Swift Moves: Toronto Transit Commission Comprehensive Campaign to increase Transit Ridership

Target Audience: The target audience was Gen Z and Millennials, who value sustainable, affordable transit, and parents of Gen Z, many unfamiliar with the local system. This approach engaged both young, concertgoers and their parents, ensuring broad coverage and accessibility to all concert attendees.

Strategy Objective:The campaign aimed to: 1 Increase Ridership among first-time and repeat users. 2 Enhance Awareness of transit options and safety. 3 Promote Safety by clearly communicating protocols. 4 Collaborate with City Partners to reduce congestion. 5 Engage and Excite the target audience through compelling, fun content.

Situation Challenge: With an influx of out-of-town fans for six Taylor Swift concerts, many unfamiliar with Toronto's transit system, there was a need to raise awareness and ensure smooth, educate, safe travel. The goal was to reduce congestion, increase ridership, and provide a seamless, exciting experience for all attendees, including those visiting from outside the city.

Results Impact: The campaign led to positive sentiment and increased ridership, especially among younger, first-time users. There was a noticeable spike in ticket sales and app usage, extensive media coverage, and heightened brand affinity for the transit system. The overall experience improved with better crowd management and transportation flow. Here are the daily revenue increases comparing to Thur / Fri / Sun of week 45 (Nov 7, 8, 9). Nov 14 +$57K Nov 15 +$46K Nov 16 +$127K Total +$230K Nov 21 +$79K Nov 22 +$132K Nov 23 +$147K Total +$358K PRESTO Usage · Bus usage decreased by 5% on concert days · Streetcar usage increased by 16% on concert days · Subway usage increased by 5% on Thursday and Friday (concert days) · Subway usage increased by 14% on Saturday (concert days)

Why Submit: This campaign successfully blended safety, convenience, and excitement, setting a new standard for public transit engagement. Through effective collaboration and innovative outreach, it turned a logistical challenge into an opportunity to foster long-term ridership, improve brand perception, and engage a new generation of users.