Introduction
Modern business world is characterized by the focus on corporate responsibility, transparency, and collaboration. Halifax Transit is one of the organizations that adhere to the principles mentioned above and strives for being a corporate citizen contributing to the development of the community. The company provides high-quality services and attempts to innovate and employ the most recent technology to address the current environmental and social issues (Butler, 2019).
Such projects are likely to bring positive changes to the community and advance the transportation system of Halifax. However, the organization needs a more comprehensive approach to informing the community about its incentives. This paper includes a brief description of a campaign aimed at informing the community about the measures undertaken by Halifax Transit to make the city a better place to live.
Current Communication Channels and Existing Gaps
It is noteworthy that the company has rather a conventional view of sharing information with the community. Halifax Transit utilizes press releases often located at governmental websites (“Moving forward together,” 2016). The information about certain changes appears in local newspapers, which is one of the most common channels the organization employs (“Next round of Halifax Transit service changes,” 2019). The company uses social media quite extensively as well.
One of the major goals of a new informational campaign is transparency and collaboration. Halifax Transit tends to resort to conventional channels such as print media, social media, and television. However, these communication means can be used in a more efficient way. For instance, the gaps in the communication between the organization and its customers exist since many people are dissatisfied with routes or associated changes (Campbell, 2019; Maclean, 2019).
Nevertheless, the company seems to be ignorant of people’s concerns and disinterested in hearing them. Transparency and collaboration can be achieved through the involvement of more stakeholders and more communication channels. It is possible to use community philosophy as the primary approach to informing communities effectively (Tiffany, 2020). The implementation of research, transformational practice use, and the involvement of various stakeholders are key components of this method.
A New Campaign To Inform People
The new campaign would entail conventional and newer methods and engagement techniques. For instance, print media and television will still play an important part in informing people as they reach a wide audience during a comparatively short period of time. However, digital channels will be one of the two pillars of the new campaign. The use of social media and crowdsourcing can be instrumental in engaging communities and developing an appropriate relationship between a company and the public (Hawken et al., 2019). People will share their opinions, attitudes, and concerns, which will help Halifax Transit to identify the aspects to address.
Campaign Measurement Techniques
Another pillar of the suggested campaign will be face-to-face meetings that will take a form of community discussions, forums, workshops, focus groups, and conferences. Fredericks, Caldwell, Foth, and Tomitsch (2019) emphasize that these techniques can ensure people’s engagement and their willingness to collaborate, which can be important for the organizations providing such vital services as transportation. Community conversations can be at the core of the campaign as this communication channel ensures close contacts between the organization and key stakeholders (Carter & Bumble, 2018).
Regarding the measurement techniques to be employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign, it is possible to analyze social media and implement more comprehensive research. A survey may concentrate on people’s satisfaction with the current services and the communication strategy chosen by the organization (Kapucu, 2016). These tools can help in measuring people’s awareness of organizations’ activities and their overall satisfaction with the provided services.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that Halifax Transit should use a new communication strategy to inform the community about its innovations and its attempts to contribute to the sustainable development of the city. The new campaign may involve print media and television, but the primary communication channels will be social media and face-to-face meetings. The organization will facilitate the development of its image as a corporate citizen.
References
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Campbell, F. (2019). ‘Winners and losers’ with Halifax Transit bus route changes. The Chronicle Herald. Web.
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Maclean, A. (2019). Purcell’s Cove residents fight to prevent reduction of Halifax bus route. Global News. Web.
Moving forward together. (2016). Web.
Next round of Halifax Transit service changes kick in Monday. (2019). HalifaxToday. Web.
Tiffany, G. (2020). Community philosophy and social action. In A. Fulford, G. Lockrobin, & R. Smith (Eds.), Philosophy and community: Theories, practices and possibilities (pp. 69-90). New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.