La Société de transport de Montréal (STM)

To increase ridership, Société de transport de Montréal (STM) needed a new mission statement with a clear identity that would unify the brand with its travellers, and to spark behavioural changes among everyone involved, from commuters to employees.

They decided to focus on environmental positioning since it was pertinent to audiences and was one of the most viable arguments against STM’s greatest competitor: the car.

Travellers were made aware that public transportation was one of the most eco-friendly alternatives for commuting, while employees were reminded of their involvement in a noble cause.

The campaign was positioned around the promise “Breathe Better” through four themes: improvement of service, impact of public transportation, concrete gestures of STM and civic engagement. The “Breathe Better” promise, however, could not be used as a mass communication tool since it was vulnerable to attack. So the theme “Society in Motion,” was articulated around a pact between STM and its travellers. The STM (blue arrow) and commuters (yellow arrow) unite their efforts to take action for the environment (green).

To put this in motion, STM pledged to improve its service and committed itself to environmentally conscious actions: biodiesel buses were cleaned with biodegradable detergents, improved buses were introduced and the frequency of buses and metros was increased during peak times. STM also created package deals with the rentable Bixi bicycles and partnerships with festival promoters to provide public transportation to events.

Riders were asked to join the movement by using public transport more often. In less than seven months, the campaign changed the way people think of the STM. According to an Ipsos Descarie post-test, the STM came in third behind Greenpeace and Cascades when consumers were asked which company was most environmentally conscious.

Customer satisfaction significantly increased from 79% in 2007 to 86% at the end of 2009. The campaign managed to maintain a stable number of riders despite the loss of 35,000 jobs in Montreal. And in less than one year, STM changed perceptions of its commitment to the environment, allowing riders to feel as though their travel choice is headed in the right direction.