The City of Wichita recently received recognition from the City and County Communication and Marketing Association (3CMA). In a national competition, the City was presented several first and second place awards as well as a "Best of the Best" award for outstanding efforts in communicating city programs and services to citizens. The awards were presented at the organization's national convention in San Antonio, Texas.
The City's Web site, www.wichita.gov, received a Silver Circle Award for best Web Site technology. Judges said, "The use of the portal to guide service areas is very functional. A user can spend a lot of time in this site and enjoy every minute of it. Wichita has a great marketing tool for the city!" National finalists in this category included Tallahassee, Fla., and Orlando, Fla.
The City received a Silver Circle Award for the "Heroes Wanted" Fire Recruitment campaign. Judges remarked, "An effective image building effort that achieved amazing results with a modest budget. Compelling graphics, featuring hometown heroes, were the key to this program's success." Finalists in this category included Wichita's "Heart of Wichita" Housing campaign (which took first place) and Corpus Christi, Texas.
The SAVVY Award, which is presented to the best entry in each category, went to the City for its "Heart of Wichita" Housing campaign. Judges said, "Wichita creatively re-packaged its home improvement programs into a neighborhood revitalization campaign. A model marketing program with documented results."
The judges also awarded the City with the President's Award. This "Best of the Best" Award is presented to a City that has done the most outstanding job in communicating city programs and services with its citizens. First presented in 1999, the President's Award is not an award category that a City can enter and is given at the discretion of the judges. The President's Award is the highest honor a City or County can receive from 3CMA.
The City Council recognized Marketing Services Director Jessica Johnson and Web Master Mike Mayta for their outstanding work on these programs at a recent City Council meeting. Johnson accepted the awards, on the City's behalf, in San Antonio.
The SAVVY Awards are a prestigious national competition. The awards recognize outstanding local government achievements in communications, public sector marketing, and citizen-government relationships. The SAVVYs salute skilled and effective city and county government professionals who have creatively planned and carried out successful innovations in these fields. There are over 1000 cities that are members and this year's awards program received over 700 entries.