Class 1 – SFRTA/Tri-Rail
Target Audience: Potential Riders
Project Cost: $120,000
Description: With gas prices on the rise, there was a great opportunity to promote Tri-Rail as a cost saving way to get to work, school or play.  Strategically timed to coincide with the American Public Transportation Association’s National Dump the Pump Day, Tri-Rail would have a captive audience to promote its free ride offer, allowing commuters to get out of their cars and try transit for a day.  Tri-Rail created “Get S.M.A.R.T” – Save Money and Ride Tri-Rail – a promotional campaign featuring testimonials from Tri-Rail riders, highlighting the great savings associated with riding the train.  The aggressive marketing campaign, which incorporated television and radio advertising, social media and print advertising in various multicultural publications, resulted in a record-breaking ridership of nearly 20,000 passengers in one day for the commuter rail system, 10 million impressions, PR media valued at nearly $500,000, and contributed to Tri-Rail’ s impressive average of a 14% ridership increase (June-August 2011). This effort was a great opportunity to showcase actual rider testimonials and encourage commuters to take a free ride on the train to demonstrate the cost savings associated with Tri-Rail.

Class 2 – HART
Target Audience: General
Project Cost: Internal taff time only; no out-of-house costs.
Description: About Next Stop with HART

Next Stop with HART is the first monthly informational video series launched by HART, in partnership with City of Tampa Television, in November 2010.  The purpose of this series is to inform the general public about HART services and news.  It airs on City of Tampa Television twice a day.

Measure of Effectiveness:

1) The Next Stop with HART series has increased content and traffic for HART’s YouTube Channel.  The series’ 11 videos over the past year (Oct. 2010 – Sept 2011) have yielded 4,104 views, compared to 778 views from three videos produced over the same period the year prior.

2) The Next Stop with HART series has increased public awareness for HART.  In addition to their broadcast twice a day on City of Tampa Television, these videos are played prior to HART Board of Directors meetings and during community outreach events, and have received local media attention.

3) Thanks to a great partnership with City of Tampa Television, the Next Stop with HART series has become a more efficient solution to producing public awareness videos.  Aside from approximately eight hours of staff time required to produce a segment every month, HART does not pay for any out-of-house production costs, compared to about $20,000 paid the year prior.