Experience

For nearly 30 years, Creative Communications has helped a diverse mix of clients accomplish change through effective communications. Our experience is extensive and includes work performed for government and public entities, small to mid-size businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and nonprofit organizations.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

City of Albuquerque

City of Albuquerque
Over a 7-year partnership, lead a multi-pronged approach that initiated with facilitating community dialogs throughout the City of Albuquerque to identify concerns and solutions to address stigma, access to treatment and law enforcement response to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Results
The Creating Community Solutions Dialog on Mental Health provided the city with a roadmap on recommendations that resulted in implementing evidence-based crisis intervention; collaboration with stakeholders to enhance outreach and services; youth-led engagement in breaking the silence about mental health; a detailed report describing the the impact of substance abuse on the city with recommendations and best practices to facilitate recovery; development of an initial 42-bed single site supportive housing model within the city; and the award of two federal grants to implement court-ordered Assisted Outpatient Treatment for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and to improved linkages to treatment and recovery through engagement with a peer in the hospital emergency room when an individual experiences an overdose.

Delaware Office of Highway Safety

Delaware Office of Highway Safety
In Delaware, male drivers in between the ages of 21 – 34 are disproportionately involved in a high number of alcohol-related traffic accidents. The Delaware Office of Highway Safety contracted with Creative Communications to develop a multi-faceted social marketing campaign aimed as part of its DUI prevention program.

Results
Messaging for the DUI: When a Drink Costs More Than You Think campaign focused on the financial and social impact of a DUI. The campaign included development of When a drink … brand, an employee communications kit, and public relations events. With the participation of 20 top employers in the State of Delaware, the campaign resulted in broadening the audience reach by more than 50,000. Through target messaging, the campaign resulted in educating male drivers between the ages of 21 – 34 about the financial and social impact of a DUI offense; as well as persuaded the target audience not to drive once they consumed alcohol.

Delaware Division of Public Health

Delaware Division of Public Health
Despite ongoing education efforts, the incidence of childhood lead poisoning continues to be an issue nationwide, particularly in areas of the country with large urban populations and significant numbers of buildings constructed prior to 1978, such as Delaware.

Results
Developed and implemented a multi-phase 3-year campaign utilizing social marketing and public relations. The Don’t Be Mislead campaign focused on increasing the impact, awareness and prevention of lead poisoning in children throughout the state. As a result of the campaign, the number of childhood lead poisoning incidents reported in Delaware significantly decreased, in addition to realizing an increase in the number of children who were screened for lead poisoning during routine physical examines.

ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS

Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies
Changing business conditions and an increasingly competitive market raised a need for Agilent’s Americas Field Operation group to create energy and alignment to its new organizational goals around increased revenue, growth and profitability.

Results
Over the course of several years, Creative Communications assisted with the development and delivery of a series of Managers’ Summits the management team with communications skills and tools to lead the major change initiative with their staff. With a focus on radically improving the customer’s experience, strategies included growing market share, improving customer satisfaction and increasing sales effectiveness. The improved change communication skills enabled the leadership team to engage in meaningful conversation with sales employees. Year-over-year sales growth and return on invested capital exceeded expectations.

Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories
To secure future research and development work, Sandia National Laboratories identified a need to increase efficiency and effectiveness. It included the development of and implementation of a new communications approach that emphasizes the importance of “engaged communications” and the role of leadership in the communications process.

Results
A case study outlining the Communications for Change approach — communications for understanding, commitment and action — was developed as a model for Lab-wide implementation. Early results demonstrated that this new approach to organizational communications helped Sandia’s management team gain a deeper level of understanding and alignment to the Lab’s goal’s and objectives. A complete summary of this approach and the lessons learned was documented in a case study for further implementation Lab-wide.

METRIC-BASED MARKETING

Port of Wilmington, DE

Port of Wilmington, DE
The Port of Wilmington’s marketing strategies outcomes included increased growth in cargo tonnage through expansion of its customer base. The quarterly magazine content, a resource to reach existing and potential customers, did not adequately address the Port’s diverse and segmented niche market base.

Results
In addition to updating the design of 24-page quarterly magazine, the content was revamped to address differentiating capabilities, features, benefits and the trade route advantages the Port offered to a more diverse customer mix. The distribution was expanded to targeted specialized carriers, while highlighting the Port’s unique capabilities to handle niche cargoes. This plus implementation of additional outreach strategies to target markets resulted in a significant increase of overall cargo tonnage through the Port of Wilmington and an expanded customer base.

Bluewater Wind, LLC

Bluewater Wind, LLC
Bluewater Wind, an offshore wind energy company, needed public education and media relations to support the public outreach requirements of its marketing plan. Bluewater Wind was seeking award of a contract to build the country’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Sussex County, Delaware.

Results
Developed a public education and media relations campaign to support public outreach activities during the proposal process. The campaign enabled Bluewater Wind to target individuals and community groups, as well as state regulatory and planning officials, to identify individual constituents. The ongoing government affairs, community and public relations efforts during the proposal process increased awareness and support for the renewable-energy wind farm project. The public support led to negotiations for a long-term contract between the Public Utility Commission, Delmarva Power and Bluewater Wind.

Delaware State Parks

Delaware State Parks
The State of Delaware’s park system features nine unique and historic properties that were under-utilized due to low awareness and understanding of the wide variety of facilities available. Delaware State Parks aimed to increase awareness and utilization of the properties for public and corporate use.

Results
Developed a marketing package and campaign aimed at uniquely positioning the State Park venues as Special Places for Any Occasion. Campaign materials included a package of multi-use materials, a 4-color pocket folder, brochure and individual inserts that could be custom assembled to feature one or more of the facilities to meet prospect needs. By focusing on the unique historic and architectural attributes of each of the individual properties, both awareness and utilization of the Park’s properties have increased in both the public and corporate market segments.