SKYLINE CITY MEDIA

(FORMERLY VANCITY POSTERING)

Increased Online Traffic by 1800% With Strategic Service Design.

The Challenge:

When an outdoor marketing company decided to expand its successful operations from Vancouver to Toronto, I saw an opportunity to apply a strategic service design approach. 

The aim was to ensure a seamless transition into the new urban landscape of Toronto while also maintaining and surpassing the high standard of service and impact achieved in Vancouver. This journey required a deep dive into the local culture, demographics, and urban planning, laying the groundwork for an engaging service design strategy to drive transformative growth.

Approach:

The task was to establish the company as a leader in Toronto’s outdoor marketing space by designing a comprehensive service plan that matched the company’s expansion goals. This included researching and understanding Toronto’s specific market needs, developing tailored strategies for various client segments, optimizing communication and collaboration across teams in Vancouver and Toronto, and positioning the company as a regional powerhouse.

Market Analysis

  • Conducted comprehensive mapping of Toronto’s geographical layout to determine optimal postering routes and strategic locations.
  • Analyzed market demographics such as events, concerts, and other local happenings to identify areas with high potential for outdoor marketing campaigns.
  • Evaluated pricing structures to ensure competitive and attractive service offerings for clients in the new market.

Personas:

In the initial design phase of our services, three distinct personas played a pivotal role in shaping our strategies. These personas were carefully crafted by analyzing the client segments with the most promising growth potential – including digital marketers, event planners, and creative professionals.

Insights:

• Residents travel larger distances for leisure activities than they do in Vancouver, requiring a larger coverage zone for outdoor ads.

• Outdoor ad space is far more versatile in Toronto than in Vancouver – opening up more opportunities for diverse distribution plans.

• The student landscape is less isolated than in Vancouver, requiring multi-faceted approach – incorporating city distribution, campus posters and flyer distribution to community centres to strengthen campaigns.

Service Mapping:

  • Developed a detailed service blueprint to guide the expansion and ensure seamless execution of all processes.
  • Outlined each step of the service delivery process, from initial client contact and planning to execution and post-campaign analysis.
  • Included specific workflows for postering representatives, detailing installation routes, best practices for material placements, and photo documentation guidelines.
  • Integrated feedback loops for continuous improvement, allowing for adjustments to be made quickly based on real-time data and client feedback.

Training and Quality Improvement:

  • Since the company would now rely heavily on contractors for postering in Toronto, I developed a training manual to ensure consistent quality and clear communication of expectations.
  • The training manual focused on teaching best practices for posting materials and capturing high-quality photos for documentation and client approval.
  • The training manual was distributed to new postering representatives, empowering them to adhere to the company’s high-quality standards from day one.
  • This led to a 100% satisfaction rate from clients, as they received better photo documentation and clearer communication throughout the postering process.

Impact:

• The expansion to the new market increased online traffic to the site by 1800% year over year from December 2022 – December 2023.

• Conversions online increased 580% and inquiries by 800% over 3 months from December – January 2023.