Like good neighbors, Chad Mitchell and Adsposure are there with paratransit advertising

A local agency with deep roots

The Chad Mitchell State Farm agency serves Independence, Missouri, in the Kansas City metro area. Like many insurance agencies, its business depends on relationships and on being a recognizable local name.

People tend to choose an insurance agent they have seen around town and who feels connected to the area. The agency has advertised with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority continuously since 2011. That is more than ten years of presence in the community through transit.

Long relationships like this show how transit advertising can become part of a brand’s routine. KCATA is the transit authority serving the region, and Adsposure is its transit advertising partner. Transit advertising is one piece of the agency’s marketing. Chad Mitchell also uses Google ads and direct mail, and transit gives the agency something those channels do not: a physical presence in the community.

That fits how Adsposure sees transit: it works best alongside other channels, adding a real world presence that is part of the city’s everyday scenery. Chad Mitchell chose paratransit because it felt more local and more community involved to him, and because working with Adsposure and KCATA did not feel corporate.

Paratransit vehicles reach deeper into neighborhoods than most fixed-route buses. They pick up and drop off at places such as grocery stores, hospitals and community centers, and they are visible in parking lots and on residential streets where fixed-route buses do not go.

How paratransit advertising works

Paratransit, also called access vehicles, does not follow fixed routes. Vehicles travel to the places people need to go, which means they are seen in residential areas, parking lots, hospitals and commercial areas.

Because there are no fixed routes, paratransit is not a geographic targeting tool. Adsposure does not promise that a vehicle will appear at a specific address. What it offers is presence in the community. The agency’s ads sit on the back of the vehicle, where they are easy to see from the street and the sidewalk. Adsposure offers several access vehicle formats, including Access Full Side, Access Kong and Access Rear Ad, and the options available vary by market.

A rear placement works well for a short phrase, a face and a QR code. One of the agency’s slogans, here for you when you need us, appears on the ads. It fits both the agency and the vehicle. An insurance agent is the person people call in a moment of need, and a paratransit vehicle is there for people who need a ride.

A short line like this is what works on a vehicle. It can be read quickly and it says something real about the business.

Are you the guy on the back of the bus?

Mitchell says people often ask him whether he is the guy on the back of the bus. That kind of recognition is the goal of a local brand campaign: people connect the face and the name with the community.

The ads feature Mitchell or members of his team, which helps the agency feel like a neighbor. The full-back ads include a QR code that links to the agency’s website. It makes it simple for someone who sees the vehicle to learn more.

A single link also gives the agency a clear way to see response. The agency stands out through its community involvement and its investment in customers and potential customers. The team prioritizes educating customers about the importance of insurance and protecting what matters most to them.

Mitchell describes advertising with KCATA as a win-win that also benefits the community.

Who should consider paratransit advertising

Adsposure sees strong fit for healthcare providers, senior living communities, local government and community-focused local businesses such as insurance agencies. These advertisers want to be present in neighborhoods and around the places people go for care and daily errands. Adsposure also offers bus exteriors such as King, Queen and Kong panels, Supertail and full wraps, interior cards and ceiling placements, and shelters. An advertiser can combine formats, for example paratransit for community presence and bus exteriors for wider visibility.

Availability varies by market and by what is currently open, and Adsposure confirms the options before planning. Start with the goal: local recognition, awareness in a specific community or support for a seasonal push. Adsposure then recommends the formats and the number of vehicles that fit.

We develop the best campaign plan before the creative begins. For familiarity, plan for three months or more.

Adsposure, The Transit Advertising People

Adsposure is The Transit Advertising People. Our focus is transit and only transit, so we bring specialist knowledge of KCATA and of formats such as paratransit, and a personalized team for every market we serve.

“I wanted the paratransit because it felt more local to me. It felt more community involved to me.”

Chad Mitchell, State Farm agent, Independence, Missouri

Want your business present in the community? Talk to Adsposure, The Transit Advertising People, about paratransit and bus advertising on KCATA.