Keeping our community informed and engaged in our community, our creek

About this project

Client


San Marcos Creek

Services

Community Outreach, Strategic Communications, Marketing Campaigns, Media, Creative

The opportunity

The City of San Marcos set out to restore the natural habitat surrounding San Marcos Creek and reduce flooding while improving infrastructure with a three-year $104 million construction project. While the completion of the project will have lasting benefits to San Marcos residents, it will mean traffic congestion, delays and many public questions in the short term. That's why creating and implementing a strategic communications program was essential. Enter JPW.

The approach

Given this project’s long history, it was imperative that project communications set a clear new tone and debunk misinformed and outdated facts. To inform the strategy, JPW conducted extensive historical research to understand various iterations of the decades-old project. Research included a pre-construction survey and in-person interviews with residents, businesses and key project staff. Data from this research informed the project’s messaging and brand. JPW then developed a multiyear communications plan to guide the project’s outreach and has been completely implementing the plan for the City over the past 12 months. 

The solution

  • “Our Neighborhood. Our Creek” campaign concept

  • Comprehensive communications and outreach strategy and implementation

  • Key messages and master narrative

  • Social media strategy and creative development

  • Management of public inquiries related to project

  • Crisis communications and media strategy

  • Collateral suite including signage, postcards, business cards and creative assets

  • Waze integration

  • Multicultural outreach including a dedicated website, email and text alerts for Spanish speakers in the community

  • Website content

  • Project overview and progress videos using drone footage and animated graphics

The reward

In just the early phase of outreach, JPW has helped the City host a community meeting for 75 residents and council members and a successful groundbreaking ceremony for over 200 community members; facilitated more than 30 presentations and meetings with area churches, HOAs, schools and other associations; contacted more than 200 businesses through outreach and canvassing; developed early outreach materials including postcards, business cards, banners, signs, and videos; and launched complementary multicultural outreach efforts to ensure all audiences are included. 

The awards

Excellence in Public Information and Communication (EPIC) Award | July 2020
City of San Marcos' Creek Construction Groundbreaking Ceremony
Presented by the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO)

Excellence in Public Information and Communication (EPIC) Award | July 2020
City of San Marcos' Creek Construction Project Logo Design
Presented by the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO)

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CAPIO: Creative

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Belmont: Strategic Communications