In advance of a major campaign promoting big changes in Vancouver’s transit system, TransLink has again chosen FCV as its digital agency of record following an account review.
FCV was the incumbent digital agency on the account. Grey Vancouver continues as creative and media agency.
Derek Whyte, the Vancouver-based vice-president of client services at FCV, called TransLink a “significant” piece of business. The account includes TransLink mobile, TravelSmart, the BC Transit Police site and a web app aimed at promoting sustainable travel.
And it’s about to get much bigger with the imminent launch of TransLink’s new smart payment system – Compass Card.
“This is the biggest project that we’ll ever do,” said John Beaudoin, TransLink’s director of customer engagement and marketing.
“We can build new SkyTrain lines and introduce new services, but the Compass Card is going to touch everybody who uses the transit system in Metro Vancouver. And we know that up to 80% of people who live in this region use transit at least once a year.”
Beaudoin said the area covered by TransLink is about three times the size of the Greater Toronto Area and represents the 21 municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver.
The Compass Card will get a soft launch in late fall. Its roll-out through 2014 kicks off the largest marketing campaign in the transit authority’s history. TransLink moves 1.2 million people every day on its bus, SkyTrain, Seabus, West Coast Express, community shuttle and Handy Dart services. Passengers are used to a bevy of different fare options, payment zones and an honour system on the SkyTrain, so the implementation of a single payment card will mark a large change in consumer interaction with the service.
Beaudoin said it’s still too early to release details of the campaign’s creative direction, but did say it will be rolled out in stages and focus on education and behavior change.
“I can’t think of any media sources in Metro Vancouver that we aren’t using at some point or another,” he said. The campaign will include everything from television, radio, print, outdoor and street teams to a heavy social media component.
“There isn’t a single part of this organization that this process of getting ready to launch Compass Card hasn’t touched or influenced or affected in some way,” said Beaudoin. “Then there will be many more opportunities as we get to the point where we can integrate the CRM system that’s coming with this into our own marketing and outreach activities.”
