Launch Slideshow

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    The city of Hollywood, Fla., hosts an open house with equipment displays, information booths, and activities to help educate the community about its public works department. Photo: City of Hollywood

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    Does your department promote its services to the community?Of those surveyed, 69% of public works departments were actively promoting their services to their community. Small cities' public works departments are less likely to implement a marketing program—often due to limited resources. Source: PUBLIC WORKS.

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    The city of Indianapolis has developed a brochure introducing residents to the many services provided by the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. This brochure has proven to be their most effective marketing tool. Source: City of Indianapolis

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    Does your municipality/township/county have a public relations department?As community size increased, the percentage of entities with public relations departments increased. Although having a pubic relations department can help marketing efforts, many cities without communication departments are still finding ways to promote their services. Source: PUBLIC WORKS

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    Source: City of North Miami Beach

    The city of North Miami Beach, Fla., distributes its annual consumer confidence report in a calendar or datebook format. This calendar, sent out in 2002, won an award from the EPA.

  • Obtain the organization's goals and objectives regarding the organization's responsibility to the public.
  • Set goals for the promotion of the organization.
  • Identify and study target audiences.
  • Develop objectives based on your goals for the celebration.
  • Develop strategies to meet objectives.
  • Evaluate the success of the celebration.

    • — Reprinted with permission from APWA

    Enhancing and recognizing communication efforts

    The City/County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) is, as defined on its Web site, “the leading organization in local governments that are innovating new and better ways of communicating with their citizens by viewing them as customers with important input into the kinds of services offered and how they are provided.”

    With a membership of more than “825 city and county members from a number of governmental disciplines and functions,” the group offers resources to help members enhance their communication skills and techniques.

    Each year, 3CMA sponsors, in cooperation with the National League of Cities, the Savvy Awards Competition to recognize communities for their marketing and communication efforts. For those interested in competing, the Web site offers a summary of the award process.

    “The awards are presented for creative and successful programs in two areas: Communications Marketing Tools and Communications Marketing Processes. Tools are the means that you use to get the job done. They include publications of all kinds, TV and video, marketing campaigns, special events, and the use of new technologies. Processes are broad categories of activity, such as Citizen Participation and Communications Plans,” stated the Web site.

    “Savvy Awards are given in 10 categories, which include 32 sub-categories. For judging purposes, Savvy Awards are given for each population group in each category. Second-place Silver Circle Awards and third-place Awards of Excellence also are presented in each category.”

    Communities can enter as many programs as they wish. Further information about 3CMA membership and the Savvy Awards can be found at www.3cma.org.

    Survey methodology

    PUBLIC WORKS surveyed its readers in April via a Web-based survey. Almost 600 respondents from across the United States and Canada answered questions about marketing efforts. If you're interested in being involved in future surveys, send an e-mail to pw@hanley wood.com with “subscribe to survey” in the subject line.