Article

State agency uses DOOH to turn ADA complaint into revenue stream

State-run transportation system pilots digital signage deployment providing positive revenue stream for the agency.

December 8, 2011 by Christopher Hall

For the Washington State Ferries system, the challenge of responding to an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint has turned into a golden opportunity for the cash-strapped public agency to turn its digital signage messaging system into a positive revenue stream.

The state-run transportation system first deployed digital signage on some of it ferries and in some of its stations several years ago, but an ADA-compliance issue recently forced the system to re-evaluate and re-work its digital signage messaging system. A hard-of-hearing commuter missed several announcements, and his complaint prompted the organization to launch a pilot program with digital signage firm Four Winds Interactive that strengthened its visual messaging to customers.

That re-worked messaging system on its digital signage screens now allows greater flexibility in displaying regular transit and Department of Homeland Security announcements — but it also has allowed the system to increase its digital signage advertising capabilities.

So far the pilot program has been rolled out to two ferries and two stations on the system's busiest routes, but the plan is to continue rolling the digital signage advertising system out across the ferry system — the largest in the U.S., serving more than 22 million riders with its fleet of 22 auto-passenger ferries.

Now, the agency is able to sell an increased number of ad spots to brands and marketers, and also is able to offer local communities with meager promotional budgets the opportunity to purchase ads at affordable rates, according to Marta Coursey, director of communications at Washington State Ferries.

"We are very cognizant of our financial challenges and we just continue to pursue that innovation and it's working for a lot of reasons. It's not only a revenue generator — and of course it's not going to save the ferry system by any means because our funding gap is so large — but it's a significant contributor to our revenue, and in addition to that it's serving as a great community service," Coursey said in an interview. "We're capitalizing and using this technology for a host of really important reasons, so we're very proud of that aspect of it."

Coursey said feedback from commuters on the ferries indicates that the digital out-of-home advertising on the digital signage displays also has increased consumer awareness of the static ads the ferries also display through laminates and wall and floor ads.

Also, the new program allows ferry officials to display messages to commuters (say, that someone has left their lights on) without completely interrupting the ads playing on screen, by rezoning the screen when transit announcements have to be made. And the pilot program also has been successful in achieving its initial mission, she said.

"It has been judged very successful both by the disability community and the ferry system," Coursey said.

The ferry system recently completed an overview meeting of the project, identifying challenges, things that worked and things that didn't, Coursey said. And now it is working with Four Winds to build out the system through the whole fleet, she said.

"It's been a good thing for the ferry system because now we have this very powerful tool, and we have the ability to use it, and we can provide not only for our hard-of-hearing customers, but this is proving to be a great additional service for all of our customers," she said.

The success of the pilot also is drawing interest from other transit and ferry systems, said Coursey, adding that she would encourage other agencies looking to find ways to innovate in providing service to customers to look into digital signage.

"This is a very powerful tool to use, and it's worth the effort that you can put into it to make this technology and the advertising available for everybody — because we are able to help our communities by advertising; we are able to help our customers by giving them real-time visually appealing information; and we are able to help our ADA customers," she said. "If you're looking for some way to provide a really cool new service to customers this is something you should take a look at."

Read more about digital out-of-home advertising.