A "stealth industry" goes public: a new public information campaign crafted by the Association of American Railroads will help freight railroads emerge from obscurity - Brief Article

Railway Age, July, 2002 by William C. Vantuono

America's Railroads. Who Needs Them? We All Do." I Astronaut Wally Shirra pitched that theme on behalf of the Association of American Railroads in the late 1960s and early 1970s, at a time when many carriers were spiraling downward into bankruptcy and nationalization was seriously talked about.

"Tomorrow. Arriving by Train," AAR's 2002 theme, says some of the same things, only this time, the aim is to create a visually impressive, engaging campaign to educate a mostly uninformed (some say misinformed) public about the economic, social, and environmental/technological benefits that today's thriving freight railroad industry offers. It's the centerpiece of a $4 million integrated public awareness campaign that includes broadcast and print advertising (TV spots can be seen on CNN's Larry King Live), an interactive website (www.tomorrowsrailroads.org), educational programs, and a membership-based club for budding railroad enthusiasts.

"The industry's image needs burnishing," says AAIR President and CEO Ed Hamberger. "The reservoir of good will has run dry. Railroads are part of the new economy, but opinion leaders and the general public don't recognize that. The timing is right for what we're trying to do. Service is good, and there are a lot of things happening in the public policy arena where we need to build public support."

Changing the railroad industry's status as "stealth industry" will be a daunting task. For example, only 20% of the people AAR surveyed during focus-group sessions for the program's development phase felt that railroads were technologically advanced. "We realized right away railroads have a serious perception problem," says AAR Vice President Peggy Wilhide, who, with AAR Director-Editorial Services Tom White and Manager-Media & External Relations Tom Palmer developed the program with Edelman Public Relations Worldwide.

The membership portion of the program, RailFanClub (www.railfanclub.org), costs $19.95 to join. One-hundred percent of the fee goes into AAR's Railroad Research Foundation, which supports educational activities. A long-term objective is to develop a curriculum for elementary school and high school students. Membership has topped 1,000; AAR says its goal is to make RailFanClub self-sustaining.

RELATED ARTICLE: In May, more than 900 Boy Scouts from the Midwest gathered in Boone, Iowa, for the Boy Scout Railroad Camporee, where 700 Scouts earned a Railroad Merit Badge. With assistance from AAR, retired track inspector Robert Folkmann and RailFanClub member Whit Johnson organized Railroad Merit Badge stations and instructors. Many railroaders pitched in, among them representatives from Twin Cities & Western, Union Pacific, and Amtrak. Charles Anderson of Western Towers, with help from AAR, the National Model Railroad Association, and other interested parties, is leading the effort to update the Railroad Merit Badge, which was facing discontinuation in 1995. Last year, 2,200 Scouts received the badge, which is now one of the most popular elective Boy Scout badges.