govDelivery has been reliable in our everyday operations, but also in crisis. Our citizens love that they can hear from us via text.
When Anchorage, Alaska experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, the Alaska Department of Transportation comms team had to work fast to get travelers off the roads. Using a dual-pronged strategy of email and text, powered by govDelivery, they alerted tens of thousands of subscribers to potential damage.
Alaska Department of Transportation
How the Comms Team Notified Thousands Instantly in a Crisis With govDelivery
Overview
Bulletins
140
99%+
Deliverability
High deliverability ensures the message gets to subscribers.
74%
Engagement Rate
74% of DOT recipients open and/or click on bulletins.
Subscribers
On average, there are two subscriptions per subscriber.
The comms team sent targeted messages to segmented subscribers following the earthquake.
34K
Must-have Granicus solution
Want to make sure your citizens receive important crisis communications? Sign up to see govDelivery solutions in action.
When Anchorage, Alaska experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ (DOT) communications team knew they needed to act quickly. Their communications strategy prioritizes immediate and direct dissemination of information, especially during emergencies.
The team’s primary concern was public safety. Infrastructure on roads needed to be inspected to ensure it was safe for travelers. The team wanted to make sure that citizens got off the roads immediately and were informed when it was safe to return. Meanwhile, Anchorage cell towers were jammed; citizens couldn't call the DOT for information. The team would need to provide information on all available channels to reach the largest audience.
In response to a previous earthquake in the early 2000s, the team had sent faxes out. “We’d never be able to do that now. Citizens expect to get instant information on the channel they’re most comfortable with, whether that is our website, social media, email, or text,” said Meadow Bailey, Communications Director.
Urgent Crisis Calls for Instant, Digital Comms
The communications team opted to use the same tool for emergencies that they use on a daily basis. For over eight years, that tool has been Granicus’ communications software, govDelivery. A cloud-based platform, govDelivery enables the team, a small group spread across the state, to work together virtually.
Targeted Messages via Multiple Channels
Within 15 minutes of the earthquake, the communications team acknowledged the emergency on social media, asking residents to stay tuned for updates as they occurred. Within an hour, the team issued their first press release to all DOT subscribers.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, the DOT was able to communicate information on 50 damaged locations to tens of thousands of citizens — due to upwards of 99% deliverability — through 140 bulletins sent via email and text in the days that followed.
The DOT asked residents to provide feedback on its earthquake response through a short survey after the earthquake. The research found that residents want to hear from government organizations directly, and most appreciate receiving this information via texts.
Over the last year, the DOT has grown its subscriber base by 21%. They have 34,000 subscribers, who are signed up for two subscriptions each on average. Most citizens opt in directly or through the DOT’s website overlay. Messages from the DOT achieve an outstanding 74% average engagement rate.
Thousands Reached Instantaneously
Situation
Solution
Results
See It Live
govDelivery
“For us, govDelivery makes it easy to push messages out and quickly. The text message component is also important because sometimes people aren’t looking at their email. With text, people are alerted, and they can check email or go find more information.”
The team worked in two shifts, sharing safety messages via email and text around the clock. Updates covered which roads and bridges were either blocked off for inspection, damaged and needed repairs, or repaired and back in service. These messages were highly targeted: The DOT segmented contacts by sections of roads they had previously subscribed to and sent updates on that region.
- Meadow Bailey, Communications Director
“I think there is an expectation from citizens that you will always be able to provide information immediately. govDelivery helped us push out accurate information as soon as we had it.”
How the County Grew Its Audience by 25% With Trusted Communications During COVID-19
Overview
Kitsap County faced challenges that many governments experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic: the rapid spread of misinformation and a surge in citizen demand for constant updates. To deliver reliable messages and build trust with residents, the County used govDelivery to scale communications efforts — with limited staff and resources.
Situation
Solution
Like many governments, Kitsap County experienced an increase in citizen demand for information during the COVID-19 crisis.
The County also saw misinformation growing, particularly on social media. “At times, we saw a lot of people commenting on things that were misleading or incorrect. We were monitoring information at the local, state, and regional levels and watching for anything contradictory. We wanted to be proactive in our communication to set the record straight, and keep people safe,” said Doug Bear, the County’s communications manager.
With thirty years of experience, Bear knew it was imperative that residents receive consistent, reliable messaging from government leaders as part of their coronavirus response. To achieve that messaging, Bear recommended that the Joint Information Center (JIC), which supports the County's Emergency Operation Center, use govDelivery, Granicus’ digital engagement platform for email, social, and text communications. The County has used govDelivery for nearly nine years. During that time, they saw double-digit percentage growth in their subscriber base, year over year. The software would allow the County to provide a consistent message across multiple channels and allow residents to easily subscribe to stay informed.
Too Much Information & Misinformation
From the beginning of the pandemic, the County distributed a daily bulletin across key communication channels via govDelivery. The bulletin displayed County branding to establish trust and authority. The software also enabled them to create a reusable template for consistent elements, so residents were familiar with the bulletin layout and knew what to look for.
To address residents’ most critical information needs, staff gathered information from call centers, the media, and other channels to understand what questions were on citizens’ minds. Responses to those questions were developed as topics in the daily bulletin. Call center staff encouraged callers to subscribe to email updates when they had questions. This reduced future calls and offered a better form of proactive communication.
Additionally, JIC staff monitored media outlets to fight misinformation. “If we saw a lot of people commenting on something and the information posted was incorrect, we knew that we needed to reinforce that message directly at the channel but also reinforce it with our daily bulletin as well.”
Bear also relied on the software’s metrics and data to determine what worked. “We look at bulletin analytics. We look at a topic analytics. We ask if our message is actually reaching somebody.”
A Consistent Message for Crisis Response
Small Team
The comms manager coordinates with 50 topic administrators to achieve big results.
1
The County grew its subscriber base by double-digits, year over year.
50K
Subscribers
Open Rate
40.6%
The County’s email metrics demonstrated high engagement.
The County gained almost 10,000 new subscribers in 3 months.
Growth
25%
Must-have Granicus solution
Want to learn how govDelivery can support your crisis response? Sign up for a live demonstration today.
See It Live
Using the metrics and data in govDelivery, we can effectively craft and tailor messages to reach our audience the way they want to be reached with the information they want to know.
- Doug Bear
Communications Manager
Results
“govDelivery empowers you to make up for the lack of manpower that is a reality for so many other government communicators.”
In the first three months of the County’s COVID-19 response, they received nearly 10,000 new subscribers, or 25% growth. They sent 372 coronavirus-related bulletins that reached 3.9 million people, with an outstanding open rate of 40.6%.
While email is the most successful channel for the County, they also had success in other channels. Their SMS messages reached a record-breaking 830,000 recipients. The County’s Twitter and Facebook both saw 10% growth.
Kitsap County doesn’t have a large communications team. Bear manages the call center but doesn’t have communications staff that report directly to him. He uses govDelivery to manage content that comes from 50 contributors. “I couldn't be as effective in managing the County’s communications needs without govDelivery. You don't have to be a technician or a technical person to use it, and it allows us to leverage messages to social media, our SMS recipients, and our email subscribers easily and efficiently,” said Bear.
With a new subscriber base, Bear plans to remind the larger audience that there are over 100 topics they can subscribe to, from inclement weather to road closures, while still engaging those interested in COVID-19 during a recovery phase.
Agency Saves Time, Improves Citizen Safety
Kitsap County, Washington
govDelivery
“Having something like govDelivery is critical to make sure that we consistently provide information that is useful to residents and in a manner that they can recognize as the official word.” – Doug Bear, Communications Manager
Download PDF Overview
Download PDF Overview