This document outlines 8 building blocks for successful influence strategies: 1) Brand and identity, 2) Internal communications, 3) User education, 4) User information systems, 5) Marketing campaigns, 6) Public relations and external communications, 7) User feedback systems, and 8) Online engagement. It provides examples and strategies for each building block, emphasizing the importance of coordinating all elements and avoiding silos. The overall message is that influence requires addressing the entire customer experience through strong branding, communications, education, information access, marketing, feedback systems, and online presence.

1. 8 buildings blocks
of
successful
influence strategies
Benoit Colin, EMBARQ at WRI

2. Rush hour, Ottawa Photo: Peter Blanchard

3. 8 building blocks
of successful
influence strategies
Benoit Colin
Photo: Tal Bright

4. Branding
Influence strategies
Photo: Aureliozen

5. Marketing
Photo: puma_nl
Influence strategies

6. Communications
Photo: André-Batista
Influence strategies

7. Attract
Retain
Secure
Photo: Krynowek Eine
WHY influence strategies?

8. Attract
Photo: Santinha - Casas Possíveis

9. Retain
Photo: Caribb

10. Secure
Photo: Mexican Federal Government

11. Photo: Christian
8 building blocks
• Brand and identity
• Internal communications
• User education
• User information systems
• Marketing campaigns
• Public relations and
external communications
• User feedback systems
• Online engagement

12. Brand and identity
Photo: Diebmx
1)

13. “A brand is not a logo.
A brand is a person’s gut
feeling about a product,
service, or company”.
-Marty Neumeier, author of
The Brand Gap
Photo: Meena Kadri

14. Typeface
Values
Logo
Identity
system
Color scheme
Vehicle
design
Station
design Photo: Meena Kadri
Brand and identity

15. Typeface
Values
Logo
Identity
system
Color scheme
Vehicle
design
Station
design Photo: Meena Kadri
Brand and identity

16. Brand and identity
Photo: Diebmx
Build a strong brand
- Choose to stand out
- Appeal to your passengers
- Stay on brand

17. Internal
communications
2)

18. “Our 290,000 team
members “are” FedEx.
They are the brand”.
-Gayle Christensen,
managing director of
brand, FedEx

19. Internal
communications
- Training manuals
- Employee survey
- Strategic plan
- Town hall meetings
- Idea box

20. Internal
communications
Sell your values
- Communicate up
- Put your best face forward

21. User education
Photo: Fastcoexist
3)

22. “When we surveyed potential riders
of the new Orange line they weren’t
quite sure what it was.
A train? A bus with stations? A
different fare structure?”
-Michael Lejeune, creative director,
Los Angeles Metro
Photo: David Agalvan

23. User education
Photo: Fastcoexist
- Information kiosks
- Station ambassadors
- Outreach in schools
- Trial periods
- Local news segments

24. User education
Photo: Fastcoexist
- Make your system familiar
- Answer the right questions:
who, what, where, when, how, why
- Learn from rail
- Open it up to the public
- Target your audiences
Get started early

25. User information
Photo: Peter Gerdes
4)

26. “Public transport can add real value
to the city by being better integrated
within its wider context”.
-Transport for London “Interchange
Best Practice Guidelines”
Photo: Krynowek Eine

27. User information
Photo: Peter Gerdes
- Diagrams and maps
- Station markers
- Schedules
- Fare and ticketing
- Information kiosks
- Audible anouncements
- Wayfinding signage
- Real-time arrival information

28. Photo: Peter Gerdes
- Efficiency, usability, understandability, quality
- Think outside the system
- Maintain the brand
- Keep it simple… but informative
User information
Systematize your information

29. Marketing campaigns
Photo: ritwikdey
5)

30. “Travelers’ perception of
public transport systems
must be thoroughly
comprehended by
marketing so that a public
transport system
can be successful”.
-C.H. Wei and C.Y. Kao,
“Measuring Traveler
Involvement in Urban
Public Transport Systems”
Photo: Pamm…

31. Marketing campaigns
Photo: ritwikdey
- TV/radio ads
- Billboards
- Bus ads
- Kiosks at events
- Stickers and postcards in local stores
- Free service prior to launch
- Internet campaigns
- Novelty items (t-shirts, bags, etc.)

32. Marketing campaigns
Know what riders want
- Reliability, frequent service, safety &
cleanliness, service hours, cost & savings
- Not a substitute for high-quality service
- “Fit for audience” message
- Promote something that actually exists
Photo: Meena Kadri

33. 6) Public relations and
external communications
Photo: ritwikdey

34. “Government entities are often
afraid of media and tend not to
communicate with them, taking a
“duck and hide” mentality. With
VIVA, we had a person whose only
job was to feed the media stories
about the project”.
-Alina Kelly president, Akelly
Consulting, Inc., consultant to VIVA,
York region, Canada.

35. Public relations and
external communications
Photo: ritwikdey
- Press kits
- Mailings lists
- Media interviews
- Outreach at events
- Construction updates

36. Public relations and
external communications
Photo: ritwikdey
- Develop relationship with media
- Get endorsements, celebrate
- Anticipate and avoid criticism
- Tailor the story
- Organize tours
- Manage expectations
Control the narrative

37. 7) User feedback systems
Photo: Indiana Public Media

38. “Your most unhappy
customers are your
greatest source of
learning”.
-Bill Gates
Photo: Adam BRI Smith

39. Photo: Adam BRI Smith
User feedback systems
- Call center
- Comment cards
- SMS service
- Online contact (email,
web, app, social media,
electronic kiosks)

40. Photo: Adam BRI Smith
User feedback systems
- Let riders try it out
- Let users
communicate feedback,
both good and bad
Be responsive to riders

41. 8) Online engagement
Photo: John Fera

42. Canadians rank first in
the world when it comes
to Internet usage.
TechVibes, 2013.
Photo: Gualtiero

43. Online engagement
Photo: John Fera
- Passenger-friendly website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Mobile/SMS tools
- Mobile site
- Smartphone app

44. Online engagement
Photo: John Fera
- Reach users before they arrive
- Keep your fingers on the pulse
- Go social
- Be proactive!
- Open your data
- Go mobile
Main ways to access information

45. Photo: Christian
8 building blocks
• Brand and identity
• Internal communications
• User education
• User information systems
• Marketing campaigns
• Public relations and
external communications
• User feedback systems
• Online engagement

46. Questions?
8
building
blocks

47. No
silos

48. Coordinate the
8 building blocks
Photo: Meena Kadri

49. STAY IN TOUCH
Benoit Colin
Marketing and Communications
EMBARQ at the World Resources Institute
benoit.colin@wri.org
EMBARQ.org
TheCityFix.com
49