WMATA BRT Marketing andBranding Presentation

Rapid Transit Steering CommitteeApril 30, 2013

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Purpose

To brief Rapid Transit Steering Committee members on the development of a WMATA approach to branding a regional premium transit service

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Premium Transit Bus Brand Attributes and Position

Positioning Criteria•Different and easily distinguished, trade marked•Comply with safety, ADA, high visibility and

function

Target Audience•Commuters, shoppers, tourists, travelers•Developers, residents, leaders, staff, media

Service Attributes•Convenient, frequent, reliable, quick•Safe, comfortable•Above ground, hip, urban, quality facilities•Easily understood service, schedule pathways3

Premium Transit Bus Brand Attributes and Position

Station Attributes•Grand experience, sized to demand, like rail•Significant architecture and unified design•Complete signage and information•Avant-garde, contributes to community

On-Board Attributes•Interior design quality, comfort, image, clean•Fewer stops and reduced travel time•Green technology propulsion•No advertising, retain brand image

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Premium Transit Bus Branding Customer Input

Joint Project Task Team evaluated service characteristics and brand concepts for testing

•3 Focus Groups•3,717 respondents online survey•34% lived in either Alexandria or Arlington•30% DC and 11% Montgomery

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Premium Transit Bus Branding Research Results

•Four designs tested, two colors each

•Strong favorite - BLUE

•Preferred name – MetroWay

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Premium Transit Bus Branding Final Design

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Next Steps

• Continue to work with Alexandria and Arlington to implement CCPY service in Spring 2014.– Obtain new buses– Develop new line name– Implement marketing and promotion program– Support real time passenger information– Implement fare collection equipment and tactics

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