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Jenna Gilbreath, strategic marketing manager for the public and media relations office of the City of Allen in Texas faced the challenge of marketing diverse recreation programs offered by the city’s parks and recreation department. Home to more than 110,000 residents, Allen also attracts participants from neighboring cities in the Dallas Metroplex, creating a wide target audience for its services.
The parks and recreation department manages hundreds of programs annually, ranging from swim lessons to senior activities. The public and media relations office is responsible for ensuring residents and participants know about these programs and have a seamless registration experience through ACTIVENet, the city’s recreation program enrollment platform.
While traditional marketing methods yielded some results, Gilbreath and her team found themselves limited by a lack of insight into key campaign metrics, such as conversions for program enrollment and click-through-rates (CTR) to better understand the City’s return on investment (ROI) for digital ad spend on Meta and Google platforms.
Challenges
Lack of actionable ROI data
While advertising platforms like Google and Meta provided information on clicks, there was no direct way to determine how many of those clicks translated into actual registrations. Without this data, the team’s ability to assess campaign effectiveness and confidently allocate marketing budgets was limited.
Time-intensive marketing tasks
Managing digital marketing campaigns in-house, including ad creation, targeting, and optimization, consumed significant time and resources from Gilbreath’s team.
Stewardship of taxpayer dollars
Operating as a municipal organization, the team was acutely focused on being a good steward of taxpayer money. Marketing and advertising dollars spent are weighed for their value in reaching and serving the community.
Solution
After learning about ACTIVE’s digital marketing services, Gilbreath realized the potential benefits of leveraging a one-stop-shop solution. With ACTIVE’s handling their digital marketing campaigns, her team could streamline efforts and gain access to metrics that had previously been unattainable.
Key Features of the Partnership
Comprehensive marketing management
ACTIVE’s team, led by digital marketing expert Stephen Gendreau, took over the setup, execution, and optimization of Allen’s digital campaigns. From coding to creative assets, the partnership offered a full-service solution.
ROI tracking through conversion codes
ACTIVE implemented unique conversion codes on the city’s registration confirmation pages. This allowed the team to track how many registrations were directly driven by their digital ads, filling a major gap in the ability to track ROI.
Collaboration and flexibility
Gilbreath highlighted the collaborative nature of the partnership. ACTIVE ensured that all creative materials were approved by her before launch and accommodated her team’s need for smaller, one-off campaigns alongside broader, ongoing initiatives.
Cost-effectiveness and accountability
Gilbreath emphasized the importance of being mindful of taxpayer dollars when implementing any new initiatives. ACTIVE delivered on this critical requirement by providing transparent budgeting, value-driven strategies, and measurable outcomes. Their digital advertising campaigns were not only effective but also optimized to ensure every dollar spent was accounted for and carefully allocated. This commitment to cost-effectiveness allowed Gilbreath and her team to justify their investments while maintaining public trust and confidence in their fiscal responsibility.
"The ROI and conversion data ACTIVE Network provides is a total game changer. We know exactly how our marketing dollars are working, and we feel confident in our campaigns. Plus, the time saved and the incredible support from Stephen and the ACTIVE Network team have been invaluable." – Jenna Gilbreath, Strategic Marketing Manager, City of Allen
Tangible Impact
Data-driven decision-making
For the first time, Gilbreath and her team could track conversions (specifically, users who registered for programs and membership from digital ads) and better calculate ROI, allowing them to make informed decisions about marketing strategies and budget allocation.
Significant time savings
With the ACTIVE team managing campaign operations, Gilbreath’s team could focus on other priorities, such as messaging and content creation.
Enhanced stewardship
The partnership reinforced the city’s commitment to being responsible stewards of taxpayer funds by ensuring marketing dollars were used efficiently.
Intangible Benefits
Improved confidence in campaigns
The availability of detailed metrics gave the public and media relations office confidence in the effectiveness of their campaigns, justifying ad spend.
Seamless collaboration
Gilbreath praised ACTIVE’s marketing team for its accommodating and creative approach. Whether faced with last-minute deadlines or new campaign ideas, the team consistently delivered high-quality work. The City of Allen’s partnership with ACTIVE demonstrates the power of a streamlined, data-driven approach to municipal marketing. By integrating ACTIVE’s digital marketing services, the city was able to:
- Track and optimize ad spend effectively.
- Save valuable time and resources.
- Maintain transparency and responsibility in the use of public funds.
If you’re a municipality or organization looking to scale your marketing efforts while improving ROI tracking, ACTIVE’s digital marketing services can provide the comprehensive solution you need.
Want to see how ACTIVE Network can transform your digital marketing? Contact our team today to schedule a demo and discuss your organization’s goals.
