Marketing SOP 055: Managing Public Messages

Purpose 

This procedure provides information for your marketing staff to ensure important information is properly being broadcasted across the correct channels to keep your riders informed. The process covers managing web and sign messages and managing in-vehicle announcements. 

Operational Impact and Metrics

Operational Impact: The value of using this function is to ensure agency cross-departmental information is being shared transparently as it relates to messages being sent out to the public. Departments within the agency, such as Operations, and Customer Service (can vary agency to agency), should all be aware of the messages being published for public consumption. Using this process provides the ability to broadcast important public and rider information to channels such as: myAvail apps and website, Facebook, and Twitter, to best guarantee ridership is aware of service offerings and any adjustments. 

Metrics: A monthly review of the ‘Public Messages’ in myAvail should be performed to ensure that new messages are being created and the ‘expired messages’ list continues to grow; an indication the agency is utilizing this functionality. 

Definitions 

Frequency

As needed: whenever a new public message needs to be created or edited, deployed, or the frequency or distribution changed 

Roles and Responsibilities

Implementation of this SOP is the responsibility of agency staff who manages public messaging for the agency. This could be Marketing, PR, Dispatch or Customer Service who create public messages.  Depending on agency policy, there may be different staff creating and authorizing messages and deploying and updating the messages in ITS. Dispatch staff should be familiar with VI-E – “In vehicle announcements” and using the Public Messages part of the product.

Procedure

1. Determine type of message: Planned event, unplanned event, general marketing
2. Compose message
3. Access ‘Public Messages’ in myAvail
4. Establish or change distribution channels
5. Send Public Messages through Detour Management
6. Managing ‘Web and Sign Messages’ (See Work Instruction)
   1. Deploying a new or ‘Active’ public message 
      • Enter message text 
      • Select distribution channels – Twitter, FB, SMS, InfoPoint, wayside signs etc. 
      • Select message configurations (see Work Instruction/Video) 
   2. Activating a previously created ‘Expired’ message 
      • Go to “Expired” tab and select message to reactivate 
      • Confirm distribution channels – Twitter, FB, SMS, InfoPoint, wayside signs etc. 
      • Edit message configurations (see Work Instruction/Video) 
7. Managing 'In-Vehicle Announcements' (See Work Instruction)

1. 1. Manage Active announcements 
      • Edit active periodic announcement (click on edit button next to announcement) 
        • • Configure frequency, date range and time range 
      • Create new periodic announcement (click green plus sign) 
        • • Select from pre-determined announcement list from drop-down menu
          • Configure frequency, date range and time range
      • Manage Expired announcements
      • Re-activating an 'Expired periodic announcement by clicking on the copy icon
        • • Configure frequency, date range and time range

Related SOPs 

1. SP-004-01 Planner – Managing Vehicle Announcements