How you pay your fare is one of the first interactions you make when using public transportation. Fare payment can also be a significant barrier to using the bus or train. No one wants to look like a first-timer fiddling with change or trying to insert a paper ticket into the right part of the farebox.

In 2018, The Rapid launched its new electronic fare payment system to transform the customer experience. The Wave gave bus riders access to a smart fare payment card featuring easy reloading, balance protection, and the ability to pay-as-you-go to get the savings of passes. But shiny, new technology isn’t always an easy sell. Not only did we have to convince riders to make the switch from using cash or paper tickets to The Wave, but we also had to teach them all of the features. 

The challenge: Getting bus riders to transition how they pay and win their trust in a new system to save them money. 

Here’s how we hit our conversion goals:

• Powerful launch video to drive excitement

• Award-winning educational video series on how to use The Wave’s various features

• Digital and social ad campaigns

• Interior and exterior bus advertisements

• Print ads (English + Spanish)

• Earned and paid media placements

• Radio ads and launch event

• Outreach and engagement with community partners, leaders, and local organizations

• Extensive soft-launch pilot testing program

Ask me about my creative direction for The Wave pilot testing tool kits and launch materials.