16 Apr M.A.R.T.A. Transit Digital Advertising… More Expensive Without Tracking?

Interactive marketing mavens should obsess about campaign performance indicators.  This should include ON and OFFline campaigns… right?

As a train commuter on the Atlanta-based MARTA system, it irks me when the State and MARTA management complain about a lack of funds to operate (leading to route and employee cuts).   Truthfully, there are multiple ways that they could make revenue through their sheer real estate alone.

I digress.

One of the ways that they do seem to monetize is via on train and bus digital tv advertising.

The majority of ‘takers’ seem to be small and medium brands, who take advantage of pricing presumably less expensive than television runs.  Every once in a while though, (as in the photo, there will be a big brand in the mix).

The majority of small business types though, don’t seem to take advantage of measuring campaign response.  This is not a luxury that can be afforded.  Big brands can afford to do just that… build their brand.  Small and Medium size businesses should get the most bang for ROI buck, and measure.

In writing down the list of a few “smaller” marketers advertising on the system, most were using their same phone number as published on their website.  In addition, they were advertising a general URL to their site.

How could they REALLY get an idea as to the value of their campaign?

The better campaign measurement tactics could start with the following:

1. A campaign-specific phone number that would allow attribution for incoming calls weaved into the digital commercial
2. A special url with MARTA-specific landing page copy to welcome and measure incoming traffic.
3. Working with the vendor to get timely updates to the number of commercial runs per given time frame.

Using these tactics alone, would at least associate an etiology to the generated lead and allow earnings per commercial run comparisons to cost per impression.

How have you worked offline campaigns to integrate them into online interactive campaigns?