Improving Awareness of Personal Security Tools

As the saying goes, perception is reality.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) had slumping survey results from both riders and non-riders about their perceived personal security on transit, so DART aimed to make improvements in these perception scores to gain transit ridership.

Among other security enhancements, the agency invested in a new mobile application called DART Say Something that allowed riders to report suspicious or criminal activity directly to DART police. Features of the app were touted to transit riders, including the ability for two-way communication with police officers and the ability to receive alerts on police BOLOs (Be On The Lookout) for specific persons of interest.

DART enlisted support from AlphaVu to promote the new app through digital advertising and also study whether their investments in security were moving the needle to improve public perception.

Creating Custom Audiences and Targeted Messages

AlphaVu partnered with DART to conduct surveys over three consecutive periods – October, February, and June – to gauge progress in DART’s efforts to improve the perception of personal security. These surveys included an online panel with a statistically valid sample of Dallas area residents, online surveys to DART partners and stakeholders, and a customer intercept survey at three transit stations.

One of the tactics to improve perceived security was gaining more awareness and engagement with the DART Say Something mobile app. Based on survey data, AlphaVu created custom digital audience segments to promote awareness and downloads of the app through the agency’s digital advertising. These ads were served to audiences who reported the lowest perceived personal security, specifically college-educated women ages 18-54 in downtown and uptown ZIP codes.

Delivering Results

When comparing results over the three periods, those who recalled messages about the Say Something mobile app reported an improved perception in personal security.

The effort also measured a significant increase in downloads of the safety mobile app from those within the custom audiences generated by AlphaVu. In the online poll, which was set up to be a valid population sample, these were the top demographics of people who said knowing about the app made them feel “a lot safer”…