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STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Strategic Communications ,~ -'" · Plan ~"_'_'_"'"'' '" _.___.,,_____.,_,,_... ,...___.....___.__.__,..._..._.."_._...~..._._~.".m... u.. . ..... ......, ..... ..._.~_- PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WINTER 2003 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Pointing the way 4 The principles that guide this plan Where we are 6 A situational overview What people think A look at the public's opinions about the city 9 Targets 10 Audiences for our messages Messages 11 How we willform what we say Communications goals What we hope to accomplish 12 Communications themes Common themes that organize our efforts 16 Communications subjects - short term Events/issues we are likely to deal with 17 Communications subjects - long term Events/issues that extend past 2005 19 Communications vehicles - internal How we will communicate to audiences inside government 20 Communications vehicles - external How we will communicate to audiences outside government 22 Conclusion 23 3 Communications Plan City of Clearwater, Florida Winter 2003 - Winter 2006 INTRODUCTION Communicating Clearwater's messages in a clear and timely fashion to a broad range of audiences is a challenge that we accept with great enthusiasm. This document is just the latest example of a constant effort that seeks to identify and refine the messages and identify the constituent groups that will hear and make use of them. However, we recognize that communication doesn't start with us. It begins with the Mayor and City Commission, moves through city leadership and is reflected in the everyday work of every city employee. The goal of the Public Communications Department is to help all city representatives become capable, informed city spokespersons, and to give citizens the information they need to become informed, engaged problem solvers. We would like to also acknowledge the Communications Plans of the Cities of Tallahassee, FL and Portsmouth, V A, which provided invaluable guidance in the formulation of this plan for the City of Clearwater. 4 POINTING THE WAY This communications plan is based upon the following principles: MESSAGE ADVOCACY BEGINS WITH US We will tell our story ourselves, and we will do so promptly. We will not rely on others to deliver our story, describe our actions, establish our issues, explain our programs or interpret our actions. By telling our story promptly, we will reduce the need for correcting the inaccurate interpretations of others. INFORMING OUR CITIZENS Clearwater's citizens, businesses and customers need accurate information in order to make enlightened and informed decisions. Accurate, timely information encourages community problem solving; therefore, we will communicate in an accurate and timely fashion. COMMUNICATING VIA OPEN DIALOGUES We will communicate in a fashion that is open and which encourages the sharing of information. Open, two-way communications create an environment of teamwork; closed, one-way communications breed suspicion. Open dialogues encourage community problem solving. Interactive communications involve everyone. DECENTRALIZED, INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS Open, sharing methods of communication offer the fastest and most practical means of delivering messages. However, all participants must commit to consistent and focused messages. The Public Communications Department will provide that leadership and coordination. THEMA TIC COMMUNICATIONS The stories we tell will work best if they support, reflect and reinforce the city's goals and targets. Therefore, our messages will reflect those goals and directions established by the City Commission and city management. We will develop communications themes that are in keeping with those visions, and we will communicate stories that are consistent with those themes. 5 6 WHERE WE ARE Clearwater is a built-out city in the middle of an exciting re-birth. After a period of exploration that was at times tentative, Clearwater has found its stride and is moving forward with confidence through a 10-year redevelopment phase. Tax dollars are being leveraged through private-public partnerships and through the aggressive pursuit of grants and other public funding. Citizen interest and excitement over Clearwater's re- emergence are at high levels. This time of excitement offers great opportunities in the area of communications. It also offers a number of pitfalls. We should also note that Clearwater's strategies and efforts in a number of areas, including the areas of renewal and redevelopment, tended to be more off-the-cuff and spontaneous in the 1990s than they are now. That meant that city communication efforts tended to reflect those routines and strategies, and tended to be more reactive in nature. Current policies allow for more measured communications efforts. Since the city's goals and targets are more measured and more easily identified than they once were, our communications strategies can now be structured to reflect those new realities. Since we have an exciting story to tell, it will be our challenge to tell it quickly, accurately, colorfully, and in keeping with our agreed-upon goals and visions. At the same time, we must realize that effective communications will not overcome institutional shortcomings. Ultimately, the quality of Clearwater's government will be communicated by every city employee every single day. 7 Since Clearwater's path is clear, we need a communications plan that is equally clear. Our communications efforts must be in keeping with our city's goals and directions, and our stories must support those efforts. Clearwater's goals and directions have been put in place by the City Commission and are being implemented by the city's leadership team. As we begin to shape our messages and themes, we will need to make certain our efforts reflect Clearwater's vision and mission, as developed and stated by the City Commission. · CLEARWATER'S VISION STATEMENT: "Sparkling Clearwater is a uniquely beautiful, economically vibrant community that reinvests in itself and is a wonderful place to live, learn, work and play." This will be evidenced by a safe, clean, green environment; diverse high paying jobs, high quality education; a variety of cultural and recreational offerings; affordable, well-maintained housing; efficient, responsive City services; a vibrant downtown that is mindful of its heritage; efficient transportation systems; and a quality beach environment. · CLEARWATER CITY GOVERNMENT'S MISSION STATEMENT: "To provide a safe, healthy, and vibrant community to the citizens of Clearwater and a stimulating and nurturing environment for Clearwater's business community and tourists." 8 All Clearwater city departments have adopted vision statements of their own which reflect the ideals of the Commission's vision. We acknowledge and recognize these visions, and will seek to incorporate and communicate these ideals through our own departmental statement: PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT: "To communicate efficiently and effectively to the citizens of Clearwater all city business and events which impact our quality of life, safety, and welfare." C- VIEW TV 15 "Our mission is to serve and inform the people of Clearwater by providing accurate and current information about the policies, services, and activities of Clearwater government. We seek to provide a forum for discussion of significant public issues and to stimulate and encourage Clearwater residents to involve themselves in local government and public issues. C- VIEW 15 shall help market the City of Clearwater as an attractive and unique community in which to live, work, and play." 9 WHAT PEOPLE THINK Clearwater's communication strategies must be tuned to address the way citizens feel about their city and their city government. Thanks to a recent survey, we have a fairly clear picture of those citizen opinions and attitudes. An overwhelming majority of citizens hold their city in high regard. Most believe Clearwater is a safe, healthy, clean and caring place that offers a very good quality of life. Nearly all citizens are satisfied with the quality of the city services they receive. Most believe the city supports its neighborhoods, offers good parks, concerts and events, and has good fire and police protection. Concerns about the future include traffic, water, downtown and beach redevelopment, budget resources and maintaining the quality of life. Other concerns include road maintenance, downtown revitalization, parking and city responsiveness. These survey results offer signposts that should direct our communications efforts toward areas of interest and concern. We shall work to make sure our communications efforts address the concerns raised by citizens, and we shall work to keep up with current public OpInIOns. TARGETS There are a number of constituencies within Clearwater that must be served with timely information. They include: . Citizens . City Commission . Businesses . News media . Neighborhoods . City employees . Pinellas County and other nearby governments . State and local elected officials . Visitors . Enclave residents within city boundaries . Other residents, including immigrant communities 10 11 MESSAGES We will design and formulate our messages in the following manner: · We will develop themed messages that conform to the vision and mission established by the City Commission and implemented by the city's management team. Five policy priorities are: 1. Public Safety 2. Economic Development 3. Infrastructure Maintenance 4. Quality of Life 5. Human Resource Issues · We will develop messages that are guided by the principles outlined previously in this document. · We will develop messages with city departments that are in keeping with the visions and missions guiding those departments. · We will find and tell the many important, informative and compelling stories that need to be told about City of Clearwater employees, business and events. · We will develop messages that are of interest to the audiences identified previously in this document. · We will develop messages that are responsive to the feelings, beliefs, needs and concerns of Clearwater's citizens, as identified in the citizen survey. · We will develop messages that reflect the city's progress in its IO-year redevelopment plan. · We will adjust our messages and our focus as the City Commission adjusts city goals and directions. 12 COMMUNICATIONS GOALS Clearwater's long-term communications goals are already in place and can be described as follows: · Convey city government's commitment to improving Clearwater's quality of life. Strategy: Inform key stakeholders of the city's redevelopment progress Tactics: o Publish and mail quarterly CIP Newsletter to Chamber of Commerce lists of area businesses, local and state elected officials, architects, developers, neighborhood leaders and other stakeholders. o Incorporate messages into C-VIEW programs about the city's redevelopment progress and plans and other quality of life issues. o Publish an Annual Report that documents the city's successes and distribute it via the Clearwater Times and our public buildings. o Publish appropriate messages detailing redevelopment in Sunshine Lines utility stuffers, the City Web site and in news releases. · Inform the public about the policies of the City Commission and how staff will carry them out. Strategy: Create greater awareness of the actions of the Commission and how these are implemented. Tactics: o Print twice-monthly informational ad campaign in the Clearwater Times o Air commission meetings on C- VIEW o Produce regular news releases on actions of interest 13 · Increase citizen awareness of city government's activities and services and, thereby, increase citizens' participation in civic issues. Strategy: Reach out to a broader demographic base of citizens to build support. Tactics: o Promote involvement of demographically diverse groups by recruiting for our Citizen's Academy through our neighborhood recreation centers and libraries, as well as other broad-reaching venues. o Support Neighborhood Services in their role to communicate key messages with neighborhoods throughout Clearwater. o Use a variety of proactive messages to convey the City's services, activities and events. Convey these messages through C- VIEW and live shows; press releases; utility stuffers; network news; Citizen's Guide; Annual Report; Town Hall meetings; and the Web site. · Convey city government's commitment to fiscal responsibility. Strategy: Develop and communicate messages on financial measures and other steps the City takes to conserve its resources. Tactics: o Publish an Annual Report in November of each year to highlight the successes of our actions. o Publish a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) in the spring of each year to demonstrate our fiscal responsibility. o Promote budget meetings through news releases, commission meetings, C- VIEW and the Web site. 14 o Seek news stories from various departments that highlight ways City staff is working to save money. · Communicate the city's strong commitment to the betterment of all neighborhoods. Strategy: Promote neighborhood involvement and issues while supporting the efforts of the Neighborhood Services division. Tactics: o Twice monthly informational ads in the Clearwater Times o Utility Stuffers o Annual Report o Town Hall meetings o Web site · Make residents and others aware of the city's commitment to grassroots citizen involvement. Strategy: Improve awareness of City projects at the grassroots level. Tactics: o Develop city government advocates through senior management involvement within other community organizations o Continually seek speaking engagements supported, where possible, by PowerPoint presentations o Promote Citizen's Academy annually o Develop a program to reach out to young people · Maintain and improve the city's relationship with the news media. Strategy: Develop long-term relationships with both major and minor media. Tactics: o Regularly meet with or call media contacts o Pro-actively promote stories of interest to appropriate media o Provide annual media/interview training to department heads and supervIsors o Schedule regular editorial meetings o E-mail or fax press releases to our media contacts 15 COMMUNICATIONS THEMES These themes may offer the overall structure for many of our messages: · Clearwater is a city that works. (Public Safety, Economic Development, Infrastructure Maintenance) · City services are offered by good people who care about quality, value and service. (Human Resources) · City officials are listening carefully to citizens. (Quality of Life) · Clearwater is a great place to live and a great place to do business. (Public Safety, Quality of Life, Economic Development) · Clearwater values the diversity of its citizens. (Quality of Life) 16 17 COMMUNICATIONS SUBJECTS - SHORT TERM These are communications subjects that are likely to require attention in the coming months: . Potential referendum on new phases of downtown/waterfront redevelopment . Downtown redevelopment - key milestones . New facilities: o Main Library o North Greenwood Recreation/Aquatics Complex o North Greenwood Branch Library o Community Sports Complex · 2004 Spring Training opening o Northwest Fire Station · Spring 2003 groundbreaking · Dec. 2003 opening o Clearwater Mall Fire Station · February 2003 groundbreaking · Dec. 2003 opening o Firefighting Training facility · 2003 groundbreaking o Water Treatment Plant o Town Lake o East-West Trail · Renovations/Construction o Memorial Causeway Bridge o Mandalay Streetscape o North Greenwood Corridor Enhancements o Myrtle Avenue Improvements o South Fort Harrison Improvements o Kapok Floodplain Restoration o Stevenson's Creek Drainage Project o Ross Norton Park o Roundabout Foundation Demolition o Downtown Streetscaping / Wayfinding / Redevelopment o Infrastructure · Other Miscellaneous Departmental Items o Clearwater Gas - 80th Anniversary in 2003 o Planning - Customer Service / On-going Redevelopment issues o Official Records and Legislative Services - ISIS paperless system o IT - Web site redesign / online utility bills / technology updates o Marine and Aviation - Airpark Improvements o Public Works - Celebrate Arbor Day (Tree City USA designation) o Library - Main Library funding; grand openings of North Greenwood Branch and Main Library o Parks and Recreation - On-going events o Fire and Rescue - New $800,000 truck/equipment o Planning / Economic Development - Downtown / Beach Parking / Redevelopment in general o Development Services - Water restrictions / Code Enforcement Technology 18 COMMUNICATIONS SUBJECTS - LONG TERM These are items that may extend beyond the scope of this Communications Plan (Winter 2003 - Winter 2006): · Additional redevelopment projects as they occur o Relocation of City Hall o Redevelopment of Jack Russell Stadium site o On-going road construction o Beach parking o Downtown redevelopment and parking o Coachman Park / waterfront redevelopment o Other redevelopment 19 20 COMMUNICATIONS VEHICLES - INTERNAL These are the "inside" vehicles that will be used to carry our messages to audiences: · C-VIEW: Shows, PSAs, videos, Video Bulletin Board (scrolling slides) · WEB SITE: Internet (Intranet for employees). We will work with IT to provide relevant Web site content. · MESSAGES ON HOLD: Recorded phone greeting for messages that are both short and long term. · V ARIABLE MESSAGE BOARDS: Lighted roadway signs, used to announce road closures, public meetings, Town Hall meetings, general safety messages such as Buckle Up, etc. · AUTODIALER: Recorded message machine used to call specific areas or neighborhoods. · BANNERS: Street and pole banners (not currently in use). · UTILITY STUFFERS: Information inserted into 47,000 utility bills that are mailed to city residents, as well as to gas customers. This area extends as far south as Indian Rocks and as far north as Pasco County. · POSTERS: For special campaigns, such as water conservation. Color posters measuring 11" x 17" for city buildings, libraries and recreation centers. 21 · DEPARTMENT AL/PROGRAM BROCHURES: Distributed in public building lobbies, recreation centers, libraries, and other venues as appropriate. · CITIZEN'S GUIDE: Mailed to every city resident every other year. Also distributed at utilities, public buildings, libraries, and other venues as appropriate. · ANNUAL REPORT: Inserted in the St. Petersburg Times every November. · CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NEWSLETTER: Mailed quarterly to major stakeholders. Deals with the status of capital improvement projects. · CONNECTIONS EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER: Distributed quarterly to all city employees and pensioners. COMMUNICA TIONS VEHICLES - EXTERNAL These are the "outside" vehicles that will be used to carry our messages to audiences: . Sf. Petersburg Times . Tampa Tribune . Weekly newspapers . Local network and independent television stations . Local radio stations . Chamber of Commerce literature and promotions . Convention & Visitors Bureau literature and promotion These messages may take the form of paid advertising or public service messages generated from news releases. 22 23 CONCLUSION There are two elements that have guided the construction of the Communications Plan. The same elements can be expected to guide its evolution in the future. They are: · The goals and directions put into place by the City Commission and implemented by the city's management team. · Surveys that measure public opinion about the city and its messages. One is an annual citizens' opinion poll; the other is a bi-annual communications survey that examines the effectiveness ofthe city's communications efforts. With the emergence of the Internet and other technical advances, this is a time of more varied communications channels. However, the effective communication of messages isn't simply an exercise in menu expansion. Communications that work best are communications that begin with careful listening. We will continue to listen carefully to the people of Clearwater, and we will continue to hone our efforts accordingly.