People who catch the train in Sydney and Melbourne are more alike than they are different, according to recent research into Sydney and Melbourne rail commuters released by Adshel.
There are many similarities between commuters in Sydney and Melbourne and the key takeaway is that both are affluent audiences, highly educated and big spenders.
With the rollout of Adshel’s metro train Melbourne network this month, plus its existing Sydney Trains portfolio, Adshel now covers Australia’s two biggest markets with the Adshel Rail network and, along the way, it has become rail audience experts.
Although Melbourne is considered a tram city, Adshel said it was surprised to find that when it comes to commuting to work in the CBD, more Melburnians catch the train than the tram. Sydney and Melbourne train commuters are high-frequency users: Melburnians catch the train six times a week, Sydneysiders 6.6 times a week.
Rail commuters 18- to 34-year-olds make up 37% of train commuters in both Sydney and Melbourne. Both are more likely than the average population to be in the valuable AB quintile, have earned a degree or diploma, and to be a manager or a professional.
[See infographic below for exact values.]
Even more relevant for brands wanting to connect with their target market is the finding that Melbourne and Sydney train commuters are more likely to be big spenders, who are in the top third of Australians when grouped by discretionary spending. They spend more on credit cards, entertainment, shopping, mobile phones and cars.
Adshel noted the alignment between Sydney and Melbourne train commuters presents a huge opportunity for advertisers who want to connect with 14 million commuter journeys each week.
Adshel is rolling out 150 new digital screens across the Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM) network, including key locations Flinders Street, Melbourne Central, Richmond, Parliament, South Yarra and Flagstaff.
Sources:
SYD/MEL Adshel Rail Commuter Study, 2018
Exploring Rail Commuters Research, Dentsu-Aegis 2017
Mind & Mood Study, HT&E 2017
The Context Effect Study, Neuro-Insight, 2016