To the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date S/1i[23 cA ✓cc/
CM~xDCM(3)~
May 11, 2023
To:
From:
Via:
Council Memorandum
mbers of the City Council
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2023041
Re:
Kristina Ray, Communicati
Scott Chadwick, City Man
City of Carlsbad Award Re 1tion - 2023 CAPIO Annual Conference (Districts - All) This memorandum provides an overview of recent statewide recognition received by the City of Carlsbad for its communication and engagement efforts.
Background
The California Association of Public Information Officials is an organization dedicated to advancing the practice of government communication at the state, local and special district levels. During CAPIO's annual conference held last week, the City of Carlsbad was recognized with seven awards, including Best in Show. This was the highest number of awards given to a single agency this year.
Discussion
CAPIO received a record-breaking number of award nominations this year. A committee of agency representatives evaluated each entry, with a focus on creativity, cost-effectiveness and measurable results.
Best in Show Award for Mid-sized Population
Social Media Campaign
Parks & Recreation Month Social Media Campaign
EPIC Award
Community Relations/Participation
City Council Strategic Plan Resident Participation Program EPIC Award
Social Media Campaign
Parks & Recreation Month Social Media Campaign
EPIC Award
Preparedness/Public Safety Education Campaign
Safer Streets Together
Communication & Engagement
2955 Elmwood Street I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-5352 t Council Memo - City of Carlsbad Award Recognition - 2023 CAPIO Annual Conference May 11, 2023
EPIC Award
Media Event
Poinsettia Dog Park Opening
EPIC Award
Internal Communications
Employee Update Videos
Award of Distinction
Newsletter or Magazine
Community Update £-Newsletter
In addition to accepting these awards on behalf of the City of Carlsbad, Communication & Engagement Director Kristina Ray was also featured on a panel with the California Office of Traffic Safety to discuss effective communication strategies to improve traffic safety.
The city extends its thanks to the City Council for its commitment to community engagement and transparency. By prioritizing communication, it has set the standard for efficient and effective local government service and has demonstrated Carlsbad's role as a leader among municipal agencies in the state of California.
Attachments: A. 2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards Written Narrative and Supporting Project Materials cc: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Problem/Opportunity
Statement
Parks and recreation make life better in the City
of Carlsbad . This seaside city boasts stunning
parks and trails, along with a robust variety of
recreational programs for residents at all stages
of life . However, following the mandatory
closures and restrictions from COVID-19, Parks
& Recreation staff were concerned that the
community may not realize that their favorite
programs and amenities were all back online .
To address this challenge, the team
successfully launched a comprehensive
social media campaign leveraging
the momentum of National Parks &
Recreation Month to increase awareness
and encourage participation in Parks
& Recreation programs. The campaign
successfully reintroduced the community
to the city's Parks & Recreation offerings
and exceed the city's expectations.
Research
Primary, qualitative research:
• Resident input review: The team examined
resident inquiries and complaints submitted
to the City Council in the previous 12 months.
They found that the availability of parks
continued to be a top concern .
An analysis of program participation found
that although many people had returned ,
registration had not yet fully rebounded to pre
COVID levels.
• Communications audit: The team evaluated
current communication methods and
discovered that social media posts featuring
video were top performers across the city 's
social media channels.
Based on the research, the team decided to
develop a social media campaign to raise
awareness and encourage participation in
Parks & Recreation programs, services and
events.
Planning
GOAL
Develop an engaging social media campaign
centered around National Parks & Recreation
Month to raise awareness and encourage
participation in Parks & Recreation programs ,
services and events.
Parks & Recreation Month Social Media Campaign
Digital Communications I Social Media Campaign
SMART OBJECTIVES
( city of
Carlsbad
Objective 1: Launch a social media campaign featuring at least 50 posts that leverages the momentum of National Parks & Recreation Month to increase awareness of Parks & Recreation offerings and results in at least 2,000 post engagements and 100,000 impressions by July 31, 2022.
Objective 2: Increase Parks & Recreation event and program registration by an average of 10% compared with 2019 pre COVID registration levels by July 31, 2022.
Objective 3: Leverage the popularity of video to increase the reach of key message by developing at eight videos for the campaign that publish before July 31, 2022.
STRATEGIES
• Reintroduce the target audiences to all Park & Recreation offerings and address growing concern about parks and
services.
• Showcase the large number of Parks & Recreation programs, grouped around weekly themes , to emphasize the value
that residents receive in exchange for taxpayer dollars. • Launch the campaign to coincide with National Parks and Recreation Month in July.
• Showcase target audience members in the campaign videos and collateral to illustrate the key messages.
TIMELINE:
• Planning began in May 2022.
• The campaign ran from July 1-31, 2022.
TARGET AUDIENCES:
Carlsbad residents and community members.
KEY MESSAGES
• Parks help bring people together and create the strong sense of community that makes Carlsbad special.
• The City of Carlsbad provides high quality parks and trails that reflect the community's prior ities .
• The city offe rs a wide range of Parks & Recreation programs for residents at all stages of life .
• Sports prog rams promote fitness, teamwork and social connections.
• Adult recreation and aquatics programs bring the community toge t her for fit ness, wellness, enrichment and connection. • Kids' progr ams and events promote teamwork, fitness and social connections early in life.
• Special programs, events, classes and more help older adults 50+ thrive in Carlsbad.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards· Written Narrative I 1
CAPIO
Imp lementation and Creativity
KEY TACTICS
Parks & Recreation Month Social Media Campaign
Digital Commun ications I Social Media Campaign
{"city of
Carlsbad
• Create and publish more than 50 Parks & Recreation-focused social posts on Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram, Nextdoor and You Tube that are formatted specifically for each channel. • Cover events live on social media to capture "behind the scenes" looks at popular activities. • Engage department staff in creating real time content highlighting prog rams and activities. • Find program participants willing to tell their stories about why parks and recreation programs were important to them. Capture these stories through engaging videos. • Launch the grand opening ceremony of Poinsettia Dog Park on the fina l day of the month as the campaign's grand finale.
BUDGET:
This campaign was executed by in house staff with the exception of video editing support in the amount of $4,500.
Results and Evaluation
SUCCESS: GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED/EXCEEDED
• Goal achieved: The team achieved the goal to an develop an engaging social media campaign that achieved its objectives and surpassed the city's expectat ions.
• Objective 1 exceeded : The team published 65 posts, exceeded the object ive by 30%. The posts earned 177,693 impressions and 5,227 engagements, exceeding that portion of the objective by 77.6% and 161 % respectively • Objective 2 exceeded: Parks & Recreation event and program registration increased by an average of 29.8%, far surpassing the 10% objective.
• The city's signature summer event , the Aloha Plunge, received the highest registration in its histo ry. • Objective 3 achieved: The team achieved the objective to produce eight campaign videos. The videos received high engagement and positive feedback from target audiences.
Lessons Learned
Leveraging National Parks & Recreation Month and using video story telling elevated awareness of the city's parks and recreation offerings . The team plans to continue this strategy for future social media campaigns . 2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards· Written Narrative I 2
5-YEAR
STRATEGIC
PLAN
March 2022
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
STATEMENT
In 2022, the Carlsbad City Council issued
a mon umental challenge to the city's
Communicati on & Engagement team:
Conduct the largest resident participation
program in the city's 70-year history to help
create the City Council's first ever strategic
plan.
The Communication & Engagement team
sprang into action to develop a strategy that
resulted in the most successful communi ty
engagement process ever executed at the
City of Carlsbad. The program engaged the
largest number of residents who had ever
participated in a simi lar city communication
program, surpassing all goals and
expectations.
RESEARCH
Primary, quantitative research:
The team reviewed recent statistica lly
representa tive public opinion surveys
to help identify topics of interest.
• The team researched strategic
planning processes from more than a
dozen other public agencies to learn
from how residents were engaged.
• Staff studied digita l analytics
surround ing the city's ema il open
rates, social media engagement rates
and website pageviews to discover
which formats and topics generated
the most engagement.
Primary, qualitative research: Staff
conducted informa l interviews with city staff
and leadership and sought input from the
City Council to ensure the inpu t gathered
would be actionab le and relevant.
Based on the research, the team decided
to create a collaborative, multifaceted
resident participation program informed
by the latest public engagement
principles to gather input from as many
Carlsbad residents as possible.
Engage Carlsbad - 5-Year Strategic Plan
Resident Participation Program
Commun ications and Marketing Processes I
Communi ty Relations/Participation
PLANNING
{ city of
Carlsbad
GOAL: To gather input from the Carlsbad community that could be used by the City Council to further refine its broad policy goals in the new 5-year strategic plan.
SMART OBJECTIVES:
• Objective 1: Design and implement a public involvement strategy with three main ways to engage with residents
from January through March 2022.
• Objective 2: Encourage at least 1,000 residents to
participate by the end of March 2022.
• Objective 3: Develop an on line engagement portal that earns at least 10,000 pageviews by the end of March 2022. • Objective 4: Get a minimum of 25% of the input from those residents who do not regularly participate in city issues.
STRATEGIES
• Develop a resident participation program that aligns with the International Association for Public Participation's spectrum of engagement at the "consult" level
• Ask residents about things they care about most, getting at their underlying values, needs and priorities.
Offer residents three distinct opportunities that would appeal to a broad cross section of the community.
• Increase resident participation by promoting the
engagement opportunities via multiple communications
channels.
TIMELINE: January- March 2022.
TARGET AUDIENCE: City of Carlsbad residents.
KEY MESSAGES
• Want to make Carlsbad an even more amazing place 5 years from now? The City Council wants to hear from you .
It just got easier to share your thoughts on city projects, issues and services, thanks to a new online public
engagement portal that includes links to surveys, virtual idea walls, interactive maps and more.
• Your input will be used to create the city's first ever strategic plan.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards I Written Narrative I 2
CAPIO
Engage Carlsbad - 5-Year Strategic Plan
Resident Participation Program
Communications and Marketing Processes I
Community Relations/ Participation
{city of
Carlsbad
IMPLEMENTATION AND CREATIVITY
KEY TACTICS
• Offer residents three convenient ways to engage,
including a survey, on line idea wall and virtual
workshop.
• Encourage participation by framing engagement
opportunities based on the time it takes to give
input - 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 90+ minutes.
• Develop an on line engagement portal to keep
residents informed and engaged throughout the
process.
• Promote participation opportunities via the city's
e-newsletters, local events and social media
channels, including Facebook, Twitter, lnstagram
and Nextdoor.
BUDGET : The program was completed with in-house
resources, with the exception of the online engagement
portal, which has an annual subscription fee of $8,500.
This tool was utilized for other engagement projects
throughout the year, not just the strategic planning
project. Advertising to promote opportunities for input cost $500.
RESULTS AND EVALUATION
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ACH IEVED/ EXCEEDED
Goal achieved and expectations surpassed : The team
met the goal to gather community input and surpassed
expectations by implementing the most successful
engagement program in city history by motivating
more residents to participate than ever before. The
strategic plan was approved by the City Council and
now serves as the blueprint for city decision making
and resource priorities.
• Objective 1 achieved: The team implemented a
successful public involvement strategy with three
main ways to engage within the deadline.
• Objective 2 exceeded: 1,607 residents participated,
exceeding the goal of 1,000 residents by 61 %.
• Objective 3 exceeded:The online engagement
portal earned 12,365 pageviews, exceeding the
10,000 pageview goal by 24%.
• Objective 4 exceeded: Fully 34% of participants
had not engaged in previous city surveys, public
meetings or other input opportunities.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards I Written Narrative I 3
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
STATEMENT
In March 2022, following increased community
concerns and an uptick in collisions involving bikes
and e-bikes, the Carlsbad City Council passed the
region's first e-bike safety law.
In spite of these new rules, increased enforcement
and public education, collisions continued to
increase. In August, within the span of 10 days, two
people were killed while riding .
The city declared a local emergency on traffic safety
Aug. 23, 2022, citing a more than 200% increase in
collisions since 2019, kicking into action a citywide
emergency response, supported by a new Safer
Streets Together public education campaign.
The Communication & Engagement team
developed a comprehensive citywide public
awareness program focused on instilling a
sense of shared responsibility for traffic
safety among everyone who uses local roads
and a call to action to demonstrate a public
commitment to traffic safety.
RESEARCH
Primary, quantitative research
• Reviewed injury collision data from the past
five years to identify trends, locations, causes
and modes of travel most associated with
collisions.
• Reviewed existing quantitative studies of traffic
safety behavior and evaluations of traffic safety
campaigns nationwide .
• Analyzed social media data to determine most
engaging platforms and content types.
Secondary, qualitative research
• The team collected input from community
members about traffic safety to identify the
main areas of concern and desired actions .
• Reviewed statewide Office ofTraffic Safety
focus group research regarding effective
messaging for the teen audience .
Based on the research, the team created
a comprehensive, community wide
public safety communication program,
Safer Streets Together, that emphasized
shared responsibility for keeping
Carlsbad's streets safe.
Safer Street s Together
Communications & Marketing Process
Preparedness/Public Safety
Education Campaign
PLANNING
GOAL
( cityof
Carlsbad
To increase the safe use of Carlsbad's streets among
everyone who travels on city roadways and instill
confidence that the city is prioritizing traffic safety.
SMART OBJECTIVES
Objective 1
Saturate the Carlsbad market with traffic safety messages by posting a minimum of 12 banners/digital message boards in high collision areas, 20 news stories in local outlets, eight PSA videos, an email reach of at least 50,000 and at least four social media posts weekly.
Objective 2
Establish the City of Carlsbad as a regional leader in traffic safety by gaining news coverage of the Safer Streets
Together campaign reaching a minimum of 250,000 in San
Diego County.
Objective 3
Develop partnerships with the two main mobility
organizations in the region, all four school districts serving Carlsbad and at least 100 local businesses to support the Safer Streets Together campaign .
Objective4
Hold a public meeting with neighbors in the area of a fatale bike collision to gain consensus on traffic safety
improvements along their street.
STRATEGIES
• Tap into the strong sense of community shared by
Carlsbad residents by promoting messages of shared
responsibility for road safety.
• Demonstrate city actions through video storytelling to help residents appreciate the significant efforts
underway to enhance traffic safety through increased
enforcement and street design.
• Target middle schools for a pilot program focused one bike safety, due to the age of riders and lack of traffic safety knowledge.
• Expand the reach and credibility of city messages by
developing partnerships with others in the community
including businesses, schools and mobility advocates.
• Utilize behavior change techniques such as creating a strong social norm around traffic safety, creating
prompts to remind people to be safe, and addressing
barriers to safe behaviors .
2023 CAPIO EPIC AWARDS I PAGE 1
KEY MESSAGES
Safer Streets Together
Communica tions & Marketing Process
1. We all share the road, whether we drive, bike or walk.
Preparedness/Public Safety
Education Campaign
Let's look out for one another and be the best versions of ourselves on the road.
2.Share the road, share the responsibility. TIMELINE
March - December 2022
{ city of
Carlsbad
3. The city's doing its part to keep roads safe by
increasing enforcement and designing streets to
encourage safe use. TARGET AUDIENCES
IMPLEMENTATION AND CREATIVITY
City of Carlsbad residents, with an emphasis on
parents and teens, cyclists and new drivers.
KEY TACTICS
• Develop a program name and logo that quickly conveys the key messages of the campaign, with a focus on all modes of travel and the need for everyone to do their part. • Utilize all city communication channels to promote safer streets messages with a focus on video content. • Create a Safer Streets Together web page with data, resources and other information about the city's efforts . • Utilize holidays and seasonal events to promote traffic safety with a focus on e-bike safety and teens. • Developed materials that would allow partners to demonstrate their support for the campaign. • Promoted city traffic engineering projects (existing and new) and encourage input through the city's Traffic & Mobility Commission.
BUDGET
The city spent $60,000 during the first phase of program development and implementation (March through December 2022) on consultant support to help develop overall themes and messages, reach out to potential community partners and create informational materials. City staff handled the overall program development and implementation .
RESULTS AND EVALUATION
Goal reached: Lives saved
Injury collisions in the City of Carlsbad decreased by 26% from a high of 108 during the summer quarter to 80 in the last quarter of calendar year 2022.
Objectives exceeded 1 O fold
Objective 1
The team exceeded this objective by placing 9 digital banners and 17 vinyl banne rs at high collision areas; securing more than 10 times the targeted number of news stories (220 total). Emails about traffic safety sent to the city 's list of stakeholders achieved an average 60% open rate, translating to approximately 55,500 people who opened the message. The city produced 12 PSA videos and averaged four social media stories weekly.
Objective 2
News coverage of the Safer Streets Together campaign reached approximately 13.7 million people in San Diego County, as calculated by the media monitoring service Critical Mention. This represents multiple stories over the year, so the numbe r does not reflect unique viewers, however , based on the significant coverage across all 1V news, radio, on line and print outlets, the team feels confident its goal for regional awareness has been achieved .
Objective 3
The city engaged more than 100 businesses, all four school districts and the San Diego Bicycle Coalition and Circulate San Diego, the two main mobility organizations in the region .
Objective 4
In October, the city gathered about 100 neighbors at a community meeting to discuss traffic safety. Given the high level of emotion, the city created opportunities for dialog and active listening before bringing up potential solutions. In the end, neighbors endorsed the city's proposed traffic calming plan and expressed appreciation for the city's efforts .
2023 CAPIO EPIC AWARDS I PAGE 2
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
STATEMENT
The City of Carlsbad has gone to the dogs -
in the best possible way. Off-leash dog parks
were ranked a high priority in Carlsbad's
Parks & Recreation Master Plan, which was
created based on input from the community
on how to best meet its parks and recreation
needs. The community also requested an
off-leash dog park as part of the planning
process for the Poinsettia Community Park
In 2022, after years of gathering community
input, planning and construction, Poinsettia
Dog Park was ready to welcome its first
pooches .
The city's Communication & Engagement
team needed an exciting way to announce
the long-awaited news to the community .
To meet this challenge, the team planned
an engaging media event that successfully
generated positive publicity and raised
awareness about the new dog park.
RESEARCH
Primary, qualitative research: To learn
about the attitudes and opin ions of the
target audience, including what they valued
most about the new park, the team reviewed
community feedback gathered during an
extensive public input process, including
pop-up information centers at Poinsettia
Park, comment cards, surveys and Q&A
sessions implemented during the park's
planning stage.
The team pitched and conducted interviews
with local media to determine how to
increase the chances of earning positive
media coverage about the new park.
Interviewees recommended creating an
event and sending pre-recorded video
footage to increase the news appeal of the
story and make it easier to cover.
Based on the research, the team decided
to produce a live grand opening event
with supporting b-roll vide os and an
accompanying social media campaign.
Poinsettia Dog Park Opening
Communication and Marketing Tools I Media Event
(Press Conferences, PR Campaign Kickoffs, etc.)
PLANNING
GOAL
{city of
Carlsbad
Produce an exciting media event and accompanying outreach campaign to raise awareness of the completion of Carlsbad's newest dog park and other park improvements.
SMART OBJECTIVES
Objective 1: Increase awareness about the opening of
Poinsettia Dog Park by hosting a media event on July 27, 2022, that generates at least five positive media mentions in local news outlets.
Objective 2: Launch a social media outreach campaign to further increase awareness about the new dog park that earns a reach of 50,000 impressions and at least 3,000 engagements by Aug. 30, 2022.
Objective 3: Produce b-roll video footage and send to media before the July 27, 2022, event to encourage news coverage even if media outlets are unable to send reporters or camera crews in person.
STRATEGIES
• Produce an exciting opening event with engaging visuals to capture media attention.
• Leverage local media outlets as collaborative communication partners to communicate key messages to target audiences. • Develop video footage to send to the media before and after the event.
• Share information about the new park via multiple
communications channels, with a specific focus on
social media.
TIMELINE
Planning began in May 2022 for the July 27 event.
TARGET AUDIENCES
Carlsbad residents and community members, including dog owners.
KEY MESSAGES
• Poinsettia Dog Park, the City of Carlsbad's newest park, is now open for the community to enjoy.
The City of Carlsbad provides high quality parks that reflect the community's priorities .
The city worked in partnership with the community to design the dog park and other park improvements .
Parks help bring people together and create the strong sense of community that makes Carlsbad special.
2022 CAPIO EPIC Awards· Written Narrative I 1
I
CAPIO
Poinsettia Dog Park Opening
Communication and Marketing Tools I Media Event
(Press Conferences, PR Campaign Kickoffs, etc.)
IMPLEMENTATION AND CREATIVITY
KEY TACTICS
• Produce a live media event at Poinsettia Dog Park to showcase the park and its features. {city of
Carlsbad
• Create two b-roll videos, including one from the perspective of a dog enjoying the new park, to send to the media before and after the event.
• Disseminate a media advisory/press release to the city's media contacts to generate interest in the event. • Invite local elected officials to speak at the event. • Prepare City Council speaking points that highlight key messages. • Include a ribbon -cutting ceremony and countdown featuring City Council members and Sparky the Fire Dog to provide engaging visuals.
• Publish videos and images featuring the park on Facebook, lnstagram, Twitter, and You Tube, including live video from the event.
BUDGET
The media event and outreach campaign were produced within the Commun ication & Engagement and Parks & Recreations teams' current budget using existing staff.
RESULTS AND EVALUATION
SUCCESS: GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED/EXCEEDED
• Goal achieved: The team achieved the goal to produce an exciting media event and accompanying outreach campaign that raised awareness of the new park. • Objective 1 exceeded: The event earned 22 positive media mentions, far exceeded the objective to earn five mentions.
• Objective 2 exceeded: The campaign earned approximately 77,006 impressions, exceeding the target of 50,000 by 54%. The campaign earned 4,582 engagements, exceeding the target of 3,000 by 52.7%. • Objective 3 exceeded: The team produced three creative videos with B-roll to send to the media before and after the event, which contributing greatly to the extensive media coverage secured.
The team also received positive comments and feedback from the community. "Oh thanks!!! My dog will be sooo happy and me too!! " - Facebook comment from Dana C. "Long time coming! GREAT WORK!" - Facebook comment from Amanda M.
LESSONS LEARNED
Creating video footage for the media enabled the team to earn far more coverage than expected. This strategy made it easier for news teams to cover the event. Several TV stations used the footage to give viewers a first look at the park before the ribbon cutting ceremony event took place. Based on the success, the team will continue this strategy for future events and outreach campaigns.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards• Written Narrative I 2
CAPIO
Poinsettia Dog Park Opening
Communication and Marketing Tools I Media Event
(Press Conferences, PR Campaign Kickoffs, etc.)
SUPPORTING PROJECT MATERIALS
C cityof
Carlsbad
Analytics, Examples and Supporting Materials for the Poinsettia Dog Park Grand Opening Event Video Sample
Video was captured and sent to the media before and after the event to increase media coverage . This was also sent in b-roll format so media had flexibility with how it was used . 2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards• Written Narrative I 3
CAPIO
City Manager's Employee Update Videos
Commun ication and Marketing Tools I
Interna l Communications
{city of
Carlsbad
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
In early 2022, as City of Carlsbad employees transitioned back to the office, an internal survey revealed that
many felt disconnected from their peers and the city
organization. The city's Communication & Engagement
needed to find a way to keep employees informed and
engaged. Based on the research, the team decided to
create a weekly internal communications video series
featuring updates from the City Manager and highlights
across all city departments.
The City Manager's Employee Update Video series
successfully fostered a sense of connection among
employees and earned high praise from staff across
multiple departments.
RESEARCH
Primary, quantitat ive research: The team reviewed a
recent employee engagement survey and found that
connection with peers and understanding the vision of
the City Manager were two prime concerns.
Primary, qualitative research: The team conducted
employee interviews to discover opportunities to
increase engagement through internal communications.
Employees reported that they missed feeling connected
to their colleagues outside their own departments and
wanted to hear from city leadership in ways other than
email.
The team reviewed positive employee feedback
regarding a few videos starring the City Manager from
the prior year and identified an opportunity to expand
these videos into an enhanced series.
Based on the research, the team decided to create a
weekly internal communicat ions video series featuring
updates from the City Manager.
PLANNING
GOAL: Develop a City Manager's Employee Update
Video Series to increase a sense of connection to fellow employees and identify staff's contribution to the city's mission to enhance the lives of all who live, work and
play in the city.
SMART OBJECTIVES:
• Objective 1 :Transform the City Manager Employee
Update videos into a regular series that publishes
weekly on Mondays by January 31, 2022.
• Objective 2: Increase awareness of topics relevant
to the city's 737 full-time employees by achieving
an average video viewership of 30% of employees
each week in 2022.
• Objective 3: Increase employee engagement and
participation by prompting an average of three
employees per week to submit staff updates for the
City Manager to share in the videos.
STRATEGIES
• Develop engaging video content focused on topics
designed to increase a sense of connection, break
down silos between departments and showcase
employee accomplishments.
• Engage employees at all levels of the organization
in sharing staff kudos and other successes.
• Distribute the videos to employees via multiple
communications channels to make them accessible
to employees in the field, at home and in the office.
TIMELINE:
January - December 2022.
TARGET AUDIENCES:
City of Carlsbad employees, including full-time and part time staff.
KEY MESSAGES
• All city employees are a valued part ofTeam
Carlsbad.
• City leadership recognizes and appreciates the work
and accomplishments of each department.
• We are working together to embody the City of
Carlsbad's mission of enhancing the lives of all
who live, work and play in the city by setting the
standard for providing top quality, efficient local
g~)Vernment services.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards I Written Narrative I 2
CAPIO
IMPLEMENTATION AND CREATIVITY
KEY TACTICS
City Manager 's Employee Update Videos
Communication and Marketi ng Tools I
Interna l Commun ications
• Leverage employee-submitted content and content
gathered by the Communication & Engagement
team to produce a weekly video starring City
Manager Scott Chadwick.
• Create a shared Microsoft SharePoint portal for
employees to upload video ideas and send staff
an email reminder to enter department highlights,
photos and kudos each week.
• Publish each video on the city's Inside Carlsbad
website and YouTube channel, which employees
can access from anywhere at any time.
• Send a text and email to employees each time a
new video is published to increase video views.
BUDGET:
The consultant-supported program budget was an
average of $600 per video.
RESULTS AND EVALUATION
GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED/ EXCEEDED
• Goal achieved: The team achieved the goal to develop
a weekly City Manager's Employee Update Video Series
to keep employees informed and foster a sense of
connection.
• Objective 1 achieved: The team accomplished the
objective to produce weekly videos.
• Objective 2 exceeded: Video viewership averaged 40%
of city employees, exceeding the objective of 30%.
• Objective 3 exceeded: An average of six employees
submitted updates for the videos each week,
exceeding the objective of three employees.
( city of
Carlsbad
'
Problem/Opportunity Statement
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic,
the city's Communication & Engagement
team created the "City Manager's Update"
e-newsletter as a way to communicate critical
public health and safety information on a daily
basis to as many people as possible in Carlsbad.
The newsletter took off, far beyond our city
borders, as everyone struggled to keep up with
the changing environment and understand all
the COVID information coming at them from the
news, social media and more.
As the urgency of the COVI D-19 emergency
waned and the newsletter switc hed to a
weekly format, the team was faced with the
challenge of how to build upon the success of
the newsletter and develop a content strategy
that would attract new readers and keep current
subscribers coming back.
RESEARCH
The city's Communication & Engagement
team conducted primary qualitative research
to identify topics most of interest to the
community. This included a review of the
following:
• Emails to the City Council from constituents
• Participation in recent online surveys on a
variety of topics
• Issues addressed during the public comment
portion of City Council meetings
• Most popu lar pages of the city's website
• Topics discussed most on various pub lic
social media channels, the city's and those
managed by residents
Based on the findings, the team developed a
content calendar that highlighted the topics
most of interest to the community. These were
presented in a friendly and casual style and
tone, with a focus on humanizing government
by using a personal voice (in this case the City
Manager). Other research included looking at
the device types used by readers of previous city
newslette rs.
Once the transition of thee-newsletter was
underway, the team closely mon itored open
rates and story clicks to fine tune the content
strategy.
City Manager's Update E-Newsletter
Communication and Marketing Tools
Newsletter or Magazine (online or printed)
Planning: Goals and Objectives
{city of
Carlsbad
GOAL: The goal of the City Manager's Update newsletter was to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between the city and those it serves, cultivate an info rmed and engaged community and instill a sense of value for taxpayer money.
SMART OBJECTIVES:
• Increase the number of subscribers by 10% by Dec. 31, 2022. • Increase the newsletter's already high average open rate by 5% in 2022. (Open rates were already more than double the indust ry average, so the this was an ambitious objective.) • Generate unsolicited positive feedback from readers at least twice a month.
• Increase the number of people prov iding feedback on city issues by 10%.
These numbers had exceeded previous city newsletters by more than a third, so the goal was to not lose these newly engaged community members once the urgency of the public health crisis subsided.
TARGET AUDIENCES:The newsletter was written with all
residents in mind, however, based the demographics of those who had subscribed , the team knew it was most appealing to residents who had some interest in local issues. Therefo re the main target audience was Carlsbad residents most likely to engage in city issues and serve as local leaders among neighbors, families and friend groups.
STRATEGIES: The strategies for writing the newsletter were to:
• Use a casual, conversational writing style and even a little humor when appropriate .
• Main tain a consistent, friendly voice that residents know and recogni ze. Through this voice, convey the human side of city government and a feeling of a relationship .
• Create a format that is very easy to read on a mobile device, since about 40% of readers accessed city newslette rs this way. • Include the most impo rtant information in the newslet ter body since readers did not tend to click through to "read more" on other city newsletters .
• Build the list through cross promotion with other city newsletters.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards• Written Narrative I 2
CAPIO
TACTICS: The main tactics were to:
City Manager's Update E-Newsletter
Communication and Marketing Tools
Newsletter or Magazine (online or printed)
• Conduct a weekly edito rial meeting to confirm stories and messages • Draft content throughout the week, including repurposing content used for other channels • Maintain a consistent distribution schedule, 52 weeks a year • Use engaging headlines and simple graphics
• Continually monitor open rates and clicks and refine content as needed {city of
Carlsbad
• Promote the newsletter through organic social media posts to expand reach and increase subscriptions • Place prominent subscription links throughout the city's website Implementation and Creativity
A total of 53 City Manager's Update newsletters were developed and sent between Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2022. Each issue included a friendly opening that referenced a shared experience, such as the weather, an upcoming holiday or current events. The team curated content from multiple sources to achieve a mix of topics, including city issues, City Council decisions and opportunities for public input, fun events and city services. As a result, the newsletter featured an average of six stories a week with a total average word count of 1,900. To keep the writing fresh, team members reviewed articles on topics they weren't familiar with to ensure they were presented at the right level of detail. The team also worked with department staff to increase their comfort with this more casual tone.
Results and Evaluation
GOAL MET AND OBJECTIVES EXCEEDED
The revamp of the city newsletter to the City Manager 's Updates exceeded the team's already high expectations .
Not only did the team maintain the high open rates experienced during COVID, but actually increased them from 62% in 2021 to 68% in 2022, exceeding the objective to increase open rates by 5%. This far exceeded the industry average open rate of 21 %.
• The city was also successful in growing the subscriber list by more than 15%, exceeding the 10% goal. • The number of people providing feedback on city issues increased dramatically . More than 1,600 residents provided feedback used to develop the City Council's new 5-year strategic plan (advertised often in the newsletter) with policy goals to reflect the most important priorities of the community . This far surpassed the previous average of about 400-500. • Finally, the city met its goal of receiving on average two unsolicited positive comments from readers a month. In fact, the city received on average double that amount.
Lessons Learned
• The team discovered that utilizing Constant Contact's automatic resend feature encouraged a higher open rate. The t eam was able to boost open rates by as much as 10% by resending the newsletter to those who didn't open it the first time.
• Measuring engagement levels is a challenge because some topics are of greater interest than others. Although engagement went up, it's hard to know what role thee-newsletter had in encouraging participation vs. the topics being more interesting to residents over that 12-month period. • Friendly works! The communication team now has solid evidence that communicating in a friendly, non-technical way is more engaging and helps encourage greater engagement among city residents. Like many government communication professionals, the city's team often found itself negotiating with subject matter experts over word choice and level of detail. The success of this newsletter is making it easier to communicate across other platforms using a more friendly tone and clear language.
2023 CAPIO EPIC Awards, Written Narrative I 3