We All Count in 2020 Census

Phase II: Our Vision is Clear. Everyone Counts. | December 2019 – April 2020

As we prepared for the New Year, we saw the opportunity of having a perfect vision in 2020, so our campaign focused on “Our Vision is Clear. Everyone Counts.” The slogan opened an opportunity to include promotional 2020 Census sunglasses as a hook to have conversations about the census everywhere we go.

The messages and resources that we created to use in our communication channels (PEG channel, website, weekly e-newsletter, radio station, social media, utility bills, special events and publications) were also developed for community sharing in mind. 

The multiple video PSAs we produced include diverse community members from local artists to physicians to elected officials. Our visual materials include pop-up banners, posters, digital images for web, video bulletin boards and social media and printed cards. We also included a full page in our winter/spring parks guide which was mailed to all households. 

Grassroots outreach is essential in developing relationships and changing attitudes. Since we started early, we have been able to recruit and include volunteer Census ambassadors and community influencers to assist in spreading messages in targeted areas. We are continuously speaking at formal and informal gatherings throughout the city, including HOAs, not-for-profit and faith-based organizations, and business groups and maintaining a presence at athletic activities and other community events. We have engaged the assistance of representatives from various ethnic groups within our community to understand how to best message and reach those key audiences to motivate them to fill out their forms. 

Tapping into Talent

In the fall we pitched a 2020 Census challenge to a talented pool of young writers and designers who aspire to develop campaigns. These are students enrolled in our local high school’s AICE Media Studies program. Annually, this class works with select local not-for-profit organizations to create a media campaign for their use. We gave them some census background and two different target audiences (ages 18-34 and our culturally diverse community) to select for their campaigns. We recently received extensive plans and materials from four groups to review. 

While the jury is still out on which campaign, messages or tactics may be used, this was a great way for students to get involved in the process, become census ambassadors and build their portfolio of work.

Social Engagement

Ten years ago, social media messaging was mostly just words on a post. Today you need interactivity and moving digital images to keep the users interested and engaged on the ever-growing platforms. 

While we are hashtagging, sharing, liking and posting the national, state and local Census posts and messages, we are creating some local interactive assets too. In addition to just a post with photos or video, we plan to use animated stories, geo-filters and profile frames. 

While this is all new to us, it is our hope that these tactics will bring in new and younger census advocates. After all, they will be around for many more Census campaigns in their lifetimes.

Good luck to all as we work towards our common goal to achieve a full Census count in 2020. 

Full page display ad in Weston @Play Parks Guide

Video PSAs featuring elected officials and diverse members of the community

Strategically placed banners in Commission Chambers

Instagram / Facebook Story featuring local community members

Draft of animated Snapchat geofilter for event locations

This is all made possible by the collaborative work of our team, which includes fellow 3CMA members, Denise Barrett, Director of Communications and Nannette Rodriguez, of Quest Corporation of America, as well as our talented staff.