Maryland Transit CharmPass Mobile Transit Fare App Campaign

Target Audience: Current transit riders 25-45.

Strategy Objective:The goal of MDOT MTA's entry into phone fare payment was to decrease dwell time for buses, enhance security and enable faster transportation for bus riders in particular. The strategy to reach these goals was to show and/or demonstrate that CharmPass is a phone app, and to focus on its major advantage as a method of payment by including the promise of free transfers between modes of travel, a promise that only CharmPass could deliver.

Situation Challenge: The campaign to launch the CharmPass mobile transit fare app was designed to enhance our riders' experience by maximizing the convenience, speed and security of fare payment. CharmPass is the first fare payment method that can be accepted on all MDOT MTA modes of travel. The challenge MDOT MTA addressed in creating this entry was in creating acceptance and encouraging daily use of an entirely new way to pay transit fare in addition to the multiple other methods of payment already in use.

Results Impact: Target audiences responded enthusiastically to the CharmPass campaign, with a nearly 25 percent average increase in app downloads from previous weeks since its launch, and a near-tripling of revenue generated through CharmPass compared to previous weeks. The success of the campaign enabled CharmPass to surpass other benchmark goals substantially, and to reach those previously established goals more than a month ahead of schedule.

Why Submit: The CharmPass campaign delivered success on a number of levels by focusing on "saying one thing and saying it well. The headline ' "Get mobile. Go faster. Transfer free" ' was extended into print, traditional electronic media and social media, as well as further developed into a TV-ready social media video that reached 35,000+ viewers. For its marketing effectiveness as well as the freshness of the approach, the CharmPass campaign deserves consideration as an AdWheel awardee.