Bus Transit System Uses Vanity 800 Number to Drive Dwindling Ridership Back Up

1-800-NEW-RIDER

Background: This mid-west transit system is one of the country’s largest, providing roughly 95 percent of the 73 million bus trips taken annually in the metro area. The company was experiencing declining ridership and learned through research that consumers were intimidated by the bus system.

Client: Maria Cone, Education Project Manager • Eastern MN

Challenge: Increase ridership and educate the community on how to use the transit system.

Strategy: The advertising agency suggested using a dedicated vanity 800 number for the community outreach program. The campaign would focus on the phrase “New-Rider” and the phone number 1-800-NEW-RIDER was acquired.

Results: The metro transit system received 1,500 calls in the first month.

“We used the number in all media – print, radio, transtops, and some TV,” recalls Maria Cone, Project Manager for the education program.

“We were expecting only 500 calls per month, but when we saw the actual call volume we had to adjust our phone bank, to be sure the callers weren’t placed on hold. All 1-800-NEW-RIDER calls were directed to a live rep, and preempted other calls waiting in the queue.”

The campaign ended in the summer of 2003, but the transit system kept the number active. Maria goes on to explain, “We still average 1,500 calls per month, which is a real testament to the staying power of the number.”

And best of all, according to Maria, “ridership is currently up 10%, which is significant because we were digging ourselves out of a decreasing trend.”

The transportation company plans to kick-off another education campaign using the same powerful 1-800-NEW-RIDER number.