SACRAMENTO—The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), California Capital Chapter has honored the Regional Water Authority (RWA) with two awards for its public outreach and social media programs. PRSA is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community.
RWA’s 2016 “Rethink Your Yard” program received an Influence Award in the External/Community Relations Campaign category. The program included four unique, multifaceted promotions designed to capture and engage the public’s attention in using water efficiently, including:
- Seven “Mulch Mayhem” events during which water providers offered free mulch to help residents conserve water and beautify their landscapes.
- “Rethink Your Yard” program to promote replacing thirsty lawn with low-water use landscaping, which included a regional billboard campaign and contest showcasing residents who distinctively embraced a water-wise lifestyle (such as an 88-year old retired teacher who removed 10,000 square feet of lawn himself using a pitchfork and replaced it with a low-water use landscape).
- “Dirtiest Car” contest to promote the water-saving benefits of commercial car washes, which was supported by nine events in partnership with local carwashes.
- “Tree Hugger” event to promote water-wise tree care, which invited people to have their photo taken at a popular local event while hugging an eight-foot tall theatrical tree and learning about proper tree care.
RWA’s 2015 “Drought Face” campaign received a Merit Award in the Social Media Campaign category. The campaign and contest invited residents to show off their Drought Face by putting down their razor and growing or creating a beard, and then posting a photo of their stubble to an online entry page. Residents could also enter by sharing stories on the sweepstakes page about the small actions they were taking to save water—like turning off the sprinklers for the winter or the faucet when brushing teeth. The winners (with their Drought Faces) were featured on a digital billboard at Cal Expo and Business 80.
Each award submission was reviewed and scored by a separate state chapter of PRSA.
For more information about RWA’s Water Efficiency program and how Sacramento-area water providers are helping customers make water efficiency a way of life, visit the Regional Water Authority web site at www.rwah2o.org.
The Regional Water Authority (RWA) is a joint powers authority representing two dozen water providers and affiliates in the greater Sacramento area. Its primary mission is to help its members protect and enhance the reliability, availability, affordability and quality of water resources.
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