Launching an Industry-First Traffic Signal Analytics Solution with Story-Led ABM

The Challenge

INRIX Signal Analytics was a breakthrough product.

It enabled cities and DOTs to:

• Measure traffic signal performance across entire networks
• Identify inefficiencies at scale
• Optimize signals without installing hardware

But there was a problem:

👉 The market didn’t believe it.

Transportation agencies were used to:

• Physical infrastructure (loops, cameras, sensors)
• Manual traffic studies
• Expensive, time-consuming data collection

So when we introduced a solution powered by connected vehicle data…

The reaction was skepticism:

“How do we know this is accurate?”
“Can this really replace what we’ve always done?”

This wasn’t a demand generation problem.

👉 It was a belief problem

The Insight

We realized something critical:

You don’t overcome skepticism with messaging.
You overcome it with proof.

And not generic proof.

👉 Localized, undeniable proof

Something that would:

• Show cities their own problems
• Benchmark them against peers
• Quantify the scale of inefficiency

That insight led to the creation of the campaign’s centerpiece.

The Strategy: Build a Category-Evangelizing “Hero Asset”

The INRIX U.S. Signals Scorecard

An annual, data-driven report designed to do one thing:

👉 Make the invisible problem visible

What the Signals Scorecard Actually Was

The INRIX U.S. Signals Scorecard was:

• The most comprehensive baseline of traffic signal demand and performance ever published
• A nationwide benchmark of signal system performance
• A post-COVID “new normal” baseline for transportation systems

It analyzed:

• Every movement through signalized intersections
• Across cities, counties, metros, states, and nationally

Using:

👉 GPS data from millions of vehicles

Every time a vehicle passed through an intersection, we captured:

• Heading
• Speed
• Travel time

This allowed us to:

👉 Measure demand and performance at scale—without infrastructure

Why It Was So Powerful

The Scorecard did three critical things:

1. It Quantified the Problem

Instead of saying:

• “Traffic signals are inefficient”

We showed:

• Where delays were happening
• How severe they were
• How performance varied across regions

2. It Made It Personal

Cities could:

• See performance in their own backyard
• Identify specific inefficiencies in their network

This changed the conversation from:

❌ “Is this relevant to us?”
→
✅ “Wait… this is happening in our city?”

3. It Created Competitive Context

We allowed cities to compare themselves against:

• Peer cities
• Similar population profiles
• Regional benchmarks

This introduced:

👉 Social pressure + urgency

No city wants to be underperforming compared to its peers.

The Shift: From Product → Proof → Story

Instead of leading with product features…

We flipped the model:

Data → Insight → Story → Solution

The Scorecard became:

👉 The story engine for the entire campaign

Turning the Scorecard Into a Full-Funnel Growth Engine

Once we had the hero asset…

We built everything around it.

Phase 1: Awareness — “Expose the Problem”

We launched the Scorecard as a flagship piece of thought leadership:

• Press outreach and media coverage
• Industry publications
• Trade associations (ITE, IMSA, AASHTO)
• Paid promotion

The goal:

👉 Make the industry aware that:
Traffic signal management is fundamentally broken

Phase 2: Content Engine — “Multiply the Insight”

We didn’t stop at one report.

We turned the Scorecard into:

• Blog series (multiple angles by persona)
• Webinars breaking down findings
• E-books and derivative content
• Sales decks and collateral

Each piece reinforced:

👉 The same core narrative
👉 The same underlying problem

Phase 3: ABM — “Make It Hyper-Relevant”

This is where things got powerful.

We used the Scorecard as a personalized ABM weapon

We:

• Targeted ~350 priority accounts
• Identified 4,000+ relevant stakeholders
• Built segmented outreach by city, role, and use case

And most importantly:

👉 We showed each city their own data

Not generic messaging.

Not broad claims.

But:

“Here’s what’s happening in your signal network.”

Phase 4: Remove Friction with a Value-First CTA

Instead of pushing demos…

We introduced a different call to action:

Free Traffic Signal Network Analysis

This was critical.

Because it:

• Led with value, not sales
• Positioned INRIX as a partner, not a vendor
• Gave prospects immediate, tangible insight

This shifted the dynamic:

❌ “Book a demo”
→ feels like a sales pitch

✅ “Get a free analysis of your network”
→ feels like a smart next step

Phase 5: Convert with Proof

Once prospects engaged:

They saw:

• Their own intersections
• Their own delays
• Their own inefficiencies

At that point:

👉 The product didn’t need to be sold
👉 It became the logical solution

The Outcome

• Translated a highly technical product into a clear market story
• Built a full-funnel demand engine anchored in one hero asset
• Engaged ~40% of 350 priority accounts
• Generated 40+ deals in pipeline

And most importantly:

👉 Reframed how cities think about traffic signal management

Why This Worked

This campaign worked because it aligned three powerful forces:

1. Problem-Led Storytelling

We didn’t sell analytics.

We sold:

• Reduced congestion
• Better mobility
• More efficient cities

2. Data as Proof (Not Just Insight)

The Scorecard wasn’t content.

It was:

👉 Evidence

It proved:

• The problem existed
• It was measurable
• It was solvable

3. ABM Powered by Real Insight

Most ABM campaigns personalize messaging.

This one personalized:

👉 Reality

We didn’t just say:

• “This matters to you”

We showed:

• “This is happening in your city right now”

The Bigger Takeaway

The biggest lesson from this campaign:

The most powerful marketing asset isn’t content.
It’s insight your customer can’t ignore.

When you:

• Turn data into a story
• Make it personally relevant
• Lead with value instead of a pitch

You don’t just generate leads.

👉 You create conviction.

Trying to turn a complex product into real pipeline?

If your product is powerful but hard to explain—or your market doesn’t fully “get it”—I can help you build the story, content engine, and ABM strategy that drives real results.