Name: Matt Hardison Title: Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales Company, city: Amtrak; Washington, D.C. Number of employees: 21,200 Recent project: Testing technology to deliver the first true broadband Wi‑Fi on board a train First job: Hauling hay Little-known fact about you: I finished my Master of Business Administration degree in Lima, Peru.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: Relentlessly deliver what customers want. Best way to keep a competitive edge: Monitor developments across the broader passenger transportation industry and adapt accordingly. Yardstick of success: Providing safe, timely, high-quality transportation, with quality measured by customer satisfaction and strong financial performance.
Matt Hardison as a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling? Anticipation. How do you spend your time on board? Talking with employees and customers, working, and reading. What is your favorite restaurant in the world? My own grill. What is your favorite destination in the world? The train.
About Amtrak
Tell our readers about Amtrak’s “500 Destinations. Infinite Stories.” campaign. What inspired the campaign? Launched in September 2015, this campaign is Amtrak’s first master brand effort in about 15 years. Its purpose is to educate consumers about the breadth of Amtrak’s national system — from corridor routes to overnight long‑distance services — and to position train travel as a compelling, practical choice nationwide. The campaign presents a consistent message across TV, print, digital and social channels and was developed with Amtrak’s advertising agency of record, FCB Garfinkel New York. A 30‑second TV spot aired during prime‑time premieres on select ABC and NBC programs as well as Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, with additional placements on select cable networks. We are also running national ads on Hulu and Orbitz; shorter 15‑second videos are being targeted on YouTube, Hulu, Facebook and Tremor to reach geo‑targeted audiences.
Social media is integral to the campaign, encouraging passengers to share their experiences using the hashtag #AmtrakStories, and driving engagement on Amtrak’s Twitter, Facebook and Google+ accounts. A campaign landing page on Amtrak’s blog collects stories and showcases the personal moments that make rail travel unique. Although Amtrak enjoys near‑universal brand awareness, it has not always been top of mind for travelers outside the busy Northeast Corridor. By highlighting comfort, freedom, service and value, the campaign aims to inspire travelers to consider trains as a regular transportation option by telling stories only rail travel can provide.
What benefits does the Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card from Bank of America offer? Amtrak and Bank of America offer two Amtrak Guest Rewards credit cards so customers can choose the features that match their travel habits. Both cards include no foreign transaction fees and EMV chip technology. The Amtrak Guest Rewards World MasterCard includes benefits such as a complimentary companion coupon, one class upgrade, and a one‑day ClubAcela pass upon account opening; 20,000 bonus Amtrak Guest Rewards points after spending $1,000 within 90 days of account opening; three points per $1 spent with Amtrak; two points per $1 on other eligible travel purchases; one point per $1 on other purchases; and a 5 percent rebate on Amtrak redemption travel.
Tell us about the loyalty program’s improvements in 2016. The Amtrak Guest Rewards program, originally launched 15 years ago alongside Acela Express, has been modernized and simplified to serve current members better and attract new ones. A key change lets members redeem points for travel based on ticket price, and on amtrak.com customers can toggle between cash and points while building itineraries. The updated program adds point‑earning bonuses — 25 percent for business class and 50 percent for Acela first class — and removes blackout dates, making rewards easier to use and more valuable for frequent travelers.