Data vs Car

In the markets covered by VIA Rail, Canada's national rail passenger service, the car is the fastest option when the road conditions are ideal. Most of the time however, when traffic and bad weather get in the way, the train becomes the best solution. When consumers plan a trip from Point A to Point B, their primary concern is to have the shortest travel time. This is a global truth, but it is especially powerful in Canada because its vast territories can make travel time even longer. Because of their unconditional love of cars, drivers tend to be overly optimistic about how long it actually takes to get somewhere by car, failing to factor real-time road conditions into their calculations.

The campaign strategy was to leverage real-time traffic and weather data to maximize the relevance of the message for motorists. We compared real-time travel information for both transportation options: when traffic or bad weather conditions arise, drivers were reminded they took the wrong transportation mode.

The strength of this campaign lies in the holistic view of the media ecosystem from Touché!, their understanding of the state of mind of motorists in organizing their intercity travel and the development of highly innovative media solutions. As a result, surgical interventions with highly qualified motorist audiences have been possible. Through their data analysis and logical orchestration of media, the train's benefits have been amplified at key moments, leaving a strong emotional footprint that increases the train's rate of consideration for future trips. All of this in a nice working atmosphere levelling up. Simon Y. Parent Principal director, Marketing and Optimization