Situation

The City of Ishpeming was struggling with a negative public perception related to issues such as drugs, blight, and infrastructure despite its family-friendly, community-oriented, and outdoor recreation attributes. Siren was contracted to coordinate proactive communication that built trust within the community and strengthened the City’s reputation.

Strategy

Siren stepped in offering strategic communication expertise and an approach centered on the PESO model, emphasizing earned, shared, and owned media for the City of Ishpeming. Siren’s strategy focused on consistent communication with Ishpeming residents and optimizing communication channels in order to increase positive perceptions, enhance transparency of city operations, and foster a positive narrative around the City’s development and future.

Siren additionally delivered crisis communication management to provide accurate information that proactively addressed issues and distributed a clear message across channels. This kept residents and the media informed.

Results

From April 2023 to May 2024, Siren supported the City of Ishpeming in:

• Reaching an estimated audience of 550M+ people in local, statewide, and national earned media.
• Gaining 919k+ Facebook impressions.
• Establishing several owned media resources for the City to directly communicate with residents, including a charter TV channel, an SMS messaging platform, and consistent website updates.
• Developing stronger positive sentiments for the City staff and the governing body.
• Improving public favor and resident morale.