Appleton’s vibrant downtown naturally draws lots of visitors—as well as heavy, sometimes fast-moving, dangerous traffic. To help address this issue, the City of Appleton Public Works Department proposed to reconfigure a 3/4-mile stretch of College Avenue from four lanes down to two. But when engineers shared the pilot project in January 2023, the initial public reaction and press coverage was mixed, with some people skeptical about its benefits. The idea of lane reconfiguration was new to the area, and apprehension about greater congestion and fewer parking options meant the city needed a way to effectively share the reasons why the change would benefit everyone.
Our challenge was to create a communication and brand strategy to build awareness of the project’s key benefits. We needed a way to share accurate data on the positive effects of the altered traffic flow to the overall experience along College Avenue—including fewer crashes, increased safety, less congestion, and more visibility for businesses in the downtown district.
The “Smart Streets” campaign launched in June 2023, continuing for the length of the 18-month pilot project. Working in concert with a coalition of public works officials, city communications staff, and other core stakeholders, including Appleton Downtown, Inc. (the city’s not-for-profit downtown community coalition) we began with development of a name that captured the campaign’s project positioning clearly and concisely while conveying the reconfiguration as being smarter for traffic flow. Continually measuring public sentiment throughout the Smart Streets campaign, we developed core messaging centered on the project’s intent. Our outreach efforts also included an interactive farmers market booth open through the summer. We created graphics and shared engineering data to further help illustrate the benefits: Safety, access, and growth.
As people began to recognize the benefits of the reconfiguration, we saw a shift in sentiment, measurable by social media listening and surveys that we conducted at the beginning and near the end of the pilot. A case study video we produced told the story of the reconfiguration from multiple perspectives, including residents, business owners, and community leaders. We were able to take a project that had mixed support in the beginning and successfully shift public sentiment. The project was unanimously approved by the Appleton Common Council in March 2025 to remain permanent—an exciting conclusion to this needed project.
Video Partner: Motion Works Media
“Tara and her team at Showcase Communications provided such a valuable contribution to Appleton’s College Avenue Lane Reconfiguration Pilot Project. Their strategic insight, visioning, positivity, and professionalism truly helped us communicate the goals of the project effectively. The Smart Streets campaign ensured that messaging remained clear, consistent, and accessible, which was critical to gaining community support and understanding. Thank you for being such an integral piece to the success of the project and we are hopeful for the opportunity to work together again in the future!”
