intu Trafford Centre tram stop

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has anyone any official information with regards to any possible TfGM renaming of this tram stop and the tram destination boards, noting the commercial matters now affecting the intu group

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Cover up the "intu" with duct tape?

As Dwayne Johnson's character 'Will Sawyer' said in the 2018 film "Skyscraper"...

"If you can't fix it with duct tape...

...you ain't using enough duct tape."

 

[edwin_m]

The many NCT bus routes that terminate in the Parliament Street area displayed "Intu Victoria Centre" and I suspect NCT was paid for doing so. Now it's become just Victoria Centre and is shown as such in the timetables, but as I can't get out to check, I don't know what is says on the front of the buses.

 

[507 001]

I know the onboard announcements have all been re-recorded sans intu. They haven’t actually been installed on the trams yet though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Did Intu pay for their name to feature?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Did Intu pay for their name to feature?

If they didn't, then including it was a damn stupid idea and whoever made the decision to include it needs handing their P45. Nobody calls the mall itself anything other than "Trafford Centre" because that's its name.

 

[geoffk]

If they didn't, then including it was a damn stupid idea and whoever made the decision to include it needs handing their P45. Nobody calls the mall itself anything other than "Trafford Centre" because that's its name.

I agree and I thought TfGM's policy was over the top. I wondered why I couldn't find Trafford Centre on the alphabetical departure list at Wythenshawe Bus Station. It was because I was looking under T.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

"intu Trafford Centre" appears on the main list of destinations on the front of those TfGM-printed bus timetables for services that call there.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Actually it's utterly daft even if intu DID pay for it... I'm definitely in agreement with Bill Hicks when it comes to people who work in marketing and come up with these stupid ideas. The way their minds must work to think that it was a smart move... it's frankly baffling.

 

[pdeaves]

Actually it's utterly daft even if intu DID pay for it... I'm definitely in agreement with Bill Hicks when it comes to people who work in marketing and come up with these stupid ideas. The way their minds must work to think that it was a smart move... it's frankly baffling.

Ah, but it brings in £££ in the short term, and that's all that matters (in some minds that cannot or will not look beyond the end of the week).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Ah, but it brings in £££ in the short term, and that's all that matters (in some minds that cannot or will not look beyond the end of the week).

I think they must be lizard people...

 

[py_megapixel]

A similar stupidity with the name "Etihad Campus". Why not just call it Sportcity, which is its actual name, especially when the stop serves the NCC and things, not just the stadium.

 

[Ianno87]

I agree and I thought TfGM's policy was over the top. I wondered why I couldn't find Trafford Centre on the alphabetical departure list at Wythenshawe Bus Station. It was because I was looking under T.

"intu Trafford Centre" appears on the main list of destinations on the front of those TfGM-printed bus timetables for services that call there.

Helpfully, Metrolink provide a map on all TVMs to avoid such issues.

A similar stupidity with the name "Etihad Campus". Why not just call it Sportcity, which is its actual name, especially when the stop serves the NCC and things, not just the stadium.

Because Man City's ground is universally known as "The Etihad" - far more recognised than Sport City.

 

[py_megapixel]

Because Man City's ground is universally known as "The Etihad" - far more recognised than Sport City.

Yes, but when the sponsor of the stadium changes they'll have to rename it... also, on road signage it's generally Sportcity so clearly a decent enough chunk of the population recognise that name

(That said, IIRC Deansgate tram stop was called GMex for a time after GMex became Manchester Central Convention Centre so they clearly weren't too bothered about renaming it)

 

[edwin_m]

I'd hope that, if we must have sponsored names on stops, the deal reserves enough cash reserved to restore a non-commercial name at the end of the sponsorship or if the sponsor withdraws. This figure needs to include not just changing the nameboards (with something more substantial than sticky back plastic) but also updating all system maps and information systems, and should be excluded from any assessment of the financial benefit of the sponsorship.

I imagine this is done with sponsorships that are always intended to be for a limited period, such as the various more or less ridiculous renamings of Tube stations. But I'm less sure about allegedly permanent ones such as this one - how long did G-Mex remain as a tramstop name after the exhibition centre rebranded?

 

[SargeNpton]

A couple of years ago Spurs wanted to rename White Hart Lane station to match that of their new ground. When they found out that the costs would be much more than just putting new station signs up it all seemed to go quiet.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A couple of years ago Spurs wanted to rename White Hart Lane station to match that of their new ground. When they found out that the costs would be much more than just putting new station signs up it all seemed to go quiet.

It's advertising, and should therefore be charged at the full commercial rate that such advertising would normally attract. Otherwise pick a geographical name.

 

[Clip]

A similar stupidity with the name "Etihad Campus". Why not just call it Sportcity, which is its actual name, especially when the stop serves the NCC and things, not just the stadium.

I think you're wrong here , the Etihad campus is a part of sport city and has more than just the football ground in it and for its future plans. And I doubt man city will change the name of their sponsor anytime soon seeing how they're both owned by the same people

 

[Fokx]

I think you're wrong here , the Etihad campus is a part of sport city and has more than just the football ground in it and for its future plans. And I doubt man city will change the name of their sponsor anytime soon seeing how they're both owned by the same people

I second that, the NCC has its own stop anyway.... Velopark

The ‘Etihad Campus’ stop is mainly for passengers travelling to/from Etihad stadium for the purpose of watching football matches, hence why it had its own gateline and turnstiles for said Football fans

 

[Bletchleyite]

I second that, the NCC has its own stop anyway.... Velopark

The ‘Etihad Campus’ stop is mainly for passengers travelling to/from Etihad stadium for the purpose of watching football matches, hence why it had its own gateline and turnstiles for said Football fans

I'd call it "Eastlands Stadium" or "Sportcity Stadium", unless Etihad are paying a commercial rate for the use of their name as advertising, in which case fair enough.

It's pretty much dead now, but I was always surprised "Manchester United Football Ground" wasn't called "Old Trafford Football Ground" or somesuch. Though the chance of the team changing is rather lower than the chance of a sponsor changing.

 

[Fokx]

I'd call it "Eastlands Stadium" or "Sportcity Stadium", unless Etihad are paying a commercial rate for the use of their name as advertising, in which case fair enough.

It's pretty much dead now, but I was always surprised "Manchester United Football Ground" wasn't called "Old Trafford Football Ground" or somesuch. Though the chance of the team changing is rather lower than the chance of a sponsor changing.

As you say it’s probably much easier to simply call it Manchester City Football Stadium, says what it does on the tin.

As much as I like ‘Eastlands’ ‘Bradford’ or ‘Beswick’ it would most likely confuse non-locals, however ‘Eastlands’ would be a good name if the velopark stop was ever re-named being situated next to ASDA Eastlands and the new Eastlands Co-Op arena due to be built

 

[Ianno87]

It's pretty much dead now, but I was always surprised "Manchester United Football Ground" wasn't called "Old Trafford Football Ground" or somesuch.

Presumably to avoid confusion with what was [then] Old Trafford BR station.

 

[SargeNpton]

It's pretty much dead now, but I was always surprised "Manchester United Football Ground" wasn't called "Old Trafford Football Ground" or somesuch. Though the chance of the team changing is rather lower than the chance of a sponsor changing.

Only being open for Manchester United home games made it the obvious choice of name - the only people wanting to go there would be those going to the match.

 

[charley_17/7]

I agree and I thought TfGM's policy was over the top. I wondered why I couldn't find Trafford Centre on the alphabetical departure list at Wythenshawe Bus Station. It was because I was looking under T.

Should have been under 'D' for Dumplington! Referred to as 'The Dump' in our family, because its full of **** no-one wants, and is always blocked up (with car traffic).

 

[Trackman]

Presumably to avoid confusion with what was [then] Old Trafford BR station.

That's my thinking too.
Anyway, bad idea re-branding it to the 'intu Trafford centre', to everyone it's known as the Trafford Centre or 'The Traff', 'intu' just confuses things, especially without a capital 'I'.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's my thinking too.
Anyway, bad idea re-branding it to the 'intu Trafford centre', to everyone it's known as the Trafford Centre or 'The Traff', 'intu' just confuses things, especially without a capital 'I'.

TBH I think that was an error by the parent company, really, as most people just ridiculed it as they got rid of some well-established brands with it (such as the Harlequin Centre in Watford, though I forget if the Watford DC line was named after that or vice-versa, and Midsummer Place in MK is still either known as that or "the new bit" and never "Intu Milton Keynes" by anyone). You don't need brand loyalty to a brand of shopping centres in that sort of way; literally nobody will be in a town and think "I'll go to the Intu shopping centre because my local one is good", they'll go where the actual shop they want is.

 

[py_megapixel]

That's my thinking too.
Anyway, bad idea re-branding it to the 'intu Trafford centre', to everyone it's known as the Trafford Centre or 'The Traff', 'intu' just confuses things, especially without a capital 'I'.

They also got rid of the classy-looking logo and replaced it with a boring wordmark...

 

[Bletchleyite]

They also got rid of the classy-looking logo and replaced it with a boring wordmark...

If they really wanted to bring the Intu brand into visibility (goodness knows why, brand loyalty of shopping centres isn't a thing) they might have been better off keeping the strong local brand and putting "by intu" underneath.

 

[Trackman]

TBH I think that was an error by the parent company, really, as most people just ridiculed it as they got rid of some well-established brands with it (such as the Harlequin Centre in Watford, though I forget if the Watford DC line was named after that or vice-versa, and Midsummer Place in MK is still either known as that or "the new bit" and never "Intu Milton Keynes" by anyone). You don't need brand loyalty to a brand of shopping centres in that sort of way; literally nobody will be in a town and think "I'll go to the Intu shopping centre because my local one is good", they'll go where the actual shop they want is.

What would have been fun if they renamed Manchester Victoria to 'Manchester Nynex' or something similar after the butchering.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What would have been fun if they renamed Manchester Victoria to 'Manchester Nynex' or something similar after the butchering.

Thank goodness they didn't. Much as it (the arena) is still and always will be the Nynex, even though the company doesn't exist any more!