Santa Cruz METRO Youth Cruz Free

Target Audience: The Youth Cruz Free campaign targeted youth (under 18) and their parents in Santa Cruz County.

Strategy Objective:The strategy behind Youth Cruz Free was to craft compelling creative - in Spanish and English - and deliver it on the platforms young people and their parents use most: TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. In addition, Facebook was used to reach Spanish-speaking parents.

Situation Challenge: METRO recently received funding for Youth Cruz Free, a program that provides free rides on all buses in Santa Cruz County for anyone 18 and under. The effort to raise awareness about the new program required a bold, creative campaign targeted to both parents and teens on digital channels, spreading the word far and wide that riding the bus is safe, accessible, and free. The goal is to encourage young people to form a lifelong habit of riding transit and to increase access to opportunities and resources for all Santa Cruz County youth, especially those in historically under-served communities.

Results Impact: Since Youth Cruz Free launched in March 2023, METRO has seen a 400% increase in youth ridership! This fact alone speaks to the incredible need for this service and the effectiveness of the campaign in delivering the right message to the right people. The paid social media campaign garnered 3,718,214 impressions and 21,723 clicks across its various platforms. It also generated many supportive and positive comments, especially from Spanish-speaking parents.

Why Submit: The campaign is being submitted and should win for its effectiveness in generating ridership. Though simple, it led to a 400% increase in the number of young people riding the METRO system, an astonishing result by any measure.