Last week at the California Transit Association’s 61st Annual Fall Conference and Expo, I moderated the panel “Telling the Public Transit Story.” The panel featured a seasoned group of communicators from across California’s transit sector:
Monica Bouldin, Deputy Chief of Customer Experience, LA Metro
Javier Panzar, Marketing Representative, BART
Marina Chakmakjian, Communications and Media Spokesperson, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Alexis Matsui, Communications and Marketing Manager, SF Bay Ferry
An effective communications campaign turns an institution into a trusted messenger for its community. We heard from transit communications professionals who are earning public trust and buy-in at their organizations, working to improve community sentiment toward local transit options, and inviting new riders onto their systems through carefully executed efforts.
The conversation was lively and, in many ways, reflected the fact that while technology changes how we tell stories, the art of storytelling and the importance of the right messenger at the right time remain key.
View the infographic for a quick look at our four key takeaways.
One of the big “aha” moments from the session was that your staff are your best brand ambassadors. Keeping staff engaged and informed about all aspects of your organization’s work and key priorities is the difference between employees who help advocate for your work and employees who tell their friends, family, or that caller, “I have no clue. Nobody tells me anything.” Staff who feel included are more inclined to speak positively, attend external events, and champion your work.
The conversation also reinforced a universal truth about the work we do: spotlight the communities you serve. Every story must be authentic and representative of the people who ride our systems. California is a beautifully diverse state, from race and ethnicity to socioeconomic status. More than 27% of Californians are foreign-born, more than 40% are Latino/Hispanic, 43% speak a language other than English, and incomes span the full spectrum.
Why does this matter in communications?
As professionals, we must speak directly to our state’s population in ways that resonate and matter to them. Culturally competent imagery and language, trusted messengers, and an understanding that not everyone has the same access to resources are all non-negotiables when communicating with the public.
We also heard emphatically that great stories are an iPhone away. You don’t need fancy equipment to create engaging video and photo campaigns. Simple handheld technology like iPhones and wireless mics has proven effective for many types of digital content, and vertical video is now widely used across all platforms, making single-person shoots less complicated. Give your staff simple tools and the time to go out and create. You never know how much traction a 30-second video of an approaching train can get with the right audience.
The final takeaway from the panel was perhaps the most important, and the hardest to implement: embrace risk. Taking risks and pushing the envelope are often where the most notable successes come from. Not every effort will succeed, but if we want to get attention, we must give our teams room to be creative and try bold ideas. A wide variety of platforms and technologies are available, but we need to have the tough conversations inside our organizations and create space for our teams to try new things.
Want some inspiration for your next campaign? Take a look at these examples from our panelists:
Melissa Figueroa is a senior vice president at Calkin Public Affairs. Connect with her on all things storytelling and public transportation at melissa@calkinpa.com.