Assisting the Federal Government

The issue.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE A MULTI-BILLION REORGANIZATION FOR THE U.S. COAST GUARD

In 2008, the United States Coast Guard was preparing to conduct a mission that has never been attempted in its 219-year history: Revamp its organizational structure. Our nation’s oldest, continuous seagoing service wanted to modernize its business practices to be more responsive to the challenges of a post-September 11th environment. It sought to build support for this change among a Coast Guard organization comprised of approximately 42,000 active duty men and women and more than 7,000 civilian employees, reservists and auxiliary volunteers. At the same time, the reorg was an opportunity to focus on the number one priority: keeping America safe and secure.

First, we helped the Coast Guard develop a confident, clear messages to demonstrate command of the force, while defining the new vision. We then provided practical training to help spokespersons deliver the message across the organization and externally. Next, we designed and built a set of communications materials including videos and website content, social media, and blog posts at iFORCECOM blog and DCMS’s DCMSlog blog, that achieved broad awareness among the target audiences.