1. Home
2. Environment
3. Environmental Programs
4. Moving on Sustainable Transportation (MOST)
5. Funded Projects
6. VIP - Visibility, Image and Positioning - Part Two

VIP - Visibility, Image and Positioning - Part Two

The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) is the association of urban transit systems, suppliers and related organizations in Canada. CUTA has long been recognized as "the voice of the Canadian transit industry." Its mission is to promote the role of urban transit in enhancing mobility and to support its members in the fulfilment of their mandate.

What are they doing?

The purpose of the Visibility, Image and Positioning (VIP) campaign is to inform Canadians of the importance of public transit and encourage them to use it. The campaign took place in 2002-2003 and may be extended for a further three years. A report, Enhancing the Image and Visibility of Transit in Canada was commissioned in November 2000 to assess the general public’s perceptions of transit. VIP outreach materials, based on the report’s findings, were developed for a broad-based public awareness campaign in 2001. These materials include French and English television advertisements, English radio advertisements, French and English print advertisements and local campaign kits.

The VIP campaign aims to:

• Improve public perceptions of the value and benefits of public transit;
• Increase appreciation for the contribution public transit makes to sustainable communities;
• Increase support for public transit at federal, provincial and local levels; and
• Increase public transit use.li>

What did the project accomplish?

For communities to realize their full potential, it is critical that residents support and use public transit. CUTA's two-year national program used issue papers, the Internet, workshops, and media advertising to inform Canadians about transit, improve their perceptions of it, and thus encourage its use. Notable results include:

• 57 million advertising impressions
• 10,000 copies of issue papers distributed
• 120 stakeholders attended conferences in seven cities
• Half of those surveyed recalled seeing recent ads for sustainable transportation; of those, one in eight specifically recalled CUTA ads
• The VIP program, which involves Canada's transit authorities, will continue through 2004
• "Transit Means Business: The Economic Case for Public Transit in Canada" (paper developed with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Moving the Economy)
• Demonstrated how issue papers and advertising can inform individuals about transit service and improve their perceptions of it
• Proportion of Canadians who strongly agree that public transit makes a community a better place to live climbed to 71% from 58% in 2002

Where can you find more information?

Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA)

Date modified:

2010-02-03

Primary navigation