SPANISH FORK — Those billboards along I-15 marketing Spanish Fork's new cable television and high-speed Internet service are real winners.
The ad campaign, which included media other than billboards, has garnered the city a first-place award from a national marketing association.
The city's technology committee, including assistant city manager MaryClare Maslin, power superintendent Jeff Foster, technology director John Bowcut, city recorder Kent Clark and city manager Dave Oyler, produced the campaign. The city hired Love Communications of Salt Lake City to create the materials.
The polished campaign took first place for cities across the nation with populations of 54,000 and under. The City Council recognized Maslin and her fellow committee members for winning the 3CMA Savvy Award on Tuesday.
"We were very, very excited to get this," Maslin said.
"That just shows what kind of staff we have, that they can raise the level of professionalism," said Mayor Dale Barney.
An earlier survey estimated only 20 percent of Spanish Fork households would subscribe to the cable television and Internet service, Maslin said, but saturation is now at 37 percent.
Using local residents as models, the campaign launched in July 2001. Appearing in a variety of media, including postcards, brochures, mailers, billboards and the Internet, are such hometown folks as then-Spanish Fork beauty queen Carly Tooke, former state Sen. Tim Moran, physician Tracy Fransen, elementary school principals Garth Bird and Dennis Tuckett, business owner Susan Romero, lifeguard Elaine Selby and the volunteer ambulance and firefighter crews.
Clever slogans were attached to each photo illustration.
"I knew we had to go with local people," Maslin said.
Additionally, the city hypes its cable TV and Internet service on its phone lines when callers are put on hold.
The City-County Communication Marketing Association sponsors the award program in cooperation with the National League of Cities.
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