Best Government Online Video

In September 2010, the Town of Markham launched DIY Markham, a social media awareness campaign—created and implemented by Delvinia—to inform local residents about the upcoming municipal election. The campaign centred on the use of humorous online videos, distributed through Facebook and Twitter, to engage voters and increase awareness about the delivery of municipal services and the importance of voting at the local level. Through the use of easy-to-share videos, Delvinia depicted a world in which residents were responsible for their own municipal services—such as garbage removal and water treatment—and illustrated how, in the end, the easiest way to address these issues is to vote. The videos, posted on YouTube and a dedicated Facebook page, featured tongue-in-cheek scenarios of what do-it-yourself versions of parks and recreation, fire services, garbage collection and water services might look like. Designing the campaign to maintain the essence of social media without compromising the integrity of the election process proved to be one of the biggest challenges for Delvinia. The firm addressed this by establishing a governance structure, clearly communicating policies and guidelines, and developing a triage plan and extensive training for those involved in managing the campaign. Overall, the videos received more than 2,500 views and of the 17,231 Markham electors who registered to vote electronically, 10,597 used the Internet to cast their ballot. DIY Markham established a foundation for Markham to use social media in an election context and laid the groundwork for greater potential outreach in the future.

Contributors:

Account Manager:	Adam Froman
Project Manager:	Katy Pedersen
Director of Social Media:	Randy Matheson
Creative Director:	Grace Marquez
Copywriter:	TheBizMedia
Video Production:	TheBizMedia

DELVINIA

Location: Canada