Mobile Fare Introduction (print)

Target Audience: The target audiences included: 1) Current Omnitrans Customers, 2) Potential New Customers. (English and Spanish)

Strategy Objective:Strategy: To attract customers to use our mobile fare app, we provided simple how-to information and offered an incentive of 50% off the first purchase of a 7-day or 31-day bus pass as part of our launch campaign in 2017. Print advertising included: bus book cover and ad, brochure, newspaper, interior/exterior bus ads, bus shelter ads. We tied our launch promotion into 2017 Southern California Rideshare Week as well.

Situation Challenge: In August 2017, Omnitrans was launching a new mobile fare payment app through Token Transit. We needed to make current and prospective customers aware that we offered this new pay-by-phone technology. For current customers we wanted to entice them to switch from cash or traditional mag-stripe bus passes to mobile and needed to educate them on how to get and use mobile fares.

Results Impact: In the first full month (Sept. 2017), mobile fares were used for 2.9% of all trips. This grew to 5.5% by December 2017, the end of the launch campaign. Other comparisons: Unique users per month: Sept. 2017=1,385 vs. Dec. 2017=2,082, a 50% increase. Monthly Revenue: Sept. 2017=$27,376 vs. Dec. 2017=$48,412, a 77% increase. Growth has continued: Oct. 2018 monthly users = 3,053, monthly revenue = $73,507 and percent of trips = 5.7%. 2,623 customers took advantage of the 50% discount offer. A mobile fare customer survey done in January 2018 revealed: 91% customer satisfaction with the app; prior to using the app 60% paid with cash on board and 21% bought traditional bus passes at sales outlet; 87% said they learned about the app from printed promotional materials.

Why Submit: Simple, clean graphics and text combined with concise instructions on how to download and use the new mobile fare app, contributed to quick adoption. A 50% discount on 7 and 31-day passes (Limit one per person) helped convince people to give mobile fares a try. Customers who have used the mobile app are highly satisfied and usage continues to grow.