When was the last time you thought about Household Hazardous Wastes, or HHW? These are leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances. HHW, which include corrosive and toxic products, like: paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides. They can contain hazardous ingredients which, according to the EPA, necessitate special care during disposal.

Improper disposal of HHW – such as pouring them down the drain or toilet, onto the ground, into storm sewers, or even into the trash—can – pollute the environment and contaminate septic tanks or drinking water. Most people don’t realize that throwing these items away can result in physical injury to people or pets, but some cities have started campaigns to increase public awareness.

The City of Indio recently teamed up with the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources to double the amount of free hazardous and toxic waste drop off events throughout the year. These events are part of the city’s “Box It and Bring It” campaign, which it has used for the last few years, and which it plans to continue through 2020.

Because this campaign presented a real challenge for creatively communicating a great deal of information and increasing public participation, The City of Indio reached out to Goldstreet for help educating and engaging the community. The city wanted to create materials that contained an explanation of HHW items, a list of acceptable items to bring to the drop-offs, collection dates and locations, and tips for HHW disposal. They needed comprehensive materials that could be used for several years by simply changing the event dates each year.

Goldstreet Designs, the City of Indio, and The Sustainability Commission all worked together to create the HHW campaign. The three organizations started by focusing on a succinct campaign message, along with a tagline. Next, they turned to the design of the materials, using catchy colors and photo illustrations to complement the message. With so many partners collaborating, the campaign approval process went through several rounds of brainstorming, drafting, and change-making. Both the City of Indio and the Sustainability Commission offered Goldstreet guidance as the agency brought the “Box It and Bring It” campaign to life.

Sara Toyoda, from The City of Indio, says, “I’m happy with the way everything turned out. The community is responding to the events. People tend to bring the items on the list and there is less confusion at the events. There are still some questions, but not many, since the outreach material is clear on what to bring.”

In the end, the “Box It and Bring It” campaign included several types of materials, including bill inserts and social media snackables. The playful visuals of the materials’ photo illustrations have helped get readers’ attention, while the bright colors and bold fonts are perfect for emphasizing the most important pieces of information. A comprehensive PDF is also now located on the website, serving as a resource for all things Household Hazardous Waste and proper disposal.

Toyoda says, “The colors, taglines and branding are all very recognizable. Now people know what to look for and that this outreach is for the HHW collection.”

Through their collaboration with Goldstreet, The City of Indio was able to create a memorable and educational campaign that they’ll now be able to use for years to come.

 

“Newsletters are a quick way to touch base with your customers and provide them with tidbits of information that should make them want to go to your website, or blog, or meetings to learn more. It’s your way to tell them about things they should care about in their utility that they may not know about otherwise. It’s also a way for you to put faces to your organization so they know who to reach out to if they have questions or concerns.” – Kristin Masteller, Director of Business Services, Mason County PUD

Newsletters are one of the best ways to communicate important information with a wide audience, but first you have to get people reading what you send!

Here are six great tips for making sure your newsletter is one that customers will want to engage with:

1. Spend Plenty of Time on Your Subject or Headline.

Although it may seem like a newsletter headline or email subject doesn’t matter much, it’s usually the first thing your reader sees. It gives them an immediate impression and helps determine whether they want to find out more. Go with a subject or headline that’s short, direct, and positive. The headline of a printed newsletter should also be eye catching and prominently placed to ensure that any reader will see it. To see how yours stacks up, try this free headline analyzer from the Advanced Marketing Institute.

2. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify.

It’s crucial that you don’t overwhelm your readers with too much information. Be concise and focus on one clear message. Before you mail out your newsletter or hit send on the email, make sure you’ve cut out everything that’s not necessary. That might even mean stepping away from your content for awhile and coming back for one last pass at trimming it down.

3. Create a Hierarchy of Information.

In addition to keeping your newsletter simple, you also want it to be well organized. Since most people only spend a limited time reading a newsletter, it’s crucial that you put your most important information first. If you have a lot of information to communicate and you’re sending an email, consider linking out to your website.

4. Provide Information that Educates Your Customers.

Your newsletter should offer reliable and informative content. Send your customers information that is useful to them, and they are more likely to engage with it. Regularly sending educational content can help build your customers’ trust in you as they come to see you as an expert in your field.

5. Keep Your Layout Clean.

No matter how helpful your information is, it also needs to be visually appealing and easy for your readers to digest. In our age of social media, most people are used to reading in short bursts, so your newsletter should cater to a short attention span. Use headers to break up sections and present information in bulleted lists that are easy to read. Keep your design simple and use plenty of white space.

6. Create a Customer Feedback Loop.

Creating an engaging and educational newsletter is important. Getting customer feedback on your messaging is just as important. Customer feedback loops are extremely efficient ways to improve your services and to meet customer’s needs. Creating this customer interaction, you can gather information that is important to your audience, learn from it and tweak your messaging to make it more meaningful. Make sure you include avenues for feedback in your newsletter, invite people to participate in the conversation through surveys. Offer incentives for feedback. Some examples are: a free inspection or a giveaway of a promotional item. Make sure to include an email address, survey link and contact information.

 

Sometimes Utilities and City Departments wonder if printed collateral like flyers are actually worth the investment. A recent victory for the Sierra Madre Police Association is a great example of just how influential a flyer campaign can be.

In April, Sierra Madre faced a vote to repeal their UUT, or Utility Users’ Tax. A repeal of this tax would have slashed the city’s budget by 24%, or about 2.6 million dollars. It would have meant layoffs for the Police and Fire Departments and would have decimated funding for the Library and Community Services.

Luckily, the Police Association decided to create and distribute a flyer breaking down the realities of the UUT repeal. Detective Supervisor Henry Amos explains that the Police Association was planning to distribute a flyer alongside one from the City, but when the City’s didn’t materialize, the Police Association decided to create their own to get the word out. The Association isn’t active on social media, so they didn’t think that trying to make a push on Facebook made sense. They decided that they could actually reach more community members with a mailer campaign than via the Internet.

The Measure D to repeal the UUT was worded in such a way that a vote of “no” would save the tax, while a vote of “yes” would cut it. It was crucial that the Police Association make sure people understood that they needed to vote “no” in order to keep the funding. They knew they needed to spell out the facts about losing the UUT in a way anyone could understand.

“Because people don’t always read the fine print,” says Amos. “We wanted the big, bold letters to say VOTE NO.”

A flyer with clear graphics and a focused message was exactly what they needed. They worked with Goldstreet Designs to communicate the most important information in the clearest way possible. Says Amos of working with Goldstreet: “They were able to research information the Association didn’t have the skillset to find, and they were also able to get the info to where it made sense.”

The final flyer uses graphics to show just how many positions and services would be lost if the UUT was repealed. It translates the complicated wording of Measure D into concise points of information that get at the heart of what was at stake. It was distributed as a mailer, so voters would be able to hold it in their hands as they read it, rather than just clicking past it online.

In the end, the UUT was not repealed, and the vote was shot down 1841 to 400, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Does Amos think the flyer helped win the vote they needed? “Oh yeah,” he says, “The repeal was shot down by about 80% because of it.” The largest margin of victory in voting history.

 

In today´s technology driven world, hosting a community event offers a rare chance to connect with people on a truly personal level. One on one contact gives your utility a human face, helps to create good feelings among the people you serve, and can also make your message more impactful. To ensure you make the most of the opportunity, here are a few tips for planning your event:

Have a Key Message

Before you get started, be sure that you’re clear about the main point you want the public to take away. Trying to cover too many topics at once can water down your message and make it hard for people to remember. Alternatively, one key message that you support through signage, promotional materials and talking points is more likely to have lasting impact.

Think About Your Audience

Now that your clear about your message, it’s time to think about where to deliver it. Is your information targeted to adults, children, homeowners, pet owners? Think about your audience and make sure you plan your event where they might best be reached. Considering budget vs impact is also important. Because outreach resources are often tight, you want to spend more of your budget on programs that have a wider reach and less on those for a smaller audience.

Get the Word Out

Promoting your event is also crucial to its success. You can start generating interest ahead of time through social media, website posts, media outlets, community calendars, etc. A little buzz can go along way!

Don´t Be a Wallflower

When it comes to the day of the event, it´s either go big or be invisible. So make sure you brand your booth with banners, table covers and other signage that stand out and deliver your key message. There´s no such thing as being too visible!

Make Your Booth the Place to Be

Giveaways are always a great way to attract people to your booth. To make them more meaningful, develop promotional items that tie in with your key message. For example, if you want to teach kids about water conservation, you could consider a colorful activity book with teaching points around the subject. To build the excitement, invite people in for a game with the giveaways as prizes. Educating the public through games and activities brings a sense of fun to the learning process and helps them remember your message. Be sure to follow the activities with a take home handout that reinforces your point.

Put Your Best Face Forward

Preparing your staff is key to making your community event a success. After all, these are the people that will literally be the face of your company. Make sure that they are well prepared with talking points that deliver a consistent message. Just as important is being a good host. Branded refreshments and a smile will make people feel welcome and more apt to listen your message.

Need more help with your community event? Goldstreet has developed outreach programs for utilities and agencies across the country. The activities and communication pieces we create will get noticed and resonate with your customers.

 

SITUATION ANALYSIS: For a desert farming town such as El Centro, storm water and water conservation practices are of critical importance. Educating children on these topics is a great way to instill healthy habits from an early age and help safeguard the future of the community. The City of El Centro hosts a booth at Earth Day and several other fairs throughout the year with a focus on storm water and drought education. The challenge for Goldstreet was to develop age appropriate materials that would teach kids about these important subjects while still being fun and engaging.

SOLUTION: To bring a sense of fun and excitement to the event booth, Goldstreet helped to create a Plinko game where kids won activity books and other promotional items. The colorful booklets taught kids about storm water and drought practices through mad libs, crosswords, decoders and other games. In order to engage children of different ages and learning styles, Goldstreet developed one book for 1st to 3rd graders and another for 4th to 6th graders. The agency also created give away items such as crayons, pencil sharpeners, sunglasses, water bottles and tote bags. On hand for the adults, were other printed materials on storm water and water conservation. El Centro reports that both kids and their parents were delighted with the Plinko game, books and other giveaways and often returned to the booth a second time. Over the past three years, they estimate a total of 25,000 drought and storm water themed promotional items have been given away at their community events.

“Goldstreet has been an invaluable partner in creating our promotional items. And they are marvelous during the communication process. They keep in constant contact with us throughout our projects.” – Tim Rogers, City of El Centro

 

Brochures are a great opportunity to communicate with your customers in a more detailed manner than postcards or social media posts allow. But is your message on point or is it getting lost in translation? Following these five writing tips will help you create clear, concise copy that keeps your audience engaged.

TIP #1: BREAK IT DOWN

Because brochures contain more copy than many mediums, getting started can feel a little overwhelming. Writing an outline will help you clarify your thoughts and make sure you stick to the point. This means first writing down the MOST IMPORTANT POINTS you want your customers to take away. Try to sum up the major points in just one sentence. For example, a simple outline for a brochure about Fats, Oils and Grease might look something like this:

FOGS ARE FATS, OILS AND GREASE

FOGS CAN CAUSE BACKUPS IN YOUR HOME

FOGS CAN HARM THE ENVIRONMENT

BACKUPS FROM FOGS ARE PREVENTABLE

Once you have the major points, you can then go back in and fill in the supporting details you would like to include in each section. For example:

BACKUPS FROM FOG ARE PREVENTABLE

Don´t scrape food particles into the sink.

Can and recycle cooking oil.

Your outline is not necessarily the final wording you will use. But it does give you a road map to follow so you don’t get lost or bogged down while writing your brochure. Remember, if you’re not sure about what you want to say, your customers won’t be either.

TIP #2: DON’T THROW IN THE KITCHEN SINK

In today’s world of sound-bites and tweets, it can be challenging to keep your readers’ attention. Overloading your audience with unnecessary details may give them an easy excuse to tune your message out. As you write, try to ask yourself if the information you’re relaying is both vital to making your main point and pertinent to your reader. For example, utility customers need to know that throwing oil down a storm drain is illegal. However, they don’t need to know the number and section of that specific city law. Fine tuning your copy in this manner will help you cut the fluff and keep your message on point.

TIP #3: CUT THE SHOP TALK

As with all industries, the utilities sector has its own specific terms and jargon. For your average reader, however, using overly technical language can be confusing. Be sure to review each section of your brochure and ask yourself if somebody outside the utility industry would get what you’re trying to say. If not, try to re-write the section in a way that a friend or relative would easily understand. This exercise is vital to keeping your copy understandable and your readers engaged.

TIP #4: SPICE UP YOUR SUB-HEADS

One of the pitfalls of writing technical copy is that it’s easy to fall into a flat, boring tone. Incorporating personality may seem challenging, but a little can go a long way. A great place to start is with your subheads. To keep your readers attention, try making them a little unexpected or humorous. Including a benefit for your customers in a subhead is also a good way to keep them reading. Don’t be afraid to play with your copy a bit. It could make your brochure more fun to write and to read!

TIP #5: WALKING AWAY CAN BE A GOOD THING

While working on a brochure, it´s easy to get “too close” to the copy and lose your objectivity. If your schedule allows, it’s important to walk a way for an hour or even a day and then read what you wrote with a fresh eye. You may find that a message you thought you were relaying clearly is actually confusing. Or that certain details aren’t pertinent to your main point. Giving yourself a little breather can help you see things you missed and may even give you fresh insights!

Feeling mentally blocked after focusing for a long time? Sometimes a mini-break can help. Try getting up, walking around or even doing a few stretches. A little physical activity can loosen your mind up and help you get back into the flow again!