Omaha By Design
Situation
Omaha, Neb.-based Omaha By Design (OBD) is a partnership between Lively Omaha and its parent organization Omaha Community Foundation, City of Omaha Mayor's office and the city's Planning Department. OBD encompassed one of the most comprehensive urban planning process ever undertaken by a North American city.
OBD had little awareness as it embarked upon its plan to get its comprehensive urban design plan for aesthetic standards, green space and neighborhood planning written into the city's Master Plan. For some audiences, the challenge was education; for others it was persuading them that higher aesthetic standards would be worth the price. Balancing conflicting needs of the various constituencies required a groundswell of support from the public.
PR Action
The multi-year (2004-2007) project included creating public awareness of the initiative and maximizing public participation in the process to inventory the green, civic and neighborhood resources of Omaha, and formulate an urban design framework and detailed recommendation. Hanser & Associates' (H&A) Omaha office and Omaha-based Redstone Communications created and implemented a comprehensive integrated marketing communications strategy and program, including public relations, branding, collateral, advertising and interactive.
As a cornerstone of the plan to get OBD's recommendations included in the Master Plan, a comprehensive public relations strategy by H&A was created and executed in order to raise awareness, garner public support and speak to the various constituencies. PR tactics included public forums (each held at the Scott Conference Center received heavy attention from the news media); speaking engagements (the Executive Director was equipped with presentation materials to speak to civic and professionals groups around the city); news conferences, and dozens of media briefings and interviews; and monthly informational distributions via Omaha’s largest employers.
Results
Many news placements by H&A in print, TV and radio media, along with the other tactics, helped get the messages out and gathered meaningful input which built community-wide consensus.
Another result: H&A's public relations staff is intimately familiar with Omaha, and built closer working relationships with its leaders and
influentials, as the result of our PR work with Omaha By Design.