Final Group PresentationThe DC Circulator Bus

Elise Paul, and Megan Sigel

Goals and Objectives

• Increase ridership by 10% in the summer and 5% overall

• Increase awareness of the DC Circulator through targeted outreach and advertising

• Rebrand the Circulator as an easy, fun and convenient way to see DC

Hi! I’m the DC Circulator

Circulator Background

• Owned by a public-private partnership that includes the District of Columbia, Department of Transportation, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and the DC Surface Transit, Inc.

• 91.9% say they would recommend Circulator to a friend

• Established: July 2005

• Downtown Business Improvement District championed its implementation

Features and Benefits

• $1 for every ride

• 5 distinct routes

• Buses run every 10 minutes

• Later hours on weekends

• Cleaner, more comfortable buses

• Easily identifiable buses and stops

What else can you get

for $1?

Research Performed

• On-the-street interviews

• Circulator’s demographics

• Competitive Analysis

• Online Survey

On-the-street Interviews

• Three categories of interviews: locals, “local” tourists and tourists

• Of the locals, 66% had taken the Circulator at least once; 50% have taken the Circulator regularly

• None of the tourists had heard of the Circulator

• Reasons for not taking the bus: unfamiliar with the routes, perceive buses to be unreliable, inconvenient

• Reasons for taking the bus: like being able to see outside and inexpensive (tourists); routes are convenient and don’t have a car (locals)

• Tourists planned trips online (top reason) or by personal recommendation

Note: 18 in person interviews October 24, 2009

Field Research

Usage Demographics

Recreati

onal

Shop/Dine

Commute from W

ork

Work-R

elated

Commute from S

chool

37%

34.50%34%

26%

10%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Why do you ride the DC Circulator Bus?

Source: DCcirculator.com

Usage Demographics

Month by Month Average Usage:January – 11,537

February – 11,024

March – 14,944

Average length of trip:

< 5 Blocks

5-10 Blocks> 10 Blocks

July – 18,696

August – 19,334

September – 16,021

October – 16,483

November – 13,856

December – 13,310

April – 15,999

May – 11,537

June – 17,118

Source: DCcirculator.com

Competitive Analysis

Old Town Trolley Tours• “Frequent” pick up schedule

• Adult $35, Child $18 (1 day pass)

• 1 Route, includes 19 stops from Union Station to Chinatown

• Features: night tours

Washington DC Hop-On-Hop-Off Open-Top Double Decker Bus

• Arrives every 15 minutes

• Adult $42, Child $19.95

• 1 circulatory route starting at Union Station

• Best view from 14 feet up - and no windows on top

• Comfortable seats

• Entertaining and informative narration

• 2.5 hour full tour of Washington, DC

Metro Rail• 5 Major lines

• Variable cost: $1.35-$3.30

• Features: late hours Friday-Sunday

• No traffic

• Runs every 8-15 minutes

Metro Bus• Over 400 routes

– DC: 95

– MD: 202

– VA: 118

• Runs every 10-45 minutes

• Variable cost: $1.25-1.35

Online Survey• Over half of the respondents live in the Washington, DC metro area

(66%). This is our primary target audience. 34% of the respondents do not live in the DC area (34%). This is our secondary target audience (tourists).

• Almost all of the people (90%) who have ridden the Circulator said the experience met or exceeded their expectations.

• Of the people who have not ridden the bus, the most prevalent reason was that they had not heard of it. Others stated that they believed the routes or times were inconvenient or that they thought buses were unsanitary.

• People who rode the bus did so because they believed the price was right and the routes are convenient.

• Respondents most often heard about the bus from a personal recommendation or by seeing it on street.

Primary Audience• People who live in the DC metropolitan area

(DC, Virginia, and Maryland)

• In the last year 4.3 out of the 5 million people who live in the DC metro area have taken public transportation*

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the following percentages of residents commute via public transportation:

– 39% in DC

– 9% in MD

– 4% in VA

• DC is the second most traffic-congested city in the country**

Welcome to DC!

*Source: CBS Outdoor Advertising **Source: The Washington Post

Secondary Audience

• Tourists (including local tourists)

• A large population uses the bus for recreation (37%) or shopping (34.5%)

• 15 million people visit Washington, DC annually generating $5.24 billion dollars in revenue*

• The bus line highlights access to attractions, dining, shopping, and other attractions, making the tourist audience a natural target

*Source: Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Center website

Recommendations

• Messaging

• Branding

• Advertising Samples

• Media PlanLet’s get to work!

Key Messages

• Convenient: Five routes that run between DC’s hottest destinations, including sights, restaurants, museums and shopping

• Cheap: For only $1 per ride, the DC Circulator bus is the cheapest public transportation available

• Fast: Buses come every 10 minutes, so you’re never left wondering when your bus will arrive

Brand Personality & Essence

• Fun

• Hip

• Easy

• Friendly

Welcome!

The DC Circulator: Convenient, Cheap, and Easy

Brand Positioning Statement

For locals and tourists, the DC Circulator is the transportation option that delivers the least expensive, easiest, and most convenient way to see DC’s hotspots because it’s the only bus to offer five straightforward routes for $1 each

I’m cheap and easy.

Tagline

• Emphasizes how the Circulator’s routes hit all the major tourist and entertainment locations in DC

• Connecting reinforces the transportation element

• Hotspots refers to the core rebranding element of fun

Let’s hit the town!

CONNECTING DC’S HOTSPOTS

Website - Home Page

Website - Meet the Circulator

Website - Tours Page

Media Plan

Two aggregated psychographic audiences: Planners and Spontaneous Riders

Wall advertising (Spontaneous Riders)

For example, CBS outdoor has space at 2007 18th Street, NW, in Adams Morgan, available for advertising

As a stop on the Circulator line, Adams Morgan is a prime opportunity to grab spontaneous riders at a point where they could jump on the bus

Washingtonpost.com banner ads (Planners)

On average each washingtonpost.com user consumes more than 13 pages and spends more than 11 minutes1 per month on the site

More than 1.1 million video views per month

Online Banner Ads

Ad #1

Ad #2

Ad #3

Contributors

• Nicole: Creative Director, Content Developer

• Erin: Field Researcher, Content Developer, Presentation Developer

• Elise: Presentation Developer, Video Producer/Editor, Content Developer

• Megan: Field Researcher/Videographer, Presentation Developer