EZfare the Safe Way to Pay
Target Audience: Commissioned by NEORide, a multi-state consortium of transit and developed by Masabi, EZfare is a free, app-based fare payment system that enables people to purchase tickets to ride on and seamlessly transfer between multiple transit systems. Initial marketing focused on ease of use both as a way to pay fares and travel on multiple transit systems and had two primary goals: - Convincing existing riders to download and use the app - Attracting new riders by demonstrating that EZfare made traveling on public transit easier and more convenient than ever before. When fears of COVID-19 transmission negatively impacted ridership and revenue, messaging shifted to emphasizing EZfare's contactless feature as a way to allay fears among riders, system employees, and the general public.
Strategy Objective:Objectives - Increase ridership - Restart fare collection - Protect system employees, particularly operators - Increase awareness of and support for public transit Key EZfare Messages - EZfare: "Safer Way to Pay" - "Essential App for Essential Workers - EZfare + Masks + Social Distancing = Safety - Protects Riders and Drivers - Working Together to Keep Each Other Safe Primary Strategies - Assure existing and potential riders that public transit is safe - Teamwork as a motivator: We're all in this together Tactics - Create materials that can be used/branded by all systems - Website - Social Media - Print materials - Vehicle and transit center signage - Earned Media - Cross-marketing on partner platforms + Moovit + Uber + Transit App
Situation Challenge: Like others in the U.S., NEORide members systems transported essential workers and members of the public traveling to essential destinations as the pandemic worsened. The systems took a number of steps to prevent transmission including requiring riders to board and leave buses via rear doors, isolating operators, and suspending fare collection. Unfortunately, ridership continued to plummet. A survey conducted by Cleveland State University during the outbreak revealed why. More than half of those responding were concerned about contracting COVID while riding and one-third said they were traveling less during the pandemic. The systems faced three challenges: - Calm fears among those who were riding as well as transit employees; - Increase ridership; - Safely restart fare collection.
Results Impact: The safety-focused marketing effort has been extremely effective: - EZfare app downloads up 50% since 2019 - Significant increase in social media traffic - Visits to www.ezfare.us jumped 85% to 10,000 per month - Per-month app-based tickets sales rose from $36,000 during the early stages of the pandemic to $120,000--$140,000 after the launch of the safety-focused campaign. - Increased utilization of EZfare via Uber, Moovit, Transit App - Numerous systems report sales have increased significantly over pre-pandemic levels. - Many systems have restarted fare collection - Earned media coverage has raised public awareness about EZfare and the essential role public transit has played in helping workers, businesses, and communities.
Why Submit: NEORIde submitted this entry because we believe our successful safety-focused marketing effort can serve as a model for transit agencies across the U.S. struggling to combat the perception that it is dangerous to use public transit during the pandemic. The AdWheel Award competition provides an opportunity for us to share what we have learned with other transit professional., We believe we should win because the campaign checks all the boxes for effective marketing in the 21st Century: - Compelling graphics and messages - Deliverable via multitude of platforms/modes by multiple agencies - Nimble—can easily be altered to meet rapidly changing circumstances and audiences - Cost effective—single campaign achieves multiple objectives