The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of, and solicit ideas for potential improvements to Arlington Transportation Partners’ (ATP) package of promotional materials targeted to employers in Arlington County. This package primarily consists of ATP’s Solutions newsletter that is mailed out three times a year.
KEY FINDINGS
ATP and Solutions Newsletter Awareness:
- All employers interviewed were aware of ATP.
- 82% of employers interviewed recalled receiving the Solutions newsletter.
- But it is important to note that 18% of those contacted were not aware that they had ever received this newsletter.
Readership:
- Readership of the ATP Solutions newsletter varies: Over one-third had read all four of the last four issues they received; Most reported reading an average of about two of the past four issues; Almost one in ten had not read any issues.
“Pass Along”:
- Most respondents said that they pass the newsletter along after they read it themselves. Typically, about three people, in addition to the subscriber, are given an opportunity to read each issue of Solutions. Those who did not pass the newsletter along to others most often explained that the materials would not be pertinent to anyone else in the organization or that their employees have too much to do and would not have time to read the newsletter.
Saving the Newsletter:
- About one-third of respondents said they saved the newsletter for future reference. About one in five who said they receive the newsletter said they keep their issues for three months or longer to use for future reference. More than one-half of the respondents reported that they discard their issues of Solutions within two weeks
Perceived Value Received:
- Most of those who received the newsletter said they find it to be helpful. Articles and features about Metrocheck were by far considered the most useful of the newsletter topics and features, followed by those about Ozone Action Days. The charts, Employer Spotlight and Telework were considered least useful.
- More than four in ten respondents found the brochures and inserts, posters and/or giveaways to be valuable. The majority of those who receive the newsletter said they have displayed the poster.
Estimated Solutions Readership:
- Based on the respondents in this study, the “pass along” rate is 3.6.
- Using the subscriber base of 355 and 82% recall of receiving the newsletter, combined with 64% who say they pass it along, the rough estimated total number of Solutions readers per issue is 750.
Opportunities for Improvement:
- The vast majority of respondents wish to continue receiving the Solutions newsletter
- But recipients said they would prefer that the newsletter include short subjects as opposed to long feature articles.
- There was a preference (64%) for continuing to receive the newsletter in its paper format. However, about one-third would prefer to read the newsletter online.
METHODOLOGY
- Mode of Data Collection – Telephone Survey
- Completed Surveys – 59 Respondents Total: 72 of 355 Arlington County companies who receive the newsletter were selected randomly to participate; 13 of the 72 were unable to fully participate in the study because they said they have never received the ATP newsletter
- Survey Population – ATP’s newsletter mailing list of 355 companies in Arlington County
- Survey Instrument – Telephone Questionnaire
DOCUMENTS FOR DOWNLOAD
Technical Summary (PDF): Summary – 2001 ATP Solutions Newsletter Assessment STUDY
Contact the TRAC Research Team for more information.