North Texas Municipal Water District
Branding, Communications and Crisis Management
Wiley, Texas
Project Overview
The North Texas Municipal Water District, serves nearly 2 million water customers in 10 counties. The 60-year-old agency was in need of a communications/branding update to align the agency’s communications materials and messaging with the sophistication of its services. It also needed additional assistance with communications around its yearly disinfection maintenance to combat misinformation.
Sigler Communications' Role
Sigler Communications was retained by NTMWD to completely overhaul and refresh the District’s communications materials including writing and designing the District’s website, creating infographics and eNewsletters, updating the social media channels, writing and designing the annual report, crafting crisis communications plans and videos and designing other building and visitor center displays.
Since then, Sigler has helped lead strategic communications for the District on a variety of highly contentious issues including water rates contract negotiations and attacks by a national activist Erin Brockovitch regarding the routine annual disinfection maintenance processes that NTMWD uses to maintain its pipes and ensure high quality water delivery. Local activists engaged Brockovitch to start a social media and news media firestorm that put the local cities NTMWD serves in the position of having to inform constituents about the misinformation and diffuse concerns about the safety of the drinking water supply.
Deliverables
Annual reports to share successes and challenges
eNewsletters targeted to specific audiences
Powerpoint templates to carry the branding through presentations
Writing and designing an updated responsive website
Completely revamped the District’s website.
Created infographics
Developed Chlorine Maintenance Graphic
Developed Chlorine Maintenance Factsheet
Results
NTMWD’s branding has professionalized and positioned the District as a leading water provider in Texas. Website traffic has increased significantly including the time spent on the site and the pages visitors are viewing. Other districts throughout the state seek NTMWD’s advice on how to rebrand their own entities.
In addition NTMWD successfully diffused concerns regarding the safety of its water supply and maintenance practices. Using strategic messaging, easy-to-understand graphics, third-party experts in videos and informational public meetings the vast majority of customers accepted the annual disinfection process.