Discovery Learning: Amtrak

Problem Framing

The strategy begins by identifying why Amtrak is underperforming in the travel consideration set for younger users:

• Outdated Brand Image — Amtrak is perceived as slow, traditional, and out of sync with Gen Z lifestyles, which limits excitement and emotional connection to the brand.
• Low Digital Presence & Discovery — Train options are rarely highlighted or recommended in travel apps and mapping tools, and Amtrak's social content footprint remains relatively quiet and unremarkable.
• Lack of Social Proof or Cultural Relevance — There is little organic conversation or user-generated content around Amtrak, so the brand feels absent from the cultural spaces where young people share trips and experiences.

These issues reveal a gap between the emotional, shareable journeys Gen Z expects and the way Amtrak is currently represented online.

Strategy & Target Audience

To solve this gap, the strategy proposes a multi-layered digital campaign that builds visibility, emotion, and participation over time:

• Brand Face — Establish a consistent, human-centered tone across social platforms, highlighting relatable stories, rider perspectives, and everyday moments on board to strengthen emotional relatability and cultural relevance.
• "AMTRAK AMTRAK" Hero Sound — Launch an original track inspired by viral audio trends, designed as a recognizable audio signature that encourages users to create short-form videos about their own train stories.
• Co-Create & UGC Activation — Encourage user-generated content through hashtags like #TrainTok and #MyAmtrakView, focusing on the journey itself rather than just the destination and turning riders into co-creators of the brand narrative.

Target Audience (TA)

The strategy is designed for digital-first young travelers in the U.S. who discover, plan, and share trips primarily through their phones:

• Gen Z and Younger Millennials (≈18–30) — Highly active on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other short-form video platforms, and responsive to trends, sounds, and visual aesthetics.
• Urban, Car-Light Travelers — Students and young professionals who rely on public transport and are open to trains as a convenient and sustainable alternative to driving or flying short distances.
• Experience-Driven Leisure Travelers — People who value scenic routes, weekend getaways, and "slow travel," and who see the journey itself as content-worthy—something to document, curate, and share with their social circles.

Creative Idea

The campaign is unified by a central creative platform: "More Than a Ride. It's Your Storyline."

• Reframing Train Travel for Gen Z — Position train journeys as stages for self-expression and identity-building, where travelers capture aesthetics, moods, and memories rather than simply commuting from point A to B.
• From Transport to Trend — Integrate Amtrak into digital routines—playlists, vlogs, TikToks, Reels—so taking the train becomes a lifestyle choice that feels modern, photogenic, and socially rewarding.
• Emotion-Powered Brand Identity — Highlight the feelings associated with rail travel (calm, cinematic views, time to think or create) and frame Amtrak as an experience people want to show and talk about, not just a ticket they purchase.

This big idea transforms Amtrak into a platform for personal stories and creative expression, elevating the brand's relevance among young audiences.