The Evolution of Not Asking for Directions

I was cleaning out my car the other day.  It’s normally a fairly tame task, in fact the only time it can get a little exciting is when cleaning out under the seats. There’s something about not being able to see what you’re doing, reaching up at awkward angles, rooting around in the wiring and seat railings never knowing what long lost treasure, or trash, you may find. Amongst the spare change and a leaking ink pen, I fished out an old mainstay – a road map. I got a little nostalgic thinking about how things have changed from the last time I pulled out a road map, which is getting close to a decade ago.  It was my tool for driving back and forth across the country while changing duty stations when I was in the military.  The last line of defense from getting lost, and perhaps the only thing worse than getting lost….having to stop and ask for directions.

Keeping your stakeholders and the community informed of project status updates can be daunting; especially if you have several means of communicating with them:  i.e. social media, print material, agency website, etc. One great way to ensure consistent messaging while maintaining current real time information about the project to the greater community and stakeholders is to establish a project website.  This website can easily link to your agency site so that it’s easy to find.

In Tip # 3 of our Public Involvement Toolbox, I’m going to walk you through five misconceptions of this underestimated and valuable tool.  

Agencies all over the world are looking to roundabout art to provide aesthetically pleasing options to roundabout real estate that is otherwise difficultto maintain. As we continue along our Roads 2.0 series, I’d like to share a Q/A session I had with Brad Emerson, Special Projects Director with the City of Bend, Oregon regarding their successful roundabout art program.

Upon arrival into Bend, I stopped into the “Visit Bend” visitor center, picked up a map showcasing their collection and participated in a self-guided tour of their “Roundabout Art Route”.   They have turned these impressive works of art into an opportunity to promote tourism.  It also provides a firsthand look into the infrastructure changes and growth happening within their community.

In our previous post from our PI Toolbox Series, we shared with you Step 1 - Developing a Marketing Plan. Now, we will be discussing establishing a “brand” for your project. 

These tips will assist you in connecting with stakeholders and garnering public attention. Brands are powerful for communicating the purpose of your project and the goals you hope to achieve.

The following are 5 steps we recommend you follow to support your public involvement effort:

1.  What’s in a name? 

Project names for agency contracts can often be technical in nature and too descriptive. Create a short, memorable phrase that is “catchy” and will represent the goals of the project. Use the phrase anytime you reference the project in public and as a team. The media will likely pick it up and use it as well.