Okay, I know that’s not the way the saying goes, but it is the point of this post. We’ve seen increases in public transit ridership, carpooling and vanpooling over the last 6 months or so that we would otherwise get with (really, really good) marketing and a whole lot of aggressive outreach to commuters, employers, and anyone else we could find.
So the mantra that I am encouraging my clients to adopt is RETAIN CURRENT CUSTOMERS. We’ve all heard the standard “its less expensive to keep a rider than to get a new one.” Well guys, we’ve got them now. The baselines have risen in double digits for some operators.
So when you all sit down to plan your fall marketing plans, remember that you’ve been given a gift, albeit at the cost of higher gas prices and hardship for many people. Let’s hope these new converts are content with their new commute. Or are they ways we can make them even happier? This is the windfall we fantasized about (at work, I mean). A shift from changing behavior to rewarding behavior and improving capacity and service could be a challenge for some systems, who may have had their 2009 marketing plans cast in stone before gas prices began to rise. Cast that stone aside–ill-placed bible reference, I know–and make 2009 the year of innovation in developing strategies to retain riders. At the end of the year you’ll be much further ahead than you would have been if you’d played it straight.
Tags: Add new tag, gas prices, marketing, retain customers
