f rom Here to tHere A creative guide to making public transport the way to go CoNTENtS 02 Introroduction: A competitive marketplace 06 Brand and identity 12 Internal communication 16 User education 22 User information systems 28 Marketing campaigns 34 Public relations and external communications 40 User feedback systems 44 Online engagement EMBARQ catalyzes environmentally and financially sustainable transport solutions to improve quality of life in cities. This work is licensed under a Creative Since 2002, it has grown to include five offices, located Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- in Mexico, Brazil, India, Turkey and the Andean Region, NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. that work together with local transport authorities to reduce Report by: pollution, improve public health and create safe, accessible Erik Weber, Visiting Fellow and attractive urban public spaces. EMBARQ employs more [email protected] than 130 experts in fields ranging from architecture to air Ethan Arpi, Strategic Communications quality management; geography to journalism; and sociology and Marketing Manager to civil and transport engineering. [email protected] Aileen Carrigan, Transport Planner [email protected] Design and layout by Dave K. Cooper, Video Production and Design Manager [email protected] www.embarq.org Introduction Introduction: $21 A Competitive BillioN Advertising dollars spent by Marketplace major auto companies in 2009 Motor companies like Toyota, Ford and Tata $3.2 spend tens of billions of dollars per year creating BillioN Advertising dollars spent and maintaining their images, cultivating their by General Motors in 2009 customers and selling their products. According to Advertising Age, in For anyone interested in the sustainability 2009, major auto companies spent of developing world cities, these trends a whopping $21 billion worldwide don’t bode well. While private vehicle on advertising, with General Motors, usage rates are an indicator of newfound alone, shelling out more than $3.2 wealth and prosperity, they also go hand In Brazil, billion.1 These companies have armies in hand with deteriorating air quality, of employees working in marketing longer commute times, increased the number departments and some of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, higher rates of personal best ad agencies on retainer. of traffic fatalities and the destruction automobiles of public space.4 At the same time, The target for an increasing percentage governments have routinely turned sold per year of this spending is emerging markets, their backs on public transport, instead has jumped where auto companies see huge spending vast sums on new auto-centric growth prospects. And for good reason. infrastructure, such as expressways and from 1.2 India, for example, has experienced a ring roads, that encourage more private million in 20-fold increase in the number of motor vehicle ownership and use.5 2001 to vehicles in the last several decades.2 In Brazil, likewise, the number of To reverse these consumer and 2.6 million personal automobiles sold per year has development trends, public transport in 2010. jumped from 1.2 million in 2001 to 2.6 advocates need to make public transport million in 2010.3 a competitive and desirable alternative 2 emBArQ From Here to There emBArQ From Here to There 3 Introduction to the private automobile. If this is Brand and identity FactS and done, cities will be more likely to invest fiCtions in public transport projects, leading to increased personal mobility and a internal communication FICTION Marketing is a luxury healthier urban environment. transit agencies can’t afford. User education FACT Marketing is a core The importance of investment. A better public institutional structure User information systems image attracts riders, leading Successful marketing, branding to higher revenue and greater and communications require an demand for transit service. marketing campaigns In turn, higher revenue and institutional structure that prioritizes greater demand increase the their importance. Transit agencies Public relations and external likelihood of service expansion should have an upper-level communication and improvements, making management position with decision- public transport even more making power and budgetary control User feedback systems attractive to riders. In short, marketing can lead to a whose exclusive responsibility is this virtuous cycle of ever growing domain. online engagement demand and service. A guide for beating FICTION Public transport is a subsidy. There’s no need to the competition Neither the list nor the recommendations reach out to a wider audience The purpose of this guide is to help within it are intended to be exhaustive. because those who need or transit agencies develop strong and Instead, the goal of this guide is to want to use public transport successful strategies for achieving encourage cities and transit agencies to already do so. three important goals: think critically and creatively about how FACT Public transit is not to make public transport the preferred a subsidy for vulnerable 1 Attract new users that currently way to travel. populations (elderly, persons use private transport with disabilities and low income individuals/families), such as cars and motorcycles; For some time, it has been clear that but an integral part of a high- 2 Retain existing public transport cities need to create high-quality public functioning city that can retain users who might transport systems to improve the jobs, attract investment and feel compelled to buy a private urban environment. However, not until support a high-quality of life. vehicle and; recently has it become clear that cities Transit is a public good that 3 Secure political and financial must also convince the public that benefits riders and non-users alike. support from government these high-quality systems are in fact officials. high-quality. FICTION Branding and marketing by a transport This guide takes a cue from Finally, this guide focuses on bus rapid agency is government propaganda, something to be the private sector, which routinely and transit projects because BRT has become avoided. successfully influences the solution of choice for developing FACT Increasing transit use consumer behavior. It adapts world cities looking for fast, cost-effective has tangible benefits for all. If these eight branding, marketing ways to solve their transport problems. Of an agency is nervous about and communications lines of course, these elements are also applicable marketing its service, then it work and applies them to the public to non-BRT transport projects, such as rail should never have invested in transport sector. systems and bicycle systems. the service to begin with. 4 emBArQ From Here to There Brand and identity Brand and identity: Build a Strong Brand A brand is not a Marketing expert Marty Neumeier puts it nicely: logo. A brand is “A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, a person’s gut feeling about a service, or company.” If each customer feels vastly product, service, different about the values a company holds, that or company. company has failed to create a strong, coherent brand. – Marty Neumeier, author of The Brand Gap To create a successful brand, then, a Depending on your budget and the public transport system should start skills and competencies of your staff, by defining its core values. Most public you may want to consider hiring an transport systems strive for a brand external marketing and branding that clearly presents their services firm to implement many elements as modern, efficient, rapid, reliable, of this plan. If you choose to go this convenient, comfortable and safe. In route, there should be at least one many cases, extensive market research senior member of your agency with about current and potential passengers marketing experience who manages will reveal any other values that need to the contractor throughout the process. be incorporated in a successful brand. Choose to stand out These values become the foundation If other public transport services are of the brand and should be injected already offered, it is essential to decide into every part of the public transport whether to closely connect the brand system. Think of it this way: your of the new system with that of the information bus (and station, map, signage, etc.) established system or to differentiate Values is your mission statement, your the new one entirely. Name logo billboard and your annual report; Color scheme everything about it represents your This choice may depend largely on identity system MacroBúS Brand brand to the public, from the way it the public perception of those other Slogan Vehicle design Guadalajara’s Macrobús looks, to the way it runs, to the quality services. If the public perceives the Station design has a modern, fun and of service it provides. current system poorly, it might be a typeface/Color colorful brand. 6 emBArQ From Here to There emBArQ From Here to There 7 Brand and identity Brand and identity good idea to differentiate the new Metrobús for local buses brand. Another way of avoiding the and Metroenlace for regional buses. stigma often associated with traditional The brand strategy, like that of Los bus transport is to not use the term Angeles Metro, was to position the “bus” in the new system’s name. integrated bus services as part of the city’s larger transport system. York Region, Canada is a great example The logo, color scheme, maps of a city that took a creative approach and other materials also clearly to addressing this issue. In York Region, associate TransMetro, Metrobús the majority of residents did not hold and Metroenlace with Metrorrey. Generally the public bus service in high regard. speaking, a As a result, the city made an explicit Appeal to your passengers prospect in decision to differentiate its new VIVA If the brand of a new public transport your target BRT service from existing bus services line or system embodies local values and position VIVA as a new, high-quality and context, potential riders will be market must alternative.