Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird Corporation is one of the nation’s longest-established bus manufacturing companies. “Transporting the world’s most precious cargo since 1927,” Blue Bird specializes in manufacturing safe and reliable school buses and school activity buses for districts across the US. Blue Bird also manufactures commercial and specialty buses and has operable buses in more than 60 countries.
A History of Blue Bird
Originally known as the Blue Bird Body Company, Blue Bird was founded in Fort Valley, GA, in 1927 when founder A.L. Luce realized the need for dependable, reliable student transportation. Using steel and sheet metal, Luce began designing and manufacturing early versions of the buses we recognize today and establishing Blue Bird as a leader in school bus innovation and technology.
Blue Bird Today
Today, Blue Bird Corporation is committed to prioritizing safety, quality, durability, and serviceability with every bus product it produces, and it keeps the safety of school children at the center of all that the company does.
While diesel was once the primary fuel source for Blue Bird buses and nearly all buses, in recent years, Blue Bird leaders have focused on developing buses with alternative fuel sources for healthier students and a healthier environment. These alternative fuel sources include propane, natural gas, and electricity.
The Need
Blue Bird has a full in-house marketing team that handles the company’s promotional needs. When Blue Bird approached M&R in 2022, they were heavily focused on their EV campaign and promoting their fully electric school bus models. The marketing department’s primary goal was to offload a few smaller design and development projects so their marketing team could focus on other projects in the EV campaign.
The Solution
Initially, our designers, copywriters, and web developers came together to complete the smaller projects Blue Bird needed from our team. We initially created an EV-focused:
- Booklet Folder
- Presentation Folder
- Landing Page
Since producing that initial collateral, Blue Bird has relied on our marketing firm for many additional services to promote several of their bus models and all of their standard and alternative fuel options.
Additional services we have completed or are in the process of completing include:
Branding Services
Infographics
Landing Pages
Print Materials
Blog Article Development
Social Media Advertising
Videography
The Results
Since our initial partnership with Blue Bird Corporation, Blue Bird has seen impressive results from the digital and print materials we have provided.
In one quarter, Blue Bird’s landing pages received nearly 3,000 views with a conversion rate of 19%. For comparison, the average conversion rate is just under 6%, and the current benchmark for a successful landing page is 10%.
Our LinkedIn campaigns, which incorporate the six social videos we created for them, also perform increasingly well. In just the first quarter of 2024, Blue Bird garnered 188,000 impressions through the LinkedIn campaign.
Blue Bird’s print materials, including booklets, flyers, and spec sheets, have also proven helpful tools for promoting its EV solutions and showcasing its various bus models.
Additionally, our branding services, including logo development, tagline development, and brand standards guide development, have helped promote a variety of campaigns while maintaining cohesion and consistency across Blue Bird’s many divisions.
- 3,000
Views - 19%
Conversion
Rate - 188,000
Impressions
Hear from the Client
“M&R is a very easy company to work with. They understood and delivered on our vision in a very timely manner.”
-Albert Burleigh, Vice President of North American Bus Sales
