Customer Spotlight: Rapido Trains

Customer since: 2006

Fun fact: Jason Shron, the founder of Rapido Trains, once built a 20-foot slice of a real train in his basement.

Where you can find them:

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Jason Shron's lifelong passion for trains fuels Rapido Trains, a business born from a childhood hobby. Starting in 2004 while pursuing a PhD, Jason eventually left academia to dedicate himself to model trains full-time.

Rapido Trains gained viral attention when Jason built a 20-foot train replica in his basement, leading to appearances on major media outlets. This publicity significantly boosted the company's marketing.

The company thrives on its authentic connection to the model train community. "It’s a company built on passion," Jason says. "We’re a team of mostly model train freaks who design stuff that we want." This shared enthusiasm resonates with their customers.

Jason Shron, Founder and Owner of Rapido Trains. Image Source: Jason ShronIn 2020, Rapido expanded into the U.K. market with Rapido Trains UK. While the passion for trains is global, the U.K. market has its own unique preferences. The U.K. general manager, Andy Hardy, notes the market's distinct sensibilities, and Rapido adapted its marketing accordingly. “The ethos of the company is to try and make people happy and that should go into our marketing. So our newsletters are slightly on the silly side. The British market is not as silly as [Canada and the U.S.] but fairly silly by U.K. standards,” explained Andy.

Email marketing is a key strategy for Rapido, utilizing segmented mailing lists and analytics. Jason emphasizes engagement over list size, preferring a high open rate with a smaller, dedicated audience. "I’d rather have 81% of 10,000 as opposed to 3% of 2 million people," he explains.

Rapido Trains uses diverse marketing strategies, including printed ads for older enthusiasts and social media for younger audiences. Despite this, Jason favors their email newsletter for its ability to share in-depth information and build a strong connection with readers. Rapido relies on Constant Contact as their primary communication tool to inform customers about their products.

The newsletters' effectiveness is evident in how customers read and share the content. Jason emphasizes their reliance on Constant Contact, stating, “Constant Contact is our biggest and most useful tool. We couldn’t do without it.”

From basement marvels to digital wizardry, here’s how Rapido Trains keeps the wheels turning and the community engaged.

• Resend to Non-Openers: Ensures that customers who missed the initial email see it, significantly boosting open rates. 

  • “I love this feature, it’s great. We actually have a huge percentage of opens on that second email. It was a game changer for us,” - Jason Shron, Rapido Trains

• Different Mailing Lists: Tailored to different audiences, such as dealers and newsletter subscribers.

• Data and Analytics Reporting: Proactively monitors unengaged subscribers to keep the list highly engaged.

• Forms on Website: Encourages visitors to sign up for newsletters.

• Archived Newsletters: Provides potential subscribers a preview of the content.

• Social Media: Shares newsletters on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to reach younger audiences.