THE CHALLENGE
The City of Coral Gables was the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to implement a public transportation program funded by the half-penny transportation sales tax. Five, vintage-style, hybrid-electric trolleys were to be delivered to the City in the Fall as a means to get commuters and residents out of their cars and into public transit in a safe, clean, modern, eco-friendly and nostalgic manner.
The City issued an RFP to interested Miami-area agencies to develop public relations and marketing campaigns that would build anticipation about the launch of the Trolleys, foster ridership and introduce the community to the benefits of the Trolley program. A dozen agencies responded to the RFP – mostly those with Coral Gables addresses – but the unanimous decision of the Communication Committee, based on the creative thinking behind the proposal, was to award the contract to a Miami Beach public relations firm.
PUBLIC RELATIONS and MARKETING STRATEGIES & TACTICS
- Media Relations – developed a comprehensive press kit package of releases and photos about the Trolley program and distributed "milestone" releases on a regular basis leading up to the launch of the program.
- Collateral – the in-house design team created a series of collateral pieces to spotlight the arrival of the Trolleys, including:
o Pocket-sized route maps with information that could be used as an on-going reference piece.
o In-store display units for merchants along the Trolley routes, featuring route maps and "Trolley Lollie" whistle pops.
o Direct mail pieces featuring route maps and hours of operation that were mailed to every business on record with the City as well as every resident within the city limits.
o Street pole banners that wished business people, residents and visitors "Happy Trolleydays" during the December shopping season.
o Automobile static clings that proclaimed "My Other Car is the Coral Gables Trolley."
o Wearable art stickers that announced "Conductor in Training," "I © the Trolley," or "I'm a Trolley Trooper."
- Guerilla Marketing – nothing spreads buzz and word-of-mouth faster or better than one-on-one interaction, so TMA hired and trained a group of professional actors to be "Trolley Troupers" who strolled the sidewalks of downtown Coral Gables during the busy lunchtime rush. Dressed in vintage costumes, the Trolley Troupers passed out Trolley literature and prizes while interacting with passersby and building awareness about the Trolley launch.
- Community Relations – partnered the City with the statewide Commuter Services program whereby representatives went door-to-door to Coral Gables' largest employers to sign up companies for tax incentives and other benefits based on getting their employees onto the Trolleys as part of a mass transit commuter program.
- Community Relations – one-on-one outreach programs targeted key influencers such as the BID (Business Improvement District) and Chamber of Commerce.
- Advertising – half-page ads in community newspapers ran two weeks before the official launch date and two weeks after.
- Public Relations – ads, PSAs and editorial features appeared on the City's website and cable television network.
- Launch Event – a gala VIP and media reception was held to officially "christen" the Trolleys into service. With the Trolley Troupers and an authentic barbershop quartet as background ambiance, Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas cracked a bottle of "Chateau de Trolley" champagne over the bumper of Trolley #1 to inaugurate the program.
THE RESULTS
- Within six weeks after the launch, Trolley ridership achieved its goal of 1,000 riders per day … a figure City projections said would take up to a year.
- Eight months into the program, the 250,000th rider boarded the Trolley … a full four months ahead of pre-launch projections by the City’s feasibility studies.
- Pre-launch, launch and on-going public relations activities appeared in more than 100 print and broadcast editorial stories, and reached more than four-and-a-half million consumers. PR coverage included feature stories in The Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, NBC6, WDZL-TV, Telemundo, Univision and WLRN radio, among others.
- More than 200 business, civic and media VIPs attended the standing-room-only launch event to officially welcome the Trolley service to Coral Gables.
- TMA was unanimously retained for Phase II of the public relations and marketing program, extending the Miami Beach-based agency's partnership with the City of Coral Gables for an additional eight months.
- In September 2004, the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) and the National League of Cities recognized the City of Coral Gables and TMA with its national “Savvy Award of Excellence” as the Best Marketing Campaign of the Year.