Innovative Marketing and Customer Communication Strategies for Rural Transit

Modern marketing and customer communication involve diverse channels, including branding, signage, events, online marketing, and traditional media. With the rapid pace of technological advancements, marketing strategies that were effective a few years ago may no longer be as impactful. Many rural transit agencies face challenges in effectively marketing their services or communicating changes to riders. Due to limited resources, these agencies often rely on staff to manage marketing, which can result in missed opportunities for impactful outreach. Additionally, most marketing resources and training are designed for urban systems, not addressing the specific needs of rural transit. Currently, there is limited guidance for effective public communication in rural transit. While some rural agencies have implemented successful marketing strategies, documenting these practices and providing resources for developing strong communication plans will help foster innovative campaigns. The research will produce a report that: (1) Documents successful marketing and outreach practices by rural transit agencies, including advertising, public communication, and community engagement. (2) Explores current marketing methods (traditional, digital, social media, etc.), and identifies how riders learn about rural transit services. It will also examine emerging techniques like AI in marketing. (3) Highlights best practices and standards developed by State DOTs to guide rural agencies' marketing efforts. (4) Develops a set of marketing campaigns, checklists, and guidance tailored to various situations (e.g., route announcements, driver hiring). (5) Creates a tool to help agencies measure marketing effectiveness and return on investment (ROI).

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5826
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $150000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project B-57

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Garcia-Colberg, Mariela

• Start Date: 20241126
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Marketing; Outreach; Rural transit
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01937967
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project B-57
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 26 2024 6:21AM