In Valdez, Alaska, their tight-knit community can often be found enjoying the available natural beauty and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. The City of Valdez Parks and Recreation Department fosters this appreciation of the outdoors and community connection with high-quality recreational activities, maintaining parks and trails, and promoting community well-being.

Palisade is a small town nestled on Colorado’s western slope. Offering over 30 wineries, nationally-known Palisade peaches, and boundless outdoor activities, this hidden gem is looking to draw in part of Colorado’s massive tourism industry. They hired Slate to drive their tourism marketing campaign.

Small communities may not have the same budgets and staff available to dedicate to economic development efforts. How do you compete with limited resources? In Mead, Colorado, we developed the materials and strategies to launch their economic development efforts: Built for Mead. 

The words “urban renewal” and “economic development” may not be understood by the general public, so how do you create something that explains the importance of these projects and their impact on the community? Parker, Colorado, is ahead of the curve in trying to demystify urban renewal and is backing up this strategy by doubling down on economic development marketing.

Nestled between Boulder and Denver, the Town of Superior recognized the importance of keeping the community of 13,000 residents engaged in local government operations, policies, and initiatives. Leadership wanted a resource to provide essential Town information, connect residents, foster community pride, and serve as a comprehensive communication tool.

The City of Corinth is a steadily growing community. Noticing the growth around them, the City organization wanted to harbor that growth to appeal to a more diverse population including younger families. Additionally, there was a need to market the community to bring in new retail establishments, restaurants, and build new community gathering spaces.

Local pride and history run deep in mountain communities. When developing a brand for an evolving town that wants to pay homage to its roots, the process includes conversations with elected officials, stakeholders, and community members and multiple rounds of revisions. 

The City of Baytown sought more than just a monthly e-newsletter; they wanted to spotlight key projects and community programs. Partnering with Slate, they developed the “Baytown Voice,” a quarterly publication featuring City news, feature stories, and Parks and Recreation information.

The Slate team is excited to announce a brand-new conference for Colorado local government communicators. This day-long event will guide our colleagues to take the next step in strategic communications for their local government organization.

As a fast-growing, destination community, the Town of Winter Park needed an experienced communications strategist who’s been there before. They also needed a skilled graphic designer, a top-notch writer, a videographer, a social media strategist, a public engagement expert...basically, they needed a communications department.

Who’s not experiencing staffing issues at the moment? It’s a tough nut to crack, especially for organizations in the public sector that need to compete with private sector salaries and benefits.

How do you develop a brand for a community that prides itself on inclusivity and creativity? We started by forming a committee to help us fully understand the heart of the city and have them critique the branding process throughout every stage.