Public Involvement Case Study: Getting Customers Back to Business on 400 South

Overview

The first extension of the Salt Lake Valley’s light rail system—TRAX extends from downtown Salt Lake City to the University of Utah, about 2.5 miles to the east. The route for the spur follows 400 South, a major commercial thoroughfare, before curving up a hill and continuing toward the University on 500 South. This $118 million project was built over 18 months, finishing up just in time for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Wilkinson Ferrari & Co. was hired to help reach out to businesses and residents following the completion.

Throughout construction, customers and businesses in the 400 South area, which included a variety of quick-service food stores, clothing stores and office supply stores were inconvenienced. Some 400 South merchants, for example, reported sales that were off 20-40 percent during construction.

With the project in its final phases during the fall of 2001, we wanted to highlight the street’s reopening with a brief campaign. The goal was to show support for local businesses and brand the new “construction-free” 400 South as a convenient shopping, dining and business destination. It was important to reach motorists using 400 South, downtown workers, University students and area residents.

Planning and Execution

We adopted the theme “Wide. Open. Possibilities.” and used the “400 South” street sign icon. Our objectives were to reach a broad cross-section of consumers, University students and area residents with the message that 400 South was open, with a wide variety of shopping options, eating establishments and services—just in time for the holiday season.

Our methods of communicating these messages included a mass mailing of an oversized postcard to 10,000 households and employers along the 400 south route, advertising in the University of Utah student newspaper, the Daily Chronicle, and radio advertising. We also assisted individual businesses with their marketing efforts in conjunction with promotional events at business locations and the University of Utah campus.

Results

Businesses were quick to respond to opportunities to join in on promotional events the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Many offered coupons and special discounts—more than 1,000 discounts were available that weekend to customers through promotional events with four radio stations. One unique promotion was offered by Lorenzo’s Grinding, a knife sharpening business established in 1911. They offered a free sharpening for Thanksgiving carving knives. That same week, we hand delivered four boxes of postcards to individual businesses that requested additional copies. Businesses were happy to have four lanes open and many expressed appreciation for the extra “boost” they received to get customers back for the holidays.