Telling a compelling story about water projects brings importance of construction into focus
About this project
Client
Western Municipal Water District
Services
Storytelling
The opportunity
Western Municipal Water District (Western Water) was embarking on a multi-year campaign to bring more than $100 million of new water infrastructure to the region in support of their water and sewer delivery systems. Knowing many of their one million customers don’t pay much attention to these types of projects but would be impacted by construction disruptions, the District wanted to upend its previous outreach efforts and approach this opportunity in a more unique way.
The approach
Team JPW proposed creating an overarching campaign slogan that would connect all of the various projects together under one theme to make the various construction efforts stand out for customers and regional stakeholders, while still tying them all together to the bigger picture. With that idea, “Connecting the Drops” was born—a concept that would be applied to outreach materials for more than half a dozen different projects across the region.
The solution
“Connecting the Drops” campaign tagline and visual concepts
Messaging recommendations and storytelling themes
Targeted outreach plans for each capital project
Implementation support with newsletters, direct mail, social media and in-person outreach
Comprehensive strategic communication plan
Master narrative with key messages
Three-year implementation plan
The reward
Western Water’s unusual approach to their routine infrastructure project outreach garnered the increased attention it deserved, including email outreach campaigns with 60 percent open rates, more than 150,000 advertising impressions, 100,000 direct mail pieces delivered in English and Spanish, 67,000 social media impressions, 250,000 web visits to the project page, 1,000 in-person interactions via outreach meetings and more than 40,000 in-person impressions with out-of-home placements. It’s no wonder this project has been one of Western Water and JPW’s most awarded projects.
THE AWARDS
PRSA Best in Show Award | November 2018
Western Municipal Water District's La Sierra Community Outreach
Presented by Public Relations Society of America - Inland Empire Chapter (PRSA-IE)
PRSA Polaris Award | November 2018
Western Municipal Water District's La Sierra Community Outreach
Presented by Public Relations Society of America - Inland Empire Chapter (PRSA-IE)
PRSA Capella Award | November 2018
Western Municipal Water District Sterling Pump Station Community Outreach
Presented by Public Relations Society of America - Inland Empire Chapter (PRSA-IE)
PRSA Polaris Award | November 2018
Western Municipal Water District Educational Video
Presented by Public Relations Society of America - Inland Empire Chapter (PRSA-IE)
Award of Distinction | April 2018
Western Municipal Water District Public Outreach Campaign: La Sierra Pipeline
Presented by the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO)
PRSA Polaris Award | November 2017
Western Municipal Water District Public Outreach Campaign: La Sierra Pipeline
Presented by Public Relations Society of America - Inland Empire Chapter (PRSA-IE)