Warrington – INFORMATIONAL AND PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS TO INCREASE TRANSIT RIDERSHIP 1981

Description

John E. Warrington describes WMATA’s development of modern transit marketing, its struggles for institutional acceptance, and the pragmatic, research-driven approach used to boost ridership. Established in 1974, the information and promotion section shifted from brief institutional advertising to sustained consumer-oriented informational, educational, and motivational campaigns. Despite rising media costs and deep budget cuts (advertising fell significantly from FY1974 levels), WMATA created an in-house agency relying on freelancers and prioritized spending through annual work plans. Marketing targets four segments—transit captive, auto captive, modal choice travelers, and political/pressure groups—with emphasis on modal choice and existing riders. Strategy couples facts and emotion to present transit as a valuable alternative to cars, supported by seven service attributes and six advertising goals. Media selection is research-based, combining print, radio, TV, transit ads, and direct mail for frequency and reinforcement. Warrington stresses that promotion can attract trial riders but sustained ridership requires reliable, customer-focused service; limited funds must be allocated wisely to maximize impact.