By Lee Griffi
The town has introduced its first-ever comprehensive communication strategy.
The initiative responds to previous challenges faced by the town in effectively keeping people informed and fostering a cohesive online presence.
“Ingersoll's Communication Strategy marks a pivotal moment in our town's journey towards greater connectivity and cohesion. By prioritizing clear communication and embracing fresh, innovative approaches, we're building a tighter-knit community where everyone's voice counts and is respected. I am confident that this strategy will pave the way for a brighter future for Ingersoll,” said mayor Brian Petrie.
Siobhan Witte is the town’s communications officer who said she can’t wait to see the plan progress.
"As the architect behind our new communication strategy, I'm excited to witness its impact in bringing our community closer together. Our strategy isn't just about words, it's about fostering genuine connections and ensuring everyone feels heard and included. I can't wait to see the positive changes it brings to Ingersoll.”
Witte said she consulted senior staff at the town which provided her with some valuable insight to ensure the strategy aligned with the broader organizational goals and priorities. The first step in the process was to conduct a SWOT analysis, an exercise that lists an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Witte said the findings served as a foundation for the plan’s development.
“We can build and hone in on what communication means to the town. This plan is designed to effectively drive our objectives which include increasing public engagement, boosting tourism, and promoting diversity and inclusion.”
The plan incorporates a mechanism to hear from people on issues of the day and one of the tools being utilized is Flashvote, something that gathers real-time feedback.
“Residents can conveniently respond to questions about projects, polices or events we are doing and they can do that through a mobile device or computer. People can call in if they don’t have access to those. The platform provides the town with instant data analysis and visualization.”
Witte explained it promotes one of their objectives which is to be more transparent and once a survey closes anyone with a Flashvote account will be able to see the results and comments, the same way the town would.
“That way we can make informed decisions based on that. We are looking to better serve the community through the communications platform,” she added.
The town admitted it had inconsistent branding which made it difficult to establish an identity in the public eye. Different templates, fonts and colours were used. Witte said it caused issues for residents who found it hard to figure out what was coming from where.
“It was harder for them to see what was going on because they couldn’t fully identify if it was coming from the town proper or another organization. We have addressed these issues and solidified the use of the town logo versus the crest, the brand colours and fonts, for a unified feel.”
The town hoped to see feedback from residents early in the plan’s implementation, something Witte said is happening.
“I have seen a lot of changes in the online comments. There is a lot more positivity and different community members are sharing posts and getting the word out. We are also looking at doing more events in the town to cultivate a stronger sense of community.”
Witte added the plan is a fluid document meaning she is able to make changes on the fly to meet current needs.
“I can move things around in order to stay on budget or prioritize. It will be interesting to see how that comes along and I have nothing but ambition so I am ready to go!”
The plan also designed and implemented an online digital program guide for Community Services and aims to garner media attention through press releases on prominent platforms such as the Echo, CBC News, London Free Press, Heart FM and MSN.com
The phased-in plan is in year one and in year two the town will implement its finalized social media and diversity policies.