Smart Ticketing Reimagined: Brand Transformation for ITSO Through Membership Marketing

CLIENT: Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation (ITSO)

SECTOR: Public Sector Transport & Smart Mobility (B2B, Non-Profit, Technology)

SCOPE: Brand Refresh I Brand Guidelines I Tone of Voice I Visual Assets

As specialists in public sector and transport industry membership marketing, GWCM partnered with ITSO—the guardian of the UK’s interoperable smart ticketing standard—to support a brand evolution that better reflects the organisation’s pivotal role and reinforces the value of its member-led structure.

ITSO sits at the heart of the UK’s smart mobility infrastructure. As a not-for-profit, membership-based organisation backed by the Department for Transport, it plays a critical role in ensuring the seamless movement of passengers across bus, rail and tram networks via secure, interoperable smart ticketing systems. While its technology supports millions of daily journeys, ITSO faced a challenge familiar to many member-driven entities: visibility and perception.

The brief was twofold: refine the brand to better reflect ITSO’s modern, innovation-driven mission, and deliver a membership marketing strategy with ongoing content and social media support to engage stakeholders, strengthen member relationships, and reposition the organisation—from bureaucratic standard-bearer to smart mobility champion.

Our work began with a brand refresh, developing new visual assets, evolving the tone of voice, and updating brand guidelines. The goal was to energise ITSO’s identity while retaining clarity and purpose—ensuring the refreshed brand resonated with current transport authorities, operators, and solution providers, while appealing to prospective members.

This brand evolution was supported by a broader member marketing strategy aimed at positioning ITSO as a thought leader in the smart mobility space. Through regular content creation and social media campaigns, we’ve helped ITSO highlight key insights, celebrate member success stories, and champion the ongoing relevance of the ITSO Specification in a transport landscape shaped by open standards, environmental challenges, and heightened user expectations.

Our collaboration continues as we support ITSO’s ambition to expand its influence and grow its membership base—aligning brand presence with its essential, behind-the-scenes role in making UK transport smarter, safer, and more joined-up through targeted membership marketing.