Students from the TWC 422/522 Social Media in the Workplace course developed reports that take different approaches to the Social Media Planning Initiative. TWC 422 spent the semester researching best practices and uses for social media in Glendale, while TWC 522 generated research-backed recommendations for policies, rules, and procedures to support a new social media manager position. Together, these two class reports provide Glendale with a path forward to enhance its social media presence in a way that is inclusive, engaging and strategically executed.

The City of Peoria created a Water Conservation and Shortage Response Plan (Drought Management Plan) in 2017 to mitigate water challenges and prepare for the possibility of more prolonged and persistent drought scenarios. Peoria’s plan uses a tiered system linked to the water level at Lake Meade, which feeds the CAP system. Education and outreach are central to the plan, and the city will need to use different kinds of messaging in the different stages of the plan, but water conservation is complex, and the direct impacts of residential water use are not immediately felt by the people who use it. Therefore, communication needs to be strategic and on-message for the city to effectively inform the public about conservation needs and practices while also motivating compliance through reasoning, incentives, and appeals to common goals.

Through Peoria’s partnership with ASU Project Cities, students from the New College’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences engaged with city staff to develop messaging strategies and sample content for the Drought Management Plan. Students split into 6 teams, each given the same task: to develop a messaging campaign that would educate residents about water conservation and change residents’ usage patterns. Effective strategies for water conservation messaging allow for continued growth, expansion of ecotourism opportunities, and resilient communities. Recommendations were informed by academic research, literature reviews, and comparative analysis of communication strategies in other states.

To encompass a breadth of COVID-related challenges, three different classes, from various backgrounds, set out to understand and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the City of Peoria and its residents. Each class evaluated a unique challenge and subsequently drafted diverse recommendations for the City of Peoria to consider. Each class worked directly with the City of Peoria, and research methods ranged from literature review to focus groups to provide the City with recommendations.

Students in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences addressed challenges regarding communication about the pandemic. Students individually evaluated samples of Peoria’s COVID-19 communication and provided recommendations for future messaging based on an evaluation of the intended audience and the effectiveness of the messaging. Key points from 30 individual student reports spanning 3 assignments were combined to create this class summary section.

In the Spring 2020 semester, 7 undergraduate and graduate students in 2 classes took on the challenge of developing tangible ways for Peoria to maximize its water conservation efforts, as a continuation of the Water Conservation project initiated in the Fall 2019 semester for Peoria’s partnership with ASU Project Cities. Both projects incorporated extensive research and interviews, as well as consultation with city staff on Peoria’s needs and current efforts.

One capstone from the STC 593: Social Technologies Applied Project course focused on how to tailor public messaging campaigns to increase water conservation behaviors amongst Peoria residents. Peoria’s existing water conservation digital assets were also evaluated by industry experts and
specific suggestions for improving the relevant web pages are outlined in the report. By developing a sample digital media campaign, including the use of graphics developed in the Fall 2019 edition of the project, and determining guidelines for effective water conservation messaging strategies, this project aims to identify key digital communication methods that increase Peoria residents’ awareness and convince them to change their water use behaviors, as part of the effort to mitigate drought in the community. By using systematic methods to test and evaluate both existing and proposed digital media, the project provides Peoria with actionable suggestions that can be implemented in public water conservation communications, and ultimately leave a lasting impact on the community’s water knowledge and behaviors.

Water conservation, especially in arid regions, is an ongoing issue. To be effective, conservation methods and protocols should be reevaluated and updated often. The student research displayed in the following summary report and recommendations aims to assist Peoria in this necessary process. By studying Peoria’s existing protocols and messaging, students have compiled feasible suggestions to assist the city in its continual efforts to conserve water as part of securing a sustainable future for the city’s residents and visitors.

Communication campaigns are an effective, purposeful strategy aimed at
a target audience to inform, educate, and potentially change behaviors.
A robust strategy consists of a targeted approach to a targeted public
and messaging strategies that seek to inform and educate. To craft
effective messaging strategies, the City of Peoria partnered with
students from the ASU School of Social and Behavioral Sciences to
develop communication campaigns for its POGO service.

Students from the CMN 520 Communication Campaigns
class were split into groups to tackle two of Peoria’s largest public
services: recycling and public transit. Each group designed a
communication campaign, complete with campaign strategies and
tactics to facilitate the design of an overarching campaign to increase
public ridership and recycling. Students conducted a literature review
of similar communication strategies and distributed a survey to Peoria
residents to gather information about their perceptions of recycling and
public transportation.

Students identified two core themes to increase awareness: increased
social media usage and public/private partnerships to boost public
participation in these services. By developing robust social media
campaigns for Peoria’s Transit Division and Solid Waste Division, Peoria
staff can target its residents to encourage public participation through
incentives, such as prizes and targeted messages that vary depending
on the age group. Additionally, both student groups identified public
partnerships through events and collaborations with other services, such
as Peoria’s libraries and local businesses.

Communication campaigns are an effective, purposeful strategy aimed at
a target audience to inform, educate, and potentially change behaviors.
A robust strategy consists of a targeted approach to a targeted public
and messaging strategies that seek to inform and educate. To craft
effective messaging strategies, the City of Peoria partnered with
students from the ASU School of Social and Behavioral Sciences to
develop communication campaigns for its POGO service.

Students from the CMN 520 Communication Campaigns
class were split into groups to tackle two of Peoria’s largest public
services: recycling and public transit. Each group designed a
communication campaign, complete with campaign strategies and
tactics to facilitate the design of an overarching campaign to increase
public ridership and recycling. Students conducted a literature review
of similar communication strategies and distributed a survey to Peoria
residents to gather information about their perceptions of recycling and
public transportation.

Students identified two core themes to increase awareness: increased
social media usage and public/private partnerships to boost public
participation in these services. By developing robust social media
campaigns for Peoria’s Transit Division and Solid Waste Division, Peoria
staff can target its residents to encourage public participation through
incentives, such as prizes and targeted messages that vary depending
on the age group. Additionally, both student groups identified public
partnerships through events and collaborations with other services, such
as Peoria’s libraries and local businesses.

Public interest in community and economic development in Mason City, Iowa (pop. 28,079) has been high in recent months as the community works to develop a unified vision for the future. The City of Mason City seeks to engage citizens to ensure that strategies for growth and development reflect the needs of current and future residents. Students designed a communications campaign that encouraged Mason City businesses and residents to have a voice in local government and, through clear and simple messaging, helped citizens understand opportunities and channels for civic engagement. The campaign prioritizes inclusivity and accessibility in order to represent the communityâ€s diverse population. In addition to the broad message for civic engagement, the campaign specifically communicates opportunities for residents to serve on local government volunteer boards.

East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) is the regional Council of Governments for the eastern Iowa five county region of Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, and Jackson counties. As a 28E organization and a public non-profit, ECIA seeks to develop communications standards to convey their services and accomplishments to their member communities and the general public in their region. ECIA did not have a communication plan and aimed to establish consistent standards among the agencyâ€s programs for how the organization communicates via email, website, Facebook, Twitter, meetings, press releases, phone calls, letters and memos. Communication standards also help ensure all stakeholders receive the correct and necessary information. A robust and effective internal communications plan provides a baseline for staff in assisting communities throughout the region to adopt similar plans.