Community Engagement = More Hands to Save More Lives Alison Faris - - PDF document

2/24/2011 1

Community Engagement = More Hands to Save More Lives

Alison Faris City of Tallahassee employee & Proud member of the TLCASC Communications Team Erika Leckington Director, Tallahassee Leon Community Animal Service Center

A Successful Campaign

Tallahassee‐Leon Community Animal Service Center

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Getting to know Tallahassee!

• Population
• Education
• Media
• Resources

TLCASC at a Glance

Largest shelter in the region

• Open admission
• Municipal shelter
• 27 full time employees
• 12,500 square feet
• Built in 1995
• Convenient Location
• Convenient Location

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TLCASC at a Glance

Largest shelter in the region

• 10k annual intake
• 52% euthanasia
• 32% adopted
• 16% returned to owner

Keys to Success

• Winning Team
• Workable Theme
• Workable Theme
• Strategic Marketing Plan
• Community Participation
• Media Involvement
• Special Events
• Special Events
• Utilization of Resources
• Innovative Ideas

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Winning Team

• Our diverse team vastly expanded our reach
• Recruited people who know people
• Recruited talent
• Animal Service Center Staff
• Graphic artist
• Media coordinator
• Video producer

W b d i

Meet Often

• Web designer
• Social media managers
• Event planner

Workable Theme

• Interesting
• Easy to communicate
• Online ( eb email social media)
• Online (web, email, social media)
• Print (posters, invitations,)
• Video (promotional)
• Word of Mouth (short, easy to pronounce, catchy)
• Developed a logo specific to the campaign theme
• Visual
• Mascot
• Provided the Pet Perspective

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Strategic Marketing Plan

• Proposed outcome

O tli d k

• Outlined key messages
• Established budget
• Identified audience
• Targeted groups
• Detailed actions to be taken

Continuously Update Plan

Detailed actions to be taken

• Assigned tasks
• Imposed deadlines

Community Participation

• Implemented the “Agent” program that

engaged the community engaged the community

• Business Partners
• Community Leaders
• Media Personalities
• Animal Advocates
• Made it easy
• Provided necessary tools

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• 1. Compiled a list of high profile people in the

community

Star Agent Program

• 2. Met with them and presented a photo album of

adoptable pets

• 3. Asked them to choose a pet that they would be

willing to promote

Star Agent Program

willing to promote

• 4. Provided them with tools
• Encouraging Email
• Photo
• Campaign Flyer
• Adoptions Instructions
• Adoptions Instructions

Provide hard & electronic copies

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• 5. Frequent communication offering feedback and

updates

Star Agent Program

• 6. Thank You/Congratulations email notification of

when the pet was adopted

Involved the Media

• Identified media partners
• TV
• Radio

Radio

• Print
• Met with media reps
• Enlisted media reps to participate on both a personal and

professional level

• Coordinated press events with the theme
• Coordinated press events with the theme
• Red carpet kick‐off
• Update to announce voting
• Wrap‐up

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Involved the Media

• Scheduled Weekly Appearances on TV and

Radio Programs

Special Events

• Hosted Events at the Shelter
• Adopt‐a‐thon
• Rabies/Microchip Clinics
• Celebrations
• Host Events off‐site
• Press events
• Press events
• Adoption events

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Special Events

• Partners hosted events

Allow them to plan, staff & organize event

Special Events

• Attended & participated in community events
• Downtown Get Down
• Puppies in the Pool
• School Activities
• Dog‐o‐ween

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Utilized Resources

• Mailed inserts in utility bills
• Developed a promotional video that ran on local cable channel and shared
• nline
• Advertised on city buses
• Advertised on city buses
• Emails sent via school list‐serves
• Flyers sent home with students
• Displayed posters at vet offices, community centers and retailers
• Sent creative directly to website owners to post
• Drafted email tag for everyone to use
• Partnered with major employers

Partnered with major employers

• Identify & utilized high‐profile campaign supporters
• Mayor
• City Manager
• Newspaper Editor‐In‐Chief
• TV/Radio Personalities

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Innovative Ideas

• Created Opportunities to Promote Campaign Theme
• Communication Pieces
• Press Releases

Press Releases

• Posters/Fliers
• Emails
• Video Series
• http://www.youtube.com/user/WCOT
• Special events

Innovative Ideas

• Utilize Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Blog, You Tube)
• 24/7 Source of Information
• Event Promotion

Event Promotion

• Prompted People to Vote and Made it Easy with Direct Link
• Everyone has the Opportunity to Participate
• Seek Out Unique Partnerships
• Bakery
• Fitness Studio
• Grocery Market

y

• Bloodmobile
• Lounge
• Apartment Complexes

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Challenges

• Short timeframe, a lot to do
• No shortage of ideas

g

• Ideas weren’t always popular
• Matching agents to pets that had to

be euthanized

• Discovered that targeting groups of potential pet
• wners was more successful than promoting a
• wners was more successful than promoting a

specific kind of pet

Don’t get discouraged

Shelter Challenges

• Volunteer collaboration
• 3 sizable confiscation cases
• Affidavits
• Shortage of animals
• Free no longer incentive

enough!

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Adoption Statistics

Dogs Cats Aug 2009 119 104 A 2010 229 (92%) 194 (77%) Aug 2010 229 (92%) 194 (77%) Sept 2009 129 88 Sept 2010 188 (46%) 91 (3%) Oct 2009 137 106 Oct 2010 236 (65%) 150 (42%)

• Less animals transferred to other rescues in ’10 than ’09
• Dog transfers in October increased by 200% (48)
• Cat euthanasia dropped 25%
• Intakes were down for cats & up for dogs (29% in Aug)

What Now?

• Free adults
• Reduction in fees after 30 days

Reduction in fees after 30 days

• Waiving s/n fees
• Target audiences

for events

• Landlord checks

Landlord checks

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Questions?

Tallahassee‐Leon Community Animal Service Center Tallahassee, Florida

850‐891‐2950 Erika Leckington@talgov com Erika.Leckington@talgov.com Alison.Faris@talgov.com

Visit http://challenge.aspcapro.org s ttp //c a e ge aspcap o o g

• webinar recordings, slides, bonus tip‐sheets

Coming Attractions :

In It to Win It! $100K Winners Spill Their Secret Sauce – Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s story b 23 February 23 What is the 2011 ASPCA $100K Challenge? March 2, 3, 4 > 3 one‐hour sessions to choose from!