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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMWMC Public Information Update_6-12-20Public Information Program Update Loralyn Spiro & Brooke Mossefin June 12, 2020 Good morning Commissioners, staff and guests. We are pleased to present a public information program update for the MWMC. The last full update of the public information program occurred at the April, 2019 Commission meeting. Additionally, we will revisit the new strategy and tactics that were presented in our kick off of Phase 2 Strategic Communications Planning during the July, 2019 Commission meeting. Last, we will cover next steps. (Loralyn) 1 Achieve public awareness and understanding of the MWMC, the regional wastewater system, and MWMC’s objectives for maintaining water quality and a sustainable environment. Commission Goal – Key Outcome #5 The public information program is guided by the MWMC Communication Plan and particularly by the MWMC’s Commission Goal – Key Outcome #5 as part of the annual budget. The Plan currently has 4 strategies and 20 tactics. We will be highlighting the results of the tactics that are specifically called out in Key Outcome #5 and a couple additional ones. (Loralyn) If asked: The current stated objectives for the Communication Plan are: Increase community awareness so that more than 30 percent of those surveyed are able to identify the MWMC; up from 18 percent. Increase initial favorable response regarding the MWMC to 25 percent; up from 14 percent. Improve community opinion regarding the MWMC’s performance by 10 percent with overall performance of 50 percent or better on all metrics; up from an average of 45 percent. 2 Increase community understanding of the connection between well-managed wastewater services and a healthy local environment. Raise awareness of the MWMC as a leader in water resources management, specifically in wastewater treatment practices and expertise. Increase community understanding of how their behavior and practices affect the health of local waterways and what they can do to help protect our environment. Strengthen communications by evaluating the effectiveness of strategies/tactics implemented. Communications Plan – Four Strategies The four main strategies included in the “MWMC Communications Plan” help reach the overall goal of: increasing awareness of the MWMC and its role in the health and vitality of our community and environment. Additionally, the strategies and tactics support the MWMC’s mission, vision and values. (Brooke) 3 Tactic: Social Media Total followers on each platform, to date: Facebook: 402 Twitter: 158 Instagram: 145 Follow @mwmcpartners on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! The MWMC has been “growing its social media presence” since launching Facebook and Twitter in 2017, and Instagram in 2018. Staff regularly post photos (MWMC facilities, staff, tours, etc.); videos; pollution prevention tips; Commission updates; and more. This past year we had a significant increase in followers – on Facebook they almost doubled. The increase in followers is due to three overall factors – (1) the digital advertising campaign in 2019 (which we will cover more in a minute), (2) more consistent posts with engaging content, and (3) recent messaging and media coverage of “what not to flush” in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, response from community members and partner agencies continues to be positive and social media will remain a robust tactic for us. (Brooke) If asked: 2019 Presentation # Facebook: 220 Twitter: 123 Instagram: 102 4 Consultant MIG assisted in developing and implementing a digital marketing strategy, to increase community awareness of MWMC and promote pollution prevention behavior Ads ran on digital platforms in the form of paid social media posts and targeted online display ads Campaign ran locally July through September 2019 The three best targeted audiences or placements of ads were identified for future campaigns Increase of MWMC’s Facebook and Instagram followers as a result Tactic: Digital Marketing Strategy In 2019, we implemented a digital marketing strategy and associated digital advertising campaign for the first time as a communication tactic for the MWMC. For the project, MIG was hired as the consultant and analyzed the MWMC’s digital marketing efforts as of spring 2019, then developed a new digital marketing strategy including target audiences, a media buy plan and schedule, and creative content. The digital advertising campaign ran on local platforms July through September 2019 in the form of paid social media posts and targeted online display advertising. The overall goal of the campaign was to increase the community’s awareness of the MWMC and our wastewater services, and to build trust and positive perceptions of the MWMC. The three best targeted audiences or placements of ads were: Remarketing Local homeowners with an interest in “green living” Geo-framing Additionally, the MWMC’s social media followers on Facebook and Instagram increased as a result of the campaign and overall engagement online was positive based on likes and comments received. With a very high click-through rate compared to industry standards, inclusion of display ads on social media platforms will be part of any future campaigns. (Loralyn) 5 Tactic: Sponsorships The MWMC continues to include sponsorships as a robust tactic to build community awareness plus alignment with agencies or organizations with similar community goals. The MWMC has sponsored EWEB’s Run to Stay Warm for 6 years now. In 2019, there were just under 1,000 registered participants. The event typically averages 1,200 registered participants. The MWMC sponsorship covered the cost for port-a-potties at the event. Each port-a-potty had a flyer displayed in it to raise awareness about the MWMC in addition to having our logo on event materials and EWEB’s website and a banner displayed. The Run to Stay Warm event benefits EWEB’s Customer Care program to help income-eligible customers who are having a difficulty paying their utility bills. One significant note about the 2019 event, is that EWEB contracted with a vendor that handled every aspect of the race for the first time on behalf of EWEB. There were so bumps in the road on the vendor’s part of the handling of our sponsorship and while we ultimately received the sponsorship benefits stated in our package, we did provide feedback directly to EWEB about our experience with the vendor in the hopes for improvement for the 2020 event. The MWMC has sponsored the Lane County Fair for the past 4 years. Attendance at the 2019 Fair was around 110,000. The MWMC sponsorship covered the majority of the cost for port-a-potties at the event. Similarly to the Run to Stay Warm, each port-a-potty had a flyer displayed in it plus our logo was on event materials and the Fair’s website. New to our 2019 sponsorship package, we had a booth at the Fair (next to SUB/EWEB’s), were a stop on the Fair’s Scavenger hunt and provided promotional items as prizes, plus had selfie station boards just outside our booth to encourage fairgoers to take pictures and post to social media. Overall, the booth was hit with numerous fair goers coming up to get swag and take pictures using the selfie station boards. One thing we learned was the need to have our hashtag #mwmcparnters on the front of the boards going forward to make it easier for community members to tag us in photos they post to social media. For 2020, we were committed and scheduled to be a sponsor of the Fair again however, it has been canceled due to COVID-19. Afterwards, the Lane Events Center staff reached out to discuss alternate options for our sponsorship. Matt will provide an update and details on the shift of our 2020 sponsorship as part of his GM report later in the meeting. For several years, the MWMC has sponsored an informational table at the Lane County Home and Garden Show with other agencies that are part of the Lane Area Pollution Prevention Coalition, also known as P2C. This was planned to occur again at the 2020 event however it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the State’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order. We plan to keep this in our sponsorship rotation and support the 2021 event. The MWMC 4th sponsorship is for the McKenzie River Trust’s Get Outdoors Day event, which typically happens the first Saturday in June. The 2019 event was the 2nd year of sponsorship and attendance was just over 1,000. The sponsorship included having our logo on event materials, MRT’s website, social media highlights on MRT’s social media channels, inclusion of a promotional item in the event’s swag bag, signage at the event, and an informational booth at the event. Both Eugene Wastewater Division and Springfield Environmental Division staffed the booth. MWMC activities included cornhole and the selfie stations along with an informational booth. We were scheduled to sponsor this year’s event on June 2 but the event has been postponed due to COVID-19 to a date to be determined later in the summer or fall. We have indicated to MRT that we support the event if rescheduled. In 2019 we added a 5th sponsorship with support of Springfield Utility Board's Light of Liberty event. It is their main fundraiser for their Project Share Program for income-eligible customers who are having a difficulty paying their utility bills. The event occurs on the Fourth of July and attendance averages 6,000+. Our benefit package is quite robust and includes signage in each porta-potty, logo in program, on website, banner, posters, RG ad, plus social media posts, stage announcements, passes to event. This was planned to occur again at the 2020 event however it had been canceled as well due to COVID-19. We plan to keep this in our sponsorship rotation and support the 2021 event. We are also exploring opportunities with SUB to partner this summer on a smaller marketing and outreach opportunity. (Loralyn) 6 Sent monthly Refreshed background of design Focus is shorter stories with links While slow, we are continuing to grow readership; currently there are 235 of subscribers Tactic: E-Newsletter The newsletter is a long-running tactic for the MWMC. The format and frequency has changed over the years, yet its focus has continued to be on: projects, staff, and successes. The newsletter also helps drive community members to the MWMC website for additional content. Our open rate is 50% compared to the industry average of 28%. Even with this positive open rate, there are opportunities to improve our content to make it more engaging. One example, is researching and implementing improved bylines to encourage readers to open and click through to additional content on our website. (Brooke) If needed: The last time we reported out subscriber number was in April 2018 and we were at 165. 7 Tactic: Clean Water University October 16 & 17, 2019 600+ 5th grade students 10 schools from Springfield and Eugene 2-hour field trip plus a tour of the plant 9 hands-on activity booths Assistance from Cities of Eugene and Springfield including staff from Wastewater, Stormwater, Development and Public Works Community partners SUB and EWEB participated Clean Water University occurred on October 16 & 17, 2019. We provided a full report and presentation in December, yet will quickly recap since it’s a significant tactic. More than 600 5th grade students, parents and chaperones participated; coming from ten schools (21 classes total). Each school spent two hours at the treatment plant, where they took a tour and rotated through nine activity booths on wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water. This field-trip format required significant effort from many people. Participating staff came from the Cities of Eugene and Springfield, and from the Wastewater, Stormwater, and other Public Works divisions. They covered 84, two-hour shifts and they: ran activity booths, provided tours, and helped with setup and cleanup. In addition, community partners SUB and EWEB ran two “drinking water” activity booths. This was the first year EWEB joined us and they were well received by students. Clean Water University for 2020 will likely shift to an online format – due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty around school re-openings this fall. (Brooke) 8 Almost 1,100 kids and adults toured MWMC facilities in 2019 Tours included the Treatment Plant, and the Biosolids Management Facility & Biocycle Farm Tactic: Tours “I want to be an operator! This is so cool.” We continue to provide tours of the “wastewater treatment plant” on a regular basis: most often to school groups ranging from 5th grade (including Clean Water University) on up to college students, with the occasional community group (such as the Willamette Riverkeeper). We also gave tours to the Biosolids Management Facility and Biocycle Farm, and they continue to be popular. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we did have to cancel one scheduled tour and did not receive our normally requested tours in the spring. (Brooke) 9 State registration secured Federal registration secured Tactic: Branding & Promotion An official tagline clearly, easily, and quickly lets the community know what our purpose is and the service we provide for having a healthy community and environment. It also helps support the MWMC as being seen as an industry leader. Since our last update, we heard back from United States Trademark and Patent Office that we successfully secured the trademark at the Federal level to go along with our successful registration with the State. The graphic continues to be displayed on our social media channels, some of our promotional materials, and as a complement to the MWMC logo on the website. All of our branding elements help convey our purposes. Additionally, we continue to have branded promotional items that appeal to both adults and kids to hand out with informational material through sponsorships, at community presentations, and targeted pollution prevention education. This tactic continues to help increase the overall community awareness of the MWMC and to help support pollution prevention education by providing information and tools to community members to help reduce pollution into the wastewater system. (Loralyn) 10 Second MWMC Community Survey: Request for Proposals – summer 2019 Conduct Survey – fall 2019 Final Report – winter 2020 Tactic: Community Survey We conducted our second MWMC Community Survey in late fall 2019 and early winter 2020 with the report out the results to the Commission in March of this year. The main objectives in conducting the market research were: To continue to measure awareness of the MWMC’s identity among residents, to help residents gain a better understanding of the MWMC, and ultimately increase support of the MWMC in the future. To conduct a comparison to the 2014 market research results then determine if adjustments to the MWMC Communication Plan objectives, strategies and tactics are needed. To gauge awareness of what not to put down the drain among residents, to help residents gain a better understanding of the Pollution Prevention do’s and don’ts, and provide Communications staff direction for future Pollution Prevention outreach materials. While overall the results of the market research were flat due to identified contributing factors, it did show that we did not loose ground and the rate of overall awareness is consistent over time.   Additionally, the survey did show there is significant level of importance community members put on the environment and the need to protect it did increase some from 2014. This directly supports to the overall mission of the MWMC - To protect our community’s health and the environment by providing high-quality wastewater services to the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area in partnership with Eugene, Springfield and Lane County. Also considering the results of the market research were flat, it does highlights the amount of effort and dollars needed to engage with community members to increase awareness and understanding of a topic. (Loralyn) 11 Preview of Communications Plan Update Purpose of Phase 2 Strategic Communication Planning: Identify and implement new strategies and tactics that will – Further support the MWMC’s Mission, Vision, and Values Statements Build out the MWMC Public Information Program both for the short-term and long-term Further build awareness of the MWMC and improve communications around the importance of clean water New strategy: Increase awareness of the importance of having clean water now and in the future, and the steps it takes to clean water We kicked off Phase 2 of our “Strategic Communication Planning” in July of 2019. The purpose is “to identify and implement new strategies and tactics” in our update of the “MWMC Communication Plan” for 2020. The new strategies and tactics will need to: Further support the MWMC’s Mission, Vision, and Values Statements Build out the MWMC Public Information Program both for the short-term and long-term Further build awareness of the MWMC and improve communications around the importance of clean water Additionally, a new strategy was discussed: Increase awareness of the importance of “having clean water” now and in the future, and “the steps it takes” to clean water Plus, several potential new tactics were discussed. (Brooke) 12 Preview Continued New short-term tactics: Create a suite of images, illustrations, infographics, handouts, and maps that help tell the MWMC story and engage community members in our story; can be used in presentations, social media posts, website, etc. Create a video that focuses on the importance of clean water and how the community is connected to water while touching on the MWMC’s successes, why it continues to be a strong partnership, and the overarching purpose Create sharable content – blog or podcast Engage more with media outlets to share the MWMC’s story, including media opportunities to tour MWMC facilities Last July we considered and discussed several potential new tactics with the Commission. For our next update of the “MWMC Communications Plan,” staff has identified the following as the most viable in the short-term (1 to 3 years). These are based on: the ability to compliment or build out current tactics; trends or emerging trends within the public relations and marketing industries; 2019 market research results; and budget considerations. [look at them, listed above] Long-term tactics (4-7 years) discussed in the kickoff meeting will continue to be evaluated and considered for implementation going forward. Particularly, during the next update of the “MWMC Communications Plan” in 2 to 3 years. (Brooke) 13 Update the MWMC Communications Plan based on: Phase 2 Strategic Communications Planning discussion and feedback from Commission, the 2019 Market Research results, and today’s presentation Align Communications Plan update with the points the Commission recently adopted MWMC Strategic Plan Present update of the MWMC Communications Plan to Commission in fall 2020 Start implementation of updated MWMC Communications Plan strategies and tactics in 2021 Next Steps To our achieve the stated objectives, proposed next steps are: Update the MWMC’s Communication Plan based on the following with a continued focus on shaping the MWMC’s identity: Discussion and feedback from the Commission from today’s presentation, the Phase 2 Strategic Communications Planning kick off, and the results and findings of the 2019 market research. Align Communications Plan update with the points the Commission recently adopted in the MWMC Strategic Plan. Present the updated MWMC Communication Plan to the Commission in fall 2020 for discussion and refinements. Start implementation of the updated MWMC Communications Plan strategies and tactics in 2021. Additionally, build the program budget to reflect the update and refinements of the MWMC Communication Plan strategies and tactics to help reach objectives. (Loralyn) 14 Thank you for the opportunity to present a public information program update. (Loralyn) 15