REPORT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, AND MARKETING COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Overall Citywide Communications Update
Report
BACKGROUND
In March 2020, the City of Santa Clara (City) declared a local state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This action necessitated the re-focus of staff on the City’s response to the pandemic. As a result, the City’s communication and public information efforts were focused on keeping residents informed of the evolving public health situation.
On April 19, 2020, the City Manager informed the City Council (Attachment 1) that other communication initiatives were going to be put on hold or delayed due to the need to dedicate efforts towards the local impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City has implemented several communications programs for providing residents, businesses and other stakeholders with locally-focused updates that include details about the outbreak itself and actions to take to reduce COVID-19 risks, available community resources, latest response efforts, and impacts to City events, programs and services.
DISCUSSION
The Director of Communications will provide a presentation on the City’s communications efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Director of Communications will provide an update on the quarterly activities of Citywide social media activities, the Inside Santa Clara newsletter redesign and launch efforts, and collaborative efforts with the City’s communications consultants, including the Love Santa Clara initiative and other communication efforts.
Commitment to Communications Excellence
Since the last report on communications activity at the February 19, 2020 Economic Development, Communications, and Marketing Committee (Committee) meeting, the City now has statistically valid data from a recent community survey that found 70% of residents feel the City is keeping residents informed.
Also, in July 2020, the City received statewide recognition by the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) through their 2020 Excellence in Public Information and Communications, or EPIC, Awards.
The City received two first place honors in CAPIO’s 2020 EPIC Awards. They are in the following categories:
o The SantaClaraCA.gov Website Redesign in the Website/App in the Small/Medium Population category; and
o The Great White Website Launch in the Most Innovative Communications in the Medium Population category.
CAPIO had a record-breaking 275 entries for this year’s awards program. The statewide recognition highlights the City’s commitment to communications excellence, innovation and transparency.
COVID-19 Digital Communications
The City has a dedicated COVID-19 website, SantaClaraCa.gov/CoronavirusUpdates <http://www.SantaClaraCa.gov/CoronavirusUpdates>, that provides vital information to the community and includes local, regional, state and federal resources for the community, seniors, businesses and employees. Since March 11, 2020, daily updates are published to the Coronavirus Updates website.
This section of the City website remains the most popular, with an average of 21% of all City website visitors coming to the main page and 60% doing so on their mobile device. SantaClaraCA.gov <http://www.SantaClaraCA.gov> more than doubled the number of unique visitors with 257,299 in March 2020 compared to 122,539 unique visitors in January 2020. The City’s website analytics demonstrate the high level of public interest in coronavirus-related information.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the City’s communications team has produced dozens of videos, including community messages from the Mayor, for timely updates, information and online programming like the Santa Clara City Library’s Storytime Sing-a-long and Parks & Recreation Department’s virtual recreation. On the City’s YouTube channel alone, the Mayor’s March 16, 2020 Community Update about the City transitioning to providing only essential public services received more than 2,350 views.
Media Coverage for Santa Clara’s COVID-19 Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Clara is receiving much media coverage. For the first half of 2020, the City had nearly 150 media inquiries with many of the stories focused on the City’s emergency response. In addition to Bay Area media coverage, The New York Times covered the City’s Healthy Meals Santa Clara program which provided supplemental weekend meals for youth for 21 weeks.
Social Media Analytics
The Social Media Analytics Reports for Fiscal Year 2019-20, Quarters 3 and 4, includes analytics for the social media platforms managed by City staff and for the MySantaClara application (Attachments 2 and 3).
The two quarterly reports highlight the enormous growth in followers to the City’s social media channels as well as high engagement levels and expanded reach achieved with social media posts that contained details related to COVID-19.
Redesigned City Newsletter Debuts for Summer 2020
In June 2020, the new Inside Santa Clara newsletter made its debut with the summer edition (Attachment 4). The newsletter redesign initiative began in fall 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the Bay Area. The consultant, We The Creative, was awarded the contract and began work on the redesign in December 2019. The objectives included modernizing the publication for a digital audience and incorporating four-color printing while reducing production costs.
Following publication of the redesigned newsletter, the City collected feedback from the community through an online survey, emails and phone calls. The reaction received was mixed, with more older adults seeking larger fonts and more color contrast while other individuals, age 50 and under, liked the addition of four-color and the magazine-style format.
Some concerns were also raised about costs due to the improved print quality of the publication. The annual production costs are at least $32,000 less than what they were before the redesign, even with the color printing and higher quality, glossy paper. Due to COVID-19 fiscal impacts, the City plans to continue to print the newsletter three times per year at a cost of roughly $40,000 per edition, instead of increasing to four times per year as had been considered pre-pandemic.
Inside Santa Clara is mailed to approximately 57,820 residential and business addresses in Santa Clara. The newsletter is also distributed at all City facilities, including community centers and libraries, and available on SantaClaraCA.gov/InsideSantaClara <http://www.SantaClaraCA.gov/InsideSantaClara>. Through the redesign, Inside Santa Clara readers’ digital experience is enhanced through a PDF version with clickable links and a flipbook version.
Based on reader input, the Fall 2020 edition will incorporate refinements including finetuning the colorful design layout to improve the reader experience, adjusting the typography to enhance readability and reducing paper quality to further reduce costs.
Love Santa Clara Initiative
After a soft launch of the Love Santa Clara initiative with the 2020 City Calendar and 2019 Annual Report, the effort was delayed due to the COVID-19 focus. The initiative is about the City’s commitment to improving the quality of life for everyone who lives, works, plays, and learns in Santa Clara. Love Santa Clara concerns how we connect and partner with one another and involves community partners such as local businesses and institutions of higher education.
Staff has been working to incorporate Love Santa Clara messaging in some of our recent communications. Additionally, staff plans to work closely with the City’s consultant, 3fold Communications, on other opportunities, which will be discussed at the Committee meetings.
Communications Consultants
The City’s communication consultants, Circlepoint, 3fold Communications, and Singer Associates, Inc., will be participating in the Committee meeting to discuss COVID-19 impacts on communications and next steps for furthering the City’s communications and marketing goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is an information report only and no action is being taken by the City Council and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City other than administrative staff time.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Economic Development, Communications, and Marketing Committee agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
Staff
Reviewed by: Lenka Wright, Director of Communications
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Comms Consultants Email to Council, April 19, 2020
2. Social Media Analytics Report - FY 2019/20, Quarter 3
3. Social Media Analytics Report - FY 2019/20, Quarter 4
4. Inside Santa Clara - Summer 2020 Edition