In january 1989, tri-met began monthly direct-mail marketing to new residents in 24 target zip codes that were selected for their excellent transit service. Each month, new residents in these zip codes are sent a direct mail packet containing a coupon for 10 free tri-met tickets. One-half of the packets also contain an offer for tri-met to plan a transit trip of the respondent's choosing. The purpose of the promotion is to capture new riders and retain persons who rode transit before moving at the same or higher riding frequency. Nonriders and those whose riding frequency declined after moving were sent an additional offer of discounts on a monthly pass and tri-met tickets and a coupon for a free transportation guide. A direct-mail survey to evaluate the promotion was sent to respondents to the january and february 1989 mailings. Key findings from the study were as follows: (a) the original offer received a 30% response; (b) over one-third of nonriders before the promotion rode tri-met at least twice in a month following the promotion, including 17% who rode 7 or moretimes; (c) more than half of those who were transit riders before moving were retained at the same or greater frequency. The promotion's success demonstrates that moving is a prime time to effect changesin modes of transportation. This promotion succeeded because tri-met carefully selected the target market and promoted a good product by providing it to persons at a time when they were making major lifestyle changes. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1297, Public transit research: management and planning 1991 .
Samenvatting