After all, every resident who pays taxes is already a paying customer. And yet, that’s exactly why it’s so important for local governments to share their good news and community value.

Even in the face of tight budgets, in which every dollar you invest must be well-thought-out for the long-term benefit of the municipality, marketing for local governments makes sense. Along with community needs like education, healthcare, law enforcement, emergency services, and infrastructure costs, marketing and developing a good brand identity is an investment in the future.

The return on investment, or ROI, may surprise government officials who don’t have a background in marketing. By budgeting for logo design and branding, you’ll improve your community relations, enact greater change through clear initiatives, and encourage more people to live and do business within your borders.

Why Marketing Is Critical for Local Governments

Proactively informing the community about the work you’re doing and the value of your municipality is a vital part of daily government operations. Marketing matters for local governments for the following reasons.

It’s a Powerful Public Outreach Tool

You cannot rely on local media, like the newspaper or local television stations, to tell the community about the important work you are doing on their behalf. Local government officials need to shape their own story, making it clear to voters and residents how they’re contributing to improving their own community. The best way to do this is through marketing efforts. 

Increased Tourism Brings Income

A thriving municipality requires a healthy mix of quality living environments and a robust commercial area. By sharing the positive qualities of your area with people who may not live within your borders, you’ll improve the quality of life for local business owners and residents alike. You can also bring in more funds after launching a successful clothing brand.

Marketing Focuses on the Positive 

It’s easy for people to find things to complain about, but not if a local government makes the effort to share the good instead. Marketing, especially through logo design and branding, naturally focuses the discussion on all the reasons why people love living and visiting your community. By working together, it’s easier to overcome problems that naturally come up as part of day-to-day local government operations.

What Are Logo and Branding Services?

At least once a year, local government officials or a dedicated committee should work together to create a comprehensive marketing plan that schedules and budgets for outreach initiatives that take place every month. 

This dynamic document can focus on creating a brand for the community. If you don’t already have a logo, that’s your first task.

Logo Work

Logos are a combination of a unique image and aesthetically pleasing font that gives viewers a quick understanding of what your local government values and offers. You may think, ‘it’s just a logo’, but logo designs are useful for creating a visual identity and enforcing brand identity.

For example, a logo for a coastal town in South Florida may include an artistic rendering of a palm tree by the beach, while a farming city in Nebraska could have a logo featuring an ear of corn. Both quickly show what a visitor could expect. 

To make the process easier, create logos with a team of marketing professionals who understand the benefits and limitations of partnering with a local government, like  GoldStreet Designs. These design services are invaluable when it comes to the gritty details of design, like choosing the brand fonts and creating specifically for web design and mobile apps.

Branding Efforts

Sometimes, creating a new look for a logo is just the start of a greater branding effort. A brand includes visual elements that match across all marketing materials. Imagine matching colors, fonts, layout designs, and other elements without having to discuss it every time. 

For example, the  City of Bloomington Utilities created a style guide that outlined a uniform style to set a foundation for creating a brand that residents and visitors could know and trust. Another branding effort, the Ross Valley Sanitary District, included a logo that highlighted the government’s priority on clean waters and mountains. Professional design skills can help promote the brand’s identity and make a lasting impression.

The ROI of Logo Design and Branding Services for Local Governments

When local governments invest a relatively small amount into an updated logo or greater branding initiative, leaders discover that the target audience in the community experience measurable positive impacts. This marketing work demands that people come together and agree on the identity of an area — and the fresh brand demonstrates this pride.

It can take some work to unveil new branding efforts for a community. As a result, fresh logos and style guides are designed to work in today’s world and stand the test of time. By collaborating with professional marketing executives experienced with local governments, the ROI will be large and last for years.  

What’s more, logo and branding work can help craft a specific message, image, or attitude that you want to reflect for your community. The logo and visual brand identity is effective product packaging for your municipality. Local governments have the power to share a specific demographic makeup, mission, or general perception that sets them apart from every other municipality in the nation.

When you effectively share your story as a local government and community, it becomes easier to generate additional community investment through both internal and external sources. You’ll benefit from an improved perception of your community, and your local government will be viewed as a modern, forward-thinking place.

A Fresh Look: Logo and Branding Services Pay Off

There are both qualitative and quantitative ways to measure if innovative marketing initiatives are working for your local government. You can run market research and gather the opinions of your residents through community surveys. You can compare investment budgets of new enrichment projects. You can collect feedback from local business owners to determine increases in tourist dollars.

With all marketing plans, it’s a good idea to start with a goal in mind. That way, as you work in partnership with marketing professionals on logo design and brand image, you’ll be able to properly measure the ROI in a way that proves to constituents and elected officials alike that these efforts are paying off. 

It won’t take long for decision-makers within local governments to use their fresh brands and logos to spread the word of a new promise to their community. Together, they’ll be ready for the future — and look great at the same time. Get started by reaching out to  GoldStreet Designs today.

The post The Payoff For Local Governments to Invest in Logo and Branding Services  appeared first on Goldstreet Designs.

By integrating creative agencies into your daily government programs, you’ll discover that local officials can lead discussions in a way that encourages a better connection with the community. Even with combative individuals, using a digital agency to foster effective communication can turn a challenging situation into a productive one. 

Creative services, like those offered by  GoldStreet Designs, can make a measurable difference in enhancing a positive relationship with the community. We’ve got the hard evidence to prove it.

What Are Creative Agency Services?

Creative agencies include a wide array of marketing services designed to share a message with a specific target audience. GoldStreet Designs offers work in print, on the web, on social media, and through video. Local municipalities can work with a team of creative professionals to determine what kinds of initiatives make the most sense to reach their goals. 

Some specific advertising services include:

• Vehicle wraps and truck stickers
• Custom videos to tell a clear story about specific initiatives
• Print collateral to hand out for residents to read later
• Infographics to make information easy to read and understand
• Maps for highly technical projects as well as visitor-focused cartoons
• Illustrations for making outreach initiatives more attractive
• Event booth displays for farmer’s markets or other community events
• Digital marketing flipbooks to share on all devices
• Electronic billboard designs
• Powerpoint slides for community presentations
• Public service announcements for radio, newspapers, or television
• Translation services to keep all residents involved
• Newsletters and annual reports built for search engine optimization
• Welcome packets for new residents
• Logo and branding services

Any outreach work that involves graphic design, professional writing, and other marketing tools needs a partnership with professionals who understand the limitations and considerations that local municipalities face. Creative agencies are a solution to these challenging and sometimes controversial marketing efforts.

Why Creative Agencies Are Effective

Creative agencies specialize in various sectors like market research, business management, design services, and more. Partnering with an agency that specializes specifically in creative services for local municipalities will save time and money while improving communication and support among local residents. But that’s not the only reason why creative agencies are effective. Here are some other reasons to consider.

Improves the Image of Local Municipalities

It’s difficult to manage the talk surrounding your municipality, especially after local media representatives or certain residents misunderstand a project. By getting ahead with targeted outreach and innovative solutions, you’ll be able to improve the image of your municipality without having to manage any backlash. Digital agencies with a proven track record of developing a great marketing strategy for municipalities will be the best choice.

Promotes Engagement

Residents appreciate transparency, and full-service creative agencies offer an outlet for sharing upcoming projects in a clear, engaging way.

Increases Customer Readership

Visually appealing content is always received better, making it more likely that residents will read bill inserts, information about rate increases, and other important documents worth sharing with constituents.

Keeps the Community Informed

You won’t have to rely on local media outlets to share the latest news when your municipality is partnered with a creative advertising agency. The more you take control of your messaging, the more your residents will feel involved and appreciated by their representatives and public officials.

Success Stories of Creative Services for Local Municipalities

Hard evidence that supports the use of creative services can be found in success stories from other municipalities. Their campaigns were well-received because they partnered with the marketing professionals at  Goldstreet Designs. Here are a few examples of their success.

City of Redding: “Think Before You Flush”

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused a toilet paper shortage, residents in the city of  Redding, California used paper towels — one even used an old t-shirt. While wastewater workers acted quickly to prevent a sewage spill from clogged lines, city officials placed door hangers on homes to remind them what was safe to flush. It made national news and stopped a potentially dangerous crisis. 

City of Monmouth: City Leaf Program Brochure

City officials in Monmouth were concerned that residents didn’t understand the city leaf pickup program, which helped prevent debris and pollution in their local storm systems. They collaborated with GoldStreet Designs to create a full-color brochure, which was mailed to city residents. As a result, residents followed the guidelines and kept storm drains clear.

To read more about the success of GoldStreet clients,  check it out here.

GoldStreet’s Creative Agency Services Product Results 

Ready to work with creative professionals at GoldStreet for your next community engagement project? Schedule a free 30-minute consultation meeting today.

The post Hard Evidence: GoldStreet Creative Agency Services Connect Local Municipalities With Their Communities appeared first on Goldstreet Designs.

If you’re part of a local government body, no matter how small or large, you already know that your government must remain in close connection with its citizens to effectively run the city, town, or municipality that you oversee. As such, public outreach is an essential component of effective government management. It goes beyond merely offering generic statements and bland information to the public — feedback and mutual communication are crucial. 

That being said, what is a public outreach program? In most cases, an effective government public outreach program requires  active, two-way communication between the government and the citizens of your local area. Government workers must take an active role in reaching out to the public through a diverse range of avenues, gathering feedback, listening to concerns, and effectively explaining your government’s positions on a range of relevant local issues. 

This kind of comprehensive public outreach will provide you and your government with essential data on the views and preferences of your citizens and improve the trust and support between citizens and their local government. 

However, many local governments find themselves facing hurdles to their public outreach programs, which limits how well they can build trust with — and acquire meaningful information from — their citizens. Read on to learn about some of the main issues that prevent local governments from building effective public outreach programs. 

Limited Marketing or Public Outreach Budgets

As you can probably attest, budget constraints are usually the biggest problem for anything government-related. This also applies to public outreach programs.

It’s a good idea to detail the numerous benefits of public outreach programs for your local governmental budget. Doing so will justify setting aside a larger share of public funds for this purpose. Effective public relations partners, such as GoldStreet Designs, can also help you put together excellent media to raise awareness with a limited budget. There are also options like contacting a fundraising agency or raising money locally to help ensure a good pay return.

Lack of Resources or Expertise

Government public outreach programs can also suffer due to a more general lack of necessary resources or expertise. Most offices in local governments aren’t staffed by people with specific expertise in the field of public relations and public outreach. So even if your local government fully understands the importance of public outreach programs, it may still struggle to implement an effective program since the people involved don’t have the skills and know-how.

Outdated Campaign Ideas

Another issue that often comes up with attempts at governmental public outreach is an outdated understanding of your local constituency and the public relations solutions that would work best for them. If your local government is working with ideas about public reception and/or public relations that are no longer accurate, it will have a hard time implementing effective outreach programs. This is especially true when trying to create programs that reach out to younger people in your community. 

Boring or Unengaging Public Outreach

This issue cuts to the heart of the matter. Quite frankly, local government can often be boring and unengaging, and thus public outreach efforts from local governments often suffer from this as well. If your government’s public outreach doesn’t attract and retain the attention of your citizens, you’re unlikely to build a strong and lasting relationship with the community at large. Ask for internal employee reviews on the projected success of a campaign to make sure it’s actually engaging. 

Failure to Employ Targeted Advertisements

In many ways, public outreach by local governments has similar requirements to ad campaigns by major companies. It isn’t enough to just know who you’re trying to reach — you also need to know how to target your outreach efforts to best connect with them. Even if you understand the baseline composition of your local citizenry, a public outreach program will likely fall flat if you’re unable to reach them through targeted ads. 

Inadequate Investment in Social Media

Social media has recently emerged as a major player in public outreach efforts. While traditional outreach avenues like television advertisements and in-person public forums still have their place, an effective public outreach program needs to take advantage of social media to maximize its opportunities to reach new and diverse groups. It also takes time to get PR program sign-ups from social media ads. Government public outreach managers may give up on a social media campaign before it’s time.

Limited or Inconsistent Public Engagement on the Part of Public Officials

Public officials are usually taxed for time. But given the importance of public outreach programs, it’s a good idea to dedicate a more significant amount of your time and resources towards public engagement to build better relationships with the public and acquire more valuable information on public opinions. While few government officials have the job title ‘public outreach manager,’ there are still ways that government employees can assist in developing helpful PR programs.

Failure to Engage in Comprehensive Cross-sections of Residents

All local government constituencies are diverse, no matter how large or small the population. As such, they will offer a wide range of different perspectives and values. Public outreach efforts by local governments can suffer in light of the limited range of citizens that tend to be most vocal. 

Local governments should proactively reach larger cross-sections of the citizenry and engage with all relevant viewpoints to get a more comprehensive view of where constituents lie in regard to key issues. 

Misunderstanding the “Baseline” of a Particular Issue

Unfortunately, many local governments don’t know where their citizens stand on key issues at all. Do citizens care about implementing standard work-life balance programs, upping local job security, or face-to-face politician meetings? If you wish to implement an effective public outreach program, you should work towards getting a clear initial picture of what your citizens expect from their government and where there’s possible room to move both closer to each other. 

Questions That Don’t Lead to Useful Data

Finally, if you want to get meaningful data by engaging your citizens effectively, you need to ask the right questions. After all, even the best-funded and most enthusiastic public outreach programs won’t be particularly effective if they ask the wrong questions. Public outreach professionals are an excellent resource for getting the best questions for your citizens, getting the best data, and building the best relationships between citizens and government. 

Goldstreet Designs for Your Public Outreach Needs

When dealing with these and other issues, public relations professionals are an invaluable asset. Goldstreet Designs is a national leader in providing public outreach solutions for local governments, having successfully worked with 480 local governmental agencies to craft public outreach programs that meet the needs of both governments and citizens. If you’re a local government official in need of excellent public outreach programs, get in touch with Goldstreet Designs today.

The post 10 Ways Local Government Can Improve Public Outreach Efforts appeared first on Goldstreet Designs.

In collaboration with Goldstreet, LMUD chose a multifaceted approach to informing their customers of the upcoming changes. Door hangers were used to let customers know that their meter had been exchanged or that access to their meter was not possible and they needed to contact the district to set-up a time. Information cards with the FAQs were placed in their lobby and given to the field personnel to have on hand in their vehicles when needed. If a customer came in with a question, a customer service representative had cards with answers they could provide.

Lassen thought that communication and reaching each customer was going to be crucial, regardless of their customers’ feelings toward the change – they were right. The positive response they received for keeping their customers in the loop, providing them an avenue to get their questions answered as well as their concerns addressed, proved to be the driving force in customer satisfaction. One customer said, “Thank you for leaving the door hanger about our meter and thank you for the dog treats too!”

The district’s, Theresa Phillips, said, “The materials we developed, with the help of Goldstreet, made it possible for us to reach every customer that was affected. We also did newspaper, radio, web site and social media outreach, but without a doubt, the printed materials that we were able to deliver to our customers were the most effective. The quality of the material, the information presented and the fact that customers had something they could refer to helped our utility achieve our communication goal.”

After the roll out of this program the only thing Lassen Municipal Utility District said they would have done differently was to have ordered more “sorry we missed you” door hangers as they were essential to rescheduling missed installs.

In partnership with Goldstreet, Lassen Municipal Utility District was able to educate their community of upcoming changes to the meter system they were used to and create trust with their customers while they adjusted to a needed upgrade in technology.

The post Success Story: Lassen Municipal Utility District Mitigates Smart Meter Conversion Concern with Education appeared first on Goldstreet Designs.

Newsletters are one of the best ways to communicate important information with a wide audience, but first you have to get people reading what you send!

Here are six great tips for making sure your newsletter is one that customers will want to engage with:

1. Spend Plenty of Time on Your Subject or Headline.

Although it may seem like a newsletter headline or email subject doesn’t matter much, it’s usually the first thing your reader sees. It gives them an immediate impression and helps determine whether they want to find out more. Go with a subject or headline that’s short, direct, and positive. The headline of a printed newsletter should also be eye catching and prominently placed to ensure that any reader will see it. To see how yours stacks up, try this free headline analyzer from the Advanced Marketing Institute.

2. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

It’s crucial that you don’t overwhelm your readers with too much information. Be concise and focus on one clear message. Before you mail out your newsletter or hit send on the email, make sure you’ve cut out everything that’s not necessary. That might even mean stepping away from your content for awhile and coming back for one last pass at trimming it down.

3. Create a Hierarchy of Information.

In addition to keeping your newsletter simple, you also want it to be well organized. Since most people only spend a limited time reading a newsletter, it’s crucial that you put your most important information first. If you have a lot of information to communicate and you’re sending an email, consider linking out to your website.

4. Provide Information that Educates Your Customers.

Your newsletter should offer reliable and informative content. Send your customers information that is useful to them, and they are more likely to engage with it. Regularly sending educational content can help build your customers’ trust in you as they come to see you as an expert in your field.

5. Keep Your Layout Clean.

No matter how helpful your information is, it also needs to be visually appealing and easy for your readers to digest. In our age of social media, most people are used to reading in short bursts, so your newsletter should cater to a short attention span. Use headers to break up sections and present information in bulleted lists that are easy to read. Keep your design simple and use plenty of white space.

6. Create a Customer Feedback Loop.

Creating an engaging and educational newsletter is important. Getting customer feedback on your messaging is just as important. Customer feedback loops are extremely efficient ways to improve your services and to meet customer’s needs. Creating this customer interaction, you can gather information that is important to your audience, learn from it and tweak your messaging to make it more meaningful. Make sure you include avenues for feedback in your newsletter, invite people to participate in the conversation through surveys. Offer incentives for feedback. Some examples are: a free inspection or a giveaway of a promotional item. Make sure to include an email address, survey link and contact information.

The post 6 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Newsletter appeared first on Goldstreet Designs.

In April, Sierra Madre faced a vote to repeal their UUT, or Utility Users’ Tax. A repeal of this tax would have slashed the city’s budget by 24%, or about 2.6 million dollars. It would have meant layoffs for the Police and Fire Departments and would have decimated funding for the Library and Community Services.

Luckily, the Police Association decided to create and distribute a flyer breaking down the realities of the UUT repeal. Detective Supervisor Henry Amos explains that the Police Association was planning to distribute a flyer alongside one from the City, but when the City’s didn’t materialize, the Police Association decided to create their own to get the word out. The Association isn’t active on social media, so they didn’t think that trying to make a push on Facebook made sense. They decided that they could actually reach more community members with a mailer campaign than via the Internet.

The Measure D to repeal the UUT was worded in such a way that a vote of “no” would save the tax, while a vote of “yes” would cut it. It was crucial that the Police Association make sure people understood that they needed to vote “no” in order to keep the funding. They knew they needed to spell out the facts about losing the UUT in a way anyone could understand.

“Because people don’t always read the fine print,” says Amos. “We wanted the big, bold letters to say VOTE NO.”

A flyer with clear graphics and a focused message was exactly what they needed. They worked with Goldstreet Designs to communicate the most important information in the clearest way possible. Says Amos of working with Goldstreet: “They were able to research information the Association didn’t have the skillset to find, and they were also able to get the info to where it made sense.”

The final flyer uses graphics to show just how many positions and services would be lost if the UUT was repealed. It translates the complicated wording of Measure D into concise points of information that get at the heart of what was at stake. It was distributed as a mailer, so voters would be able to hold it in their hands as they read it, rather than just clicking past it online.

In the end, the UUT was not repealed, and the vote was shot down 1841 to 400, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Does Amos think the flyer helped win the vote they needed? “Oh yeah,” he says, “The repeal was shot down by about 80% because of it.” The largest margin of victory in voting history.

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