With the last of the new S-stock trains rolling off the production line for the London Underground, Bombardier Transportation releases a series of films documenting its capabilities and brand values. Emily Andrews reports

For Bombardier Transportation, a rail vehicle and equipment manufacturer, placing its employees at the heart of its corporate video was essential for the successful communication of its brand values and mission. By covering one of its local events in a journalistic style, Bombardier and Proactive International PR, a public relations consultancy specialising in telecommunications and technology, created a piece of content that could then be used to communicate with multiple audiences.

James Rollin, UK head of public relations and marketing at Bombardier, says, “We were seeking to add an extra dimension to the various project-related events we often hold at our sites, and also to capture useful footage which could then be utilised for other communications applications, such as exhibitions, web and social media.”

Alongside Derby-based Bombardier, Proactive, headquartered in Nottinghamshire, will produce a series of films about the rail technology leader and its pioneering work in the industry. It has already released the first of those films which – in celebration of Bombardier’s completion of the 1,395th car (train number 191) for its biggest client Transport for London (TfL), for use on the London Underground – sets the tone for the rest of the series.

The video – which is available to watch on YouTube, but which will also be used by Bombardier across its own website and channels – shows the completion of the largest ever UK train order from London Underground. It includes press-like coverage conducted in the style of local or regional press interviews.

The video is presented by Brian Dolby, CEO of Proactive. He says, “It was a very prestigious visit from the head of Network Rail – probably the top customer of our client Bombardier – and we wanted to capture both the visit and the essence of the story on video.”
The video shows Bombardier’s employees working on the instantly-recognisable London Underground train. It demonstrates the specialist skills of Bombardier staff while telling the story of the local business and its work more generally.

Filmed at Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane site in Derby, the film captures interviews of several senior Bombardier employees, including Peter Doolin, the vice president and project management at Bombardier, and Martin Rennoldson, group account director at Bombardier. The interviews help the viewer to get a better understanding of the people behind the Bombardier brand and the work that it does. The video puts Bombardier’s people at the heart of its business.

Another interviewee, Margaret Beckett, a member of parliament for Derby South, says in the video, “Not only are there jobs here, there are good quality jobs where people need skills, and where those skills are rewarded.”

On the announcement of Proactive’s partnership with Bombardier, Dolby says, “We are thrilled to be working with Bombardier as it embarks on these new and exciting projects. The company is the latest addition to our growing rail portfolio and we are proud to be working so closely with such a big employer here in the East Midlands.”

Bombardier’s reputation as an employer is clearly important to the way that it is perceived, and thus to its messaging and communications strategy. Judging by the first in what will be a series of videos, Bombardier’s ongoing video strategy will work to develop upon this reputation, and to promote it more widely.

Though the Bombardier and Proactive video series could play a role in the development of new business, it seems that the focus on Bombardier as an employer could also have a positive effective on the rail technology company’s employer brand, helping it to attract top talent. With eight sites and 23 service locations across the UK, Bombardier is also the world’s leading manufacturer of planes and trains, and has over 70,900 employees worldwide. Its ethos is ‘The Evolution of Mobility.’ It therefore offers a wealth of opportunity as a potential employer.

The Evolution of Mobility brand purpose comes across in the Proactive video in more ways than one. The slogan itself is emblazoned across the opening credits of the three-minute film, but the centrality of the employees throughout, whatever their role within the business, also plays testament to this mission. Bombardier relies on top talent to ensure that it stays at the forefront of global mobility. That is the essence of its brand.

The video is short in length so that it is suitable for sharing on social media, a priority for the client. Rollin says, “We are keen to build up our activity and presence on social media as a growing communications channel, and having engaging and interesting video content is something that can be usefully deployed as part of this.” Growing its presence online will allow Bombardier to better communicate with all of its stakeholders, whether they are employees, potential employees, potential clients, investors or the media.

Turned around within a short period of time – just a couple of days – the Proactive video is simple yet, with a focus on Bombardier’s status as an employer, firmly tied into the company’s mission. It succeeds at being both local and, at the same time global in the sense that it is consistent with Bombardier’s overarching brand principles. Available on the ‘BombardierRail’ YouTube channel, the video is one of an entire repertoire that includes everything from ‘Products & Services’ to ‘Events’ and ‘Careers.’ Bombardier’s current investment in video communications reflects the public’s general preference for this style of communication, and should help it to reinforce its reputation as both an employer and a dynamic, forward-facing business.