
● Students from focus groups stressed the importance of Peter Pan Bus Lines’ high
prices
● Of the Qualtrics questionnaire respondents, 87.50% said that “saving money” was
their primary and most important reason for joining a loyalty or rewards program
● The implementation of a successful loyalty program can lead to increased ridership,
especially for budget-conscious college students

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LIMITATIONS

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Overview
The team discovered several limitations to the research throughout the completion of this
report. These limitations were shortcomings, influences and conditions that were not controlled
by the team and thus restricted methodology and conclusion. However, these limitations do not
discredit the data, and the research still provided useful and actionable information. The
limitations the team faced were as follows:
Time Frame
The research was conducted, analyzed and prepared for presentation over a 15-week period.
This amount of time allowed the team to create and distribute an online questionnaire, hold
focus groups and conduct in-person interviews with travelers at South Station in Boston.
However, more time would be needed for more conclusive information to be gathered.
Additional interviews and focus groups could have been conducted to provide a better
understanding of the average traveler. Furthermore, the online questionnaire could have been
based on information gathered from all in-person interviews opposed to the sole introductory
interviews conducted in the first few weeks of the semester.
Location
The team traveled to South Station in Boston, Massachusetts to conduct in-person interviews
with bus and train travelers. South Station was the only station the team traveled to when
conducting these interviews. As a result, the information gathered from these in-person
interviews will be heavily swayed to those individuals who live in and travel to Boston.
Traveling to joint bus and train stations in other cities or states that Peter Pan Bus Lines operates
in would have helped to better understand regular bus and train travelers.
Time of Day
The South Station interviews occurred on a Monday from 12:00-1:30 PM. Consequently, the
information achieved carries a time limitation as it only provides information regarding mid-
day travelers. Individuals who participate in mid-day travel may differ from those who travel
early in the morning or later in the afternoon or night. Gaining a better understanding of all
riders would require the team to conduct in-person interviews at several different times
throughout the week.

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Proximity of Holiday
An additional time limitation for the in-person South Station interviews was that the interviews
were conducted during the week of Thanksgiving, on Monday, November 21st. Holiday travel
heavily differs from standard travel and generally carries a more negative connotation. Thus,
the responses received may have been swayed by the possibility of poor travel conditions.
Furthermore, the respondents interviewed may have different reasons for taking intercity buses
or trains than individuals interviewed during a non-holiday week.
Online Data Collection
The team collected the majority of its data through online sources, including a Qualtrics
questionnaire and emailed interviews. This has created a limitation on the data that was
received. Online interviews do not provide the same flexibility as in-person interviews.
Questions during an in-person interview can be adapted to better fit the respondent and gain
greater insight on the responses. Online interviews also limited the ability to ask follow-up
questions and delve deeper into certain topics. As such, in-person interviews provide a greater
depth of information than their online counterparts. Conducting more in-person interviews
would have been beneficial in gaining greater insight.
Reach of Questionnaire
One limitation of the team’s Qualtrics Questionnaire was the overall reach of the questionnaire.
Distributing the online questionnaire to universities provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines was a
manageable task due to connections held by the team. The questionnaire was then distributed
via universities’ Facebook groups by the various contacts. The questionnaire did not receive the
same amount of feedback from each school due to a lack of contacts at certain universities or the
lack of a university Facebook group, which smaller universities generally do not have.
Consequently, the data received from this questionnaire are skewed towards larger universities.
More reliable data would have been necessary to gain greater levels of input from smaller
universities.
Age of Respondents
The final limitation to the Qualtrics questionnaire, student focus groups and student interviews
was the age of respondents. Approximately 82% of respondents of these data gathering
methods were either a college Junior or Senior. Subsequently, much of the data received
pertained to upperclassmen and their experiences and preferences. This poses a limitation, as
the data is more relevant to one group of individuals than another. Furthermore, underclassmen

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are more likely to use buses and trains as a mode of intercity travel because of limited parking
for cars on campus. More information from a wider age group would have provided a better
overall understanding of the college market.

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https://www.cvs.com/help/contact-us-faqs.jsp?type=extracare&topicid=200016
Duffy, D. (2003) "Internal and external factors which affect customer loyalty",
Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 20 Iss: 5, pp.480 - 485.Retrieved
September 28, 2016, from
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/07363760310489715
Harland, B. (2016, July). Retailer Loyalty Programs. Mintel Academic. Retrieved
September 28, 2016, from
http://academic.mintel.com.silk.library.umass.edu/display/747832/
Macke, D. (2015, June). Frequent Travel Programs. Mintel Academic. Retrieved
September 28, 2016, from
http://academic.mintel.com.silk.library.umass.edu/display/716563/
Starbucks. (2016), Starbucks. Retrieved from https://www.starbucks.com/
Starvish, M. (2011, July 27). Customer Loyalty Programs That Work. Harvard Business
School: Working Knowledge. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/customer-loyalty-programs-that-work
To Have a Killer Loyalty Program, Retailers Need to Think Big. (2016, September 6).
EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from
http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/article.aspx?R=1014440
Urban Airship. (2016, July). Preferred Methods for Installing Mobile Wallet
Coupons/Offers vs. Loyalty Cards According to UK/US Internet Users.
EMarketer. Retrieved September 28, 2016, from
http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=194753&dsNav=Ntk:relevance
|loyalty|1|,Ro:11,Nr:NOT(Type:Comparative Estimate)
http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=192341

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U.S. News & World Report Travel. Best Airline Rewards Programs. U.S. News and World
Report. Retrieved from http://travel.usnews.com/rankings/travel-
rewards/airline-rewards/
Wahba, P.(February 22, 2016). Why Starbucks Is Overhauling its Loyalty Rewards Program.
Fortune, Retrived from http://fortune.com/2016/02/22/starbucks-loyalty/
Weiss, L. (August 5, 2014). Which Travel Rewards Programs Should You Join? The Huffington
Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/us-news-travel/which-
travel-rewards-prog_b_5651829.html
Other
Department Store Retailing - US, (2016, September), Mintel Academic. Retrieved from
http://academic.mintel.com/display/789187/?highlight
Hall, C., Astrachan, J. (April 27, 2015). Study: Customers Really Do Trust Family Owned More.
Harvard Business Review. Retrieved December 10, 2015, from
https://hbr.org/2015/04/study-customers-really-do-trust-family-businesses-
more
Reinhold, A. (2004, June/July). South Station Boston [Photograph]. Boston MA.
SaleCycle. (2016, July). Digital Shopping Cart Abandonment Rate for the Fashion, Retail,
and Travel Industries Worldwide, Q2 2016. EMarketer. Retrieved September 28,
2016, from http://totalaccess.emarketer.com/Chart.aspx?R=195501
Social Media in Tourism (2016, March), Mintel Academic. Retrieved from,
http://academic.mintel.com/display/766443/

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CONTACTS

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Danielle Veronesi
Marketing Director
Peter Pan Bus Lines
1776 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01102
1-800-237-8747 ext. 1038
dveronesi@peterpanbus.com
Michael H. Sharff
Director of Planning
Peter Pan Bus Lines
1776 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01102
Springfield: (800) 237-8747 ext. 1328
Chelsea: (617) 887-2200 ext. 1926
Cell: (617) 653-8458
mhs@peterpanbus.com
Melissa Picknelly
Vice President
Peter Pan Bus Lines
1776 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01102
melissa@peterpanbus.com
Jason MacNaught
Senior Graphic Designer
Peter Pan Bus Lines
1776 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01102
jason@peterpanbus.com

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MARKETING CONSULTANT
RESUMES

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Elizabeth Imbrogna
15 Pleasant Street.Littleton, MA 01460.eimbrogna@umass.edu.978-501-1202.LinkedIn.com/in/ElizabethImbrogna
EDUCATION
Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Bachelor of Arts in Communication Candidate, May 2017
International Scholars Program Certificate
GPA: 3.99 ; Dean's List All Semesters; Commonwealth Honors College; Recipient of the Welch Scholarship,
funding all tuition, fees, room, and board
EXPERIENCE
Dovetail Event Partners, LLC Littleton, MA
Ongoing Intern December 2008 - Present
• Collaborated on the organizing and implementation of high-end incentive programs
• Managed an event staff of 12 and served as vendor liaison for an event for This Old House
• Developed the company's 2015-2016 marketing plan and managed the company's social media accounts
Touchmark Promotions, Inc. Littleton, MA
Marketing Coordinator May 2016 - September 2016
• Designed company's social media strategy and crafted all posts across platforms such as Facebook and
Pinterest
• Wrote all copy for the company's new website that fit the personality and feel of the organization
• Facilitated direct marketing mailings as well as fulfillment services for high-tech clients
The Castle Group Charlestown, MA
PR Intern June 2016 - August 2016
• Designed public relations strategies for food & beverage, health, higher education, and real estate clients
• Composed press releases, pitches, and briefing documents for journalists and client executives
• Conducted company and industry research for the purposes of client acquisition and efficiency of strategy
Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, MA
PR and Executive Office Intern June 2015 - August 2015
• Crafted press releases, pitch books, and national marketing copy for the region's hotels, including The
Plaza, which were picked up by the New York Times and the Sunday Boston Globe
• Developed content for the hotel's social media pages and received Facebook advertising training
• Supported executive management with VIP guest relations, charitable contributions, and staff management
WGBH Brighton, MA
Masterpiece Intern May 2015 - August 2015
• Generated a social media brand study leveraged by the producers of the iconic British drama series
• Assisted with the fall press mailing and developed promotional ideas for an upcoming program launch
• Edited credits for accuracy, gathered content for promotional videos, and wrote transcripts
Cisco Systems Boxborough, MA
Global Grow Services- Services Sales Intern May 2014 - August 2014
• Supported senior leadership, addressing field marketing, project management, and services bookings
• Co-led a high-priority initiative focused on increased collaboration between global sales support programs
• Created communications plan, developed joint value-add document, and reconciled program account data
ACTIVITIES
Isenberg Women in Business Society Fall 2013 - Present
President Spring 2016 - Present
• Manage all operations of the 200+ member organization and oversee the 10-person executive board
SKILLS
Computer: Microsoft Office, Outlook, Open Office; Language: Proficient in Spanish and Italian

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CURRENT ADDRESS Peter Warren HOME ADDRESS
310 Belchertown Road pwarren@umass.edu 403 Woburn Street
Unit 3 (781) 879-4607 Wilmington, MA 01887
Amherst, MA 01003-9213 www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-warren/87/baa/b46/
EDUCATION
University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
Isenberg School of Management
Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Candidate, May 2017
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences ...............................................................................Candidate, May 2017
Bachelor of Science in Economics
• Recipient of John and Abigail Adams Scholarship
• Commonwealth Honors College
Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla, Spain
Academic Programs International January 2016 - May 2016
• International Marketing, International Business and Emerging Markets, The Global Economy, The
European Union
EXPERIENCE
Sonus Networks Westford, MA
Product Line Management Intern June 2016 - August 2016
• Compiled a win/loss report of all Sonus products to provide senior-level Product Line Managers with an in-
depth understanding of our current market standings including suggestions on how to improve market share
• Used Salesforce.com to gather internal company information such as an inventory of marketing collateral
and created spreadsheets within Salesforce.com to organize this information making it available to key
stakeholders
• Built a report about the company's website Sonus.net, after analyzing information gathered from Google
Analytics, to help better understand and explain how traffic flows into and through the website
• Updated the Solutions tab on the company website, Sonus.net, by editing and rewriting the sub-sections as
well as redesigning the pages to be more aesthetically pleasing
Sonus Networks Westford, MA
Marketing Communications Intern May 2015-August 2015
• Worked closely with the team to market Sonus' products and services through the creation of collateral
including blogs, white pages and product reports
• Branded and promoted a 4-week webinar series “Sonus Academy RTC 101” as part of a small team by
creating web-advertisements, internet videos and product blogs
• Analyzed competitors’ products and created a datasheet to highlight the advantages offered by Sonus
Networks comparable products
ACTIVITIES
UMass Advertising Club 2/1/2015-9/1/2015
• Worked in team of 7 to increase brand awareness of our organization through creating a logo, website and
visual collateral
Boy Scouts of America 2005-2013
• Earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts
• Completed an Eagle Scout Service project which required me to not only work as part of a team but to
delegate work and learn to keep those under my control motivated and working to the best of their abilities
• Led a team of 20 students at a time, delegated tasks and kept the students motivated
SKILLS
Computer: MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Salesforce.com (Intermediate), Google Analytics (Intermediate)
Language: Spanish (conversational)

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RACHEL KIRSHTEIN
1 Shady Lane
Framingham, MA 01701
Phone (cell): 617-304-0732; rkirshtein@gmail.com
SUMMARY:
Highly motivated college student looking to apply my marketing experience in an internship opportunity. I hope to
pursue a career in marketing, leveraging my studies in psychology.
EDUCATION:
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Cumulative GPA: 3.81; Dean’s List; Expected Graduation date: May 2017
Member of the Commonwealth Honors College; Goal: Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology
EXPERIENCE:
Elevated Careers by eHarmony, Boston, MA
Sales Consultant: September 2016-present
• Performing lead generation, conducting industry and competitive research, and using Salesforce
PGR Media, Boston, MA
Media Planning Intern: Summer 2016
• Worked with several teams in support of their respective clients
• Created POP and campaign recap decks, updated positioning reports, and assisted with CRM
Cultural-Agenda, London, United Kingdom
Public Relations Intern: January-April 2016
• Created media/trend releases, assisted in office management, and managed day-to-day PR tasks
Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), Waltham, MA
Marketing Intern: December 2014-January 2015; Summer 2015
• Researched mobile payments, loyalty/rewards programs, app functionality, and Google Trends
• Developed surveys, FAQs, social media response plans, the Brand Ambassador training manual, and
supported the influencer and blogger programs
• Helped prepare for a Marketing Summit to select merchants
Keds, Lexington, MA
Brand Ambassador: UMass Amherst campus; 2013/2014 Academic Year; 2014/2015 Academic Year
• Marketed Keds products on campus by wearing them, hosting events, and utilizing social media
• Provided Keds marketing team with student feedback regarding styles and trends
Brand Marketing Intern: Summer 2014
• PR, marketing research, social media and competitor research, event planning and logistics (Brave Life
Summit, Brand Ambassador program), organizing and satisfying product sample requests
• Performed research and presented results (with interns across all brands) to executives of Wolverine
Worldwide for the intern group project on Corporate Social Responsibility
CareerArc (previously TweetMyJobs), Marlborough, MA
Sales Intern/Solutions Consultant: Summer 2013, and ongoing through the school year
• Performed lead generation, conducted industry and competitive research, developed presentations to
support the sales team, used Salesforce, and provided general office administrative support
SKILLS:
Proficient in: Brandwatch; Hootsuite; Salesforce; Google Drive; Social Media Marketing and Social Networking;
Lead Generation; Microsoft Office
UMASS AMHERST CLUBS:
• Marketing Club: Fall 2014-present
• Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA); Founding member and Marketing Chair on the
Executive Board: Spring-Fall 2015
• Rotaract Club of UMass Amherst (community service): Spring 2014-Spring 2015
• House Council/Residence Hall Association: Fall 2013-Spring 2015

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APPENDIX A

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BRAND AMBASSADOR FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE
NOVEMBER, 2016
Warm up: Introduce self, assure answers kept confidential and not assigned to any one person.
Only generalizations will be recorded and shared. Session protocol: I am timekeeper, may
interrupt to keep on course, want thoughts from all not just one or few, hand count for
consensus on agreement.
“For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the
customer base (ridership) for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to
understand your experiences with Brand Ambassador programs and what have been the most
successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if I record this
for data logging?”
Awareness & Introduction:
We will begin by asking about how you were introduced to the Brand Ambassador program(s).
1) How did you hear about the Brand Ambassador programs initially? (Article, word-of-
mouth/connection at company, brand website, email)
a) How did you go about applying? Online?
2) What encouraged you to apply?
a) Were you looking for resume-building experience? Already a huge fan of the
brand? Looking for free swag? Anything else?
3) When you found out about the program, how long did it say the commitment was for?
a) Academic year (~September to May)? Other time frame?
b) When would it start and end?
Communication:
We would now like to understand your communication method with the brand.
4) Who did you communicate with for the Brand Ambassador program? Agency or
brand’s marketing team?
5) How did you communicate with the people responsible for the Brand Ambassador
program?
a) Phone calls? Emails? Meetings in person?

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6) How often did you communicate with these people?
a) Weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.?
b) What do you think is the best frequency of touch-base calls/emails?
Let’s now talk about what was reviewed and discussed during these touch-base times.
7) What did you discuss?
a) Updates? Planning for next assignments/events?
8) Did you need to present any specific information, such as how many people signed up
for the rewards program or email marketing list (for example) in a specific week?
9) If you needed to present data/statistics, how did you go about doing that?
a) Spreadsheets? PowerPoint presentations?
Experience:
Now, we would like to delve into more of the details of the experiences you’ve had while representing the
brand(s) on campus.
Let’s first talk about which Brand Ambassador programs you have participated in.
10) What Brand Ambassador programs have you participated in on your college campus?
11) If you’ve done more than 1, which was your favorite?
a) What made it your favorite?
i) Was it a stronger brand resonation? Did you like the product offerings
more? Were their better perks or incentives for one over the other? Were
you paid?
12) If you’ve done more than 1, which was your least favorite? Why?
Let’s now move on to the structure of the programs.
13) What was the structure of the Brand Ambassador program(s) you’ve been part of?
a) Weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc. assignments?
14) Did you think the structure was effective?
a) Did you accomplish too little or too much in the time allotted for each
assignment?

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15) If you found the structure ineffective, what would make it better?
I’d like to now turn your attention to the assignments you have completed.
16) What kind of assignments did you complete?
a) Social media postings? Talking to people on campus? Hosting events? Anything
else?
b) If you have used social media for assignments, which platforms (Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, etc.) were the most effective in generating brand awareness?
17) If you’ve hosted events, what kind of events have you put on?
a) Where were the events? On/off campus?
b) Did you partner with any campus organizations? Greek life?
c) Is there anything that would’ve made the events more successful?
Thoughts & Recommendations:
To conclude, we would like to get your overall thoughts on Brand Ambassador programs and
recommendations for future Brand Ambassador programs.
18) What are the best ways for brands to attract prospective Brand Ambassadors?
a) Are there specific perks that you’d recommend to a company implementing a
brand ambassador program for the first time?
Suggestions for Improvement:
Finally, one last question.
19) Do you think that Brand Ambassador programs are an effective marketing tool?
a) Do you think Brand Ambassador programs are successful in increasing
awareness and generating more sales for a brand?
Brand Ambassador Focus Group #1
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Moderator: Liz
Moderator: For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for
increasing the customer base for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to
understand your experiences with Brand Ambassador programs and what has been the most

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successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if we record
this for data logging? Cool. Ok can you say your name, year, major, and what company or
companies you work for?
Participant A: My name is Lauren. I am a Junior. My major is Natural Resource Conservation
with a concentration in wildlife, and I work for RUNA Tea. It’s pretty small.
Participant B: I’m Chris, a sophomore Marketing major, and I’m the rep for Monster Energy.
Participant C: I’m Geoff. I’m a Senior Economics major and I was a rep for Hewlett-Packard.
Participant D: I’m Melissa. I’m a Senior. I’m a Marketing and Psychology double major, and I
am the PINK rep.
Moderator: Ok so we’re just going to start by talking about how you were introduced to your
brand ambassador program. So, first, how did you hear about the Brand Ambassador programs
initially? Was it an article, word of mouth, the brand website, an email or did you have a
connection that alerted you about this opportunity?
Participant A: So I actually started drinking RUNA my freshman year, and they do a lot of
work in the Amazon rainforest sustainable, so I was trying to get a part time job that worked
with the environment somehow, so I actually emailed the New England rep, and she went to
UMass. So, I was like, “Hey, do you guys have any openings?” And she got back to me and was
like, “Yeah, we’re actually looking for someone.”
Participant B: One of my fraternity brothers had graduated last year in the spring, and he was
the Monster ambassador his last year, and he kind of opened it up to us and passed on a
recommendation for me to his boss. I got the job that way.
Participant C: I just found it on Indeed.
Participant D: It was actually the first year PINK was on this campus and I found it because I
followed VS PINK on Instagram, and they had a posted a lot about it there, and I also shopped
on their website a lot, so I was like I’ll try this.
Moderator: So what specifically encouraged you to apply to these programs? Were you looking
for resume-building experience? Were you already a huge fan of the brand? Looking for free
swag? All of the above? Something else entirely?
Participant A: Yeah I was looking for both the resume-builder and also a part time job that was
in my area of interest.

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Participant B: So I was pretty much the same thing. I was looking for a low-demand job, and I
was a marketing major, so I felt like my skillset was good and would be positioned well and it
would help me in the future.
Participant C: Yep pretty much same.
Participant D: I feel like I did a lot more work than you guys did. I was sort of doing it for the
resume builder, but I didn’t really need any more resume-builders. I just really liked the brand,
and I also might want to potentially work there in the future, so that’s why I looked at it.
Moderator: What do you want to do for the company full-time?
Participant D: I want to do marketing for a brand with that kind of product in the stores. And
they actually did reach out to all the co-reps across the country, offering them internships, but
I’m a senior, so I couldn’t even, like, apply, so it kind of sucks actually.
[Group Laughs]
Moderator: Ok good to know. So continuing on the same topic, what was the application
process like? Was it online? Did you have an in-person, Skype, or phone interview?
Participant A: Skype and in-person.
Participant B: One phone call.
Participant C: Completed an application and then had a phone call.
Participant D: I had to make a video application. It had to be a minute long, but it was actually
really tough keeping it to a minute. I also had to answer questions like why I was interested in
the program and what I am currently involved in. I then had a Skype interview. The girls that
were selected for the program were then flown to Ohio for a 2-day training. It was like 8 hours
each day. I couldn’t go because I had a full-time internship.
Moderator: Ok so, when you found out about the program, how long did it say the
commitment was for? The academic year, like, September to May? Other time frame?
Participant A: Didn’t say the time frame.
Participant B: Academic year, but it was kind of unclear.
Participant C: No outline, it didn’t say.
Participant D: Started in summer and ends in summer.

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Moderator: How many hours per week do you think you spend representing the brand?
Participant A: 3-4 hours in the Spring; in the Fall.
Participant B: I have 2 monthly reports and they they take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours. I put it
what I wanted.
Participant C: 10-15 hours and travel.
Participant D: 9 hours for events and about 5 hours if there isn’t an event.
Moderator: Ok now we would like to ask you about your communication method with the
brand. Who did you communicate with for the Brand Ambassador program? Was it through an
independent agency or brand’s marketing team?
Participant A: Direct contact with RUNA team.
Participant B: Regional Director of New England for Monster and someone else that took over
the position.
Participant C: Agency.
Participant D: Communicated with the brand. We communicated through an app.
Moderator: How did you communicate with the people responsible for the Brand Ambassador
program? Phone calls? Emails? Meetings in person?
Participant A: I had a training in person, and when I was hosting events, I needed to hand in a
sheet that explained what I was doing.
Participant B: I was given a training manual and emailed them photos.
Participant C: Mine was all online.
Participant D: I talked with them through our app. They have all of the brand ambassadors take
surveys for them on this app too.
Moderator: How often did you communicate with these people? Weekly, biweekly, monthly?
What do you think is the best frequency of touch-base calls/emails?
Participant A: Weekly or biweekly. I think it was the best frequency--not too long but not
overwhelming.
Participant B: Bimonthly, and I think this worked well.

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Participant C: Once every 2 or 3 weeks, but it wasn’t a good system because my duties weren’t
very clear.
Participant D: Sometimes daily. I would get sent pictures of product and was requested to give
feedback often. I mostly talked to my boss once a week. I have to have specific events, so we
talked often. I think the process worked.
Moderator: Did you need to present any specific information, such as how many people signed
up for the rewards program or email marketing list (for example) in a specific week? How did
you go about presenting the information?
Participant A: I presented some information through pictures.
Participant B: Pictures of people with Monster.
Participant C: I had a call report. Some questions weren’t relevant, though.
Participant D: I had to send PowerPoints as recaps. They asked for specific information, so I
usually knew what I needed to put on the slides. For example, I’d say how many people
attended an event and if I was trying to sell products, I’d say how many bras I sold.
Moderator: Did you find the structure of the program effective? If you found them ineffective,
is there anything that would’ve made them?
Participant A: There could’ve been more structure with the events. It would’ve been helpful if
RUNA told me how to reach out to clubs or organizations when I was planning an event. Any
guidance into how to approach them would’ve been helpful.
Participant B: I didn’t get shipments of product at the beginning of October, and I’m supposed
to get the shipments at the beginning of the month. Two shipments were cancelled, and I think
the issues with my shipments resulted from my previous boss leaving and someone else
stepping in. I didn’t find the structure too bad. I already knew how to talk to certain
organizations.
Participant C: The whole thing needed to be more effective--scheduling, forms.
Participant D: Mine was very structured. There was a 2 day training in Ohio, and they flew all
the campus reps out there. I couldn’t go because I had a full-time internship, but my co-rep was
saying how it was like 8 hours per day of straight training at their HQ. They went over how we
have mandatory events to complete with direction from them.

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Moderator: So now we’d like to focus on the assignments you have completed. What kinds of
events have you put on? How many people did you host? Where were they? On or off campus?
Did you partner with any organizations or clubs, such as Greek Life? And is there anything that
could have made these events more successful?
Participant A: I’ve done demos in multiple places on campus that sell our product, so I’ve done
it at Harvest, People’s Market,Taste of UMass. I’ve tried getting in touch with the managers of
Bluewall to see if they’ll sell our product, but it’s really tough to get ahold of them. I’ve done
events to give out free products in classes. I’ve gone to multiple different clubs like Marketing
Club, the environmental club I am part of, and I’ve given some free products to friends too. We
haven’t partnered with anyone. Since RUNA’s so small, I kinda wish we could get out there
more and help increase people’s knowledge of it.
Participant B: I was the recruitment chair for Kappa Sig for the Fall semester, so I already had 8
events planned. And I kind of just, you know, took advantage with that. Everybody was at our
house already, so I might as well hand out Monster to them. I’ve done random stuff, like
sampling. They actually don’t want us sampling in front of any stores that sell Monster--my
only thought about it is that they don’t want us to give out free Monster to those that may
already be going to buy some. I haven’t really done a structured event. More just like handing
out samples to random people walking by. And, like I said, the fraternity event. I’m working on
bringing it to the Marketing Club, and I think I’m doing that next week. And we have an event
with the Association of Diversity in Sport- they have kind of like a video game tournament at
the end of December. One of my friends is in the club, so I’m working with him to host that
event. We are having a philanthropy casino night on Saturday, so I’m trying to see if- I’m trying
to reach out to my boss and see if there’s a sponsorship opportunity there for Monster to be the
primary sponsor for that.
Participant C: My event were so weird and I don’t know...So they didn’t send me, like, a
computer or anything, but they send me a printer. So, there were like, “Go to the campus center
and show off this printer.” So, I went in and set up and was like, “Nobody is going to want to
do this.” So I filled out a report that I was there for like 3 hours. I would go to Best Buy, Staples,
and Wal-Mart literally in West Springfield, Hadley, Holyoke, Chicopee, and it was kind of
boring, but I would go there and talk to their employees and be like, “Yeah, my job is kind of a
joke, but hope it’s Ok that I chill here.”
[Group laughs]
Participant D: We have to have certain events. We had to have a group fitness event, which was
good for me because I’m actually also a group fitness instructor. We had store events that we

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did in the Holyoke Mall. We had to do some sort of Welcome Week- They told some schools
exactly what they had to do. They didn’t tell us exactly what we had to do because UMass
won’t work with them, so we just go on our own. So, yeah, those are the events we have to do.
And we have to an event for the fashion show, like the Victoria’s Secret fashion show viewing
next month. But then my co-rep and I are trying to do an event that involves more tabling and
we’re asking girls to come up with ideas. I know I’m tabling at the JLB [Jewish Leaders in
Business] MegaParty next week because they invited me. I’m in the business fraternity here at
Isenberg, and we’re going to do a Zumba-thon, so I’m going to table at that. So it’s a mix, I
guess, of the events they tell us and the events we come up with.
Moderator: So we just have a couple more questions, and then we’ll let you guys go. So these
are just going to be your overall thoughts on Brand Ambassador programs in general.So if
you’ve taken part in some- some programs- that you didn’t find as interesting as you
anticipated, was there anything that would have made program better?
Participant A: I think having more than one campus rep would have been helpful. I would’ve
liked someone to table with. I didn’t mind sitting there by myself, but it would’ve been nice
having someone else to talk to.
Participant B: It’s pretty easy to give out Monster on this campus. I rarely see people say that
don’t want it. To be honest, I never really drank Monster prior to this job, but now I have 15
cases sitting in my room all the time, so might as well give it a shot. If it was a little more
structured, I think that would make it easier. Because when all that stuff with my old boss going
down, I was like hunting down to see who was higher up on her in the chain of command, and I
couldn’t find anything, so I was just like out to dry and I had no idea what to do and this lady
wasn’t getting back to me. If it was a little better structured and more organized, I think it
would be a lot easier on the reps, but I don’t have many complaints.
Participant C: Yeah, and I think everything could probably be better. I think I’ve gone on and
on at this point.
[Group laughs and agrees]
Participant D: Yeah, so my co-rep and I weren’t crazy about -so they told us that we had to do
an event in-store event in the Holyoke Mall that had to be between October 25h and 30th. And
we were like, “That’s Halloween Weekend. Our store is 30 minutes away and no one is going to
want to go there,” but we had to do it anyway. And that was annoying because we knew that it

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wasn’t going to be successful. I don’t mind doing Victoria [Secret] events so much, but I wish
they were more responsive. And we asked, “Can we do it the weekend before or the weekend
after?” Or some schools were doing an on-campus event, and we were like, “Can we do an on-
campus event?” But they were like, “No, you have to do it.” So, that’s my biggest complaint.
Actually, my biggest complaint is that I don’t get paid, so that blows.
Moderator: Especially with all of the work that you do.
Participant A: Wait, you don’t get paid?
Participant D: Yeah, I don’t get paid.
Participant C: Is that legal? Do you get credits?
Participant D: I get paid in products. Technically I don’t work for them. Like, they made it very
clear, like “Don’t tell people you work for us. You do not work for us, you promote our brand.”
Participant C: Yeah, that’s questionable.
Participant B: I get $100 per report.
Participant D: Yeah, so that’s actually my biggest complaint. And they pay us in product,
which, I don’t know...is nice, but they’re not even sending us enough product to make it, like,
completely worth it. And maybe if I was going to get a job after this, but, like I said, they didn’t
even offer me a job.
Moderator: Yeah that’s super frustrating. Ok… Well, to conclude, Do you think Brand
Ambassador programs are successful in increasing awareness and generating more sales for a
brand? And, actually, one more question after that: What do you think are the best ways for
brands to attract prospective ambassadors or those that have never held a Brand Ambassador
position before? Are there specific perks that you’d recommend to a brand implementing a
brand ambassador program for the first time?
Participant A: So I’d say what- Brand ambassadors for what I do are very passionate. Even just
the people I’ve talked to, like friends and teachers about the product. And even when I wear t-
shirts and caps around, people will ask me about the product. I’ve also had a lot of people come
back to me and be like, “Oh I tried it at the Campus Center, and I really liked it! I had no idea
what it was.” So, it’s definitely increasing awareness and sales. So it’s been really effective from
my point of view. And then for attracting people to the job, I would say really advertising to
kids who are really looking for a lower commitment job and also if you’re doing anything in
school related to business, marketing, those would be the people to target to get them related

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experience. It’s honestly very good experience talking to people. And kind of just getting it out
there to people who know how to market a brand, who know how to change what you’re
saying depending on who you’re talking to. That’s been really eye-opening into marketing
itself. Yeah.
Participant B: I think that the brand ambassador program, like she says, doesn’t really affect the
larger brand that much. When they release new products and stuff like that, I think- Because
Monster just released a new product line called Fuze, and I, personally, had never heard of it
before. And a lot of my friends who do drink energy drinks had never heard of it, so when they
sent me a case of that and I was able to sample that, people were like, “Oh this is really good.”
And I could write that in the report and send it back and they could put that into their work. I
think stuff like that helps when they’re trying to promote new products. Brand awareness- I
don’t think that changes that much. I mean everyone knows what Monster is, either you like it
or you don’t. But definitely for, like smaller brands. One of my friends is an ambassador for
Raging Mammoth, and they make this tool for 21+ people; it’s kind of like interesting ways to
consume beer.
Participant C: Oh, like the shotgun tool?
Participant B: Yeah. So like their brand’s not huge, and people see, like- He has T-shirts that he
wears and he carries one on him at all times, so for brands like that, that don’t have huge
awareness like Monster does, I think it would definitely be helpful to have a brand ambassador
program. And to attract people to work there, I think incentive programs within the company,
like if you- this doesn’t really apply to me because I’m not like really selling product- But I
know, like, Tilt, if you get so many people to sign up for Tilt using your brand ambassador
code, you can get, like crazy prizes. Like they have YETI coolers, crazy expensive stuff that they
give out, and it’s paid, so that’s obviously a big part of it. And definitely reaching out to
business, marketing students that want to work in maybe sales someday or promoting. I think
that’s a good job.
Participant C: I’d say that brand ambassador programs work as long as it’s the right product
and as long as you’re marketing it, like, the correct way. Nobody’s going to care if, like, HP is
coming out with a new laserjet printer, like-
[Group Laughs]
Participant C:Nobody’s like wicked crazy about that. So, as long as it’s the right product, I think
it can totally work. For attracting students, I think really, honestly, like, being a brand
ambassador is a great job. Like, I think that you won’t have hardly any problems with, like,

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getting a brand ambassador with a company. I guess incentivizing and paying well, but, yeah, I
think that students are going to be lining up for jobs like these.
Participant D: Um, I think they are [effective], like everyone else said. I think everyone knows
about PINK already, so it’s probably more about retention than for a smaller brand. But I think
it’s effective in that it gets girls excited about the stuff.
Moderator: Yeah, like when you were telling me about the Instagram freebies, I was pumped.
Participant D: Yeah, so people do get excited and we do give away stuff, so I’m hoping, maybe,
if they like the products we give them, they will go out and buy more. Honestly, I think the
biggest thing that they- PINK- get out of it is, honestly, all of the surveys and the questions they
ask us. Like, they really use us as focus groups and to find out how to, like- and they listen to
us. Like we’ll give them advice and then, like, I’ll see video posts that they asked us about on,
like, Instagram, like a month later. And, like, they’ll take our feedback. They probably get a lot
out of that from us. Maybe even more than, like, the sales that we drive. But, yeah, overall I
think that brand ambassador programs are effective. And to attract people you need to pay
them. Definitely that. I’m, like, highly motivated but, like, other people probably in, like, my
shoes would be like “No thanks.” Um, PINK does have some incentives. Like they send free
products. Not even, actually. They just send us products to give out and then are like, “You can
take one shirt.” So, I mean they have incentive trips. Like there’s three big incentive trips, like
one to New York City, one to their headquarters, and then one to their- they have, like, a retreat
for, like three days. And they select a few girls to go to each one, but they don’t tell us- Like,
they say “the BEST,” but I’m like, “Am I one of the best performers? Am I doing horribly?” I
have nothing really to, like, try to measure compared to, like, the other reps, so it’s an incentive,
but not really that much of an incentive. I have to do it really because I love the brand and
getting a job and stuff, and it looks good on, like, a resume.
Moderator: Alright, that’s it. That concludes this focus group. Thank you, thank you, thank you
for all of your help.

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Brand Ambassador Focus Group #2
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Moderator: Liz
Moderator: For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for
increasing the customer base for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to
understand your experiences with Brand Ambassador programs and what has been the most
successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if we record
this for data logging? Cool. Ok can you say your name, year, major, and what company or
companies you work for?
Participant A: Hi, I’m Molly. I’m a senior, marketing major, and I represent two gluten-free
companies, Udi’s & Glutino.
Participant B: Hi, I’m Carly. I’m a senior, finance major, and I’m the Brand Ambassador for
KIND healthy snacks.
Participant C: Hello, I’m Phillipe. I’m a junior and double-major in business management and
BDIC with concentrations in motivational psychology. I’m a Brand Ambassador for Coca-Cola
and Campus Pursuits.
Participant D: I’m Collin. I’m a senior, sports management major and I’m a Zipcar Brand
Ambassador.
Participant E: I’m Gabbie. I’m a senior, marketing major and I’m also a Brand Ambassador for
Zipcar.
Moderator: Awesome. So, we are going to begin by asking you how you were introduced to the
brand ambassador programs that you work for. I know that a couple of you guys have worked
for multiple brand ambassador programs, so you can talk about the differences between them.
You don’t have to pick just one. First of all, how did you hear about these Brand Ambassador
programs initially? Was it through an article, word-of-mouth or a connection at the company,
the brand’s website, an email from the brand? Something entirely different?
Participant A: Yeah, for me, I’m very interested in gluten free food because I’ve been a celiac
for 10 years, and I thought, oh, I’ll do something with that. I was on Google, and I just came
across the Brand Ambassador position. I clicked on the link and just applied through there.

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Then I got an interview, and that was basically it. I kind of started and stuck with the
organization.
Participant B: I have a very similar story. I’ve always been interested in nutrition, and I think it
was spring semester of my freshman year I was looking for experience, and I came across a job
posting. I think it was on Monster.com, honestly, for KIND Healthy Snacks Field Marketing
team in Boston. So I started off working there, and then they developed the university program,
and I have been the first to be the Brand Ambassador at UMass.
Participant C: For both Campus Pursuits and Coca-Cola, they recruited me through LinkedIn.
For Campus Pursuits...for both, I did the interviews, and everything and go from there.
Participant D: I found out about Zipcar (from Participant E in focus group). I don’t really have a
good story. We worked together previously, so she basically just said hey here’s another job we
can do together.
Participant E: Yeah, I had actually gotten an email from them because of some senior leadership
positions I have from student organizations on campus. They said that because of your
positions with Greek life, you would be in a good position to try to get it up in the air. So I went
through the application process.
Moderator: Ok, so some of you touched on the application process, but we are looking for
specifics, so did you have to send in a resume or cover letter through an online portal, did you
have interviews? If so, how many? What medium--Skype, in-person, over the phone?
Participant A: From what I can remember because it was like 2 years ago, I emailed my resume,
and then they had an application form online that asked me to explain why I’m interested, what
experience I have, and other general questions. And then I had an on-the-phone interview that
lasted an hour; actually, it was me just talking a lot. And then that was it.
Participant B: Yeah, I went through Monster.com. It directed me to then contacting
KINDsnacks.com. I then sent them my cover letter and resume and got a phone call from the
field marketing team leader in Boston. We had a brief phone interview, and I was asked to meet
them at a Starbucks. And then we met and that’s it.
Participant C: For both of them I was contacted through LinkedIn and when I replied, they both
encouraged me to apply. I completed their applications. For Campus Pursuits, I filled out the
application and then I had a Skype interview. For Coca-Cola I had to fill out the application and
had a phone interview and for some reason it was supposed to be a few rounds, but I went
through one and I was all good.

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Participant D: For us at Zipcar, Participant E forwarded me the email about the opportunity,
sent in my resume, I can’t remember….did we send in a cover letter?
Participant E: I don’t think so. They had like an online application and we had to attach a
resume there. And there was like one round of phone interviews.
Participant D: Yeah, it was like a 20 minute to half hour phone interview. Very simple.
Moderator: What specifically encouraged you to apply? Were you looking for resume-building
experience, were you already a huge fan of the brand, did you like getting free stuff, were you
looking for a more flexible job, need money?
Participant A: Well for me, it was just kind of something I was passionate about just because it’s
gluten free food that I can relate to, and I felt like I bring it up to it. It applies to my major, which
is marketing, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity. It was unpaid at the time too, so I
didn’t really care about that
Participant B: I thought it was interesting and wanted to learn more about it. As a freshman, I
was looking to get more experience and figure out what I wanted to do as a career, but I did
already like the product a lot for sure. So when I saw that they were hiring, it got me excited of
course
Participant C: I think for me since I wasn’t really looking for them, it was probably the
flexibility. I wasn’t just going to be sitting at a desk, I was always part of their world, moving
and doing something different. That it was more like I was adding my spice to it, and I think
doing an internship like that was really encouraging and attractive to me
Participant D: For me, I’m a sports management major, which doesn’t really apply to Zipcar,
but I liked to focus on marketing and the job description seemed like they had a lot to do with
marketing and tying that in with sales, and I was looking for extra sales experience outside of
just sports. Plus the flexibility of like how the program worked and kind of being on your own
and doing things you want to do and getting creative with something I really liked, so it seemed
like a good fit
Participant E: For me, it’s a couple of pieces. I was actually getting paid, and I knew that this
was going to be a busy semester, but being able to make my own hours was huge for me. And I
also had just crashed my car the last summer, so they were offering a decent amount of free
driving credits for Zipcar, so that was pretty sweet
Moderator: When you found out about the program, how long did it say the commitment was
for? Academic year? September to May? Didn’t say at all?

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Participant A: For mine, it was just for the school year, so from September to May.
Moderator: And then you reapplied?
Participant A: No, I just kept doing it, but I just didn’t do it over the summer because I wasn’t at
the university.
Participant B: I started off in the Boston Field Marketing team, and then they opened the
university program. It was supposed to be for a year, but then they just kept re-hiring me I
guess.
Participant C: For Campus Pursuits, they had a very detailed contract. It was for both
semesters, and then you had the chance to reapply. You just reapplied to the specific job again.
For Coca-Cola, they didn’t really specify it, and I thought it was just a 1-year thing, but then
they’re like sign up is for eternity, so I guess it’s for good. Like an ongoing thing.
Participant D: Zipcar’s very specific. It’s a 10-week program. Right now we’re in week 8 or 10,
and then we’re done. Not really too sure if they’re going to continue it in the spring, like
throughout the country. They’re still deciding that, so we’re kind of in limbo for next semester.
But they’re very specific to what we’re doing right now.
Participant E: It’s a lot more structured of a program than I’ve done in the past because it’s
through an agency. It’s their job and Zipcar is one of their clients to create a Brand Ambassador
program for them. So they send us stuff and we’ll get themes every couple of weeks.
Moderator: So, did they do that because of a trial program they’re in?
Participant E: They’ve done it on some campuses in the past already, but I think they are just
deciding whether or not to continue it, so I’m not sure
Participant D: Yeah, I thought 10 weeks was kind of odd too. Ends before Thanksgiving, and
we have a month left of the semester after, so I don’t know.
Participant E: Yeah, they were talking about switching themes around for what works, based on
feedback from Brand Ambassadors.
Moderator: Now I’d like to switch to talking about your communication method with the
brand. I know some of you talked about this, but for the others, do you communicate with an
agency or directly with the brand marketing team of your company?

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Participant A: I just sort of have one mentor. I’ve had three different mentors since I’ve been
the ambassador, but she’s probably the one person I report to. I usually don’t talk to her that
much, sometimes I email her questions, but it’s mainly just me doing it on my own and then
reporting what I’ve been doing to her every month.
Moderator: So, you said you had three different mentors. Does that make your job more
difficult?
Participant A: I mean, they’ve changed it many times, which is annoying, but they don’t answer
me a lot, so when I have questions or when they don’t send me products and I have
commitments, it can be very frustrating. I’ve had to deal with that a lot. I’ve had to get their
phone numbers, so I can call them, so I’m trying to be more communicative with them.
Participant B: Originally, I was talking to the Boston marketing team lead, and that was like my
mentor and the person I went to, and then there was a regional, like eastern team marketing
lead for only campus ambassadors that I was talking to last year, and now, since they keep
expanding, I’m talking to the team leads of Massachusetts schools. So it has switched a lot for
me too, which can be frustrating because we have to keep developing relationships with
different people, so it’s sort of confusing sometimes.
Participant C: For Campus Pursuits, at first we were talking to the co-founders directly because
it was relatively new, but this year we have a team manager who facilitates a lot of the
communication, so we report to him. For Coca-Cola, we have multiple communication things
going on. We use a platform, Slack, and within Slack, there’s like three people who are in charge
of talking to all the ambassadors across the country and answering questions, so we’re all in
there and talking. When it comes to product-related things, I talk to the ??? (13:35) on campus.
That’s my primary contact for product, but if I have questions about the job or assistance things
I would use Slack.
Participant D: For Zipcar we go through an agency called Fluent, and Fluent does a couple
things. They do multiple brands and Brand Ambassador programs throughout the country, and
so we have Scott, basically we report to him weekly about what’s going on. We send him a
report weekly, which he looks over for all the Brand Ambassadors across the country. He helps
to make sure we’re fulfilling the qualifications and duties that Zipcar has told them that they
want us to do. In regards to how that works and how that makes us feel, it’s pretty annoying to
have to go through a middleman because a lot of the information gets lost in the mix. Just one
example for instance, in terms of getting paid. We were supposed to get paid like three weeks
ago, but because Zipcar has to send the money to Fluent and Fluent has to send the money to

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us, and the amount of money we get paid is dependent on if we fulfill certain qualifications for
the week. We can get deducted for not doing a report or whatever it may be, and Zipcar has
been late with it, which means Fluent has been late with it, and at the end of the day that means
we don’t get paid. And not having that direct, one-on-one contact with the actual brand we’re
working for. Like we haven’t talked to anyone from Zipcar with this program. It’s pretty
frustrating.
Participant E: (agrees with Participant D--nods)
Moderator: You guys kind of touched on this a little bit, but what is your main mode of
communication? Whether it be phone calls, emails, or in-person. I know you talked about Slack,
so is there a certain medium entirely? And how frequent are these communications? Weekly, bi-
weekly, monthly?
Participant A: We set up a Google page, which is kind of like a Facebook group for all the
ambassadors, but that didn’t really work out well. No one was really posting in that, so then
they ended up doing a Facebook group, which is actually a lot better, and I’ve actually gotten in
contact with my mentor through that. She finally answers me through Facebook messenger, but
nothing else. I message her every month and send her pictures, but other than that, if I have a
question, I don’t really talk to her that much.
Participant B: I’m usually emailing my mentor/head person pretty frequently, almost daily I
would say. We have an official phone call; I think it’s every 3 weeks, and then at the end of the
month, on a Google doc, we record how many bars we gave out, we put our pictures, the events
we did, things like that. But I’m talking to her pretty frequently.
Moderator: And what are you talking about on those calls? Like what’s the focus of the calls?
Participant B: Our focus is for the month, or what are my event plans and what campus
partnerships can I seek out, should I be getting more product to give to students, like what’s my
customer base, things like that.
Moderator: Ok.
Participant C: One thing we do is all ambassadors attend a webinar every month where we go
over what the sampling calendar looks like, and what we have to do in this month, and what
happened in the previous and future months. Other than that, primarily use email to talk to my

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contact on campus and probably weekly be like I need these products by Friday, can you send
them in? Other than that, I don’t have a direct person that’s in charge of me. It’s very
independent.
Participant D: You want to take this since I took the last one?
Participant E: I think the only thing I’d add is that we have a weekly conference call with all the
other Brand Ambassadors that are on the same schedule as us, so that’s actually something I
really like because we get to hear what others have done during the week and what events they
are planning for the next week.
Moderator: Ok. Do you have specific goals that you have to meet monthly? I know we talked
about that a little bit, but are there any goals that you need to meet monthly or even weekly?
Participant A: For mine, it’s kind of a hot me like do what you want with it and make it your
own. So when I do an event and need to report it back, I tweet it out to my 30 followers that I
have, and I’ll put it in the Facebook group. So mine’s very unstructured.
Participant B: I feel like mine’s very structured compared to that. I’m required to give out 2,000
bars a month, required to do at least three events per month, 7 occasion samplings, a demo, and
like “Kind acts” which is spreading kindness to school. I’m required to do a lot of those. It’s
very structured and they want you to report on exactly what I’m doing in the most detailed
manner ever like I basically call they call it creative writing and I need to creatively depict what
I’m doing on campus with my pictures to really show what I’m doing.
Participant C: Our’s is very structured. They have the calendar for the whole year. We have to
sample this certain product on this date to that date. There’s a lot of logistics around what
products and how we’re getting them. Some of the things that are not very structured is they
want to utilize social media, posts and things like that, and that’s a very self reporting kind of
thing. There’s this document for like where you put the date that you submitted something and
where you put the link and how many interactions you get, so with that, it’s kind of like it’s on
you and they have a leaderboard, so you get points for how many retweets you get and other
things. So they kind of track that, but in terms of how many social media posts, the only time
you have to have something that’s structured is like hey we’d like you to make a post about it.
Other than that, it’s very structured.
Moderator: With the leaderboard, do you feel like that’s an effective motivator? Like I have to
be number one or is it like whatever, I don’t care?

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Participant C: With the leaderboard, the incentive is if you’re the top scorer, you get an
internship with the company.
Moderator: Oh, wow.
Participant C: So it’s a big incentive.
Moderator: Yeah, it is.
Participant C: Yeah, I think for me personally, since this is my first time doing it, and there’s
been no one else at UMass, it’s not a big incentive for me because I’m trying to get in the flow of
everything, but in the future, I’m going to be going for that top spot.
Participant: Yeah, exactly.
Participant D: So at Zipcar, it’s extremely structured. We have phone conversations weekly.
Participant E: We have like a chart for what we need.
Participant D: Yeah. We need like two emails a week, five pictures a week, four social media
posts for the entire 10 week program, we need three new member acquisitions for the 10 week
program. Anything else? (turns to Participant E).
Participant E: (laughs)
Participant D: We need to host an event every two weeks.
Participant E: I can’t think of it right now, but I should.
Participant D: We need to attend the weekly calls.
Participant E: The report every week.
Participant D: We need to submit a report every week.
Moderator: You’re stressing me out.
Participant D: And that is that. Is it frustrating? Yes it is.
Moderator: So, how would you change it? I mean obviously you think that’s too much
structure, right? And that there’s too much being asked?
Participant D: It depends on the week. Like this week we don’t have an event, so like…

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Participant E: It’s tough to get by with all these pictures when we don’t have an event at all, and
yes we’re sending out emails and having conversations with people, but it’s not necessarily
something you’re going to have swag on you to take a picture. So some of them are kind of
unrealistic, but I do like the organization. I do know exactly what’s expected of me and what
will happen if I don’t.
Participant D: It’s good to know what’s expected of you, but not having that much structure
when there aren’t events would be nice. It just doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but that
structure is good when you do have an event.
Moderator: Ok, that’s good to know. Now we’d like to delve into more of the specifics of the
experiences of the programs you’ve had on campus. For those that are part of more than one
Brand Ambassador program, which is your favorite? For those that are part of one, what’s your
favorite aspect of that program?
Participant A: I think for me I really like the gluten free food, and a lot of people don’t know
anything about that. I kind of have to teach them and the image around it. A lot of people are
like oh gluten free food, that’s gross, and I don’t blame them at all, but that’s my life. I think it’s
kind of fun because I get to hold events and go to clubs and talk to them about gluten free
foods. I sometimes talk to dining hall managers and I try to get more options on campus. It was
more than just a Brand Ambassador thing for me, kind of like an organization, more of a
passion for me.
Participant D: Lifestyle.
Participant A: A lifestyle. There it is.
Participant B: I think my favorite aspect is the corporate social responsibility driven. The whole
point of it is to not only to give out the KIND label but doing a kind thing. I’ve done so many
cool that I would not have done like giving back to charities. I’m planning an event right now
like getting hats and gloves and scarves and things to give to students walking to class that may
not have them on a cold day. So it’s just things like that I wouldn’t get to do normally, but they
really encourage me to do, and people appreciate when they can take part in something like that
too effortlessly. It’s important to have another motivation besides just giving out the product.
Participant C: For Campus Pursuits, my favorite part was the treasure hunting app. I really
enjoyed hiding prizes. For that we could use Snapchat videos to hide the prizes, and I would
add music and do cool camera angles. A lot people liked me for that. It was growing at UMass,
and they’re like oh my gosh you should do this all the time. It’s nice because I could use the app
through UMass and be like if you’re having a bad day, but there’s a prize around the corner for

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you to go find. For Coca-Cola, my favorite aspect is how big the company is because the own so
many different products. So like a lot of times when I’m sampling and stuff, people are like oh
you work for Coca-Cola? You work for Minute Maid? And I’m just for Coca-Cola, but I like to
tailor for many different interests and tastes and not just being from 9-1 product. It’s really cool.
Participant D: They come up with a lot of cool freebie stuff. Like we’ll give away this credit card
holder on the back on my phone (shows phone), and I’ve never had one of those before. I like
stuff like that. I always run out of pens, and they give us like way too many pens.
Participant E: 200.
Participant D: Yeah, so I’ve got pens for days. They came out with some really cool footballs, so
they do a good job at tailoring to easy, simple interests that people will like to have Zipcar on
them.
Participant E: Yeah, I really like the way they organize all the themes that they send us stuff out
to support it. I did an event for Cosmo a couple of years ago, and there was absolutely no
organization. I felt I didn’t do anything on campus because I had no idea what they were
expecting me to do and what was supposed to be going on. Having it laid out like this is what is
supposed to happen.
Moderator: I know we talked about the themes a couple of times, but what’s an example or two
of a theme?
Participant D: So, Zipcar-aeoke. Was how you pronounce it.
Participant E: We had clips that would hold your phone and put it on the car vent. Like we had
to film the Zipcar-aeoke video.
Participant D: Or like the football event...there were tires that said Zipcar on them. Then we had
footballs. So I would just throw footballs at people that were walking. They would get rattled,
but then they would try to throw them through the Zipcar tires.
Participant E: People were probably the most receptive to us when we paired up because we
had food and games. I thought it was really cool. The partnership was good.
Moderator: We are going to talk about partnerships later, so bookmark it! Were there any
specific perks and incentives, like we talked about money, that urged you to continue working
for the company? Any that stand out in your mind?
Participant B: Definitely the money. Definitely the free products. And I guess a less materialistic
answer to that would be like it’s cool to get to know other campus organizations and got to

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partner with Zipcar. Just a lot of events you wouldn’t have gotten to do if you weren’t in it. You
don’t have to branch out without having to try harder to be required to go to all these events,
and you get to go to things that you wouldn’t.
Participant C: I’d say the thing that works is that if you’re doing a good job they’re always
saying they can help you with resumes and stuff like that. Not looking at just the company
itself, but around campus. They did provide us with a lot of cool incentives, and not just free
products, like they give us business cards and tell us to put this in our emails, so the brand
recognition and the company recognition helps with things like resume-building and
communication with different people on campus, so it’s not just like I’m another person that’s
trying to convince you why you should let me do this. Like hey I work for this company, so I
like that professionalism that it comes with. I think the most important thing for me is being
able to interact with people, especially at UMass because it’s such a big campus and you
probably won’t see the majority of the people that go here. It’s kind of a way to get to people, so
even if you don’t know them personally, they might remember you.
Participant D: Oh, am I answering this one?
(laughter)
Moderator: Ok. So, we touched on this a little bit with you guys, but for the rest of you, the
structures that you have or the lack thereof, do you find this effective or ineffective?
Participant A: Mine’s very unstructured, so sometimes I get really lazy with it because I’m like,
well, I don’t really have to do an event this weekend. I don’t have to do a post this week. But I
also like it because I can do what I want with it. It’s very different from your guys’ brands for
sure--it’s a new brand but also a new program, so I get to really just do what I want. I get to do
whatever events I want to do, and I think that’s good because it adds a new flavor to what
they’re looking for.
Participant B: I think it’s effective because even though I have to report and give out at least
2,000 bars, I can still be creative, and if I don’t have time for an event that day, I don’t have to do
the event. You make your own hours as long as you get the products out and get your pictures
and at least do something during the month, it’s Ok.
Participant C: I found the structure of what I had to do very helpful, but not having the
structure within UMass dealing with all the logistics and everything else was kind of stressful
because I have to set up all these meetings with different people on campus and things like that.
But what happens if they say no, right? And for me, the first thing I remembered was that I
have to get ice cream, and I tried to talk to Food Services to get ice cream, but he wouldn’t give

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me ice cream. So then I’m like, do I have to go out and buy ice cream on my own? Overcoming
those little things is a little frustrating, but I think it was a big learning curve that I had to go
through, and now I feel like there’s a good balance. I know what I have to do now, and the way
of going about doing this activities is on me, so I like having that sort of autonomy. So I think as
long as you know what’s going on and you have both of those, it’ll work out really well.
Moderator: We kind of briefly touched on this. So if you’ve hosted events for your brand
ambassador programs, what were the events? Were they on or off campus? Did you partner
with any campus organizations? And what do you think would’ve made the events more
successful?
Participant A: For events, I talked to clubs and talked to them about gluten free lifestyles and
things like that. I go to a lot of the club events and hand out food there. I hosted a conference
two years ago and it was like a healthy living conference, like (Participant B) was there, and
there was another ambassador and someone from the gym, things like that. I partner with
(Participant B) a lot because she’s one of my roommates and because she has gluten free KIND
bars, which kind of correlates.
Moderator: Is there anything you would’ve done to make them more successful?
Participant A: Probably just marketing them more. Letting people know I’m doing an event
before I do it. To get the word out.
Moderator: Ok, yeah.
Participant B: I usually don’t make events, I usually sponsor events and go to events and hand
out food. I do a lot with UPC (“University Programming Council”) and make sure there’s a
healthy option on the table next to cookies and brownies. I do a lot of 5Ks for like sororities and
fraternities or alumni association, yoga events, and things like that. In terms of making my own
events, I usually don’t do that. I usually just go and table and hand out food, but I have
partnered with different ambassadors, like we did a Zipcar event, and I partner with
(Participant A) a lot for Udi’s. The prior Coca-Cola ambassador, I did an event with him before
as well, but it’s not like an event, it’s more like we go to a 5K race and give out product and talk
about picking a healthier alternative.

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Participant C: A lot of the events I had to do so far were social media-based. I had to do a Just
Dance! one, promoted a FIFA one right now for xBox1. Like the sampling events were kind of
successful because I had to get it set up, I had get a spot set up, and people just came and
grabbed, which wasn’t that hard. But with the social media ones, and the ones that require
registrations and things like that, those were a little more difficult in terms of how do I reach
people. I could set up a table and do that, but in terms of getting them on social media platforms
and getting people to read the messages, sign up for these things, and actually do them, it was a
little more difficult. Like yeah you can come in and grab free product, but to get someone to
come in and do something, so that’s something I’m trying to work on--how can that be more
effective. Right now with the FIFA tournament, we’re supposed to get at least 60 people
registered, and for me, I’m thinking I can send emails, contact the gaming clubs, but it’s just like
how do I maximize communication to get that to happen. Until I can figure out the best way to
go about it at UMass, it’d be more successful, but for now, it’s a give or take.
Participant D: For us at Zipcar, the best way is already having the knowledge of being at
school, like where people are and where people go. A lot of our events have been in high traffic
areas where we know we can get to people like no questions asked. For example, with our
partnership with KIND bars, we were right next to the library during class switching times, and
so we knew hundreds of people were going to walk by us at once. And that was really effective.
At least, as far as the partnership goes, kind of throwing two completely different things at
someone at once, which are both unique and interesting and captures their interest brings them
over.
Participant E: One thing that’s been really helpful for our events is the marketing budget. We
had a Zipcar pizza party at one of the main apartment buildings, which I think was helpful
because we didn’t have an actual product to give out to people.
Moderator: So, for the marketing budget, do you submit your bills to the agency or…?
Participant E: They just sent us money at the beginning of the program.
Moderator: We’re almost done. We just have like three more quick questions. What do you
think are the best ways for brands to attract prospective Brand Ambassadors? We talked about
the incentives, but what would grab you if Peter Pan came up to you?
Participant A: If they sort of market it as something relevant to your career path, like that really
attracted me to ours at least. It talked about how it was less of a sales program and more of

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building brand awareness on a campus, and branding was something I was really interested in
within marketing. It sort of made sense with what I was doing in school.
Participant D: We’re all broke college students, so I would heavily suggest against an unpaid
Brand Ambassador program. More likely than not, you can get someone to do it anyways, even
if it’s unpaid, simply because statistically speaking, there are thousands of people here who are
going to want a job, but the effort level is going to suffer more likely than not because it’s
unpaid. That would be the number one thing I would stress to any company trying to build this
program.
Participant C: I think the description of the job is really important and being able to show what
other paths ambassadors have done. For me, hearing the description was cool enough. But I
really wanted to know what I was going to be doing. Was I just going to be making calls? Was I
going to be doing this or that? I think having a strong visual depicted in was important.
Another thing I would describe...Also just like what the training was like. I know that when
they were talking about the training that really caught my eye. They’re like you’ll go to the
headquarters for training, and I’m like that’s really cool because they’re really trying to immerse
us in the company. So something that really makes the potential ambassadors feel closer to the
company, something that makes them feel valued, versus just we’re making you do this job
because we need you to versus your skills and what you bring to the table is really important.
Participant B: I agree with what everyone has said. One thing going off of what you just said,
making the ambassadors feel like they’re part of the company because most of the time it’s just
you as yourself as the ambassador, and you don’t really have a co-worker. You’re only talking
to your boss over the phone, so there’s not much face to face action with the company. One
thing that KIND did that I really enjoyed was that they fly all their ambassadors to Chicago and
train them, you meet the CEO, and you really feel like you’re part of the company, and it makes
you want to try harder and that they’re working towards a goal that you’re part of to reach that
goal. But I definitely think money is important too. If I wasn’t paid, I wouldn’t have half the
effort that I do to do this job. Like we are all working at the end of the day for experience and to
get money because we are all broke college students.
Participant A: I would say having a fun culture that people can relate to, so it’s not just strictly a
job, but also having fun with it. And also being able to put what you’ve learned at school to the
test. Marketing, especially for me. I can really expand on that and take what I’ve learned in class
and put it into reality.

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Moderator: Cool. Ok, second to last question here. Do you think Brand Ambassador programs
are an effective marketing tool, not just in the sense of building brand awareness, I think we can
all agree that that’s a given, but in translating that brand awareness into actually sales?
Participant B: Yes. I mean just from past experience, my sales through the Trader Joe’s here and
Whole Foods and Big Y are all tracked and they’ve gone up around here. I don’t know if it’s
actually because I’m doing a good job or if just the brand has become better, but it’s definitely
one incentive for me to try harder because I know my sales are getting tracked. I think that it is
a way to actually sell the product because I meet so many people that didn’t know what these
bars were and they tried it, and they’re hooked on them and want to go buy them or call their
mom to send them a care package for it. I do think it’s a very effective way.
Participant C: For what Coca-Cola is doing because they don’t have a big problem, I think what
they’re really trying to do is consolidate all the products under them and be like hey all these
products are under Coca-Cola and trying to build that recognition and also trying to branch out
in different things to be more connected because I think the point like yeah you have all these
machines everywhere, but there’s no contact or human interaction going on. In terms of
building customer values, I think in that sense, yeah building more value and having someone
to talk to and things like that, and there were some people at the core power who would see it at
Harvard or something and try it and be like oh wow that’s really good, so I think in terms of
building value and increasing sales, I think Coca-Cola is trying to build more customer value.
Participant D: I don’t really know.
(laughter)
Moderator: Ok, last question. This is really general, but do you guys have any
recommendations for specifically Peter Pan? As people who are on campus, as college students,
for Peter Pan creating a Brand Ambassador program, can you think of anything specific those
Brand Ambassadors should be doing to get your business?
Participant B: Coupons.
Participant D: Lower the prices.
(laughter)
Participant D: 100%.
Moderator: If the prices lower, a lot of people are against it because service or Wi-Fi is really
poor, so would you consider that if the prices were lower?

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Participant D: If it was like half the cost, yeah. Or if you gave out a free ride or gave a student
discount, like there’s no student discount I don’t think. There are like really simple things you
can do.
Participant E: This is something really simple, but like having a Brand Ambassador be very
knowledgeable about all the ins-and-outs of it, like I didn’t know anyone that would be
interested in Zipcar, so I was worried about doing the program, and then once I started talking
to people, there were a lot of people that I usually just take a train to do this, or I need to get
home and do this, and being able to tell them all the different features and all the benefits that
would be useful to them, that worked really well.
Participant A: Even like a loyalty program or something. Take like four rides and get one half
off or free or something. I used to take Peter Pan all the time Freshman and Sophomore year
because I didn’t have a car, and the price was awful, but I had to do it. Like people would
definitely use it, but they don’t want to pay for it.
Participant B: Maybe you take a ride and you share it on Facebook or something and your
friend gets her next trip like half off if you share the links, something like that. Just lowering the
cost really.
Participant C: I was thinking like what could you get from a customer base? As an ambassador,
can you have events that have surveys and things to see what the customers are actually saying
about the services and seeing what kind of valuable information you could get from them? I
personally feel like I have my issues, but people have so many different issues with say, Peter
Pan, that wouldn’t be fully addressed.
Participant A: I just thought of something, but if an organization was having an event and
needed transportation, like partner with Peter Pan would be a good deal.
Participant E: I feel like Greek Life is a good market for that because every time anyone has a
formal, we have to take the bus there. So that’s like every organization every semester. If they
could get into that market, that’d be good.
Moderator: Well, that is it. Thank you all so so much for your time.
GENERAL INTERCITY FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE
NOVEMBER 2016
Warm up: Introduce self, assure answers kept confidential and not assigned to any one person.
Only generalizations will be recorded and shared. Session protocol: I am timekeeper, may

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interrupt to keep on course, want thoughts from all not just one or few, hand count for
consensus on agreement.
“For our honors thesis project, we are trying to determine recommendations for increasing the
customer base for our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to understand
your experiences with intercity ground travel (travel between two cities). For your frame of
reference, we are focused on scheduled transportation instead of public transportation. We
thank you for your time and participation. Is it ok if we record this for data logging?”
Awareness & Introduction:
We would like to begin by asking about your awareness of different modes of transportation.
1) When you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? What companies come to mind?
Why do these brands come to mind? (e.g. you’re already a frequent user of the brand,
friends/family reviews, online, in the news, social media, etc.)
2) Do you look for reviews of intercity transportation providers, such as Peter Pan, Amtrak, or
any of the brands previously mentioned? If so, where do you seek these reviews?
Transportation Methods:
We would now like to understand if your parents have an influence on your transportation methods.
3) Who typically pays for your intercity travel, specifically do your parents pay for or book
these trips?
4) Do your parents suggest certain types of transportation and/or specific transportation
companies? If so, why? (e.g. safety, price, convenience)
Now we would like to shift your focus to your desired modes and brands of transportation.
5) What is your most-used mode of intercity travel (i.e. train, bus, car)? Why?
6) What companies do you use the most if or when you travel by bus or rail (Amtrak,
Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, BoltBus)? Why?

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7) Why would you choose to ride rail over bus or vice versa? (E.g. convenience, time of travel,
location, features on-board, etc.)
Social Media:
Now we’d like to talk about the kinds of transportation companies and how you use social media to
communicate.
8) Would you ever follow a transportation company on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram?
Snapchat? Pinterest? Why or why not? Any other social media platforms?
9) What posts would you find valuable?
Deals in general? Deals geared towards college students in general? Deals geared toward
UMass students in general? (How many participants voted? Why?)
General scheduling updates? Scheduling updates related only to UMass routes? (How many
participants voted? Why?)
Contests? Photo contests? Raffles? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Pictures from the road? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Information about their routes and amenities? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Community involvement? (How many participants voted? Why?)
Branding:
Now we’d like to transition into talking about how you view these intercity transportation companies.
10) What comes to mind when you think of Peter Pan Bus Lines?
11) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan Bus before? If so, what did you like most about the
experience? What could have been improved?
Loyalty Programs:

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To conclude, we would like to get your thoughts on loyalty programs and recommendations.
12) Are you a member of a loyalty or rewards program?
13) Why have you joined a loyalty or rewards program? To save money, you already shop
frequently, personalized deals and rewards (e.g. birthday present/deal), status (e.g. Starbucks
Gold Status)?
14) What loyalty or rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016?
15) What is your favorite loyalty or rewards program? Why?
Thoughts & Recommendations:
Finally, one last question.
16) If Peter Pan Bus Lines had a loyalty program, what kinds of rewards would you like to see?
What would entice you into using the program?

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Millennial Traveler Focus Group #1
November 8, 2016
Moderator: Liz Imbrogna
Moderator: So, for our Honors Thesis Project we are trying to determine recommendations for
increasing the customer base of our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to
understand your experiences with intercity ground travel, which is travel between two cities.
So, this could be travel from Boston to New York or, like, UMass to Boston. That sort of thing.
For your frame of reference, we are focused on scheduled transportation instead of public
transportation; the T isn’t included; We’re looking at things like Amtrak, Peter Pan, that sort of
thing. Again, we thank you for your time and participation. Is it Ok if we record this for data
logging?
[All participants nod]
Moderator: Great. We’re trying to keep this to around 30 minutes to get you guys out as quick
as possible. We’d first like to begin by asking about your awareness of different modes of
transportation. So, when you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? And, kind of, what
companies come to mind? And why do these companies come to mind? To get your ideas
flowing here, it could be you’re already a frequent user of the brand, you’ve heard reviews,
you’ve seen them online, in the news, or on social media.
Participant A: For me, I think of intercity travel in Europe. I took the bus for school, and also for
spring break we traveled to Philadelphia and wanted to get there as soon as possible. Usually
buses I think of. Like Greyhound or Megabus.
Participant B: I know of Megabus because it’s $5 to New York if you get it early enough, and
then they jack the prices up after that. I’ve also used Peter Pan from UMass to Worcester. And
that one was more expensive, and it wasn’t the best experience.
Participant C: I think for me, the most common was from UMass to Boston for when I’m going
home, and Peter Pan has that one frequently, so I’ve taken Peter Pan frequently. And I’ve used
others to go to different cities. Like for New York, I would usually take Amtrak.
Participant D: I feel like I think of them because I drive the Mass Pike every weekend going
home, and I see them all the time
Moderator: Alright. So do you look for reviews of intercity transportation providers, such as
Peter Pan or Amtrak? Or any of the other brands you mentioned? Like Megabus?

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Participant A: I feel like price is most important.
Participant E: Yeah.
Participant F: Like Amtrak is so expensive.
Participant C: I mostly look at price. I’ve had friends that have had terrible experiences on
Megabus, so I usually try to stay away from that.
Participant B: I usually look at price when I’m weighing my options. Reviews don’t really
matter.
Moderator: So, we’d now like to understand if your parents have any influence over your
transportation choices. So, starting off, who typically pays for your intercity travel? Really what
we are looking for is do your parents pay for your intercity travel? Bus tickets, train tickets,
flight tickets?
Participant C: If I’m going home to visit them, yes. But if it’s something I’m doing on my own,
no.
Participant A: Never. No.
Participant B: No. They just say take a bus to this stop and we’ll pick you up there.
Participant A: Yeah, they tell me to take a bus to Worcester, but that’s like an hour from me.
Moderator: Do you know why they tell you to take a bus to Worcester?
Participant A: Because they don’t want to drive to Amherst.
Moderator: So it’s closer. It’ll get you a little closer.
Participant C: Why Worcester? That’s not close to you.
Participant A: Because the bus to Providence is like $60.
Participant C: What about Boston?
Participant A: Then it’s like a $20 T ride, and it takes like 5 hours.
Moderator: Ok, so kind of going off of that, you said that your parents would drive to a certain
place to pick you up from the bus, but do they suggest certain types of transportation
companies or types of transportation in general?
Participant C: They don’t like Megabus because they’ve heard very bad things about it.
Moderator: When you say “very bad things,” what do you mean?

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Participant C: Like I know people who’ve said the buses have broken down and they’ve been
stranded on the side of the road. I’ve heard that multiple times actually.
Moderator: Anyone else?
Participant G: I don’t really take buses, so I’m not having very much input yet, but if I were to,
going off of what [Participant C] said, the safety things would come into play from my parents.
Moderator: Going off that, do you think your parents are suggesting certain ones based off
safety or…?
[Participants nodding]
Moderator: For the record, I’m seeing lots of nods. Do you think price or convenience come into
play?
[Participants nodding]
Moderator: More nods. Ok. Awesome.
Participant A: And location too. Like the station in Worcester is really close to the highway,
which is really easy to get to for them to pick me up.
Moderator: Good to know. And know we’d like to shift our focus to your desired modes and
brands of transportation. So what is your most used mode of intercity travel? Train, bus, car?
And why?
Participant E: When I can, well I have a car now, but I would try to find someone else who had
a car, and I could get home quicker. It was so much easier. A better ride.
Moderator: You said “better ride.” What do you mean?
Participant E: Faster, one-on-one, so more enjoyable, and it’s cheaper.
Participant A: It’s more convenient finding someone who lives near you or in your town.
Participant C: It’s better than sitting on a bus for 2 hours.
Participant A: And for Peter Pan, you have to stop in Springfield, if you don’t get the direct one.
So that adds a little more time on.

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Moderator: And what companies do you use the most if you travel by bus or rail? That can
include Amtrak, Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, BoltBus
Participant C: I’d say probably Peter Pan.
Moderator: Because of the bus stop at Haigis?
Participant C: Yeah. And if it’s a train, then Amtrak.
Moderator: And why would you choose Amtrak?
Participant C: If I’m going to New York, I would take Amtrak because it’s more comfortable,
and it’s quicker. I would pay extra money for that. And it goes to a better location because it
goes into Penn Station.
Moderator: We kind of talked about this a little bit, but in what specific instances would you
choose to ride a train rather than take a bus?
Participant A: Yeah, if my parents were paying for it, I’d be like yeah, get me a train. Also,
traveling for work. Like corporate takes trains...Are there trains from here to Boston?
Participant C: Used to be.
Participant A: I would totally ride that.
Participant G: I took trains every day into Boston this summer, and it was easy. I don’t even
think there was a bus from where I live to Boston. Yeah, so I love MBTA.
Participant E: Well for me, I like trains because I can get work done on them. I can’t do work on
a bus. I don’t know why, like I get nauseas on a bus, but I don’t get nauseas on a train.
Participant C: Also, no traffic.
Participant B: I’d take a train because they are more time-centered oriented. Like I’ve taken
buses that say you’re going to arrive at 5 and don’t arrive until like 6 or 6:30. And then you miss
your other bus and have to wait for a few hours.
[Participants laughing]
Participant B: Yeah no, it happens a lot.
Participant G: Yeah and for long weekends and stuff, it’s probably more reliable to take a train
than a bus for traffic and everything.

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Participant A: That’s a good point. Traffic.
Moderator: So, we talked about this a little bit especially with the whole pick up and drop off
locations, but in what instances would you choose a bus over riding rail? So the opposite of
what I just asked.
Participant A: Going home from UMass Amherst.
Participant C: Yeah.
Moderator: Specifically and only then?
Participant A: That’s my first thought because I don’t have a car here this year. I would go to
work and can’t leave when other people leave, so I’m just stuck here. I rely on the bus a lot
because of that. Like if I’m traveling to another city, the first thought is whose car can I borrow?
Second is, how much does the train actually cost? And the third is, I’m always stuck in traffic
going by bus.
Moderator: Ok.
Participant A: How was that?
Moderator: That was great.
Participant A: I always think whose car can I borrow? Usually it’s nobody’s.
[Participants laughing]
Participant C: All very true.
Moderator: Awesome. So now we’d like to talk about social media. Specifically your
relationship with transportation companies on social media. So, would you ever follow a
transportation company on Facebook?
Participant G: Absolutely not.
Participant B: I might like them, but I wouldn’t follow them. Like hide all their posts.
Moderator: So why would you like them and not follow their posts?

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Participant B: Because I just like to see photos of my friends.
Moderator: Anyone else?
Participant A: Only if they offered like a really good coupon.
Participant E: Yeah.
Moderator: How about on Twitter?
Participant A: Yes. Yes. Like MBTA. Once over the summer, there were electrical wires on the
tracks, and I was sitting in Attleboro and the bus wasn’t coming, so I was like how am I
supposed to know what’s happening? So I ended up on Twitter, and they were updating every
second, which was amazing. That’s what I’d do. Like if Peter Pan had a problem, I’d probably
go onto Twitter.
Participant E: I’m like in the transportation field, so I want to be a transportation engineer, and
if I had a professional Twitter, maybe I’d follow them and follow a bunch of transportation
companies. Other than that, probably not.
Moderator: Ok, how about on Instagram?
Participant E: I don’t know what they’d be posting on it.
Participant C: Pictures of the buses?
Participant A: With the algorithm, I would never like it, so it wouldn’t be in my feed anyways.
[All participants say no]
Moderator: Snapchat?
All: No
Participant C: The number one reason is that I don’t follow companies on Snapchat. What
would they Snapchat?
Participant E: The bus?
Participant A: Actually if it was something funny like interviewing customers on board, then
you know what? Maybe I would.
Moderator: On Pinterest?

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All: No.
Moderator: Any other social media platforms that you would follow them on that I didn’t
mention?
Participant C: This isn’t really social media, but if anything, I would like email updates from
them. That’d be my only main thing really.
Moderator: Why?
Participant C: Like sending coupons, or something along those lines.
Participant A: Or updates. If they know I’m a frequent user of a certain line.
Participant C: This is a story, but when I was in London last semester, I signed up for updates
from the Tube lines because they would tell you if some were going to be closed for a weekend
or something for construction or something that had broken down, so that was convenient for
planning for the weekend. It helped you to figure out another option to get there. So like
something like that or updating about a new line coming out--that would be convenient.
Participant E: If it’s a long weekend coming up, and they know a lot of people will be buying
bus tickets and that they can sell out, they could send an email being like, “Oh you’re trying to
get home? We’re running out of tickets.”
Moderator: So, kind of going off of that, what posts would you find most valuable? Deals in
general, deals geared towards college students, or deals geared towards UMass students?
Which of those three would you find the most valuable, or which would you most want?
Participant G: Probably college students in general. Or UMass, but I don’t know.
Participant E: Yeah, or you want to go with friends who don’t go to UMass.
Participant A: A discount for UMass students would be a great idea.
Moderator: Would you want to follow posts that have general updates across all their lines or
find a way to personalize, such as just UMass routes?
Participant C: I think if they could somehow personalize it, like when you give your email
address when you sign up; I think if they could personalize it for the routes. If there was a way

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to figure that out, that’d be good because I don’t need to get updates about a Philadelphia line.
Like that’s not going to be important to me.
Participant A: Like if you only care about UMass routes, you could maybe create a UMass
Twitter account, just updating for the routes most UMass students use. So like UMass Amherst
to Boston. Like updates about going east if that’s a thing or if it’s happening. Because then
you’d have a lot of students who already use Peter Pan who would be interested in that
information. But, on the other hand, if there aren’t that many options other than getting to and
from UMass and Boston.
Moderator: Yeah, that was actually my next question. Would you be more inclined to follow the
company on Facebook or Twitter if it was like a Peter Pan UMass page. Like Peter Pan at UMass
account or Peter Pan at UMass Facebook.
Participant A: I feel like it’d be more relevant.
Participant B: I’d be more inclined if I was a frequent user of the service.
Participant E: Yeah.
Participant D: Yeah.
Moderator: General nodding of the heads. So, going off of other posts you’d find valuable,
would you find contests valuable, such as photo contests or raffles?
Participant A: Probably not a photo contest.
Participant C: Probably not a raffle.
Participant A: Or like a survey maybe.
Participant C: Yeah, a survey.
Moderator: We have a survey up, guys. You should take it. You could win one of 10 prizes. Ok,
anyways.
Participant G: Maybe not photo contests. Um, I don’t know. I don’t know how you’d get people
to participate.
Participant C: It’s not what I’d think about on a bus. Like let me take a photo. Like while I’m on
the Mass Pike…”Oh yeah, that tree looks nice.”
[Participants laughing]

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Moderator: You guys kind of answered that, but photos from the road?
Participant C: No
Participant E: No
Participant A: Do we post it or do they?
Moderator: They post it.
Participant A: What kinds of pictures, though? Like how many can you take of a bus?
Moderator: No, like through the window while you’re on the bus. Sorry. Like your experience,
not of the bus.
Participant E: I feel like when people take the bus, they aren’t looking for a view. They’re just
looking to get from point A to point B. Not like, “Oh, look at that scenic route we’re taking.”
Participant C: I feel like I’m usually asleep on the bus, so I’m not really looking outside.
Participant E: Think about the views you’re missing while trying to take a picture.
Participant G: Unless it’s really cool, then like no.
Participant A: If I saw the Eiffel Tower...like hell yeah.
Participant C: I’d like to see a Peter Pan bus going by the Eiffel Tower.
[Participants laughing]
Moderator: Alright, so. Information about their routes or amenities? Kind of like product
promotion type posts? Would you find that valuable? Or would that motivate you to use their
services in any way?
Participant C: I mean if it was something that was really going to make the experience a lot
better, then yeah that’d be useful to see.
Participant A: If it was more unique than just Wi-Fi, bathrooms, extra legroom, USB ports,
outlets. Like I feel like all of that should just be normal nowadays because that’s how we travel.
Participant C: Plus, all Peter Pan buses have all those things now anyways, right?
Moderator: Yeah. Yeah, they do. Anything else?
Participant G: I mean I feel like being knowledgeable about the brand. Like, “Oh, did you know
you can take a bus here?”

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Moderator: How about posts that highlight their community involvement? Would you find that
valuable? Would you engage with that?
Participant B: Yes.
Moderator: Overall nodding. Awesome. So, now we’d like to transition to talking about how
you view these intercity transportation companies. What comes to mind when you think of
Peter Pan Bus Lines? Be honest.
Participant E: Lately, overpriced.
Participant A: Gets me where I need to go.
Participant E: I feel like it’s relatively nice in terms of intercity buses.
Participant A: They’re comfortable.
Participant B: So, I’ve taken them twice to go to Worcester, and one experience was good and
the other was late because the bus driver took a wrong route. And then I missed one of the
buses, and I had to wait for a while. Yeah, that wasn’t very good, but I take Peter Pan all the
time because I’m on the baseball team. We take it to the airport, and they’re always a good
experience. The newer buses are nicer. I’ve used a bunch of buses all over the country, and Peter
Pan is definitely a bit more roomy than others, and it has good amenities.
Moderator: Great. Anyone else?
Participant A: I feel like I don’t think of one breaking down or one flipping over on the highway
a lot.
Participant C: Yeah, like I feel like nothing too bad about Peter Pan. I feel like it’s the tiny bus
companies that have issues.
Participant B: I’ve had a couple flat tires with them.
Moderator: Oh really?
Participant B: Yeah, but I’ve used them a lot.
Participant A: When I was in England, I was on a bus and we saw a bus that crashed into
another bus in front of us. It was kind of the icing on the cake. I’ve never heard of anything like
that before. They were really great though, and very convenient.

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Moderator: Anyone else? Ok. I think everyone has taken a Peter Pan bus before, so what’d you
like most about that experience?
Participant A: The location of the stops are really convenient for people at UMass. Getting to
Worcester. I live downtown and it comes downtown, so that’s convenient.
Moderator: Downtown Amherst?
Participant A: Downtown Amherst, yeah. And Haigis on campus is really good.
Participant C: The Wi-Fi. I thought it was better than expected. It only disconnected me a
couple times, but it was actually pretty fast when I was using it.
Participant B: I think the best is having enough room to have your laptop up and stuff like that.
Moderator: I know in our initial meeting with the company, they didn’t feel like there was
enough room for a laptop, but you do think so?
Participant B: Well, I kind of do. I was playing a game on it.
[Participants laughing]
Participant B: It was kind of angled. I wasn’t using it for work. I couldn’t do that. I have a
smaller laptop now, maybe now it could work.
Participant C: I was actually doing work on it on Sunday. Honestly, it worked out fine; I found
there was enough room for me. I was also in the front row, so there was probably some extra
room.
Moderator: What did you like least about your experience?
Participant A: Having to take the bus.
[Participants laughing]
Participant A: I just really wish I had a car.

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Participant B: Sometimes the bathroom smells. It doesn’t really lock it in too well if you sit back
there. Especially with 35 baseball players on the team.
[Participants laughing]
Participant B: On a 12 hour trip.
Participant C: Most of the time I’ve taken them, they’ve run a bit late. It’s just kind of annoying.
Moderator: How late?
Participant C: Usually it’s only between 15 minutes and a half hour, but it’s just annoying. Like
you’re just ready to get home and leaving the stop 15 or 20 minutes later is kind of frustrating.
Moderator: Have you taken direct buses?
C: Yeah.
Moderator: Do you find that it doesn’t matter whether or not it’s direct?
Participant C: Yeah. It sort of happens with both of them. It happens more frequently when it’s
not a direct bus.
Moderator: Our last topic that we’re going to talk about is loyalty programs. We’d like to get
your general thoughts on loyalty programs and your recommendations. We’ll first begin by
talking about loyalty programs in general--not in the transportation industry. Are any of you
members of loyalty programs?
Participant C: Yes.
Moderator: I see all nods, although I didn’t see one from you [to participant D], so are you not
part of one?
Participant B: [to participant D] Subway?
[Participants laughing]
Participant D: Yes, Subway.
Moderator: So, everyone is part of a loyalty or rewards program. So what are the reasons why
you’ve joined a loyalty or a rewards program? It can be anything from saving money to you’re

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already shopping there frequently, personalized deals and rewards, a birthday present, or
something like a status like with Starbucks’ program.
Participant A: Sephora has really good one, like dollars go towards points. Big Y you get more
savings.
Moderator: Does it help that you can see your savings? Like use you card and this is only 99
cents. Is that helpful or? Would you pay attention to that?
Participant A: Yeah. Like you see that and you’re like oh good, that’s on sale. Or like CVS.
Participant G: I was just going to say CVS.
Participant A: I love CVS. Love 30% off. Or like 25% off your purchase. It’s like a happy day.
Participant E: I like the punch cards too. I feel like that’d be a cool idea. Like you can get free
bus tickets.
Participant C: I’m going to join a loyalty or rewards program if I already go there enough, so I
might as well get something out of it too.
Participant A: Like Panera is great. Getting free drinks. Free chips.
Participant G: I think like getting a discount for signing up is good--something to initially grab
me.
Participant A: I don’t like loyalty credit cards. Don’t do them. I would never get a Peter Pan
credit card.
[Participants laughing]
Moderator: I don’t think they’re offering that, so don’t worry about it.
Participant C: If they had a loyalty program that’d be awesome because I’ve used it so much at
UMass already.
Participant A: Did you use the buses in England at all?
Participant C: Yeah.
Participant A: So, they have a program where you can pay 15 pounds if you’re a student, or
you’re in between 18 and 22 or something, and then it would discount all your rides in the
future. You had your unique code on the back of your card. It was the best thing ever. I could
get rides to London from Canterbury for like 8 pounds when it was supposed to be like 15
pounds.

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Moderator: So you had to pay to be part of the loyalty program?
Participant A: Yeah, but like totally worth it.
Participant C: Like for the discounts. If you use it enough, it ends up paying it off and getting
discounts.
Moderator: How long was it for? A year?
Participant A: That’s a great question. I think it was for a year. Like a full year membership, but
I only used 4-6 months of it because i was only abroad for the semester. I was also trying to
travel outside of England in addition to getting into London, so I was able to get discounted bus
tickets to the airport. The trains in the UK are like 30 pounds to get from Canterbury to London.
30 pounds is like $55, which is absolutely ridiculous. Like insane. When I heard that I could pay
8 with the pass, that was great. There was also a rail card for discounted train tickets. I’d totally
pay for it--completely worth it.
Moderator: Do you feel like you’d get the same value out of a program like that for Peter Pan?
Do you think you’d use the bus enough to pay into the program?
Participant A: Yes. If it was worth it. Like how much is the discount going to be and how much
is card? If it’s a $20 card, but only $2 off each ride, then that’s probably not worth it.
Moderator: How do the rest of you feel about that?
Participant C: Like if I’m going to pay into the program, it needs to be incentivized to use it
more than I would regularly because I want to make out what I’ve paid into the program. I
think for Peter Pan, it’d be good if they had a program that if you take x many rides, you get 1
free or something. I don’t know how many they would take to make that work, but I’ve been at
UMass for 4 years now, and I’ve used the bus countless times. That would’ve been huge.
Participant E: I think if I used it more than I would, it’d be worth it.
Moderator: You don’t feel like you currently use it enough?
Participant E: No, but that’s only because my brothers went here, so I always had a ride home.
But I know a lot of people that have used it a lot, so I think it would be worth it overall at
UMass.

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Moderator: Ok. So, we kind of touched on this a little bit, but what is your favorite loyalty or
rewards program? And why?
Participant G: CVS
Participant A: Panera
Participant B: The Subway one is good because it gives you the points, but multiple options for
what you want to spend those points on. So if you want to keep saving up for a foot-long
instead of a 6-inch.
Participant G: Sephora’s is really great too, and for your birthday, you get a free gift.
Participant E: Stop & Shop for gas is good.
Participant B: Cumberland Farm’s is good.
Participant A: Oh, Cumberland Farm’s is the best. Do you have the app?
Participant B: Yeah. It saved me like $60 on gas. That means I spent a lot of money there
because 10 cents a gallon. You save money by linking your bank account directly. They have a
phone app, and they have a card you can link it to. So you just like swipe or tap your card at the
pump, and it saves you like 10 cents per gallon at the pump no matter what.
Moderator: Oh, that’s awesome.
Participant B: Yeah, like if it’s $1.89, you get it for $1.79. And I commuted 40 minutes to work in
the summer in a Jeep, so I spent a lot of money, but I got 2-3 full tanks out of it.
Moderator: Oh, wow.
Participant C: Wow, that’s a lot of driving.
Participant B: Yeah, I put on 15,000 miles this summer, but it saved me a lot of money.
Participant A: So for mine, I just sit in the car and I put in the pump number and it authorizes it,
so I don’t even have to get out like when I’m in the cold, I just do it from my car.
Participant B: Plus they also give you free drinks.
Participant A: Free drinks.

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Participant B: Snacks. Free promotions. A lot of free coffees. Free food. And then they give us
free promotions like for a new product like a free cookie, which is good.
Moderator: I need to get this.
Participant A: Yeah, it’s really good. You need to download the app and link it like with the
routing number and account number.
Participant B: Yeah, because they save money on you by doing that, so they give it back to you.
They don’t have to go through the credit card companies or your bank account. There are all
those processing fees on them.
Participant A: It’s a lot of rewards. That’s a lot of loyalty.
Moderator: Again, we’ve kind of touched on this, but this is our last question before I let you
guys go: If Peter Pan Bus Lines had a loyalty program, what kinds of rewards would you like to
see and what would entice you into joining the program? Before we get into that question, I
want to go back to (looking at participant E) you because you talked about having a punch card.
Would you want a physical punch card or like a digital one if that was applied to Peter Pan?
Participant E: I feel like it would have to be digital for Peter Pan.
Participant B: I think digital because you buy all the tickets online usually.
Participant A: Like how many Antonio’s cards do I have lying around my apartment?
Participant C: You can also add those up.
Moderator: So, going back to my original question, sorry...I got you guys off course. What kinds
of rewards would you like to see and what would entice you into using the program?
Participant C: Free rides or money off rides. Or a points system based on how much tickets cost.
That’d be good too.
Participant A: I would totally pay for a card that gave me an ID that gave me discounted rides.
Having a specific code because I paid for it. Like $5 off every ride, and overall, rides for
students would be discounted because I pay for the student rider card. I would totally use it.

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Participant B: I think increasing discounts. So the first ride is 100% and then 99%. So, the more
you go, the more discounts you get. And it may reset after a month or so or after a year.
Moderator: Ok, yeah. That’s cool. Alright that was it. Thank you all so much again for coming.
We really appreciate it.

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Millennial Traveler Focus Group #2
November 9, 2016
Moderator: Liz Imbrogna
Moderator: So, for our Honors Thesis Project we are trying to determine recommendations for
increasing the customer base of our client, Peter Pan Bus Lines. In doing so, we would like to
understand your experiences with intercity ground travel, which is travel between two cities.
So, this could be travel from Boston to New York or, like, UMass to Boston. That sort of thing.
For your frame of reference, we are focused on scheduled transportation instead of public
transportation, so we’re not looking at things like the T; We’re looking at things like Amtrak,
Peter Pan, that sort of thing. We thank you for your time and participation. And you guys
already said it was Ok to record you for purposes of data logging, so great. So, we would like to
begin by asking about your awareness of different modes of intercity transportation. So when
you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? So, this could be what companies come to
mind, the experiences you’ve had with it, and why do these things come to mind.
Participant A: I would say Peter Pan comes to mind and also, like, Amtrak, as far as intercity,
actual on-the-road travel.
Participant B: You want actual companies?
Moderator: Companies or, like, yeah.
Participant B: Greyhound, Megabus
Participant A: Oh yeah
Participant B: [To Participant A] I feel like I’m stealing your answer
[Group Laughs]
Moderator: Ok, so why do these companies come to mind?
Participant B: Well, she [Participant A] said Peter Pan, so going off the bus theme. I don’t know
any other train companies other than Amtrak
Participant A: I don’t know any… I guess when I’m searching for intercity travel those are the
first options that pop up, like, Peter Pan and then Amtrak
Moderator: Ok

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Participant A: Other than flights
Moderator: You guys agree?
Participant C: Um yeah I just think of extendedly long, like, overly long times to get to places.
Moderator: Mhm
Participant C: Like, longer than it takes in a car normally
Participant B: 100%.
Participant D: I agree
Participant B: Oh and horrible Wi-Fi
Participant E: [Entering the room] Oh, hey sorry.
Moderator: [Laughs] It’s Ok, __________. There’s a seat for you right there.
Participant E: Oh, Ok, cool.
Moderator: Alright, so do you look for reviews of intercity transportation providers, such as
Peter Pan and Amtrak, or any of the other companies we just mentioned?
Participant A: Reviews?
Participants C & F: Not really
Participant F: Mostly because most companies have monopolies in the cities that I go to
Participant A: Yeah, exactly
Participant E: I like it when it’s cheapest
Moderator: Ok
Participant B: Maybe a word-of-mouth review for me maybe, I guess, and if they said it was a
horrible bus, I wouldn’t take it.
Moderator: Ok, so now we’re going to switch and talk about whether or not your parents have
any influence over your transportation methods. So who pays for your intercity travel?
Specifically, do your parents pay for your intercity travel?
All Participants: No
Participant F: I pay myself
Moderator: Ok. Do your parents suggest certain types of transportation and/or specific
transportation companies?

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Participant A: It depends on the circumstance. Like this summer when I was coming home from
New York to Boston, they wanted me home as soon as possible because it was kind of like an
impulse trip. So, I took the train, specifically Amtrak.
Participant C: I wouldn’t say my parents are involved
Participant D: Yeah, they’re not involved really
Participant E: No
Moderator: Ok, good to know. And now we would like to shift your focus to your desired
modes and brands of transportation. So what is your most used mode of intercity travel, such as
train, bus, car?
Participant D: Probably car
Participant C: Bus
Participant A: Yeah, car
Participant F: Probably car - depends on how far it is
Moderator: Ok, so why would you go by car or bus?
Participant B: Convenience for the car
Participant A: Autonomy
Participant B: Yeah, I can leave when I want, and I don’t have to sit on a crowded bus, and it
takes less time. It might even cost less depending on the bus ticket.
Participant F: I agree with the cost
Participant C: I don’t have a car, which is why I take the bus
Moderator: Ok cool. And what companies do you use the most if and when you travel by bus
or rail?
Participant D: Peter Pan
Participant E: Peter Pan
Moderator: [Laughs]
Participant A: I use Peter Pan and then when I was in Europe I used Megabus a little bit for one
trip
Moderator: Mhm Ok
Participant B: I’ve used Megabus. It’s not that great. So now I just-
Participant A: Solely Peter Pan

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Participant B: -drive. If I took a train, I don’t think there’s anything other than Amtrak, so I
would take Amtrak.
Moderator: Ok. And why would you choose to ride rail over bus?
Participant A: Doesn’t hit traffic
Participant F: Smoother ride
Participant B: More legroom. It’s-
Participant A: The legroom is a huge plus
Participant B: -more relaxing to be honest. If I want to relax and, well, I can’t remember if the
Wi-Fi works on Amtrak
Participant A: Barely
Participant B: But if I want to relax, it helps to have more legroom on the train. I just feel
cramped on a bus.
Moderator: How about you guys? Why would you choose rail over bus?
Participant C, D, E: I don’t
Moderator: Ok, so why do you choose bus over rail?
Participant D: I feel like it’s easiest, and, like, I go on the Peter Pan because it goes from UMass
to the Cape where I live
Moderator: Mhm
Participant D: So, convenience
Moderator: Convenience in terms of pick-up and drop-off locations?
Participant D: Yeah
Moderator: Ok. Cool, cool, cool. And now we’re going to talk about transportation companies
in relation to your social media use. So, would you ever follow a transportation company on
Facebook?
Participant A: Probably not.
Participant B: If they use like a discount or something, maybe
Participant C: Yeah
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: But other than that…
Participant D: Probably not

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Moderator: Ok
Participant E: With the discount though, that’s true
Participant B: If I was using them a lot and I knew I could get a discount or a coupon from
them, I would follow them.
Moderator: Ok would you follow them on Twitter?
Group: No
Participant F: I may look them up on Twitter just to see if there’s a delay or something, but
probably not follow.
Moderator: Ok
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: I don’t really use Twitter, so…
Participant A: Yeah I don’t really use Twitter
Participant C: Yeah, me too
Moderator: Ok. Instagram?
Participant A: Definitely not
Participant F: Probably not
Moderator: Ok. Snapchat?
Participants A, C, & D: No
Participant F: Definitely not
Participant E: Yes!
Moderator: Yeah? [Laughs]
Participant E: Yeah I don’t know
[Group laughs]
Moderator: It would be entertaining?
Participant E: Yeah
Participant A: What would their content be?
Moderator: Last night one of the participants was talking about having a bus driver Snapchat
from the road or something
Participant F: That’s not safe

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Participant E: I just want to see what Peter Pan would put on Snapchat
Moderator: Yeah? Just curious to see what would be on there?
Participant A: He’d follow them for a day
Moderator: Ok so if you did end up following them - I think the consensus was on Snapchat-
what posts would you find valuable?
[Group laughs]
Moderator: What?
Participant B: One person says Snapchat and that’s --
Moderator: Oh did I say Snapchat? I meant Facebook, I meant Facebook. So sorry! So, I think
the consensus was Facebook, so what posts would you find most valuable: deals in general,
deals geared toward college students, or deals geared toward UMass students in particular?
Participant F: All of the above, I think
Participant B: I mean we apply to all of those so…
Moderator: But which one of those three would you find most valuable or which would you be
most likely to follow?
Participant C: Deals geared toward UMass students
Participant D: Yeah, UMass
Participant A: I’d want the most specific ones, but also it’s going to be less relevant once we
graduate
Moderator: Mhm
Participant F: I would say-
Participant E: Yeah, to me it would only matter if it was in general. Sorry-
Participant F: No, sorry, go ahead
Participant E: It would only matter if I was planning a trip and then I saw also there was a
discount
Moderator: Mhm
Participant E: So it wouldn’t be the type of discount or if it applied to me; It would be the trip
Moderator: Ok
Participant F: I’m the type of person that impulse buys tickets based on how cheap they are, so
if I find a cheap ticket in general, I’ll probably use that.
Participant B: What if the day is wrong?

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[Group laughs]
Participant F: That’s literally how I got around Guatemala this summer. It cost me 200 bucks
roundtrip.
Participant B: Alright, that’s a little more exotic
Participant E: Did you take a Peter Pan bus?
[Group Laughs]
Moderator: Alright, alright, so in terms- Going back to posts on Facebook, which would you
find general scheduling updates valuable or would you find scheduling updates only related to
UMass routes most valuable?
Participant A: UMass routes
Participant C: Umm…most valuable: general scheduling updates or scheduling updates only
related to UMass routes?
Participant E: Wait, what was that? I’m sorry
Moderator: Going back to posts on Facebook, which would you find
Participant E: I wouldn’t find any updates valuable unless I had a ticket that had to do with that
route.
Participant C: Me too.
Moderator: Ok. So you would prefer more - so if you bought a ticket from UMass to Boston and
you got an email update about that, would you find that more valuable about that specific route
based on the ticket you bought?
Group: Yeah, yes
Participant E: If it was important
Moderator: If it was important?
Participant A: If it was, like, a delay, and I got a text update and things like that
Participant C: Yeah, I think that would be valuable because you might not check Facebook or
see the email if there’s a delay
Participant A: Right

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Participant E: ‘Cause don’t they send the receipt, if you buy your ticket online, don’t they send
the receipt to your email?
Moderator: Yep
Participant E: So, that’s already where, like, where you’re expecting stuff from them
Moderator: Ok. Good to know. Umm and then would you ever find contests, such as photo
contests or raffles valuable from transportation companies on Facebook? Would you care about
them? Would you participate in them?
Participant A: If I was feeling ambitious
Participant F: If it was, like, a high-value prize, I would
Participant A: Yeah
Moderator: Mhm
Participant F: Like...I don’t know… Like if it was a pretty long bus ride overnight, or something
like that, to some far-off city, sure.
Participant A: Very specific
Participant F: Or like...er - I cannot think today - Some credit voucher for some long trip or
something like that
Moderator: Ok, mhm, good, good. Would you find pictures of the road interesting?
Group: No?
Moderator: Sorry - I should clarify: Pictures from the road, so like-
Participant B: Like what?
Moderator: Like, from the trip. That sort of thing.
Participant A: The lines in the middle of the road look beautiful this time of year [Laughs].
Umm...Still no.
Participant E: No
Participant B: No
Moderator: Ok. Would you find information about their routes or amenities valuable?
Participant A: Only if the Wi-Fi was good
Participant B: Yeah Wi-Fi - good Wi-Fi- would be key on a bus
Participant A: Mhm

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Participant B: Like all bus Wi-Fi and train Wi-Fi is horrendous
Participant A: Megabus wasn’t too bad, and that was, like, amazing because I typically-
Participant B: Really?
Participant A: Yeah. The one time I took a Megabus
Participant C: Peter Pan has gotten better though.
Participant A: I haven’t taken Peter Pan in a while
Participant B: Yeah, I guess I haven’t taken it enough, but just in general it can be…
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: I just have preconceived notions that the Wi-Fi is horrible there
Participant F: Not trying to sound pretentious, but if you go to other countries, especially over
in Europe, they have amazing bus Wi-Fi
Participant A: That’s what I’m talking about. I took Megabus in Europe.
Participant B: Ohhh
Participant F: Oh, yeah, Ok
Participant B: So I guess I don’t know what Megabus is like over here
Participant F: Yeah every bus over there has Wi-Fi, and it’s, like, faster than my 4G on my
phone
Participant D: Wow
Participant F: Yeah and everyone’s connected to it, so they probably spend a lot more than most
American companies do
Moderator: Mhm
Participant F: It’s the little things like that that make it a much better experience.
Participant A: Yeah
Participant B: Wi-Fi is a big deal
Participant A: To re-iterate, I love Wi-Fi
[Group laughs]
Participant B: Well, if I’m going to be sending pictures of the road-
[Group Laughs]
Participant B: -I’m gonna want good Wi-Fi.
Moderator: Alright, would you be interested in posts about Peter Pan’s community
involvement?
Participants C, E, & F: No, Nope
Participant D: Probably not

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Participant B: Do I care? Or am I aware of it?
Participant A: Do you care
Moderator: Yeah, are you interested? Would you interact with it?
Participant B: Yeah, I would care a little, just because I’m from the Springfield area
Moderator: Mhm. Ok. Now we would like to transition to talking about how you view these
intercity transportation companies. So, what comes to mind when you think of Peter Pan Bus
Lines?
Participant E: Buses
Moderator: [Laughs] Good.
Participant B: I mean for me, I think “local”
Participant F: Yeah, like New England
Participant B: Better than Megabus
Moderator: Ok.
Participant D: Convenient
Moderator: Convenient? Ok. Good to know
Participant B: I also think “uncomfortable”
Moderator: Uncomfortable?
Participant B: Yeah, like overcrowded - cramped, rather
Participant C: I think of those little trays that are on the seat, like, in front of you. I tend to take
buses a lot. For athletics, we always take Peter Pan
Moderator: Mhm
Participant C: And they have these little trays in front, so we have long bus rides, and you
know how you put your legs up?
Participant A: Oh, yeah. So uncomfortable.
Participant C: Yeah, it’s just so uncomfortable. I’m just always on those buses, so that’s just
always what I think of.
Participant F: I know they’ve gotten a lot better over the years, but I remember a couple of times
freshman and sophomore year that they wouldn’t have enough buses to meet the demand, so
even if I got a ticket for, like, three o’clock, I wouldn’t leave until, like, five because they only
had, like, three buses and would oversell them terribly.
Moderator: Ok.

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Participant F: But, from what I’ve heard, they’ve gotten better.
Participant A: Was that to Springfield?
Participant F: No, to Boston.
Moderator: Ok, um.. And then have you- I think we kind of addressed this, whether or not
you’ve ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before, but, if so what did you like most about the
experience?
Participant D: Convenience.
Participant A: It was pretty convenient, yeah.
Moderator: Because of the pick-up and drop-off locations?
Participant D: Yeah.
Participant A: Yeah, definitely the pick-up location was good, right here on UMass campus.
Moderator: Mhm. Anything else?
Participant F: I think I had a pretty new bus, and that was a nice little touch.
Moderator: Ok. And what did you like least about the experience?
Participant A: There was a massive delay the last time I took it.
Participant C: I’d say price.
Participant F: Yeah, the prices have definitely gone up.
Moderator: Ok. Alright, cool. Alright, the last thing we want to talk about is we would like to
get your thoughts on loyalty programs and recommendations. So, first of all, are you a member
of a loyalty or rewards program?
Group: Yeah, mhm.
Moderator: For the record, there’s general nodding.
Participant F: Yes.
Moderator: Why have you joined a loyalty or rewards program in the past? It could be from
saving money, you were already shopping there frequently, they provided personalized deals
and rewards like a birthday present or deal, or they had different levels of status, such as the
Starbucks Gold Status.

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Participant A: I chose mine partly because of status, because I wanted the Gold Card [at
Starbucks], but also because you get free drinks along the way to go back.
Participant B: If I - like I have my Big Y card - If I use it all the time, then I might as well get a
rewards card because it builds up, and you can save some money.
Participant A: And it saves you a decent amount of money per purchase.
Participant B: Yeah.
Participant A: Yeah, discounts, coupons, store locators, things like that.
Participant C: Same.
Moderator: Ok.
Participant E: Really all the things you listed out.
Participant D: Yeah, mine has points, so once you have a certain amount of points you can get a
specific dollar discount or something.
Moderator: Ok. And what loyalty or rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016?
Participant F: Give me a name.
Moderator: Uh, Starbucks-
Participant A: Yeah, Starbucks, Big Y, CVS.
Participant F: A lot of the airlines.
Moderator: Like the JetBlue TrueBlue?
Participant F: Yeah, JetBlue, Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and all of their affiliates.
Moderator: Ok. Can anyone else think of anything?
Participant C: I think I belong to a hotel one-
Participant F: A lot of hotel ones too.
Participant C: - Like Marriott or something.
Participant B: I have my Antonio’s pizza card.
[Group laughs]
Moderator: Ok, and what is your favorite loyalty or rewards program and why?
Participant F: Target’s Cartwheel, ‘cause you can search for things, like in a general category
that you’re looking for, and it’ll give you some massive discount. You just scan a barcode when
you’re done and it takes, like, a couple dollars off your total.

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Moderator: Ok, cool.
Participant F: Usually it’s like 20 to 30 percent off.
Participant B: Umm… I like my Big Y card a lot and free pizza from Antonio’s
Moderator: Mhm. Always a plus. Anyone else? Your favorites?
Participant C: I think Big Y’s my favorite too.
Moderator: Mhm.
Participant A: Starbucks.
Moderator: Starbucks?
Participant A: Mhm.
Moderator: The status?
Participant A: Yeah, and the deals. The birthday drink - You can’t match that.
Moderator: Ok. Alright, one last question: If Peter Pan Bus Lines had a loyalty program, what
kinds of rewards would you like to see? And what would entice you to use the program?
Participant E: Discounts
Participant B: Yeah
Participant D: Definitely discounts
Participant A: A free ride here and there
Participant B: I feel like I would be more apt to be part of a bus lines loyalty program, if I use
the bus all the time. Versus, some, like, retail stores, if they’re just trying to get me to go shop
there, but I don’t need that kind of stuff, then I’m hesitant to join a loyalty program ‘cause I
don’t really care, but if I use the bus all the time, like, I know I’m going to be taking the bus
places, then I’m more likely to join a rewards program. I just don’t see what they stand to gain
from that kind of program.
Moderator: Mhm. Ok.
Participant F: If a bus company had a miles program, like-
Participant A: Mhm
Participant B: Yeah
Participant F: -redeem miles for a free trip or something
Participant A: That’s a good idea
Participant B: Kind of like airlines?

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Participant F: Yeah, especially for people that travel back and forth from UMass all the time,
that adds up.
Moderator: Right.
Participant B: It’s like the same style, too - It’s transportation
Participant F: Right
Participant D: Or even if they did something like Antonio’s, like, for however many rides you
take, they, like, give you a free ride. It’s kind of like the miles, but…
Moderator: Ok, cool. Anything else? Alright, that’s it. Thank you guys so much for coming.

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APPENDIX B

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South Station In-Person Interviews
Respondents: Rail and Bus Travelers at South Station
Monday, November 21, 2016
Location: South Station, Boston, Massachusetts
Interviewer: Liz Imbrogna
Respondent 1: (Was taking a Peter Pan Bus for the first time that day)
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Bus.
4) What made you choose bus over train? It’s cheaper.
Respondent 2: (Was riding BoltBus due to price relative to Peter Pan)
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Liked that it was quick. Wished Wi-Fi worked better.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Bus.
4) What made you choose bus over train? It’s cheaper.
Respondent 3:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Likes amenities. Too many transfers with PPBL and bus broke down once.
Uses the D+J to get to Portsmouth, NH.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose train over bus? No traffic, generally safe, more spacious.
5) What would make you take bus over train? Price.
Respondent 4:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Bus.
4) What made you choose bus over train? More comfortable, likes the driver and the
feeling of driving.

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Respondent 5:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? It got to the destination on time. Would’ve liked TV/entertainment on bus.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose train over bus? It’s more comfortable, legroom, bathroom,
faster.
5) What would make you take bus over train? Price, cheaper.
Respondent 6:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Liked that the bus brings her to destination nearest her because she’s in the
middle of nowhere. Experience would’ve been better if there were fewer stops.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose train over bus? More stable Wi-Fi and safety.
5) What would make you take bus over train? If she knows there are fewer delays on
trains.
Respondent 7:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose train over bus? It’s cleaner and faster than bus travel.
5) What would make you take bus over train? If the buses’ stops were more convenient
and the price were cheaper.
Respondent 8:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose train over bus? Fewer Stops.
5) What would make you take bus over train? Price.

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Respondent 9:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? Yes.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? Nothing would have made it better, Wait times and poor information about
wait times.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose Train over bus? Train was easier for respondent.
5) What made you choose bus over train? Convenience, if there were more pickup/drop
off locations, and better pick up times.
Respondent 10:
1) Have you ever ridden a Peter Pan bus before? No.
2) If so, what did you like most about the experience? How could have the experience been
better? N/A.
3) What is your preferred mode of transportation? Bus or train? Train.
4) What made you choose train over bus? Lack of personal knowledge of buses; trains
have a lot of availability and times to travel.
5) What made you choose bus over train? If it were cheaper.

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Expert Interview: Adam Grant
Area of Focus: Brand Ambassador Programs, Millennials & Marketing to College Students
Monday, October 31, 2016
Moderator: Rachel Kirshtein
Rachel: Alright, great so if it’s ok we’ll just jump right in with you. So just to provide a little bit
about us we’re seniors at UMass Amherst completing our honors thesis in marketing, and like I
said in the email we are consulting for Peter Pan Bus Lines for the semester and at the end of the
semester we’re putting together a recommendation for them regarding ways to increase
ridership and we’re interested in looking at the success of brand ambassador programs, and we
found your article on Forbes.com, really insightful, and thought we would reach out to you. So,
would it be ok to record this call for data logging purposes?
Adam: Yeah, no problem. So, are you guys, when you say senior thesis are you talking about
undergrad, or graduate?
Rachel: We’re undergraduate students, we’re part of the honors college here
Adam: Man, that’s funny, I went to Michigan State University, and we had the same setup, our
capstone course, Advertising 46, we were working with a real-world client and had to put
together research, then execution and recommendations, so I think I’m pretty familiar with
what you guys have going on over there
Rachel: Awesome, it’s crazy but it’s good experience for sure
Adam: It is, was actually one of my favorite classes, I think you can learn a lot more outside of
the classroom than you can within and this is a good example of that, of working with an actual
brand and client vs, a kind of, a textbook, so
Rachel: Got you, that’s awesome, cool, so I guess we’ll start jumping into the questions…
Adam: Yup
Rachel: … so we’d first like to understand your thoughts on marketing in general to college
students. So how would you recommend college students to reconsider a brand they already
know? Are there specific ways to win their hearts back if something went wrong along the way
or other brands are interfering?
Adam: Well, I think you asked a couple of questions within that one question and the beginning
is why you should market to college students, and I’m under the belief that all brands should
market to college students, it’s just the percentage of dollars they should devote to college
students that matters. And so why you should even consider marketing to college students is
we can, you guys can imagine yourselves now, I can imagine myself back in college, and we’re

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really away from mom and dad for the first time, we’re independent and we’re forced to make
our own purchasing decisions because mom and dad are no longer filling the shelves with their
favorite cereal, for example I always like to say when is the last time your parents have bought a
different cereal for you. And at some point, those habits were formed, and usually they’re
formed pretty early. So, when you’re independent for the first time, you know walking through
the aisles of Walmart you’re much more open too different brands, and so you’re developing
your purchasing habits your buying habits. And so, that’s why you want to get in the minds of
college students at that time verses minds of mom and dad who have been forming that habit
for a while now so it’s a lot harder to get them to change their cereal buying habits. Now you
might be a brand like, let’s say like an alarm company, right, where you look at an alarm, like a
home security alarm company and say, well that’s not, college students are not, probably not
their ideal customer. But they’re going to become their ideal customer as they graduate, and if
they don’t know who you are when you graduate you're really falling behind so maybe you
spend a lower percentage of your budget for that awareness, and go after an older student like a
senior, who when they graduate they may be buying their first home, so that home security
purchase makes a lot more sense and if they remember you at some point in their senior year,
likely going to include you in that process of decision making process so I think with, what is it,
Peter Pan Bus Lines, is that what you said?
Rachel: Yep
Adam: Yeah so, they seem to be a little bit more relevant with college, I’m sure like, do they
compete with like Greyhound, and, and all the other…
Rachel: Yep
Adam: ...kind of, ok so yeah, it’s probably cost effective travel and stuff like that makes sense
why, you know. This project right here by them getting involved and you working on them you
now will probably a lot more consider them as you graduate.
Rachel: Exactly
Adam: So, I don't know if that helped answer your, did that answer your question
Rachel: No, it totally did, we were at first just trying to understand your perspective in general
of marketing to college students so that was definitely helpful, and the parents stuff is
completely relevant, so great
Liz: So, the second part of that question, the how would you recommend getting college
students to reconsider a brand they already know, so we are asking that because Peter Pan at
least to the people we talked to on campus, they seem to view it as low quality and potentially
inconvenient, and we are trying to potentially reshape that brand image. So, we were
wondering your thoughts on reshaping brand images to college students

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Adam: Yeah so, I think it’s just paying, first of all its accepting what the market place thinks
about you and actually doing something about it. Um so I’ll use Spirit Airlines as an example, I
heard at a conference, I was at a conference speaking, and the guy before me, actually I was he
hadn't gone before me because he did such an amazing job, was a guy working for Spirit, and
he was in the marketing department as an executive and what he loved to do is take over
brands that needed a little bit of, a little bit of help with their public image and Spirit Airlines, a
lot of people think of Spirit, I’m sure there’re are some things that you guys have heard, you
know he was saying, hey, you know it’s cheap but I don't get a good experience, and what he
found was no one really understood Spirits value proposition, why they were cheap, why they
were, he also found out through his research that a lot of people that had these misconceptions
were going through Priceline and not Spirit.com so it was harder for him to control what
people’s perception was when they were going through other brands to book on Spirit Airlines.
But when they actually did an overhaul of their website and actually did a step by step process
so people understood before they got on the plane that the pop wasn't included, that they
needed to check their bags, so he made it a step by step process to educate on why spirit airlines
is cost effective. So, I think that is an example of taking research, taking what is known and
figuring out what I need to do to change that perception if the perception is false. Right, because
the perception could be true and then you have to fix it within your own internal company. But
doing that research, figuring out why that perception is the way it is and then shifting, and then
changing it internally or making a marketing campaign if someone else is shaping that
perception like Spirit Airlines with Priceline and Hotels.com and all those other places that you
could book airlines, you know, walking them through the right process to find why it was cost
effective, does that make sense?
Rachel: Yeah absolutely, thank you. And we saw that you helped Coca-Cola and HP for
example in the past, so we were just wondering what specific practices or tactics did you
encourage with that kind of support for them, and kind of like, if you could just elaborate on
what you did for the, if that’s ok?
Adam: So unfortunately, I can't talk specifically about those brands, but a brand that I can talk
through is Men’s Warehouse.
Rachel: Ok, great
Adam: So, do you mean sort of what we did or kind of go into a little bit of a more detailed
question for me there to help me out
Rachel: Yeah, just kind of like, what you did, what was accomplished, how the program was
successful, some of its drawbacks
Adam: Ok, I think that you just have to have a process when you’re going through a marketing
program rather than, you know a lot of your classmates will go up there and just pitch ideas

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without much support, they’ll say, “hey let's do a brand ambassador program where our
students will post on social media, and attend this event”, then if they get follow up questions
they really can’t support why they are doing those activities, and they just figure because
they’re students, they can kind of talk about , “hey this will be a good idea to my peers” That
doesn't really make you qualified to say because I like it that my peers will like it, because there
are so many different categories of peers right?
Rachel: Right
Adam: And so, you really have to address three questions before you develop your marketing
plan and what you would like to do, so for example Men’s Wearhouse came to us because they
wanted to increase more suits and before they were sort of just passing out coupons and saying,
“Hey, we didn't really see any redemption.” But when I asked them these 3 questions I didn't
get a lot of details, and this was through an agency so this wasn't Men’s Wearhouse, this was
their agency. You got to just provide a laser beam of focus to every campaign, so the three
questions is, what is your ideal student, who are you going after with Peter Pan Bus Lines. For
Men’s Wearhouse we’re saying, “so what kind of student is going to buy more suits throughout
their lifetime? That would be a business major. So, we are now going to focus on business
majors.” Next up is what is the ideal time frame. Well when are students thinking about suits.
It's actually the weeks leading up to a career fair. That’s when they are going to buy a suit, and
typically they only buy one and they make it last throughout their college career. So, we are
only going to focus on the couple of weeks leading up to a career fair. So, Peter Pan Bus Lines
I’m sure there are times when students are thinking about travel and times when they are not.
Rachel: Exactly, yeah
Adam: I would define those periods in your presentation to Peter Pan Bus Lines, and really
throw up an academic calendar and say, “here are the times that students are going to travel the
most, so we are going to circle all of these dates and these are the dates we are going to be
advertising.
Rachel: Right, no that is a great idea
Adam: And your ideal student is probably not someone who is in, I don't, you would have to
look at the travel schedule for Peter Pan Bus Lines, I know, we live in Detroit, it’s not that
widely known, I’ve heard of them but, so where are their common routes then taking a look at,
you know obviously if you are living in a state does it make sense to use them or is it more like
a route from Boston to New York, you looking for those students, you know. And then the last
question is the ideal method, so when you get the students attention what are you going to say.
Well for Men’s Wearhouse, we know that, if we are talking to them right before the career fair,
they’re thinking about how do I prepare for a career fair, there is a reason that career services
departments are presenting the message at the time. So we have to maintain that message but

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where Men’s Wearhouse can jump out is we can actually show them visually, we don't have to,
just put it up on a PowerPoint presentation, we can have campus reps wear suits and have
students touch and feel, talk about different instances where you would wear certain clothing
and how buying a certain suit can have multiple uses besides just going to an interview, if you
just took of the jacket and you had a button-up and pants, where that instance would work,
they could provide more value to their first suit purchase. So really, it’s, our message is how do
you put, how do you dress for success, how do you put your best suit forward. And then for
tracking purposes, because every campaign, right, we have to be able to fully say it was
successful, and so what is the goals of the client, now you’re going to have to learn, I don’t
know if they have number goals or what they gave you. But Men’s Wearhouse is very much
ROI (Return on Investment), so how do we prove there is an ROI from those conversations,
which our concept was schedule meetings in front of student organizations which are business
related, like the marketing club, finance club, accounting club and talk to students about putting
your best suit forward and we pass out coupons at the end, and based on the traction of those
coupons in the store we could measure those talks.
Rachel: Got-it, cool. I think we will definitely have to pull on a bunch of that and for Peter Pan I
know going back…
Adam: If you made your presentation answering those three questions, if your, I don’t know,
do you guys have an outline for a presentation, if you don't, like literally first who is our ideal
student, Boom, why, Boom, here is our ideal time frame, Boom, why, Boom, like literally just
put the academic calendar there and do circles. And then here is the ideal message, and
combining all of these three things, here is the concept, I will bet you will win, I don't know if
it's a competition
Rachel: (Laughter), no that is definitely, I think, we will definitely have to strive for that
Adam: Peter Pan Bus Lines, if their marketing department is across the line executives, I am
sure they will be able to follow you to a tee
Rachel: Ok, ok great. So the next kind of questions are kind of a little more specific into your
personal experiences with brand ambassador programs, so I think I saw somewhere, I can’t
remember where I saw that you have been a brand ambassador in the past for Apple, Microsoft,
General Motors and we are just wondering, we are hosting a couple of focus groups and we are
asking current and past brand ambassadors what their overall thoughts were, what did they
think, what did they like most what did they like least. So I guess what we are wondering,
through your personal experience, we were wondering if any of those brands you would like to
discuss on what you liked most, and what you liked least about them and why?
Liz: While working for them as a college student

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Adam: Yeah, I think is less about me individually and more, that Forbes article actually
summarizes problems with campus rep programs and how to address them, you know, because
students are joining campus rep programs for experience, right, to be able to talk about what
they did when they take their first job interview. It also helps that you are working with a name
brand, that can be seen on a resume and you get paid, you know because student debt is a big
issue right now. So, you know, as a brand the programs I liked the most were brands that got
involved with the program, that I didn't feel like I was task taker with, or just being able to talk
with the agency and not being able to interact with the brand, because I am probably doing the
campus rep program because I like the brand. So, I am not talking, I don’t have any dialog with
the brand so I am just kind of told things to do, and they are really not taking my feedback into
consideration, or making it easy to report back to them. You know it is going against the grain
so you are probably less favorable about those programs. So, you look at your most successful
programs and they really do a good job at building that student community where the brand is
interacting with them and the students can interact with each other and they are not siloed and
just talking to an agency or worse yet, not talking to anyone, just simply reporting back through
an email or a portal. You know that is where they fall flat, you know because why, as a student
why are you joining a student rep programs and the brand needs to address those things. And
there are a lot of brands out there that simply don't do that, or rely their agency but, and that is
a negative, because the brand, the student that is taking that program wants to interact with that
brand in most cases with what I found.
Rachel: Completely understandable. Our last few questions relate to, in your experience have
you seen programs that have failed and why they are failing, is it that they aren't engaging
enough, is it they don't have enough, the assignments aren’t enticing enough for the actual
representatives. And then, any other kind of tips or tricks for brands which are just starting out.
Adam: Definitely not a silver bullet, like one thing that is going wrong with every single
program, it is kind of going back to my Forbes article, I summarize the common things that are
going wrong, the three top things we find are going wrong with brand ambassador programs.
We wouldn’t be in business if brands, agencies were doing a great job with their brand
ambassador programs, so my claim to fame is really rescuing campus rep programs, that’s what
I do, rescuing campus rep, brand ambassador programs. And there are just so many different
ways where they fall flat. So, it is definitely not a silver bullet, where I can tell you this one thing
is where all brands are missing the mark. But that Forbes article is where I find over 50% of the
brands I talk to are missing the mark and how we correct them over at Campus Commandos.
Rachel: Right, and yeah, I think in the article, the one we were reading, you were talking about
how they are not paying on time, how they are not paying the reps on time, and then, maybe

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their recruitment strategy was a little off, so completely agree with those aspects. I have worked
myself as a brand…
Adam: I know, I mean I am constantly asking college students questions, you know, I am never
one to say I know everything and relive my own college experience and use it as a past moving
forward, I mean things are constantly changing, so we have an app called the Go-Commando
app where all our students have downloaded it to become campus reps for our clients, but I am
using that community to continue asking them questions. And that is a large part of why we
did come out with the app because we know students are mobile first and they want to engage
with us through their mobile device, so you know, they don’t want to go to a website, they
don’t want to go to a dashboard. So you know, even in our own industry we are listening to
college students and being proactive and hearing what they are saying hearing shifts and
coming out with products and services that match that so we can continue to stay ahead, you
know in the Brand Ambassador, in the Campus Rep Industry, but from what you guys have
done, when you interview former campus rep, brand ambassador programs, just for my own
knowledge, what have you been hearing?
Rachel: So, we…
Adam: What should I be doing if you were an entrepreneur starting up a company tomorrow,
what should I be doing,
Rachel: So actually, we are having our focus groups tomorrow and Wednesday (11/1-11/2) for
our brand ambassadors on campus, so we will definitely have way more information then, to
share with you if you would like
Adam: Yeah, let me know, if I am missing anything you guys could really help me if the
comments, I would love to see, I would only look at it I won't publish it or share it with any
competitors or anyone
Rachel: No, yeah, we would love to share. I have actually been a brand ambassador myself, for
Keds, the classic American shoe company and...
Adam: Wait, what was it? Keds the shoe company
Rachel: Yeah, I was a brand ambassador for them my freshman and sophomore year
Adam: Did they go through an agency or directly through the brand?
Rachel: They went directly with the brand and then I interned with their marketing department
at their actual headquarters, but so I worked with the brand marketing director and other brand
marketing team members for that but they are small, they are, Keds’ sister brands like Sperry
and Stride-rite and Saucony, but together they are not actually as big, I think we only had about
80 Keds team members in the office, so what happened was the program was actually fairly
successful for the first two years then it just kind of, went out. I think there were some people

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moving around, some structural stuff. But it was at least successful from my end, for the most
part.
Liz: And we haven't done focus groups but we have interviews with people who have been
active in a number of different ambassador programs, and like you were saying, they were
saying that they wanted a specific target market and a specific goal that they needed to reach, if
you just sent them out into the masses of college students they are going to be overwhelmed,
and they had also mentioned that they are not going to work for a brand that they don’t feel
understand them, or their personality, or their lifestyle. So very much they want a personal
connection with any brand they are promoting. And then they want to be able to be recognized
for performing well, whether it be prizes or a note of encouragement, like, “We see you have
been doing this, thank you so much”.
Adam: I think, I have found, if the brand can put a referral for you on LinkedIn, you know the
digital resume, I like to say it is like paper business cards, when you get a business card now
you add them online and you throw the card into a drawer and never look at it again, you
know the rolodex of paper business cards are just not around anymore, so, I mean having some
of those digital influences as part of your program, like if you are doing a great job I can put, or
even if the CMO of the company, or even their assistant can just take the time to put a
recommendation online, I think that goes a long way.
Rachel: Absolutely right. Thank you so much for your time, we are actually all out of our
questions on our end, we will definitely be in touch regarding feedback from our focus groups
that are Tomorrow and Wednesday (11/1-11/2), we would love to share some of that
information with you and thank you so much for you time, that was amazing and so helpful.

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Expert Interview: Jim Herlihy
Area of Focus: Charter Services
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Method: Liz Imbrogna emailed questions
Questions Emailed:
1) Why did UMass decide to use Peter Pan Bus Lines as its main mode of transportation for
athletes?
2) Has UMass Athletics ever considered using another bus company for its athletic events?
If so, why and which companies?
3) Why has UMass Athletics continued its relationship with Peter Pan Bus Lines over the
years?
4) What do you and your players value most in the modes of transportation used to travel
to and from athletic events?
5) What have you and your players liked the most about traveling on Peter Pan buses?
What have you and your players felt could have been improved?
6) What have you, personally, liked most about dealing with Peter Pan Bus Lines as a
company? How could these interactions be improved?
Jim Herlihy’s Response Via Email:
“Elizabeth:
My comments for your group are below. Please note that I have been in the department for less
than 90 days so I don’t have the historical knowledge that might help with some of the thinking
from past administrations and their train of thought. I focused my answers on the process
required and generally the thinking that goes into making these kinds of decisions. I hope they
cover each of the questions you posed.
UMass is a public university and as a result all materials and services that we procure are
subject to a public bidding process (i.e. charter buses or airline flights). Here at UMass,
purchasing for all department on campus is coordinated through the Office of Procurement and
Campus Services. They help make sure that the University is compliant with all state
regulations for public entities and we work closely with them on all bids and purchases.

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Compliance with laws and regulations from the vendor is paramount to determining services
like travel. Procurement will review safety ratings and dependability records for any company
that bids on providing travel. It is important that the vendor provides competent and
professional drivers who are fully licensed and able to operate the size of vehicle needed (32-
passenger, 36-passenger, 55-passenger, etc.) and that the vendor has demonstrated evidence of a
track record of safety. We often want to see evidence that the vendor has a drug policy and
testing program, training programs for drivers and is compliant with health checks as required
by licensing requirement. We need to ensure that the vendor and drivers have a fully
functioning method of communication at all times in case of some type of malfunction with the
bus. If a company cuts corners in this part of the operation, we don’t want to take the risk.
We value vendors who provide fully functioning buses that are in excellent working condition
and clean. We prefer those who can provide amenities for our student-athletes, coaches and
staff to travel comfortably. So we prefer buses with ample leg room and nice seats, climate
controls, Wi-Fi, power outlets, televisions, and secured storage with locks. Bathrooms on the
buses, especially for those on longer trips, is a big plus.
Our student-athletes probably value the comfort and amenities during the travel, especially for
those trips that are more than a few hours. The single biggest complaint would be the length of
time they have to spend on buses travelling to and from the sites of competition. Our teams
often travel to Virginia/DC or to Ohio/Pennsylvania by charter bus. Those can be long trips.
In my short time here, I appreciate the customer service provided by Peter Pan Bus Lines. They
work directly with our travel coordinator in athletics on departure and return times and
sometimes, due to weather, adjustments have to be made and they have proven to be
accommodating and very focused on meeting the needs of the students and coaches.
Please let me know if you have additional questions or clarification. Best of luck on the
assignment. I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Jim Herlihy”

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Expert Interview: John Coakley
Area of Focus: Charter Services
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Interviewer: Rachel Kirshtein
(Notes below)
1) As head of FIC, can you please take a few minutes to describe your role to us?
Governing and programming board--planning events, dealing with school officials
and issues, aligning Greek life (sororities and fraternities) and meeting with athletics
and housing.
2) When do you typically need charter services? Formals? Other large events?
3rd party venue within 30 minutes; usually once a semester; field trip services
through UMass (only allows one guest per member); local school district buses.
3) When you’re weighing your options, what is most important to you? Price?
Price. Budgeting--everything comes down to the cents they are spending.
4) How do you find out about certain bus companies? Do you have a list of companies you
regularly use?
Local school district buses; no other privately owned companies.
5) Have you ever used Peter Pan Bus Lines as a charter service? If so, what did you like
most about the experience? What did you like least?
Never used Peter Pan Bus Lines.
6) [If not,] what would persuade you to try Peter Pan over the other bus companies you’ve
used?
Price; more comfortable (going further, like an hour long drive may be nice with a
nicer bus, meaning Peter Pan bus over school bus); weekend trips, but John doesn’t
know how that would work to rent a bus for a weekend.

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Expert Interview: Laura Yates
Area of Focus: Charter Services (Niche Markets)
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Moderator: Liz Imbrogna
Liz: So what we’re doing is, one of the ways they want to increase ridership is through pursuing
charter busses, mostly during weekdays. So we’re just going to ask you a couple questions
about-
Laura: Sure.
Liz: Charter busses. I’m just going to ask you a couple of questions, just for our recording could
you please just state the name of your organization.
Laura: The name of my organization is Dovetail Event Partners.
Liz: Thank you, and how often do you use intercity ground travel, so that means, for your
purposes I think we would even include from airports to hotels, so how often do you use that
within one calendar year.
Laura: Just domestically?
Liz: Yeah, just domestically.
Laura: Well I don't do that much domestically, but within a calendar year I'm trying to think,
um, you know who by the way, if you need another person, would be Laurence.
Liz: Yes! I will definitely call her, I know she's been crazy busy.
Laura: She does so much work in Boston and she is always chartering busses.
Liz: Alright, I will definitely call her I know, I just feel so bad...
Laura: Do you have her email?
Liz: I have her Dovetail email.
Laura: That’s good.
Liz: Ok awesome.
Laura: Ok. so, anyway, because for me, lets see within this last calendar year I was only doing it
for like for getting from the cruise ship to, I mean from the hotel to the cruise ship or the hotel or
something like that. And in 2017 I'll be in Hawaii. Although its domestic that's sort of a different
story, and it would be the same thing you know I need 350 people to get from point A to point
B, but then also if they're going on a tour we'll need vehicles as well so you want me to try and
figure that, is that what you're looking for?
Liz: Yeah lets do like a guesstimate, can we say like round trips, can we say like is it around 10
times a year, is it around 5 times a year, 15-
Laura: Let's say about 15 times a year.

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Liz: 15 times a year, Ok awesome, and so when you book those do you book those through your
DMCs or do you book those individually?
Laura: I usually do, I usually do them through my DMC.
Liz: Ok, so are- do the DMCs give you any choice about which companies to choose or do they
just- is it completely on their own, independent?
Laura: They are usually making the decisions based on relationships that they have that are
based not only on pricing, while sure that's important, but within my industry more than
pricing, service and you know vehicle and its condition is much more important than pricing.
Liz: Ok awesome. That's really important. And then so because I know your groups are really
large but if it’s something like Diamond Club are you more apt to go for bus or through private
car services, and why?
Laura: It would depend on how, where I was going, and how quickly I needed to get there...
Liz: Ok.
Laura ...and if i was moving a bunch of-if i was doing, if i was doing an airport transfer, people
are coming in scattered arrivals possibly from international destinations, so there isn’t a cost
efficiency to have a mini-coach or coach there if only four people are on the plane, so in that,
you know i would be looking at somebody who has, it seems like an important thing, that has a
fleet of vehicles that weren’t just motor coaches and that weren’t just mini-coaches or sedans.
The ideal if I had a one stop who had everything…
Liz: Right.
Laura:...but in a larger movement where I’m moving a bunch of people from point A to point B
at the same time, I would always use a motor coach.
Liz: Ok awesome, and, so we were talking about service and price being really important-are,
do you know of any specifics..
Laura: Can I just be -before you do that…
Liz: Yeah.
Laura: I think, I don’t know where this goes anyplace, but from my perception and for many
years I worked for a DMC in Boston, and I was working along with Coach, or Coach USA, or
there is a line locally called Yankee…
Liz: Yep.
Laura: And we were always chartering them, it never would have occurred to me to charter a
Greyhound bus or a Peter Pan Bus, and the reason is because I only think of those brands like if
I wanted to go to New York for the weekend-
Liz: Right.
Laura: -or I wanted to maybe even go to like, when I was in college my boyfriend was in North
Adams, and I used to take the Peter Pan bus to North Adams, from wherever it was, I can't

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remember where I got on, on 128 or something. And it never even, because you just don't see
those types of vehicles doing city runs…
Liz: Exactly.
Laura: ...so, you know I think that you know they were trying to, I think they would want to
talk to the local companies that were doing to create relationships with companies, DMCs,
corporations that were doing intercity transfers…
Liz: Mhm.
Laura: ...Rather than long hall. I think that they just - I don't think they are associated in that
department
Liz: Right, so do you think that it would be beneficial for them to have like a sales team
dedicated specifically to charter services where-
Laura: Yeah.
Liz: - they reach out.
Laura: I think, because if we, If I'm the DMC and I need to book a motorcoach, I want to call and
I want to know the person's name and I want a relationship with that person because I can't be
let down.
Liz: Right.
Laura: I can't be calling an 800 number and booking something. It has to be - and things that I
remember, like with Yankee, I remember one time they got a new - some new - there was a new
vanpool vehicle that they had gotten in, and I remember, they came - they drove to our offices
in Marlborough, into the parking lot and you know, invited, I think they brought in lunch or
something, so that we could see the vehicle...
Liz: Right, yeah. That’s a great idea.
Laura: That's how nice they were. Because right now if you were trying to tell me to use a Peter
Pan bus, like, I would probably, you know - I'm just thinking that they're outdated. You know
that's the other thing is, do they have wifi? I mean this is what I'm finding. I'm umm - I’m doing
something in Mexico right now, and I'm working with a DMC, and they're talking about
transfers and it's a bit of a long - this is for Demandware -it's a bit of a long transfer from the
hotel down to Tulum, which is one of the Mayan ruins It's like an hour drive. One of their
points that they are stressing in their competitive proposal, was that WiFi is available on all
their motorcoaches…
Liz: Right.
Laura: ...and for an hour long ride that, you know, that would be so important to a bunch of
salespeople -
Liz: Exactly.

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Laura: -To be able to do things, or to look at Facebook, or to close a contract, or whatever. So
that’s something else, that’s the kind of services that I would recommend to you. You know
behind ocal DMCs, convention bureaus would be another person, another great place to go.
Liz: Oh.
Laura: Because convention bureaus work directly with a lot of associations
Liz: Ohhhh, Ok good point. Ok.
Laura: And the Boston Convention Bureau is very strong and very well-repped
Liz: Ok alright well that’s awesome. Thank you, thank you. So, another question. You were
talking about a lot of things that you would want on, like, long-haul trips. You talked about
wifi. I’m just gonna list a couple amenities for you, and if you want to tell me if these, like,
matter to you or not.
Laura: Mhm.
Liz: Just let me know. So, bathrooms onboard?
Laura: Yes, well it depends on, well you know I can drive for an hour without a bathroom, but
after that I think you need to have bathroom facilities.
Liz: Ok. USB ports? Kind of like as replacements for chargers. For, like, iPhones?
Laura: I think that would be a great amenity.
Liz: Food and beverage service?
Laura: No.
Liz: No? Not important? Ok.
Laura: No. First off, I don’t even know how you can do food and beverage services on a
motorcoach unless you are really having it specially designed or whatever. But if I’m doing,
let’s say I’m taking a group to New York City and, rather than flying, I decided to drive them all
down, I would do - I would probably give them all boxed lunches or something.
Liz: Ok, yeah. So you would do that separately anyway?
Laura: Yeah, I would do that separately I think… Yeah. Because also I think if they’re not in the
food or beverage business -
Liz: Yeah.
Laura: - Then I think- I don’t think it would be good.
Liz: Yeah exactly. And then, reclining seats?
Laura: Umm… Yeah I think, again, an hour you don’t need to, but if now we’re driving down to
Washington D.C., you know? This is day-time charter service, but I think it depends. You know,
let’s just cut off under 90 minutes.
Liz: Yeah, I don’t think- It’s not-
Laura: Anything over 90 minutes, it would be a nice feature.
Liz: Mhm. Ok, and then -

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Laura: I still think wifi -
Liz: Yeah.
Laura: -Is really important, the most important thing these days
Liz: Wifi absolutely most important. And with that, would you say also outlets, similar to USB
ports, for charging various devices in those short 90 minute periods? So, my thought on that,
when I was looking into these things is that-
Laura: Huh.
Liz: -If you’re coming back from a tour, after taking all of those pictures or whatever-
Laura: Ohhh.
Liz:-Or, like, whatever excursion that we have on-
Laura: Yeah.
Liz: -I know that, personally, when I was doing that, I wanted to be able to charge my phone on
the way back.
Laura: Yeah, you’re right, yes. Yes.
Liz: Sorry I just talked you into that answer.
Laura: No, no, you didn’t talk me into it, you illuminated it. Yes, I agree.
Liz: Ok.
Laura: I mean it’s all about technology, right?
Liz: Right. Exactly.
Laura: And you know what I think? Can I? The other thing is that in increasing day-time
charter, if they don’t want to get into the market of intercity transportation-
Liz: Mhm.
Laura: -then, if they’re trying to do regional stuff, like taking away business from, like, US Air,
which is now American, and Delta, have the shuttles that go between New York and Boston,
and also Boston and D.C. Like, with New York and Boston, it’s like every hour on the hour,
running that shuttle -
Liz: Right, and do you mean, like, direct routes from Boston to New York? Not, like - because
they do-
Laura: Right because also you can take the train -
Liz: Right.
Laura: -Which is also an option, and - But it’s expensive.
Liz: Yeah.
Laura: And I think there’s also something - I think it’s called the Metro Liner or something,
that’s specially fitted and goes from Boston to New York, and, you know, there’s wifi, there’s
chargers, the seats are oversized.
Liz: Mhm. Ok, the Metro Liner.

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Laura: And there’s a lot of amenities. I’ve talked to people who just love it. But, it’s not cheap,
so, maybe there’s a market for somewhere between the Bolt Bus and the Metro Liner that you
can - that, you know, you are going between two well-traveled destinations, and you’ve got
amenities, but they’re not luxe amenities, but they are amenities nonetheless, you know? Like
the wifi, like the USB chargers.
Liz: So, like, a mid-market bus charter service?
Laura: Yeah. I don’t think it’s well-publicized. I know Hayley has gone back and forth to New
York, I’ve gone back and forth to New York, and it never occurred to me to take a bus. I take the
train or I fly
Liz: You take the train or you fly. And-
Laura: And here’s the other thing: Departure points. Like from here [Littleton, MA], for me, to
go to New York, I have to go to either the one at the 128 station-
Liz: Right.
Laura: -Or the airport, or South Station, right?
Liz: Yeah, for us it’s totally inconvenient.
Laura: Like, I know people from Framingham, where there’s like a Logan express, there’s
nothing from like our little corridor here, you know? Maybe it’s from Worcester or something
like that
Liz: Yeah, I don’t even think they have one out of Lowell, so -
Laura: They do?
Liz: No, I don’t think they have one in Lowell. At least they don’t advertise it that much.
Laura: No, and that would be- Lowell would be a great spot.
Liz: Right, like UMass Lowell or something.
Laura: If there was a good bus service from Lowell to New York, I would always take it.
Liz: Awesome. Ok that was really helpful. Thank you.
Laura: Yeah and you know what the other thing is? I want to know about driver safety.
Sometimes I think about these drivers and - I think it would be good to have some statistics on
driver safety. Because, you know you’ve heard about the YO, the Chinese buses, or whatever
they’re called, from Chinatown… I can’t remember.
Liz: Oh, yeah.
Laura: There’s been a lot of accidents.
Liz: So you would want specific statistics, like, on the website?
Laura: Say again?
Liz: Sorry - So you would want specific statistics on, like, the website or something like that? Is
that what you’re saying?

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Laura: Yeah, yeah. I don’t know where you would put it. I mean, I don’t think the drivers
should get up when you get on the bus and say, “I would like to report my driving record.”
Because well, you know-
Liz: Well, Peter Pan does have one of the highest-
Laura: -Because I think about that everytime Hayley takes the bus. I’m like, “Be careful! Those
buses have a lot of accidents.” Because I think they’re just not paying their drivers well.
Liz: Ok.
Laura: Because, you know, when you’re paying twenty bucks for a bus ride to New York,
you’re not getting the best equipment or the best drivers, in my mind.
Liz: Mhm. Ok. Good to know
Laura: Ok?
Liz: Ok so then something else we’ve also been focusing on is - So, does it matter to you in your
business that Peter Pan is a family-owned, locally-owned business. Does that mean anything to
you,or is it just -?
Laura: I think - I didn’t know that - and I think that’s a good thing to talk about. I think that
people - I think it’s very timely, you know. People like to buy locally. I think that’s um, yeah.I
think they should update their logo and stuff. Do they still have the Peter Pan guy?
Liz: Yeah, they do. Oh you betcha.
Laura: I mean Dairy Queen is now DQ, Saturday Night Live is now SNL, National Cash
Register is NCR. I think there is- I think maybe-
Liz: Yeah, so -
Laura: You know Turtle and Hughes is now that relay logo-
Liz: Yeah, I love it. Their acronym would be PPBL though, so -
Laura: I think of it as an outdated branding.
Liz: Sorry. [To Rachel] What do you want this for? For the questions? To add that to like our
other surveys?
Rachel: I think it was interesting that she said she didn’t know that [Peter Pan is a family-
owned, locally owned business]-
Liz: Yeah, exactly, I didn’t know that until they told us they were a family-owned business.
Rachel: Yeah, I think we should be asking people first if they know it’s family-run and then if
that’s important to you.
Liz: Yeah, exactly. Sorry, Laura. Rachel just asked us a question - Rachel just joined us too.
Laura: Hi, Rachel.
Rachel: Hi!
Laura: It’s just I have no idea, just from a customer perspective, I just have no idea what the
inside of a Peter Pan bus might look like.

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Liz: So you want, like, a virtual tour?
Laura: If it’s new or, you know if they were doing any advertising. Is it, you know...I mean I just
don’t know.
Liz: Right.
Laura: I mean, I think you could capture people’s attention.
Liz: Yeah.
Laura: I mean, if you do, like, direct mailing or something or other to, whether it be HR
managers, marketing managers, DMCs, convention bureaus. You know, sort of like, we’re not
your grandpa’s Peter Pan type thing.
Liz: Ohhhh.
Laura: Family-owned, but not-
Liz: Laura, you are a wealth of information.We’re loving this. Thank you.
Laura: You know, I’m just going to write it up today.
Liz: Could you just write up our whole report for us?
Laura: Would you like the PowerPoint to go with it?
Liz: Yeah, that’d be great. Yeah. I love it, I love it.
Laura: Yeah, so I mean the thing is here I am at 55 - The last time I rode a Peter Pan bus, I was in
college.
Liz: Yeah.
Laura: And that’s my memory of Peter Pan.
Liz: Ok, That, that is good to know. Ok.
Laura: And it was from UMass. I rode it from UMass.
Liz: Oh heyyy. Yeah, wait. Yeah I forgot to mention Laura is a UMass alum.
Group: Yay!
Liz: Ok, so one last question. Are there any specific dates and times that you require charter
services?
Laura: I don’t think there is. I don’t think there’s particular hours.
Liz: Yeah, it’s all over the place.
Laura: Yeah, it’s all over the board, depending on when a particular meeting starts or what time
you have to be in New York, what time… you know.
Liz: What time people’s flights get in and like that.
Laura: Yeah.
Liz: Alright, awesome. Thank you! Laura, this has been absolutely fantastic.We really
appreciate it.
Laura: Glad I could help!

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Expert Interview: Lindsey Casella
Area of Focus: Brand Ambassador Programs
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Moderator: Rachel Kirshtein
Lindsey: Hey, Rachel.
Rachel: Hey, Lindsey.
Lindsey: How are you?
Rachel: I’m so good. How are you?
Lindsey: I’m doing well thank you for calling, it's been a busy day at the office so definitely nice
to have a second to still a chat with you.
Rachel: Yeah, thank you so much for taking the time. I don't even think the whole thing will be
more than like 15 minutes really. It's just like a handful of questions so, um, I actually have my
other group members Liz and Peter with me as well.
Liz: Hey, Lindsey.
Lindsey: Oh. Hi, Liz; Hi, Peter.
Peter: Hello.
Rachel: So they're just here to help out and kind of help guide it a little bit, if they have any
questions they’ll chime in. I definitely don't want to take up any more of your time, so is it cool
if we jump right in?
Lindsey: Yeah, go for it.
Rachel: Ok. So it may sound a little, um, kind of monotone because we have a little script just to
kind of keep it - keep bias as minimal as possible…
Lindsey: No, I love it.
Rachel: ...so we’ll do our best, and stop if you, stop me at any point if you have any questions or
comments.
Lindsey: Ok, sounds good.
Rachel: Ok, so a little blurb, for our honors thesis project we are trying to determine
recommendations for increasing the customer base of the ridership for our client Peter Pan Bus
Lines. In doing so we would like to understand your experience as a brand ambassador
programs and what have been the most successful aspects of them. We thank you for your time
and participation, and is it ok if I record this for data logging?
Lindsey: Yeah of course, and then can you just repeat who your client is again?
Rachel: Peter Pan Bus Lines, they are…
Lindsey: Ok, got it.
Rachel: Yup. Ok, so…

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Lindsey: Could you go into more detail about them though, I'm familiar with, like with the
competitors but just touch, refresh me on that I think that will help with perspectives.
Rachel: Yeah, so our other competitors are Megabus, Boltbus, Greyhound. Those are pretty
much the main ones. So the purpose of these questions is really just kind of general, just mainly
your experiences. Not really focusing on the bus industry in particular. So just kind of getting
your experiences down. But definitely stop us on the way if you have questions.
Lindsey: Ok.
Rachel: Ok, so we will begin by asking how you were introduced to the brand ambassador
program. How did you hear about the brand ambassador programs initially. Was it word of
mouth, a connection at a company, brand website, email?
Lindsey: I think it really varies based on the brand. Certain brands do it through LinkedIn,
PINK was different obviously i have always been super invested in the brand, have always
really idealized it and thought it was really cool so I followed it and always looked out for when
they were accepting applications but for maybe not for the less glamorous brands, they have
always done a really great job at finding me. So based on my experiences, my past work with
brands, brands like Timberland’s reach out to tell me about opportunities.
Rachel: Very cool, yeah I know because you've done so many different brand ambassador
programs that are all amazing for any of these questions you can feel free to touch on one or
even a few or all of them if you want...
Lindsey: Yeah.
Rachel: ...so the next question is when you found out about the program how long did it say the
time commitment was for, like was it for an academic year, kind of like a September to May, or
was it a full year.
Lindsey: I would say it really varied based on the brand and their marketing calendar, or like
what they were planning on doing. So for Pink it makes sense because it's a collegiate brand
that they targeted girls during their academic school year, um so kickoff would be in July and
then would continue for the entire academic year. Then for other brands like Schwinn the whole
year like starting in, I would say it started in March and doesn't end until the end of the season,
so 2017. And then Timberland was specific, they decided to do it around the parent weekend,
because a lot of student maybe don't necessarily have the money to go into their stores so they
thought that is specific was their key focus, so they did it kind of towards, they made it the end
of the semester so i think really it depends on what the brands target market was, what their
key season was reflected the program itself.
Rachel: Gotcha, do you feel like one was the most effective over the others, or again just kind of
depending on all the brands individually?

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Lindsey: I think it depended a lot on the brands brands individually and in terms of their ability
to communicate what they need to me as the ambassador.
Rachel: Gotcha, and that's a great segue because our next section kind of talks about
communication with the brand…
Lindsey: Ok.
Rachel: ...so i guess for any of the programs you participated in who did you communicate with
for the program was it directly a brand marketing team and a collection of people in the team?
Lindsey: For every one except for one it was usually a direct connect to the program. The only
one I think that wasn’t was Timberland. They had an outside agency. That they paired up with
that worked specifically with different campus rep programs.
Rachel: Awesome. And how did you communicate with these people for the program? Was it
phone calls? Emails?
Lindsey: Yeah, so it definitely depended on the formality of the program. So some programs
would be through email, some would be sending photos through DropBox and [Google] Drive.
For programs that were more developed and have been around for a while, like PINK, we
would actually communicate through our own website, and they have an app for their campus
reps that they communicate with. So it definitely was very much based on the brand and how
much they adjusted it to their individual programs.
Rachel: Awesome. And then going off that, how often did you communicate with them? Was it,
like, a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly basis?
Lindsey: Umm… for?
Rachel: For any one of them.
Lindsey: For any one of them, on average, I would say a few times a week. With PINK probably
being the most demanding, probably daily, just because we would not only execute and hold
these events on campus, but also be responsible for looking at blogs and seeing what other
campus reps were doing, and then we could actually have the opportunity to do that through
the website. And then I would say that was probably the most demanding.
Rachel: Ok. Cool. And then so now we’d like to talk a little bit about what was discussed or
what was submitted for these touchbase times. So was it, like, updates, planning for next
assignments or events?
Lindsey: It would be definitely a mix of that, but then certain brands would also conduct some
sort of qualitative research through their program.
Rachel: Cool, and did you submit that type of research, was it like spreadsheet form or did you
have to form like a presentation?
Lindsey: It was more like opinions, kind of like question and answer.

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Rachel: Yep. And did you, for any of your programs, have to present any sort of specific
information, such as, like, how many people signed up for a rewards program if it was
applicable, or an email list? Did you ever get requests from the brand for something like that?
Lindsey: Yeah, definitely, for sure. I can see if I can pull up an old recap or something like that
and send that to you as well.
Rachel: That would be awesome. Thank you. Ok, cool. So now we would like to delve a little
more into the details about the experiences you’ve had while representing a brand on campus.
So, let’s first talk about which brand ambassador programs you have participated in while you
were a college student, and I know Keds was one. Worked with you on that one. And I know
PINK was one as well. And I know Timberland, when did you participate in that one?
Lindsey: I participated in that one my senior year.
Rachel: Alright.
Lindsey: The fall semester.
Rachel: And is Schwinn something that you’re doing now? Like outside of-?
Lindsey: Yeah, Schwinn is an active kind of thing that is ongoing.
Rachel: Yeah and for Schwinn is that not necessarily targeted to college students then do you
know?
Lindsey: No, that’s not college specific. It’s more of a content creation ambassador program.
Rachel: Gotcha. And then, I know this is kinda a hard question, but since you’ve done more
than one are you able to assign a favorite to any of them and why?
Lindsey: Yeah, I definitely say hands down it would be PINK.
Rachel: Yeah, considering you’re working there, I could see that.
Lindsey: Yeah,they did a really great job. So, yeah in terms of the whole experience, that one
was more rewarding than one of my classes.
Rachel: Yeah, how did you find it, in particular, to be the most rewarding, if you don’t mind?
Lindsey: How did I find it in particular? So I always thought that collegiate collections, like
having your school name on a PINK product was really cool, and so my freshman year when
Temple was participating in a contest to have reps on campus, I thought maybe in the end that
could help if we voted and won. So when we did win, I was obviously very excited and we
were added to the campus rep program. There are about a hundred schools across the country
and Canada that have campus reps. And what I always thought was really cool was being able
to work with a brand directly rather than just executing campaigns in class. I was able to have
internships because I was in a city, but for people who didn’t have that, it’s great exposure. So, I
kept calling and looking for updates, and then, because I was only a sophomore, I was actually
able to participate on the street team to support the reps. And then they went ahead and,

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towards the end of my sophomore year, recommended me to apply for the campus rep
program. So that’s how that happened.
Rachel: Cool. And, on the flip side,is there one you would say that was your least favorite and
why? Do you think it was just less -
Lindsey: Yeah one that was probably my least favorite, that I don’t even speak to, that I don’t
add to my LinkedIn or resume, just because I don’t think it really adds anything, was Insomnia
Cookies.
Rachel: Gotcha. Awesome.
Lindsey: Yeah, so it was just a little disorganized in terms of how their marketing team
communicated. And then it was fun because everyone gets free cookies,but then it wasn’t even
up to code with regulation because you can’t pass out free food on campus when it’s not
individually wrapped, so we would get in trouble on campus. It was just a little less organized,
so definitely not my favorite experience. And it was less strategic.
Rachel: Gotcha. And so now we’re gonna talk a little more about the structure of the program.
So we touched on a little bit at first, but you said some of the programs you’ve been apart of
were meeting or would touch base every six weeks or so. And I think we already covered - I’m
just going down my list to make sure we covered everything we wanted to cover. But did you
think that structure was overall effective or if you had an ideal type of program would you
maybe choose a different type of structure? Or do you think there’s a need for bi-weekly calls or
anything? Or does it just depend on how many assignments you’re doing and if they’re going
smoothly and so forth.
Lindsey: I definitely think calls are helpful because it helps to make sure that everyone’s
tracking and up-to-speed. And it’s always easier to respond via calls than, like, a chain of
emails. So I think they are very effective, but I don’t necessarily think they need to be that
common, just because it’s hard to coordinate with that many people. So I think just being
strategic around when you’re having the calls, making sure it’s around, like, a large event, not
just for every little talk because it will be difficult to schedule.
Rachel: Ok. Definitely. And then, on average, for your assignments, do you think you had
overall enough time to complete them? Too little? Too much?
Lindsey: I would say, for the most part, I had a decent amount of time. Of course my first
priority is being a student, but when you’re really passionate about a brand in specific and the
experience and if the offer is compelling and you think that students will respond to it, then it’s
really easy plan-
Rachel: Cool. So now we’d like to turn your attention to the assignments you’ve completed. So I
know you talked about hosting events. Were social media postings, just talking to people on
campus, or other tactics used alongside those events?

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Lindsey: Could you just repeat that question? I’m really sorry.
Rachel: Yep. So you talked about hosting events as some of the assignments you completed.
Lindsey: Mhm.
Rachel: Were social media postings, and just talking to people on campus about the brand, or
just anything else you could think of, were those also kind of part of overall assignments?
Lindsey: Yeah, so in the end I would say, I’m just trying to think if there was something...For
PINK I would say there were in-store interactions. For Timberland there was site visits and
specifics. Because they wanted to target, like, parents, it would be intersecting tour groups that
were on campus, being in big pep rallies or those types of events that was key rather than
hosting our own because it wasn’t necessarily- you couldn’t execute or draw people to your
event. It was more targeting your key audience on campus. And then another thing was going
to like the stadium and like passing out different things on game day. When people were with
their parents or something with Timberland. I’m trying to think...For Schwinn, they’re a little
interesting where they actually just want content from their brand ambassadors, so we will just
take photos with the product on, like, a bi-monthly basis and then they’ll have us author posts,
and then they’ll implement it into their feed. So that one is really content-driven. I think the one
that probably provided the most variety would be the PINK campus rep program, and, with
there being a hundred campus reps all over the country, they all run their own social media
sites, so they are completely supporting their own campus. The execution there is an extension
of our marketing, but just more targeted. So, I would say that one would definitely be the most
demanding, but we also have the most support because then as a campus rep you have this
routine that is able to fully back you and support you with this execution. So that’s a little- I
hope that answers your questions- that’s a little overview of what’s out there.
Rachel: No, yeah, that was very helpful. And going off of social media, which of them was most
successful at generating brand awareness? Like, predominately Instagram and Twitter? Or were
there other ones?
Lindsey: I think it definitely depended 1. On the brand 2. On what you were promoting. I think
I had a lot of success - you wouldn’t even think for this to be your number one- but, like
Facebook events. But, especially, not even like for super exciting brands, but also the less
exciting ones as well because you can do targeted ads, and not just, like, target your campus
reps’ friends and friends of friends, but you can really expand your reach and being in the area,
I think that helps a lot in terms of finding people and it reminds them- it sends them a reminder
prior to the event. So, if you’re executing events, I would say that one. In terms of responding,
obviously, I would say the weakest platform would be Twitter. And then Instagram would
probably be the strongest out of all of the brands I work with.
Rachel: Cool.

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Lindsey: In terms of their priority list.
Rachel: Yep. And just to go off the hosting events parts of assignments again, when you did
host events, were they on campus? Or off campus? Did you partner with any campus
organizations?
Lindsey: All three. [Laughs] So, both on and off location depending on who they were
targeting. Then for a brand like PINK, sometimes they would partner with, like, college
companies or HerCampus. Those were some on campus or local collabs or college companies.
There was a fashion business club, so strategic partnerships based on the audience. Again, it’s a
brand targeting college - collegiate females, so, like, sororities and those types of things were,
like, obviously some important groups to reach out to.
Rachel: Yep. And have you found that any of the events that you’ve hosted in the past maybe
weren’t as successful as you had anticipated? Could you think of any reason - or any ways these
events could have been more successful in the future? Was there anything that could have
improved?
Lindsey: Yeah, just knowing the college lifestyle. So, for us, we had an in-store event at a store
that was about 45 minutes away, so it was hard to get college students, especially on a campus
where students didn’t have cars to drive there. I think being aware of that prior to planning and
executing the event will really optimize your time, the students’ time, and really making sure
that they respond well to a great event. So, of course you should plan for that.
Rachel: And, to conclude, we would like to get your overall thoughts on brand ambassador
programs and recommendations for future programs. So, what are the best ways you think for
brands to attract student ambassadors, or, like specific perks that you would recommend to a
company implementing a program for the first time?
Lindsey: I would say, for a brand implementing it for the first time, for example, Timberland,
where I was maybe a little bit les sure of the brand, how it fits my own personal, like, personal
interest in my individuality. I didn’t want to sign up for a brand that I didn’t really know if it
represented me. So what was nice was them providing, like, a deck of who they are, who they
targeted. And then also one of the things that helped that brand stand out for me, and I think
that was rewarding for them long-term was they did provide a hefty amount of free product,
which was great because then people saw me using it, and I could speak to- speak to the
product. I got to go in store and select it. So it was nice because I was continuously, like, a
walking advertisement. Not just hosting the events, but wearing the product. And then for
brands, like, PINK I think one of the most rewarding experiences was being able to go to the
brand training, and hear from the different teams, and I think just seep in- I guess early on in
my college career what I might not have had exposure to, that onboarding process was really
great. Keds did that as well, really well, but something that PINK did that was very different

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was that they provided incentive-based trips to girls that were really doing well or just words of
encouragement, and I think that keeping that relationship with girls that are putting so much
time in that maybe aren’t being paid I think is a great way to help girls stay in- or anyone stay
invested in the program.
Rachel: Great. Awesome. So, I think our last question may seem kind of silly, but do you think
brand ambassador programs are an overall effective marketing tool? I mean it sounds like
you’ve had amazing experiences, but do you consider them to really generate good awareness
on campuses or even off campus for certain brands who are really trying to have a greater
footprint?
Lindsey: Yeah, I think really knowing your target well and knowing- making sure you invest in
the right people in those target markets can make for a really rewarding, beneficial experience
for both., the brand and the individual participating.
Rachel: Great. Thank you so much. That was all the questions that we had. That was so helpful.
Do you have any other questions for us?
Lindsey: No, not that I can think of off hand. I’m super pumped for you guys. It sounds like a
really cool project that you’re working on.
Rachel: Great. Thank you so much, Lindsey.

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College Student Interviews
Area of Focus: Travel Experiences/Preferences & Loyalty Programs
September-November, 2016
Moderator: Team
1) When you think of intercity travel, what do you think of? What companies come to
mind? Why do these brands come to mind? (e.g., you’re already a frequent user of the
brand, friends/family reviews, online, in the news, social media, etc.)
● WOM (18)
○ Other students
○ Family & Friends
● Social Media (1)
● Seeing the buses (9)
● Advertised and tickets sold in college bookstore (1)
● Apps (1)
● Previous Experience (1)
● Internet (9)
○ Google “Bus to New York,” “Train to New York”
○ SkyScanner, Rome2Rio
2) What is most important to you when you travel by bus/rail? (Examples:
convenience, time of travel, location, features on-board, etc.)
● Price (16)
● Features on Board (5)
○ Wi-Fi
○ Outlets
● Location of pick-up/drop-off sites (7)
● Time length of trip (9)
○ “If I know that it’s going to take a much shorter time to get to one place via one
mode of transportation versus another, I will be more inclined to pay more for
that shorter mode of transport.”
● Arrival and Departure times (2)
● Comfort (1)
● Cleanliness (2)
● Direct routes (2)

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● Convenience (7)
● Safety (2)
● Quality (1)
● Legroom (1)
3) When was the last time you traveled?
● Last Year (1)
● Last Month (2)
● Two months ago (1)
● Last weekend (2)
● Yesterday (2)
● Today (1)
● More than a year ago (1)
● Columbus Day Weekend (1)
4) Where did you go?
● Boston to NYC (5)
● Boston to Charlotte (1)
● Littleton to UConn (1)
● Boston to Vermont (1)
● Boston to Raleigh (1)
● West Hartford to UConn (1)
● Boston to UConn (1)
● NYC to UConn (2)
● UConn to New Jersey (1)
● NYC to UMass (1)
● Boston to UMass (1)
● Waltham to UMass (1)
● Littleton to Boston (1)
● UConn to Bradford, CT (1)
● Amherst to Long Island (1)
● Amherst to Raynham (1)
● Toronto to Rochester (1)
● New Jersey to Boston (1)
● Albany to UConn (1)

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5) Why did you travel by the mode you chose?
● Bus; Peter Pan (2)
● Bus; Coach USA (1)
○ “Amtrak was three times more expensive”
● Bus; Greyhound (1)
○ Through a campus group that had arranged transport [Harvard]
● Plane (2)
○ Fastest, had Wi-Fi
● Car (14)
○ Most convenient
○ “I don’t like driving or parking in a city” x2
○ Too much luggage for a bus (was moving into school)
○ I already paid for it; “A tank of gas is $30. If a ticket was cheaper than that, I
might consider it”
○ Comfort
○ Fastest
● Train (4) [Commuter Rail, Amtrak]
○ Fastest
○ Convenience
○ Space
6) In 2016, roughly how many times have you traveled by bus? *Provide the
following options to them* (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, more than 6 times)
● Zero (8)
○ “I used to take the bus all the time, but now that I have a car I don’t”
● Four (6)
● Five (1)
● More than six (5)
● Twice (3)
● Once (1)

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7) Have you ridden a Peter Pan bus? If so, what did you like most and least about the
experience?
● Most
○ Price (2)
○ Comfortable (1)
○ Clean (1)
○ Easy (2)
■ In terms of buying a ticket and using the app
○ Good customer service (1)
○ Electrical Outlets (1)
○ N/A (1)
○ Pick-up/drop-off locations (4)
○ Safe drivers (1)
○ Convenience (5)
■ Only way to get off campus without a car
○ Reliable (1)
○ Fast (1)
○ “Got me where I needed to go” (1)
○ “I could sleep because I didn’t have to drive” (1)
○ Wi-Fi (1)
○ Clean bathroom (1)
○ Arrival and departure times (1)
● Least
○ Pick-up/drop-off locations (3)
○ Unreliable Wi-Fi (7)
○ Overbooking leading to bus delays (1)
○ Indirect route/Transfers (4)
○ Stuffiness/Overcrowdedness (5)
○ Lack of comfort (1)
○ Can’t cancel a ticket after you buy it (1)
○ Time length of trip (4)
○ Price (1)
○ Unreliable (2) [breakdowns or delays]

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● N/A (4)
8) In 2016, roughly how many times have you traveled by rail? *Provide the following
options to them* (0, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, more than 6 times)
● 1-2 (4)
● 3-4 (3)
● 0 (6)
● 5-6 (3)
● More than 6 (7)
9) If you traveled by rail in 2016, what did you like most and least about the
experience?
● Most
○ Times (1)
○ Convenient (7)
○ Reliable (1)
○ Fast (11)
○ Clean (3)
○ Wi-Fi (1)
○ Comfortable (6)
■ Able to fall asleep
■ Not too crowded
○ No traffic (3)
○ Amenities (2)
■ Electrical Outlets
■ Better seats
■ Food cart
○ Price (2)
○ Don’t have to drive yourself (2)
● Least
○ Price (7)
○ N/A- Satisfied (7)
○ Time length of the trip (1)
○ Uncomfortable (1)

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○ Overcrowded (1)
○ Times (1)
■ Your life is based on their schedule, and if you miss a train, the next one
may be over an hour away”
10) Which of the following reasons have you joined a loyalty/rewards program?
(check all that apply)
1) Saving money - 14 respondents
2) You are a big fan of the company - 17 respondents
3) Personalized deals and rewards (e.g. birthday present/deal) - 16 respondents
4) Status (e.g., Starbucks Gold Status) - 9 respondents
5) Other: - 2 respondents (They keep asking)
11) Which of the following loyalty/rewards programs have you belonged to in 2016?
● Big Y (9)
● Dunkin Donuts (3)
● American Eagle (3)
● Bare Minerals (1)
● Price Shopper (6)
● TCBY (1)
● TrueBlue (1)
● CVS (9)
● Panera (1)
● Walgreens (3)
● Nordstrom (3)
● Starbucks (10)
● Staples (1)
● Sephora (4)
● Marriott/Starwood (3)
● British Airways (1)
● Almost Every store (2)
● Rite Aid (1)
● Harris Peter Grocery Stores (1)
● Old Navy (1)
● Michael’s (1)

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● FL Roberts Gas Station (1)
● Barnes & Noble (1)
● Subway (1)
● GameStop (1)
● Dick’s Sporting Goods (1)
● Amtrak (1)
● American Airlines (1)
● ShopRite (1)
12) Briefly state and explain your favorite brand loyalty/rewards program.
○ Company
■ Dunkin Donuts (1)
■ TCBY (1)
■ Price Shopper (2)
■ CVS (3)
■ Sephora (1)
■ Starbucks (7)
■ Big Y (3)
■ N/A- “Not really big into loyalty programs” (3)
■ GameStop (1)
■ Marriott/Starwood (1)
○ Why
■ Promotions and free product (5)
● “They’ll literally send you gifts”
■ Go there frequently (5)
■ Status (2)
■ Birthday deal (3)
■ Discounts and free product for purchasing a certain amount of product (6)
■ Everyday (noticeable) deals (4) [Grocery shopping cards and CVS]
■ Convenient (1)
● They print coupons for you right on the spot [CVS]
■ Shows how much you save each trip and over the year (3)
■ Saves me money on stuff I would buy anyway (6)

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Notes:
- “Freshman and Sophomore year my mom and dad were driving me, and now that I
have a car, I usually drive myself to and from school”
- “I only do it [loyalty programs] when it’s easy to sign up”
- “I usually take Peter Pan buses when I go to New York City”
- “I’m not a huge fan of buses. I’d rather have my parents pick me up.”
- “Freshman and Sophomore year I used to do it [take Peter Pan buses] all the time to get
home until I got my car on campus.”
- “I own a car, so I’m more inclined to use that because I already paid for it”
- “I don’t like that some rewards programs let your points expire, and I don’t like any
programs that you have to pay to be part of.”
- “I take Peter Pan buses home because I don’t have a car”

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APPENDIX C

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Final Report
Student Travel Survey
December 10th 2016, 6:21 pm EST
Q1 - Do you attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst?
Answer % Count
Yes 50.93% 55
No 49.07% 53
Total 100% 108
Q2 - What college do you attend?
What college do you attend
Rice University
Messiah college
Harvard
Keene State
Lesley University
University of Rochester
University of New Hampshire
Boston University
Acadia University
Cornell
University of New Hampshire
Seton Hall University
Emerson College
Harvard
Northeastern
Hofstra University
Arizona state

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Cornell University
Moody Bible Institute
Cornell University
Valdosta State University
Moody Bible Institute
UConn
Marist College
Clemson
Northeastern
Northeastern
Florida State
Bennington College
Northeastern University
Bryant University
Bryant
Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University
Bryant University
University of Connecticut
Boston College
University of Connecticut, Storrs
Trent University
University of Connecticut
Lesley University
Northeastern University
UConn
Northeastern University

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UConn
The University of Delaware
FH Dortmund
University of Delaware
University of Chicago
Ithaca College
Q2 - What year are you?
Answer % Count
Freshman 7.48% 8
Sophomore 10.28% 11
Junior 11.21% 12
Senior 71.03% 76
Total 100% 107
Q3 - How often have you used intercity ground travel (travel between
two cities) in 2016?
Answer % Count
0 Round trips 24.07% 26
1-2 Round trips 25.93% 28
3-5 Round trips 17.59% 19
More than 5 Round trips 32.41% 35
Total 100% 108

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Q4 - Please select following reasons that you participate in intercity
ground travel? (check all that apply)
Other (Please Specify)
Other (Please Specify)
Midterm recess
FUN
Weekend visits home, travel while I was studying abroad in London
None
Concert/ special event
for fun
Concert
None
Visiting friends, no specific holiday date
Weekend trip
Just to go home sometimes

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Weekends
visiting a friend
Visiting friends
Visiting friends
Travel
Trips to Connecticut, NYC, and Quebec City
Just to travel and see new cities
visiting a friend
summer travel
Sports/visiting friends
Travel
General travel purposes (such as to visit a new city, visit a friend, travel home, etc)
Visiting significant other
I went to Westfield one weekend to visit friends
Travel abroad
Family events
To get home and back
Visiting a friend
Visiting friends at other universities.
Travel for interviews
Travel in Europe
I never have
visiting friends on a weekend
Random visits home
Birthday Parties
While studying abroad
None
Random weekends
Summer, study abroad

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Work
go back home for weekend
Visiting Friends
Ithaca College's "Fall Break" (weekend after Columbus)
Q5 - How far in advance do you plan trips that involve intercity travel?
Answer % Count
Under a week 28.71% 29
1 week - 2 weeks 37.62% 38
2 weeks - 3 weeks 28.71% 29
Over a month 4.95% 5
Total 100% 101

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Q6 - Please rank how important the following features of intercity travel are to you
on a scale of 1-8, with 1 being the Most Important and 8 being the Least Important.
(Drag and drop into your desired position)
Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Value 19.63% 21 15.89% 17 11.21% 12 14.95% 16 8.41% 9 10.28% 11 10.28% 11 9.35% 10 107
Speed of
Travel
19.63% 21 15.89% 17 14.02% 15 7.48% 8 11.21% 12 11.21% 12 14.95% 16 5.61% 6 107
Safety 14.02% 15 9.35% 10 0.93% 1 14.95% 16 16.82% 18 16.82% 18 12.15% 13 14.95% 16 107
Drop-off
and Pick-up
Locations
22.43% 24 18.69% 20 19.63% 21 14.02% 15 8.41% 9 4.67% 5 5.61% 6 6.54% 7 107
Direct
Routes
11.21% 12 18.69% 20 19.63% 21 16.82% 18 15.89% 17 8.41% 9 6.54% 7 2.80% 3 107
Comfort 0.00% 0 3.74% 4 11.21% 12 6.54% 7 18.69% 20 23.36% 25 30.84% 33 5.61% 6 107
Arriving
and
Departing
on Time
12.15% 13 16.82% 18 19.63% 21 16.82% 18 15.89% 17 5.61% 6 8.41% 9 4.67% 5 107
Amenities
(e.g. WiFi)
0.93% 1 0.93% 1 3.74% 4 8.41% 9 4.67% 5 19.63% 21 11.21% 12 50.47% 54 107

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Q7 - Rank the following on-board amenities on a scale of 1-10, based on level of
importance to you as a traveler. 1 being the Most important and 10 being the Least
Important. (Drag and drop into your desired position)
Q8 - Rank the modes of intercity transportation listed below from most
used method (#1) to the least used method (#3) within 2016. (Drag and
drop into your desired position)
Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total
Having
Bathrooms
29.5
2%
31 15.24
%
16 13.33
%
14 15.24
%
16 7.62
%
8 4.76
%
5 6.67
%
7 1.90
%
2 3.81
%
4 1.90
%
2 105
Having
Reclining
Seats
4.76
%
5 10.48
%
11 12.38
%
13 17.14
%
18 20.95
%
22 16.19
%
17 11.43
%
12 1.90
%
2 1.90
%
2 2.86
%
3 105
WiFi 17.1
4%
18 20.95
%
22 14.29
%
15 16.19
%
17 17.14
%
18 5.71
%
6 5.71
%
6 0.95
%
1 0.95
%
1 0.95
%
1 105
Power Outlets 23.8
1%
25 20.95
%
22 19.05
%
20 12.38
%
13 10.48
%
11 5.71
%
6 3.81
%
4 0.95
%
1 1.90
%
2 0.95
%
1 105
USB Ports 0.00
%
0 4.76
%
5 10.48
%
11 4.76
%
5 13.33
%
14 14.29
%
15 19.05
%
20 14.29
%
15 8.57
%
9 10.48
%
11 105
Easy Access to
Baggage
During Trip
2.86
%
3 3.81
%
4 5.71
%
6 3.81
%
4 10.48
%
11 17.14
%
18 20.95
%
22 17.14
%
18 15.24
%
16 2.86
%
3 105
Seat Belts 11.4
3%
12 2.86
%
3 4.76
%
5 6.67
%
7 4.76
%
5 8.57
%
9 7.62
%
8 16.19
%
17 19.05
%
20 18.10
%
19 105
Food/Beverag
e Service
0.00
%
0 0.00
%
0 0.95
%
1 3.81
%
4 2.86
%
3 8.57
%
9 13.33
%
14 21.90
%
23 26.67
%
28 21.90
%
23 105
Legroom 9.52
%
10 20.00
%
21 15.24
%
16 15.24
%
16 7.62
%
8 13.33
%
14 7.62
%
8 4.76
%
5 4.76
%
5 1.90
%
2 105
Personal
Temperature
Control
0.95
%
1 0.95
%
1 3.81
%
4 4.76
%
5 4.76
%
5 5.71
%
6 3.81
%
4 20.00
%
21 17.14
%
18 38.10
%
40 105

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Question 1 2 3 Total
Train 12.87% 13 40.59% 41 46.53% 47 101
Bus 14.85% 15 41.58% 42 43.56% 44 101
Car 72.28% 73 17.82% 18 9.90% 10 101
Q9 - If you have taken a bus in 2016, which bus companies have you
used? (check all that apply)
Answer % Count
Other(Please Specify) 13.73% 14
N/A--have not taken a bus in 2016 32.35% 33
RedCoach 0.00% 0
Jefferson Lines 0.00% 0
Adirondack Trailways 0.98% 1
Greyhound 20.59% 21
BoltBus 3.92% 4
Megabus 18.63% 19
Peter Pan Bus Lines 37.25% 38
Total 100% 102
Q10 - Have your parents ever played a role in your decision to take a bus
(Pay for the ticket, book the trip, encourage bus travel, etc.)
Answer % Count
Yes 44.00% 33
No 54.67% 41
Not sure 1.33% 1
Total 100% 75
Q11 - Which bus company have you used the most often in 2016?
Which bus company have you used the most often in 2016?
Megabus
Peter Pan

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Greyhound
Greyhound
Bolt
Kings transportation
Greyhound
Greyhound
Mega Bus
Greyhound
Megabus
Student agency
Peter Pan
Coach USA
None
Shortline
MegaBus
Chicago Transit Authority
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Alterini Bus
School's personal bus company (Soanish bus, not sure what the company is)
peter pan
mega bus
Peter Pan
Greyhound
RIPTA
Meinfernbus
MeinFernbus/Flixbus
N/A
Peter Pan

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Peter Pan
Peterpan
Flixbus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan!
Peter Pan
Peter pan
Peter Pan
Megabus
Peter Pan
FlixBus
none
Megabus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
AlSA
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Boltbus
Peter Pan
peter pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan

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Megabus
Q12 - Are you aware that Peter Pan Bus Lines stops at UMass (Haigis
Mall)?
Answer % Count
Yes 100.00% 39
No 0.00% 0
Not Sure 0.00% 0
Total 100% 39
Q13 - Have you ever taken a Peter Pan bus from UMass (Haigis Mall) in
2016?
Answer % Count
Yes 71.79% 28
No 25.64% 10
Not Sure 2.56% 1
Total 100% 39
Q14 - Are you aware of any bus companies that have bus stops on or near
your college campus?
Answer % Count
Yes 62.26% 33
No 20.75% 11
Not Sure 16.98% 9
Total 100% 53
Q15 - Please list the bus companies that you are aware of that come to or
near your college campus. (Examples: Greyhound, Peter Pan Bus Lines,
BoltBus, Megabus, etc.)

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Please list the bus companies that you are aware of that come to or near your
campus
Kings transportation
Greyhound, shortline, campus2campus
Peter Pan bus lines
Megabus
Greyhound, Trailways, Coach USA
Greyhound, Megabus
Trailways, Shortline
Greyhound
Peter Pan bus lines
Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, and a lot more because I'm in Boston
there is a vermont company i think called yankee trails?
Peter Pan Bus Lines, Megabus
Peter Pan, RiPta
RIPTA
Greyhound, Peter Pan
RIPTA
RIPTA
Greyhound, peter pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Greyhound, Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
GoBus
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Greyhound, Bolt, Mega, YoBus
Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Megabus
Megabus

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Coach USA (Short Line)
Q16 - Would you be more inclined to take a bus over other intercity
transportation methods if there was a stop on or near your college
campus?
Answer % Count
Yes 62.26% 33
No 18.87% 10
Not sure 18.87% 10
Total 100% 53
Q17 - Are you a member of a loyalty/rewards program?
Answer % Count
Yes 22.22% 24
No 75.93% 82
Not Sure 1.85% 2
Total 100% 108
Q18 - Which of the following reasons have you joined a loyalty/rewards
program? (check all that apply)
Answer % Count
Saving Money 87.50% 21
You were already a frequent shopper 83.33% 20
Personalized deals and rewards (e.g. birthday presents/deals) 75.00% 18
Status (e.g. Starbucks Gold Status) 37.50% 9
Other (Please Specify) 0.00% 0
Total 100% 24
Q19 - Which of the following loyalty/rewards programs have you
belonged to in 2016? (check all that apply)

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Answer % Count
Starbucks 66.67% 16
TrueBlue (JetBlue) 20.83% 5
Sephora 37.50% 9
CVS Extracare 62.50% 15
Walgreens 20.83% 5
Best Buy 8.33% 2
L.L. Bean 8.33% 2
Nordstrom 12.50% 3
Amtrak Guest Rewards 12.50% 3
Other (Please Specify) 37.50% 9
Total 100% 24
Other (Please Specify)
Other (Please Specify)
Express
GNC
Dunkin Donuts, American Airlines
Designer Shoe Warehouse Victoria's Secret Stop & Shop
Price Chopper
American Eagle Outfitters, Moe's
Big Y, Dicks Sporting Goods, American Eagle
Dunkin Donuts
AlSA, Express, ULTA, DSW

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APPENDIX D

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Competitive Analysis Notes
Amtrak
• Specialized Cars include Sleeper Cars, Quite Cars and Dining Cars
• First Class Options provide more space and larger drop down tables
BoltBus
• Free Wi-Fi is not Guaranteed on every trip
Megabus
• Specialized Cars Include Double Decker Buses which provide a Panoramic View
• Wi-Fi is not Guaranteed on Every trip
LimoLiner
• Specialized Cars are their general Buses, which provide larger seats and more space
Trailways of New York
• Specialized Cars are newest batch of Buses which have extra room and hardwood floors
• Leather Seats are only an option on the newest fleet of buses