I-4 Express
LAUNCHING I-4 EXPRESS
As the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) prepared to open new express lanes on Interstate 4 (I-4), Global-5 informed the public of the benefits of this new travel option. The effort required a multifaceted communications strategy designed to reach the commuters who would become the facility’s most frequent users. Following the launch, we continued to educate motorists about how to make the most of Central Florida’s first tolled, managed lanes.
- Client: Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
- Services: Public Awareness & Information, Media Relations, Writing & Editing, News Releases & Distribution, Content Development, Email Blasts, eNewsletters, PSAs, Stakeholder Engagement, Good Neighbor Outreach, Branding, Visual Identity, Graphic Design, Collateral, Presentations, Promotional Toolkits, Outdoor Media, Social Media, Web Design, SEO, Analytics, Interactive Programming, Audio & Video Production, Photography, FAQs, Subject Matter Expertise, Research, Planning, Surveys, Focus Groups, Database Management, Campaign Launches, Press Events, Onsite Logistics
- Markets: Construction, Express Lanes, Government, Managed Lanes, Transportation
Challenge
Tolled express lanes can be an effective tool for managing highway congestion — but only if motorists know what they are and how to use them.
Solutions
SURVEY SAYS...
Our marketing effort began with a series of focus groups and a public opinion survey, which yielded valuable insights into our audience’s attitudes toward express lanes, electronic tolling, and related topics. The findings helped us craft our messaging to stress the benefits of express lanes that would resonate best with Central Florida drivers.
A follow-up survey conducted after the one-year anniversary of I-4 Express keeps the messaging on target.
PAID MEDIA
Our 13-week paid advertising campaign focused strategically on channels that would reach I-4 commuters. Billboards, social media ads, traffic radio spots, and two full-page newspaper ads were all part of the mix. We also used “zero-speed takeover” ads – digital billboards that appear in the Waze navigational app when vehicles are at a complete stop – to reach drivers safely.
ALL ABOARD!
To encourage thorough, unbiased media coverage, we invited the news media to join us on an exclusive bus tour of the new express lanes before they opened. We offered ways for large employers and other local businesses to get in on the excitement, too, by placing informational displays and brochure racks in their lobbies and other public spaces.
Awards
2022 Gold dotCOMM Award for I-4 Express Website