The Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday approved an agreement with a consulting firm who will help the city with a strategic communications strategy.
The agreement—totaling $96,000— encompasses an audit of the city’s current communications, followed by an audit of its digital and website content. Hirons will also develop a long-term strategic communications plan and work to develop one in case of some sort of crisis.
“One of the things that early on we talked about with council is to really create a more strategic, comprehensive communication strategy and plan,” Eric Frey, executive director of administration, told fellow board members. “I think some of the things we learned through the cyber attack and just throughout the year, have really elevated this priority to develop some really concrete strategies.”
The process will start with a two-hour “kickoff and discovery session” this month, according to the scope of work. Hirons team will meet with the mayor, department heads, and the council “to debrief on current and previous communications and public relations efforts.”
“We’ll discuss existing perceptions, objectives, and challenges that the mayor’s office is currently facing,” the scope of work reads. “We’ll also use this time to identify the goals and objectives for this campaign as well as any key performance indicators through which to measure the success of the partnership.”
Hirons will develop a strategic plan tailored to the city’s needs in hopes of ensuring that “the city’s communications are clear, consistent and compelling.”
The agreement will run through next May.
Mayor Mary Ferdon said she met representatives from the firm during an Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (AIM) conference.
“Their speciality is critical incidents, and so we really need somebody to help us strategize around critical incidents and then just help us set up a long-term plan for internal action,” Ferdon said, mentioning she spoke with Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers about his experience with Hirons, who had worked for the city when there was a 2022 shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall.
