Capital Metro "Get On" Campaign to Increase MetroExpress Ridership

Target Audience: Existing and potential new riders of Capital Metro's MetroExpress service who commute to/from downtown Austin and the University of Texas areas.

Strategy Objective:Phase I - Creative team rode service to ID key messages that would resonate with riders and developed campaign showing activities that customers engage in while "getting their time back" on the bus. Phase 2 - Full marketing support of/collateral for customer education efforts for multiple rounds of community involvement and social media. Phase 3 ' Focus on new service launch. An entertaining series of videos were produced that focused on "getting my time back" and the frustration of driving. These videos, encouraging riders to "Get On," were used in paid social media as well as for native posts on Capital Metro social media.

Situation Challenge: MetroExpress was scheduled to change service after the opening of Austin's Mopac Express Toll Lanes, a $200 M improvement project giving buses, van pools and individuals the ability to avoid congestion and get to their destinations without delay via dedicated lanes. This access dramatically improved trip times for MetroExpress service. A recent survey showed only 13% of people supported improvements to this service and that there was a low understanding of what services Capital Metro offered. The same study indicated that one of the most attractive features of transit was that it gave people time back to do other things when they would otherwise be driving. With construction delays that left just two weeks' notice before the lanes opened, staff developed a phased marketing plan.

Results Impact: The MetroExpress "Get On" campaign created greater awareness of the improved MetroExpress service and increased ridership on the routes by 20%. Ridership continues to grow, and additional buses have been added due to overcrowding on these popular routes. Additional trips were also added from the Round Rock and New Life Park and rides to meet demand. Results from the paid social media campaign (just under $30K) were: Total Impressions: 2,002,597 Total Clicks to Microsite: 7,115 Facebook 100% Video Views: 320,385 YouTube 100% Video Views: 109,475

Why Submit: Capital Metro had developed a great new product with the improved MetroExpress routes. It was up to marketing to raise awareness and promote the product. By focusing on the positive messaging from recent perception survey results, combining research, Experience Design tactics, and a phased approach that allowed Capital Metro to be agile, Capital Metro developed a highly targeted and resonate campaign that garnered significant results. At a time when ridership is down across most transit agencies, the combination of improved product and effective marketing tactics can be a winner. This was the case for the "Get On" campaign.