Zhappo Studios and the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) celebrated the news that they received a Grand Prize national award for its promotion of a $5 pass program that used a shoestring budget to boost ridership during the pandemic.
The award was part of the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 2022 Annual AdWheel Awards, which judges marketing and communications campaigns among North American transit agencies. Zhappo Studios and RTA's award-winning promotion was hatched during the fall of 2021, when ridership continued to be down due to the pandemic. In hopes of jump-starting sluggish ridership, the two agencies developed a promotion that offered customers 30-Day passes for just $5. RTA relied heavily on social media advertising, as well as flyers inside buses, signs at bus stops, promotions on our website, publications and rider alerts.
Sometimes the best campaigns are the cheapest. That was the case for RTA, which spent less than $10,000 on the marketing and social media campaign that increased ridership by nearly 20 percent and 40 percent in October and November 2021, respectively. More good news came at the end of the year when RTA got word that the Zhappo Studios campaign had earned First Place in the Category: Best Marketing and Communications to Support Ridership or Sales | Shoestring Tactic and ultimately the prestigious Grand Award, meaning it was top among all North American transit agencies.
The Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) was pleased to earn a national award for its 2017 Annual Report that was designed by Zhappo Studios. The Transportation Marketing & Communications Association presented RTA with a Compass Award of Merit for its 28-page report that highlighted significant events during the 12-month period that included historic highs in ridership, the successful passing of a major financial audit, and renewed partnerships with area colleges.
The Riverside Transit Agency was proud to announce the launch on a new website that Zhappo Studios developed in June 2019. RiversideTransit.com features a cleaner, sleeker, mobile-first design that has made users’ browsing experience better than ever before. Customers can plan their trip, get route and schedule information and check out rider alerts from the new site designed especially for use on smart phones and tablets.
More than 2,500 Riverside Transit Agency bus stops got a whole new look in 2018 thanks to Zhappo Studios. During the summer, RTA began the installation of new signs at stops, phasing out the “Bus Stops Here” signs. The new signs, designed by Zhappo Studios, were a welcome sight for customers looking for simple, easy-to-read information while they waited for their ride. Thanks to the new signage, route numbers are now larger, color-coded by type of bus service and easier to read from a distance.