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Laurence Hogg

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Some companies listen to their customers :

 

https://gizmodo.com/snapchat-is-ditching-its-hated-redesign-so-people-will-1825974676

 

Remember that massive Snapchat update that pissed off basically everyone? Well, Snap is pulling a bit of an about-face and issuing a redesign of the redesign after receiving nothing but a barrage of boos from its once loyal userbase.

 

What seems to have turned the company around on its stance wasn’t user complaints but rather the fact the update failed to increase the company’s revenue. According to its latest earnings report, user growth has slowed since the update dropped and pretty much only old people like it—not exactly Snapchat’s target demographic. Snap is losing money and not growing, which are two things a company should probably not do at the same time if it plans to stick around for awhile, especially if its only other innovative idea is another wearable camera.

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  • 1 month later...
On 26/04/2018 at 13:12, Tanglewood said:

I read somewhere it came out of the agreed marketing and publicity budget - so perhaps we are spared some other weird campaign.

Did a quick bit of market research amongst friends - who admittedly might not be a balanced demographic sample, but not one could see the logic.  One who is definitely not an unbiased commentator, but a serious business-person, and not a boater on the inland waterways, was outraged by the thought that CRT were trying to get pounds from punters in order to fund a re-branding exercise - its not the cost of the design of the logo, but the time effort and resources that will go into putting this brand onto all the hard targets - i.e. signage uniforms and bumf that will be used to drive home the message.  

Even more worrying is management's blinkered determination to steamroll this kind of thing through without recognising that it increases  the alienation of the boating fraternity.  We see excuses based on finance for so many other needs within the system, but mysteriously funds can be found for something which is not central to the purpose.  The most constant and untapped resource for publicising the waterways are the boaters, there are 35,000 of them, not to mention the businesses that depend on them for their livelihood - and yet, speaking for myself, I feel unable to feel positively towards the Trust, and therefore do not act as good publicity for them.  I feel they are intent on turning this wonderful heritage into a theme park.  There is a 2,000 mile network that is a link to a time of prosperity and growth, produced by hard manual work, a time when the link between people and resources was direct and rewarding.  This example could be used too inspire a generation.  Added to that, the joy of the waterway gained from experiencing life at the speed the human body finds comfortable, walking speed. CRT seems to suggest that the waterways  can be all things to all people. If they can only be saved by increasing tourism on an industrial scale, then we will have lost a living heritage, and be poorer for it. 

 

Has anyone else thought that CRT is missing a point?

 

Here it is.....

 

Charities quote the size of their 'friends' organisation as 'leverage' in seeking funding, etc.

 

So the National Trust has X amount of Members, or Friends, so they must be doing something right....etc.

 

BW CRT has a 'friends' organisation, which charges a membership fee (or so it seems).....

 

So these 'friends' get a newsletter / magazine I hear.....

 

But boaters only get an on-line thing, which is OK if you have the computer, internet, power, etc....but cannot be read at leasure or lent / given to boater's friends to read, etc....

 

Why not make all licence paying boaters 'friends' as they do pay a membershi fee (plus mooring fees, etc!)....

 

Then they would get the newsletter/ magazine as well, and the number of 'friends' would be increased somewhat, inproving the stattus of the 'friends' for funding leverage...

 

OR am I barking up the wrong tree??

Edited by wrexham lass
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2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

C&RTs target for 'friends' for 2017/18 (ending March 2018) was 28,500, at the end of Jan they had achieved 23,514

 

Missing targets is probably not something they wish to use to try and get more money.

 

 

 

C&RT's stated aspiration was always 100,000 Friends and £10m pa from charitable giving by 2022. Because they have been (and probably still are) losing money on charitable giving they concentrate on the numeric figure.

The only way that they could demonstrate a large supporter base would become a membership organisation with free membership for licence holders, free membership for regular donors and annual subscription for others. It might not do much towards the £10m pa, however.

 


 

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2 minutes ago, Allan(nb Albert) said:

 

C&RT's stated aspiration was always 100,000 Friends and £10m pa from charitable giving by 2022. Because they have been (and probably still are) losing money on charitable giving they concentrate on the numeric figure.

The only way that they could demonstrate a large supporter base would become a membership organisation with free membership for licence holders, free membership for regular donors and annual subscription for others. It might not do much towards the £10m pa, however.

 


 

 

Its not only the failure to get 'friends' but many other KPIs are falling behind both target and previous years

 

£ million secured from restricted statutory and voluntary funding, philanthropic and individual giving and contributions in kind
£14.4m (10 months 2017-18)
£21.9m (2017-18 Budget)
£25.9m (2016-17 Actual)

 

Number of volunteer hours per annum
489,794 (10 months 2017-18)
600,000 (2017-18 Target)
540,700 (2016-17 Actual)

 

№ of days of unplanned closures to navigation within our control (individual instances over 48 hours)
458 (10 months 2017-18)
400 (2017-18 Target)
441 (2016-17 Actual)

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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Its not only the failure to get 'friends' but many other KPIs are falling behind both target and previous years

 

£ million secured from restricted statutory and voluntary funding, philanthropic and individual giving and contributions in kind
£14.4m (10 months 2017-18)
£21.9m (2017-18 Budget)
£25.9m (2016-17 Actual)

 

Number of volunteer hours per annum
489,794 (10 months 2017-18)
600,000 (2017-18 Target)
540,700 (2016-17 Actual)

 

№ of days of unplanned closures to navigation within our control (individual instances over 48 hours)
458 (10 months 2017-18)
400 (2017-18 Target)
441 (2016-17 Actual)

I first wrote about C&RT's KPI problems in December -

https://www.thefloater.org/the-floater-december-2017/targets-missed-again-by-crt

and more recently in March -

https://www.thefloater.org/the-floater-march-2018/increase-in-performance-failures-satisfactory-under-the-circumstances-claims-crt

 

You highlight, 'within our control' in red. It has not escaped my attention that a massive difference exists between the figure given and 'Emergency Navigation Closures' showing on C&RT's Notices and Stoppages webpage.  Today, for example it shows 14 'Emergency Navigation Closures' (the actual number is 15 because the T&M Navigation Closure is not showing yet!).

Perhaps the reason why 'boater damage' and 'vandalism' comes up so frequently is to make the 'unplanned closures' figure look better.

 

******* Edited to add - I never did manage to get C&RT to explain why its KPI failures were 'reasonable under the circumstances'.

Edited by Allan(nb Albert)
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As one aim of the logo change was to make the more public aware of the CRT, especially as an appeal to the younger person, I do wonder if the expense of changing all signs on the waterways owned by the CRT has been worth it. The figures quoted for new volunteers do not indicate an age profile nor if the volunteer numbers have increased since the change of logo. 

Edited by Heartland
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CRT need to consider the negative aspect of partnering with Sustrans which can drive families away from the towpath and is losing moorings for boaters .Also the rise of Motorbikes on the Towpath which will increase due to removal of the "barriers"

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33 minutes ago, b0atman said:

CRT need to consider the negative aspect of partnering with Sustrans which can drive families away from the towpath and is losing moorings for boaters .

That is impossible, Sustrans are an integral part of towpath strategy, and importantly they have been in the charity/funding sector for years. Anyway, marketing is all about positivity, not negativity.

Edited by LadyG
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4 hours ago, b0atman said:

CRT need to consider the negative aspect of partnering with Sustrans which can drive families away from the towpath and is losing moorings for boaters .Also the rise of Motorbikes on the Towpath which will increase due to removal of the "barriers"

I know of two locations of mixed cyclepaths/footpaths where the accepted local wisdom is that its just too dangerous for pedestrians, and pedestrians are advised not to go there. In one case the warning was published by a local newspaper. Neither of these places is a canal towpath but it is only a matter of time before this happens on the towpath. There are already a few places where I would choose not to moor unless essential due to speeding cyclists.

 

The government "charter" when setting up CaRT did specify free pedestrian access but I don't think it mentioned cyclists.

 

..................Dave

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4 hours ago, b0atman said:

CRT need to consider the negative aspect of partnering with Sustrans which can drive families away from the towpath and is losing moorings for boaters .Also the rise of Motorbikes on the Towpath which will increase due to removal of the "barriers"

 

Yes I think a balance point will be reached shortly when increasing numbers of cyclists result in a reduction in pedestrian visitors to the canals. Walking the towpaths gets quite stressful in places where a lot of cycling happens and I think people will begin to avoid doing it. 

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RE: Motorbikes on Towpaths....

 

It does seem that the number of Motorbikes will only increase everywhere.

 

People are getting used to motorbikes on the towpath, and possibly think it is 'allowed'!

 

There is no signage at Towpath Entry Points to inform potentilal riders that motor vehicles (Except Authorised Grass Mainteneance Vehicles, etc.) are prohinited.

 

The so called 'drug run' between Chester and Ellesmere Port, well known for high speed motorbikes, most with two riders (mostllywithout helmets) mostly without any numberplates, has seen reports an increase of fully 'legal' number plates and helmeted riders using the Towpath.

 

It seems that this route is becoming a popular Motorbike path with 'normal' motorbike riders, yet alone a cylcle path.

 

The same thing is happening, it seems, on the whole of the 'surfaced' Towpath of the Shropshire Union. Not quite so many bikes on teh rougher parts of the Towpath though....

 

It is amazing that, with CRT 'loving' new signs, there is no signage wahtsoever at an awful lot of Towpath Acess Points!

 

 

RE: CRT New Signage...

 

The Canal Boating Times has a new sign at Chester on the cover....all Chester signs seem to have been replaced!

 

The Boat Museum (Sorry, the NWM or whatever it is being called now...) has new signage too!

 

The Captain has come up with something!

 

The Cyclist & Ramblers Trust new Blue Logo, the same blue as used on Cycleway signs!

 

Also....they are only replacing signs that need replacing....

 

Any sign with the old logo is out of date, and therfore needs replacing!!!

 

For me, they have missed out a circle....unless it represents a Uni-cycle???? ;)

 

 

 

 

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23 minutes ago, wrexham lass said:

It does seem that the number of Motorbikes will only increase everywhere.

 

People are getting used to motorbikes on the towpath, and possibly think it is 'allowed'!

 BW were very concerned about motorcycle usage of the towpaths back in 2006 and published a document outlining options.

 

Basically - the requirement to leave the towpath accessible to disability 'buggies' makes it very difficult to restrict motorcycles.

Motorcycles_on_Towpaths_British_Waterways_and_the_Fieldfare_Trust.pdf

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4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 BW were very concerned about motorcycle usage of the towpaths back in 2006 and published a document outlining options.

 

Basically - the requirement to leave the towpath accessible to disability 'buggies' makes it very difficult to restrict motorcycles.

Motorcycles_on_Towpaths_British_Waterways_and_the_Fieldfare_Trust.pdf

Radar keys .

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Coming in at the tail end of this topic perhaps boaters should develop guidance of how to live in harmony with bikers and others using the towpath.....where in an extreme case the use of the word 'live' might literally be appropriate.

 

To my mind it the 'speed' and 'noise' of bikes that concerns me - and is speed and noise not something we have had to live with for years - except now it will be from both sides of the boat.

 

Perhaps the logo should have included a montage of boats, bikes, buggies, walkers - and not forgetting anglers.

 

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1 hour ago, Horace42 said:

Coming in at the tail end of this topic perhaps boaters should develop guidance of how to live in harmony with bikers and others using the towpath.....where in an extreme case the use of the word 'live' might literally be appropriate.

 

To my mind it the 'speed' and 'noise' of bikes that concerns me - and is speed and noise not something we have had to live with for years - except now it will be from both sides of the boat.

 

Perhaps the logo should have included a montage of boats, bikes, buggies, walkers - and not forgetting anglers.

 

...don't forget the Swan....

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25 minutes ago, b0atman said:

With the new paths to Sustrans standard bikes are now stealth machines

 

 

As kids we used to clip a playing card to the bike frame using a clothes peg so it hit the spokes as we rode around making a delightfully unholy racket. 

 

Maybe bikes on towpaths should do this too then at least we would know they were there!

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21 hours ago, b0atman said:

Radar keys .

That is what the CRT (BW) barriers use, but now the towpaths have been surfaced for cycling, the barriers have been left open as they slow the cyclists down.  Of course that is ignoring the reason for installing them in the first place, so nothing to stop motor cycles anymore.

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1 hour ago, john6767 said:

That is what the CRT (BW) barriers use, but now the towpaths have been surfaced for cycling, the barriers have been left open as they slow the cyclists down.  Of course that is ignoring the reason for installing them in the first place, so nothing to stop motor cycles anymore.

Exactly right and Facebook posters are reporting more and more motorcycles on towpaths .

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Cyclists on towpaths have been discussed in other threads. I personally am unsure about the statement that "Sustrans are an integral part of towpath strategy, and importantly they have been in the charity/funding sector for years". Cyclist are one of a group of others (walkers, fishermen and boaters) who use the towpath. Allowing cyclists the freedom to do as their please can be viewed as positive discrimination. If they, as a group, followed the CRT code, then there would be no issue. Regrettably there are a hard core of cyclists who do not. It may be a negative statement to say they are driving others off the waterways, but a positive approach would be to reinstate the barriers and restrict where cyclists can go.

 

Waterways are about leisure these days and the ability to explore, look at the heritage and appreciate the diverse ecology found on the waters edge. Those that do, cannot enjoy the people who pass them at speed and make any visit to the navigation a potential misery.

 

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