Cupertino Benefits from TSA Communications Assessment
The City of Cupertino has completed a Communications Assessment process with Tripepi Smith. Tripepi Smith’s Communications Assessment offers public agencies a holistic evaluation of their current communication activities and identifies areas for improvement to better engage residents, further expand transparency and more effectively connect with disconnected community cohorts. At the conclusion of the process, the City receives an extensive report and a presentation to senior management and/or City council on the report’s findings and recommendations.
Several public agencies have found value in Tripepi Smith’s Communications Assessment process, including the cities of: Saratoga, Livermore, Norwalk, La Cañada Flintridge and Duarte.
Cupertino’s assessment process took 20 weeks and involved interviewing over 30 people including councilmembers, staff, staff from overlapping public agencies and residents. The resulting 53-page report (131 with appendices) documented the City’s efforts to execute communications and identified several specific action items to improve or expand communications to better reach residents.
“The City of Cupertino is committed to transparency and public engagement. We serve a well-educated public, but we also know many of our residents are career-focused and just want to come home to a safe, welcoming and stable community. Our job, as communicators, is to efficiently deliver community information to our residents that sustain or improve the quality of life in the City and ensure they are aware of important community news,” said Rick Kitson, Public Affairs Director & CIO. “Tripepi Smith asked probing questions and raised insightful points about Cupertino’s approach to engagement, our use of new media and internal processes. The Communications Assessment will serve as a guide for the advancement of our communications.”
“Our work in Cupertino introduced us to smart staff who are committed to engaging their public and advancing the community. Silicon Valley is a dynamic place; while many outside Cupertino think of Apple when they think of the City, we found a community that has a lot more going for it, including great schools, safe neighborhoods, a diverse population and nice community facilities,” said Ryder Todd Smith, President at Tripepi Smith. “Cupertino has implemented several advanced tools to connect with residents, and we consistently saw a team that is ready to evolve and innovate, reflecting the culture of Silicon Valley and the residents they serve.”
Tripepi Smith is a marketing, technology and public affairs firm located in Orange County, CA. Its clients include for-profit, non-profit and public agencies throughout the state of California. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provide a competitive advantage for organizations seeking to leverage the Internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm also provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: Rowland Water, Valley Water Company, Bellflower-Somerset Mutual Water Company, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, California Utility Executive Management Association, Climatec Energy Services, California Contract Cities Association, California City Management Foundation,Big Independent Cities Excess Pool, Independent Cities Finance Authority, City of Duarte, City of La Cañada Flintridge,City of Livermore, City of Placentia and City of Norwalk.