City receives six 2020 MarCom Awards

Municipainfonet.com
Dec. 17

The following statement was issued by Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua after a special presentation during the Dec. 15 Council meeting:

“I am pleased to announce the City of Vaughan’s Corporate and Strategic Communications department has received six 2020 MarCom Awards. Vaughan earned two Platinum awards, which is the highest honour, for the City’s COVID-19 Crisis Communications Response Plan and the Municipal World Article titled Communicating in the midst of a global pandemic. The City received one Gold award for the 2020 Celebrate Vaughan Magazine, and three Honourable Mentions for the City Hall Connects Newsletter, the vaughan.ca landing page refresh, as well as a column submitted to the Smart City Journal.

“The MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals from more than 25 countries. Judges look for organizations and individuals whose talents exceed a high standard of excellence and whose work serves as a benchmark in the industry.

“One of the last times we were all together in person was to celebrate the 2019 MarCom awards the City won, just days before all City facilities were closed to the public due to the global pandemic. I was pleased to come together virtually to recognize all the hard work this team has done since then to deliver Service Excellence as we continue to respond to COVID-19.

“Our Corporate and Strategic Communications department employs various communications methods to keep the community in the know, including Public Service Announcements, proactive media outreach, eNewsletters, brochures, social media, website content, mailers, signage and much more.

“As of October 11, the team had issued more than 1,700 COVID-19-related products in total, which equates to an average of more than eight communications products per day since we became the first city in Ontario to declare a state of emergency on March 17. That is in addition to extensive internal communications efforts to ensure staff are well informed. The team also works closely with all levels of government to respond to COVID-19 and assists in providing information on the different roles of municipal, regional, provincial and federal governments during an emergency.

“I think it goes without saying that communication has been key in the fight against COVID-19. We have introduced extensive public education campaigns, which have been delivered through many mediums, including online, print, radio, television and digital, to ensure our residents have access to critical information promptly.

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we provide updates on the evolving situation that are open, transparent and reflective of the diverse communities we proudly serve. It is precisely with this in mind that the City of Vaughan continues to keep our residents engaged and informed through daily communications.

“I want to extend my warmest and sincerest congratulations to our Corporate and Strategic Communications team for their dedicated efforts and strategic approach to marketing and customer satisfaction. Our residents rely on transparent, informative and concise communications about the many city-building initiatives we are championing together, and this group is delivering that in strides.

“By prioritizing the citizen experience, optimizing operational performance and championing staff engagement, this department is instrumental in delivering on our vision of being a world-class city. Once again, congratulations and thank you for your unwavering commitment to provide Service Excellence to Vaughan’s citizens and businesses as we continue to respond to the global pandemic.”