Right here’s a touch as to the identification of these days’s grasp in advertising: After I requested what his pie-in-the-sky advertising dream was once, he sighed like Ahab searching the white whale.
“I would really like to get solid individuals from The Endure” — Hulu’s Chicago-set display ” — “to report bulletins or do movies for us, highlighting what a Chicago icon we’re.”
“We’ve had relatively a couple of cameos in it, and it’s made us glance in point of fact just right.”
Any guesses?
Meet the Grasp
Eric Munn, Director of selling, Chicago Transit Authority
Task: Juggling the selling of the second-largest public transit gadget within the U.S. with a central authority agency-sized finances. (That is so much smaller than it sounds.)
Declare to status: Introducing those candy limited-edition throwback CTA passes
Amusing reality: Juggling isn’t only a day within the lifetime of a scrappy marketer. Eric too can juggle apples … and take a chunk of them on the similar time
Lesson 1: Virtual is necessary — nevertheless it’s no longer the whole lot.
Munn is in no way a Luddite, however he cautions towards focusing such a lot “at the present and newest pattern [that you] put out of your mind in regards to the reliability and luck of a few old-school advertising that’s so simple as mailers or billboards.”
Yep, despite the fact that your target market is most commonly Gen Zers and younger millennials.
I used to be stunned that the CTA’s audience skews that younger, however “the ones are the folks nonetheless studying their transportation behavior.” It is smart — he’s advertising to older teenagers who’re the use of public transit on their very own for the primary time and 20-somethings who moved to Wrigleyville after school commencement.
So I used to be doubly stunned at how prepared Munn is on old-school promoting. Mailers? Billboards? In this financial system?
Photograph courtesy Chicago Transit Authority.
However one of the vital CTA’s maximum a hit campaigns is a brand new resident mailer, reminding them that the CTA is simply $2.50 to journey. “I feel it’s a good way for a Chicago icon just like the CTA to welcome you to town.”
It will appear to be an old school advertising tactic, however Munn says he hears from individuals who saved that postcard as it was once the primary mail they won as a newly minted Chicagoan.
Previous doesn’t must imply passé. Mailers, billboards, sponsorships, partnerships — those are all “in point of fact nice tactics to nonetheless get your emblem and message into puts, and may well be much more reasonably priced.”
Photograph courtesy Chicago Transit Authority.
Lesson 2: Pass native (or no less than regional).
Ultimate yr, the CTA carried out its first influencer marketing campaign, starting with 3 Chicagoland influencers. Munn outlines two giant benefits to this technique: Affordability and a better chance of luck.
Munn was once lovely explicit about what he sought after. “Our marketing campaign was once eager about the use of the CTA as it saves you cash, because of this more cash for your pocket to move do all the issues that Chicago has to provide.”
So he sought out influencers who make content material like “5 issues to do in Chicago this weekend” or “Chicago’s hidden gemstones.” As a result of there aren’t as many creators doing this kind of content material as, say, a most sensible trip influencer, those area of interest accounts continuously have extraordinarily engaged, treasured fans. And in comparison to most sensible trip influencer costs, native influencers are extra reasonably priced, even on a smaller advertising finances.
(And FWIW, all proof signifies that Munn’s onto one thing: HubSpot’s newest State of Advertising document known niche-influencer advertising as a emerging pattern in 2025.)
Lesson 3: Dating-building stretches in each and every course.
Munn says that some days he seems like Tom Hanks’ personality in Castaway, who “needed to get in point of fact cutting edge with only a few assets.” Whilst you’re operating for a central authority firm, “assets are very tight. You’re doing numerous onerous paintings.” And from time to time you wish to have to knock out your personal tooth with an ice skate.
So when he talks about constructing relationships, he’s casting (pun supposed) a large internet. Riders, social media customers, even entrepreneurs at different public delivery businesses (“a in point of fact cool staff, as a result of they’re no longer my competition, proper? We’re all rooting for each and every different.”).
“I’ve offered myself to many — I name them transit recommend accounts — people who find themselves simply incessantly posting in regards to the CTA or near to public transportation usually,” Munn says.
He is taking the time now to get to grasp them “in order that when I’ve a marketing campaign, I will be able to achieve out to them and say, ‘Howdy, we are interested by doing this, and I sought after to get your ideas.’” (I used to paintings in the similar place of work as Munn, and will vouch that this isn’t a cynical advertising play; he’s as authentic as they get. I’m unsurprised to listen to that he’s discovered luck with this tactic.)
In the event you’re going through leaner budgets, decrease head rely, or different belt-tightening measures, consider the significant relationships you’ll be able to construct out of doors of the standard stakeholders. Like Hanks’ Castaway personality, use what you’ve round you to construct your personal luck.
Lingering Questions
This Week’s Query
What’s a blind spot within the advertising global that, if addressed, would make other folks’s lives higher? —Jeff Wirth, Co-founder of the Interactive PlayLab
This Week’s Solution
A significant blind spot within the advertising global is forgetting that most of the people are not as acutely aware of your emblem as you’re.
Many manufacturers use messaging that already assumes other folks know who you’re or what you be offering. Be sure to’re transparent about what your services or products goes to do to assist other folks. Witty and crowd pleasing is a laugh, however the conversion is in fixing other folks’s issues.
Subsequent Week’s Lingering Query
Munn asks: What‘s a profession you’ve all the time sought after to get into however by no means have?
