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Published on November 15, 2021
ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (Nov. 15, 2021) - The Town of Oro Valley’s OV SafeSteps program has been recognized for exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness in public relations and communications by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for Southern Arizona.
On November 2, the program was awarded a PRSA IMPACT Award recognizing the highest standards in programs that successfully incorporate the four key elements of: research, planning, implementation, and evaluation and demonstrating the value these practices bring to communities.
OV SafeSteps was launched during the height of the pandemic to help publicize financial aid available to struggling small businesses and persuade residents that it was safe to shop locally. The program included a complex multi-channel communications campaign that included a comprehensive website, a dual-track digital advertising campaign targeting businesses and residents, social media and print collateral. Website analytics tracked over a million impressions, benchmarks for social media were exceeded, residents returned to stores and over $800,000 was distributed to more than 200 businesses.
“OV SafeSteps helped provide much needed support to Oro Valley businesses during the pandemic,” said Project Lead and Assistant Town Manager Chris Cornelison. “We’re honored to be recognized by PRSA Southern Arizona, and we’d like to thank all of those involved with the program, especially our residents who safely shopped locally. Everyone working together truly helped our community through this trying time.”
The award recognized the program’s extensive teamwork involving Town officials, the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, Gordley Group and individual businesses.