COAST, the Seacoast’s transit provider, recently launched the We’re On the Route campaign. This cross marketing program informs COAST riders about businesses located along its bus routes. It also informs current or future customers and employees of participating businesses that the business can be reached easily via public transit.
The program is free and easy to join. The business places a We’re On the Route sticker on their window and links to the COAST website, which provides detailed route information. The COAST website lists all of the participating businesses with links to their website. Participating businesses may also choose to offer a special promotion to COAST riders who show a monthly pass or punch card. For those partners, COAST offers special discounts on bus fare media for their employees.
“We’re On the Route is a win‐win‐win situation”, says Rad Nichols, executive director of COAST. “COAST wins by working more closely with local businesses in the community, riders win by becoming more aware of employers and businesses conveniently located on bus routes, with possible special deals, and the businesses win by having new potential customers and employees.”
Forty‐one businesses from Portsmouth, Dover, Rochester, Somersworth, and Newington have signed up to date including restaurants, coffee shops, bike shops, book stores, grocery stores, pharmacies and apartments.
Peter Mead, general manager of Colonial Bikes in Portsmouth, comments, “We’re On the Route makes a whole lot of sense. Our customers see that they can hop on a bus to get here and COAST riders see that we’re accessible by bus.”
