google maps UK transit launch
On May 14, 2014, Google Maps public transit directions were made available across Great Britain, making it quick and easy for people to find the best route for wherever they're going, whether that's to the local park, or across country from Cardiff to Edinburgh.
This was the largest public transit expansion Google had done to date, as it joined with close to 1,500 partners to bring online every bus, tram, train and ferry service across Britain. To raise awareness for the launch, I deployed a number of tactics across owned and paid channels, as well as proactive press outreach and the inclusion of a few, fun easter eggs to generate more buzz.
I built a custom press site to deliver showcase assets to reporters and saw them surfaced throughout our launch coverage.
HPP & YouTube Masthead
On May 15-17th, I ran a coveted Google.com homepage promos for the co.uk TLD, followed by an animated YouTube masthead banner on June 5th. Both promos were tremendous traffic drivers of users to Google Maps.
Easter Eggs
Over the years, Google has become known for adding Easter eggs to its products as a lighted-hearted way to entertain users. We figured if we could deploy Easter eggs that were related to the new transit features, we could generate more awareness about the launch with social buzz and earned media. So we dropped in three fictitious modes of transport—dragon, carriage, and Nessie—and announced them on social media in a fun way.
The strategy worked, as in the week after announcing the first transit easter egg, users searched for these 100K+ times. And the additional press coverage helped drive consumer interest in the launch.
Direct Response
To acquire transit users and drive Maps app downloads, I ran a direct response campaign on Facebook, AdMob and iAd. The creative assets featured local landmarks and keywords, making the messaging as relevant as possible for local markets.
