Over the years, Alton & Southern Railway has expanded its operations and developed a reputation for providing efficient and reliable rail services. Today, it serves as a vital transportation artery; up to 48 trains originate or terminate in Gateway Yard each day, with an average of 2100 cars humped and more than 3500 cars classified. With ten crews working each of three shifts, a massive amount of traffic is moved every day.
Alton & Southern Railway
The Shortest Line to Success
Alton & Southern Railway has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1910. Originally established as a switching and terminal railroad, the company played a crucial role in facilitating the transportation of goods and materials to and from the St. Louis area.
The Challenge
Alton & Southern faced challenges stemming from their outdated website, coupled with a lack of clarity and consistency in their brand messaging and visual assets. The website failed to reflect the company’s evolution and growth, leaving potential customers with a subpar understanding of the company’s legacy. Its static content, obsolete design, and inefficient navigation deterred users from engaging, resulting in potentially missed business opportunities. Moreover, the brand’s identity lacked a cohesive and unified message, causing confusion among customers and diluting its overall impact.
This absence of a clear brand voice was hindering Alton & Southern’s ability to establish a strong emotional connection with its target audience, hampering brand loyalty and customer retention.
Before Screenshot
The Approach & Solution
Seafoam Media tackled this challenge first by conducting a Brand Strategy Workshop – a collaborative session involving our team and Alton & Southerns key stakeholders.
By asking specific questions relating to the business and industry, we would draw out the knowledge, ideas, and perspectives necessary to develop and refine the brand’s strategic direction, align all participants on the brand’s purpose, values, positioning, target audience, messaging, and overall marketing approach.
We also conducted an audit of Alton and Southern’s visual identity assets. This involved a comprehensive review and analysis of all design elements that contributed to the company’s brand. The purpose of this was to assess the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of all brand assets including logos, colors, and typography, to ensure they were aligned with the brand’s identity and values.
The Results
Seafoam created a modern website with more well-defined user paths, and developed the company’s brand core including their purpose, vision, mission, and core values. We also developed new photo and video assets including drone footage of the facility.
