Virgin Trains Marketing

Here I am, sitting in a Virgin train awaiting departure. I am sat in J015, FIRST CLASS.

First class? I hear you say...that's awfully expensive, isn't it?

No, it's not. By the power given by a young person's railcard, I can get cheaper tickets. This isn't the same on all trains, but on particular lines, at particular times and days. I just happen to know that the Preston-Rugby line on every weekday at this time - means I can get a first class seat for a little over £15.

I wondered where Virgin get their money from - then it came to me...Virgin are actually very smart.

They charge non-students full rate for a first class ticket...and students are amazed at the price. Standard seat for £12ish! Awesome! But then, just slightly lower down it offers a first class seat at £15. Even more awesome!

It costs them nothing to have you in first class, yet they draw people in using those two words, 'First Class'. It's quite nice having a clean doily on the back of my seat, and electricity - but I've been cheeky before in standard and been able to plug into a socket. They bring you a sandwich in first class (approx £0.30 cost for them)...but they are making an extra £2.70 from every student who is sucked into their marketing scheme.

But full credit to them, they sucked me in.

I like being able to sit here and have a free cup of tea (approx £0.05 cost for them)...and I like being able to say I travel first class. But, in the end, Virgin are the winners here...I'm out of pocket £3 extra but have a sandwich, and they are raking it in from the thousands of students doing the exact same thing as me.

Well done, Richard Branson, well done.

Owl City - A Bit Forward?

Before you read the rest of this post, follow this link, read and listen to what you find...

http://owlcitymusic.com/vday/

It's essentially the guy aka Owl City taking Taylor Swift's song, 'Enchanted' and doing his own version of it but directed at her, and using her name within the song.

Rael James Mason pointed this out to me - most likely because I have self-professed an interest towards Taylor Swift's music. Therefore, of course, I would listen to it.

It was quite an interesting listen - I do enjoy listening to his music. But whenever he used her name in the song, it did make me cringe. The letter on the website he writes to her is evidence enough that it is directed at her - it is a romantic gesture, but is it a bit too corny?

The song sung by Taylor is alright for her to sing. It suits her style of music and lyric...but just a guy singing some of the lines that are maybe a bit girly, just doesn't quite sit right. They're still lyrics I like...but I think that (if I were in Taylor's shoes) I would have preferred to hear an original song by him instead of words I wrote towards another guy in my life.

Throughout the song, I was wondering if there was anything else to it...or whether he just really liked his meet with Taylor. I listened and right up until the last line, it wasn't too forward for an internet gesture...then came the line...'Taylor, I was so in love with you.'

Hello, there!

Forward much? Yes. Quite somewhat.

Not sure what you make of this whole debacle...probably not much, which is understandable. But who knows? A romance in the air? Can we predict the guy in one of Taylor's songs on her next album? Most likely...