Get on Board

Target Audience: College and university students in Washoe County, Nevada

Strategy Objective:The strategy behind Get on Board was to educate college students about Ed-Pass and encourage them to ride transit for free by creating compelling and authentic-feeling social content featuring college students using and benefitting from the program. Focusing on UGC (user-generated content) videos and complimentary digital ads featuring static images and simple animation, the social campaign targeted students on the platforms young adults prefer: TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. UGC videos showcased students at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), the largest university in the county with a student population of 21,000, riding the bus to popular destinations served by RTC's Virginia Line, a fast, frequent BRT service with multiple stops on the UNR campus.

Situation Challenge: RTC has offered a free ride program for college students in Washoe County, known as Ed-Pass, since 2019. Introducing students to the ease, reliability, and affordability of public transit and helping them reduce their transportation expenses, the program has been popular since its inception. Yet Ed-Pass usage has been hampered by an operators' strike in 2021 as well as the lingering effects of the pandemic. Ed-Pass has also relied solely on word of mouth and the promotional efforts of the participating colleges to get the word out to students. At the beginning of the 2024/ 2025 school year, RTC decided it was time to actively market and promote Ed-Pass to maximize student participation and foster the next generation of transit riders.

Results Impact: Since Get on Board launched in August 2024, RTC has seen three consecutive months of its highest student ridership ever. Boardings at bus stops serving UNR and Truckee Meadows Community College, the largest college campuses in the county, are up 32% since last year and 600% since Ed-Pass began. In just three months, the paid social campaign garnered nearly 800,000 impressions and more than 5,500 clicks across its various platforms. During the same time frame, visits to RTC's Ed-Pass landing page increased by a jaw-dropping 36,000% compared to the preceding three months. The campaign also generated positive comments and thoughtful questions from its student audience.

Why Submit: The Get on Board campaign is being submitted and should win for its effectiveness in generating RTC's highest-ever college student ridership and connecting with an audience that will go on to be the next generation of transit riders, supporters, and advocates. This effective digital campaign led to a record-breaking increase in students riding the RTC bus system and a 36,000% increase in student visits to the RTC website. Moreover, the campaign's authentic content and precise targeting allowed RTC to engage meaningfully with this important constituency.