CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES
1. Raise Awareness about the real dangers on Salem’s roads.
2. Promote Responsible Driving through relatable, emotionally resonant messaging.
3. Prevent Future Tragedies by encouraging community-wide adoption of safer habits.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Building on the deliverables provided in the report, students recommendations for the Salem Police Department include:
• Activate the social media strategies, including the “One Text, One Story” video series and the Distracted Driving AR Quiz Challenge.
• Coordinate and implement the “Walk for Every Life Lost,” fostering community participation and emotional resonance.
• Launch the sidewalk sign contest and strategically place signs in identified high-risk areas.
• Integrate the established brand guidelines across all SPD communication channels to ensure consistency.
• Establish ongoing partnerships with Salem-Keizer Schools and local organizations for continuous engagement.
• Regularly evaluate and adapt communication strategies based on community feedback and engagement metrics.
• Continuously utilize emotional storytelling to reinforce safe driving behaviors.
• Seek further funding opportunities through ODOT and national safety grants.
• Consider hiring or designating a communications specialist to ensure sustained engagement and effective message dissemination.

What sets this campaign apart is its community-first approach. Rather than merely enforcing traffic laws, the campaign recommends actively involving residents, from new teen drivers to parents, in creating a safer driving culture. The campaign aims to make traffic safety a shared community value by sharing real stories and building local partnerships.

Ultimately, this campaign is not just about communication; it’s about connection. When people feel personally invested, they’re more likely to act. We can save
lives by making Salem’s roads safer for everyone.

While LTD is a government entity funded by tax payers and state and federal resources, many community members are underutilizing or unaware of LTD transportation services. Our organization is searching for ways to engage demographics underutilizing LTD’s services and involve the Lane County community in the development process for Connect 2045.

Groups conducted extensive background research and gained a deeper understanding of LTD’s long term goals by meeting with LTD staff several times throughout the term. Through this process, students identified two major barriers for community members in accessing services: lack of awareness surrounding LTD services and negative stigma regarding safety and sanitation in public transportation.

Students proposed solutions that prioritized a community centered approach, leveraging community partnerships to dismantle negative stigmas that threaten the longevity of LTD. The two primary solutions were to gamify LTD services and implement educational outreach programming focused on reaching older adults, sorority members, University of Oregon (UO) first-year students, Lane Community College (LCC) and Bushnell University students, and high school students in Lane County. Each group created specific tactics and implementation strategies to implement prior to the launch and throughout development of LTD Connect 2045. By maintaining regular pathways for community engagement early on in this process, students sought to provide LTD with adaptable solutions that could be adjusted as operational changes are implemented. As these tactics develop, students aimed to create long-term relationships with community  members and sustained support for public transportation.

The City of Silverton’s current communication plan is outdated and has difficulty reaching its target audience. We are striving to make a communication plan that is specific to the City of Silverton’s current needs and adheres to its residents’ preferences. Our knowledge of Silverton has come from learning, researching and visiting the city. Through this process, we gained a deeper connection to the city that has allowed us to create deliverables that showcase the heart of Silverton.

NEXT STEPS:
Building on the deliverables provided, we recommend that the City of Silverton:
• Launch a City Manager subscription-based memo that is distributed once a month via email.
• Activate a city-run Facebook group to allow better control of information flow between residents and the city.

LONG-TERM
Moving forward, we believe it would be beneficial for the City of Silverton to:
• Strengthen its connection with local businesses.
• Review the communication plan annually and make adjustments as needed.
• Partner and increase involvement with the local schools.

Challenges
• Variable posting schedule.
• Connection and trust gaps within the City of Silverton.
• Lack of engagement with younger audiences (18-25).

Recommendations
• Use a social media calendar to promote increased frequency and consistency of posts.
• Build trust through intentional content.
• Target younger audiences.
• Track engagement data and use it to optimize future posts.

Recommendations to improve trust between the department and the community consisted of hosting town hall meetings, community events, increasing social media presence, working with youth in schools, and mentorship programs. The most common targeted publics consisted of Hispanic males ages 18-25, youth ages 11-18, youth who have had experiences with the juvenile justice system, and non-English speaking residents. Most plans were designed for implementation within six months to a year, with budgets ranging from $0 to $1,250, to include spending resources on promotional activities and staffing hours. Students designed campaigns with the overall goal to support the Salem Police Department in meeting their mission to “provide superior service to keep Salem safe while enhancing trust.”