8
Piedmont
Norfolk - Newark
Battle Line drawn —
Piedmont’s ahead
Piedmont Airlines began facing
its first competition from the new
low-cost, point-to-point airlines
bom since deregulation of the in
dustry when People Express began
flying Piedmont’s single most
traveled route — New York City to
Norfolk — on April 30.
Piedmont’s response was swift,
and certain.
“Our choice was simple. We had
to offer fares just as low as a new
operator: we had to offer a better
value of service: and we had to do all
this with a superior marketing and
advertising campaign," President
W. R Howard said.
“The only alternative was to
invite other potential competitors
to underprice us and steal away any
important route on our system. We
had to make it clear that any com
petitor over our routes could expect
the most vigorous competition we
can possibly mount," he said.
Piedmont did just that.
The day before the new carrier
announced its exact plans, Pied
mont announced a new fare pack
age between Newark and Norfolk of
$35 at peak hours and $23 for off-
peak travel.
Piedmont also:
— Increased Newark-Norfolk
schedules from three to five
daily nonstop roundtrips.
—Conducted a marketing sales
blitz of aJl Tidewater and
Newark area travel agency and
commercial accounts.
— Dramatically stepped up ad
vertising in both areas, and
tailored the content of the ads
to our new fares and services.
— Upgraded inflight service
between the two cities to
include free beverage service,
both soft drinks and liquor.
“The response has been superb,
probably even better than our
expectations," Howard said. "While
our competitors were charging for
soft drinks and liquor — and charg
ing $3 for each checked bag as weU
— Piedmont was offering a vastly
superior service, and the public has
responded in our favor.”
He pointed out that Piedmont
also offers passengers interline res
ervations and baggage services
while the new entry is not prepared
to duplicate these benefits to the
traveler.
While one month does not settle
the issue, and Howard cautioned
that Piedmont must be prepared to
continue to demonstrate it has a
superior product for the travelers
in this market for some time to
come, we have established a wide
lead.
Piedmont’s research indicates we
have enjoyed a load factor well over
30 points higher than the new
entry during the month of May.
L.G. Vaughan (left) and Tommy Young beside the restored Hapeuille Depot.
Atlanta's Tommy Young
Airline man puffs into RR station
Can you imagine taking an old,
dilapidated train depot and turning
it into a museum?
That’s just what the people of
Hapeville, Georgia, did and one of
the people responsible for the res
toration is Tommy Young, cargo
manager for Piedmont’s Atlanta
station.
"The whole community has been
involved," said Young, who has
been with Piedmont since 1958.
"We sanded and restained the
floors, painted the building inside
and out, and just cleaned up the
entire area. Many groups volun
teered materials and time, and local
garden clubs landscaped the area"
L.G. Vaughan, an 87-year-oId res
ident of Hapeville, is credited with
getting the project off the ground.
“It took three years and a lot of
work by many people, but thanks to
L.G., we’ve got something we’re
really proud of,” said Young.
The transportation museum,
located near the Atlanta airport,
has on exhibit railroad parapher
nalia, such as a conductor’s hat,
dining car light fixtures, china and
lanterns. An antique bicycle with
an oversized front wheel, a model
train, old photos from the local Ford
Motor Company plant, and an array
of books are also part of the exhibit.
“The area once used for cargo has
been renovated, and one of the
major photo displays has been done
by the airlines," Young explained.
“Piedmont, along with Delta,
Eastern, and Republic, have exhib
its along the walls.
“The depot is now looking for an
old dining car or caboose to add to
the property.
“The depot has become a center
of attention in the community,"
Young said, “and for everyone
involved, it has become very much a
source of pride."
Can you name that voice
on the Piedmont tunes?
Come andjly, come to the sky.
Piedmont isflying where your world
is waiting.
Over the mountains and the shim
mering sand.
Flying all over this land
Piedmont skies reaching out across
the country.
Rocky Mountain mornings, honey
suckle nights.
Riversjlowing, green valleys
growing.
Wide open spaces and cities ojlight
Piedmont, we've only begun.
We’re up and coming, shining like
the sun.
Come to the sky, your world is wait
ing somewhere.
Piedmont isflying you there.
Piedmont isflying you there.
Have you wondered who sings
Piedmont’s praises in the Com
pany’s new ads?
Do you know who wrote the
music and the words?
The star of Piedmont’s hit show
is Harriet Frye, copywriter for the
company’s advertising agency,
McKinney Silver Rockett. “I
wanted something that sounded
light and airy, that gave the feeling
of floating in the clouds,” said Frye,
who produces all music for the
Raleigh agency.
She began working with Steve
Hulse, an Atlanta arranger and
composer, to come up with a tune
that suited Piedmont. She added
her lyrics to his tune to produce
Piedmont’s new theme song.
"We’ve decided to have four dif
ferent versions made for our differ
ent audiences. So far, only the mid-
dle-of-the-road version has played
but we also have pop, country, and
rhythm and blues versions.” Frye
said.
For the middle-of-the-road ver
sion, Frye contacted singer/song
writer Diane Pfeifer, who lives in
Adanta. Pfeifer, who released her
first album last year, has written
several tunes which have been cut
by Debbie Boone, including “Just
When I Needed a Love Song."
The pop version was also sung by
a group from Atlanta. But for the
country rendition, Frye went to the
home of country music, Nashville.
"Anita Ball sang this version,"
Frye said. "She used to sing backup
for Dolly Parton."
The rh}^hm and blues tune was
also taped in a Nashville studio.
Donna McElroy provided the vocal.
This version, along with the coun
try and pop, will be phased in this
spring.