Internal and External Communications: 2019 Capital Construction
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Organization
Somerset Hills YMCA
Project
Internal and External Communications: Somerset Hills YMCA 2019 Capital Construction (Expansion & Renovation)
Role
Messaging, Project Lead
Tools & Technology
Accrisoft Freedom Website CMS | Adobe Acrobat Pro | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe InDesign | Google Docs | Google Sheets | Hootsuite Social Media Management | Microsoft Word | SimpleTexting SMS Text Messaging
Skills & Knowledge
Audience Segmentation | Brand Messaging | Brand Stewardship | Communications Strategy | Content Creation | Creative Problem-Solving | Creative Services Management | Creative Team Leadership | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Customer-Centric Mindset | External Communications | Integrated Marketing Communications | Internal Communications | Nonprofit Marketing | Organic Social Media | Reputation Management | Stakeholder Management | Visual Information Design | Web Design
Additional Credits
- Jenna Calder: Email & website content creation
- Steve Clarke: Graphic design & print production
- Aaron McCoy: Project management
- Barbara Russo: Internal communications & media relations
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INTRO & GOAL
Somerset Hills YMCA, a branch of Somerset County YMCA, underwent a 45,000-square-foot capital expansion and renovation throughout 2019 and into early 2020. The full-service facility would never close due to construction throughout the building. However, there would be significant disruption, including relocated programming, closing/reopening of various entrances, and frequent changes in member traffic patterns. The in-house team was tasked with keeping members and front-line staff informed to help minimize the impact of disruptions caused by construction.
STRATEGY & PROCESS
Recognizing that the Y serves all ages with a broad range of programs and services, targeted messaging (in addition to general facility-wide communications) was crafted for audiences including childcare families (daycare, early education, school-age child care, summer camp), adults utilizing the fitness center, league participants and families participating in youth sports programming in the gymnasium, and seniors participating in group exercise classes, adults engaged in chronic disease management classes, and special needs youth programming. The various methods through which each audience prefers or is otherwise already accustomed to communicating with the Y were considered. This approach to execution helped ensure relevant information would reach the right people while maintaining established trust by leveraging familiar channels.
SOLUTION & OUTCOME
A comprehensive multi-channel communications plan was crafted, prioritizing keeping front-line staff informed of upcoming changes in advance of all externally-facing communications. Key components of the strategy involved providing audience-specific messaging for key staff to deploy at various stages, stepping up an internal campaign encouraging members to sign up for text alerts informing everyone of last-minute changes, producing a set of Y brand-compliant construction-themed general notification posters to cover most anticipated needs, creating a set of fillable PDF flyers in a Y brand-compliant layout and providing them to facilities staff to empower them to communicate last-minute changes to contractor schedules of work, maintaining excitement for the project by illustrating the before/after effect of the changes through color-coded floor plan infographics, posting real-time behind-the-scenes progress on the Y’s website and social media, and various additional ancillary tactics and timely communications. These coordinated efforts helped keep member frustration at a minimum while generating anticipation of the member experience to come. This same approach was used when Hillsborough YMCA underwent its renovation project and experienced a similar level of day-to-day disruption during construction.