Marquette University launched EagleExpress, its reimagined free rideshare service, in early 2023. This was one of the major initiatives following the President’s Task Force on Community Safety, launched in 2022 to address an uptick in safety issues on campus and the surrounding community. The task force had received negative feedback on LIMO, the service pre-dating EagleExpress. That service required students to call in to share their location and request rides. Dispatch used walkie-talkies to call for the nearest vehicle. Students received an estimated wait time but had no way of getting updates. Wait times were long, especially on winter weekends, and students gave up. The new service used an app-based model to improve the rider's experience and safety and increase operational efficiency. Our strategy included brand development, design assets, strategic message development, marketing, and social media promotion. We wanted our communication tactics to bring a fresh look and experience to this critical safety resource on campus. Marquette students, faculty, and staff download an app, set up a profile and request free shared rides; users can track rides and view wait times. During December 2022, the vehicles received a full makeover. Campus news announced the change, and follow-up articles promoted milestones in app availability, service launch, and improvements. Promotional tactics, including social media giveaways, drove app downloads and ride requests. Within 10 months, 100,000 rides were provided – an increase from prior years – indicating sustained use.
From the Judges
We enjoyed the strong visuals along with the look and feel of the assets used in the initiative. Additionally, we felt the ride-sharing preplanning, marketing, and social media promotion were very effective in the initiative's success.
