Mobile Fare Introduction (campaign)

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. Campaign advertising/promo elements included bus book, brochure, newspaper ads, interior/exterior bus ads, bus shelter ads, radio commercials, how-to video, social media, website homepage banner and dedicated web page with detailed info, news release. We tied our launch promotion into 2017 Southern California Rideshare Week (first week in October) 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. We needed to show them how easy it was to go mobile. 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 first full month (Sept. 2017), mobile fares were used on 2.9% of all trips. This grew to 5.5% by December 2017, the end of the launch campaign. Other comparisons: Users per month: Sept. 2017=1,385 vs. Dec. 2017=2,082 (+50%). Revenue: Sept. 2017=$27,376 vs. Dec. 2017=$48,412 (+77%). Growth has continued: Oct. 2018 mo. users = 3,053, mo. revenue = $73,507 and percent of trips 5.7%. 2,623 took advantage of the 50% discount offer. A survey done in January 2018 revealed: 91% satisfaction with the app; prior to mobile, 60% paid cash on board and 21% bought passes at sales outlet. Top ways they learned about mobile: on board poster/brochure (43%), website (30%), bus book (29%), bus/bus shelter poster (13%).

Why Submit: Simple, clean graphics/images 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 2,623 people to give mobile fares a try. Customers who have used the mobile app are highly satisfied and usage continues to grow.