How-To-Ride Videos Pass 10,000 Views Milestone
Posted on: Jan 26, 2010
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KCATA “How-To-Ride” Videos Pass 10,000 Views Milestone;
Series Now Enhanced With Closed Captioning
(Kansas City, Mo. – January 26, 2010) In May 2009, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority launched its online
"How-To-Ride" videos. Since then the video series that features instructions on riding The Metro has reached a milestone. It surpassed 10,000 views this month, and the series has now been upgraded to include subtitles.
The
YouTube.com videos cover topics from finding your route to using the on-bus bike racks to paying your fare. The Metro’s YouTube channel is online at [url=http://www.youtube.com/RideTheMetro]http://www.youtube.com/RideTheMetro[/url]. The how-to’s are also
online in the Rider Guide section.
“This milestone tells us more people are turning to the web to learn how to ride The Metro,” said Director of Marketing Cindy Baker. “New customers can take their time and see how easy it is.”
From the YouTube.com website, viewers can share the videos on social networking sites such as
Facebook.com or via email.
To make the videos even more accessible, The Metro has recently added closed captioning to the video series.
The benefits go beyond being accessible for people who are hearing impaired. Now people can watch the subtitled videos when they are in an environment where noise may disturb others, such as a library or office. The captions are also helpful for people who may have challenges with understanding spoken language or understanding accents.
To turn on closed captioning on
The Metro’s YouTube.com videos, look for the “CC” symbol that appears in the lower right hand corner of the video screen when the video starts. Click on the symbol, and the captions will appear at the bottom of the video.
New Audio Ads Generate New Revenue For KCATA
Posted on: Jan 12, 2010
As most customers know, in 2009 KCATA reduced service in Kansas City, Mo., due to declining transit sales tax revenue. KCATA continues to look for new sources of revenue to help offset declining sales tax revenue.
One of these new strategies is the sale of audio ads on Metro buses. We have been testing the audio ads for a couple of months and are now airing the first paid advertisement. The ads are linked to the GPS system, and are broadcast inside buses based on the location of the bus and/or the time of day. In addition to broadcasting paid advertisements, The Metro will also use audio ads to publicize route announcements, programs and other Metro news.
So far, the ads have received mixed reviews from customers. Some people have expressed their appreciation for the effort to increase revenue, while others have found the ads intrusive to their ride time. It is our goal to generate revenue with the audio ads, but to do it in a balanced manner. Below are a few guidelines for the audio ads:
- Stop announcements will ALWAYS take priority over paid ads
- Ad frequency will be limited to approximately 10% of bus stops
- Ad volume will be calibrated so that it is consistent with the stop announcements
- Audio ads will be professionally recorded.
Since these messages can be customized based on the location and time of day, we hope that they will be relevant to customers. For example, advertisers can create special offers for bus riders who show their transfer or pass. Additionally, the audio ads are affordable for small businesses that could not otherwise advertise in more traditional media.
If you have any questions about the new audio advertising program, please contact us at
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
