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Coppell presents citywide communications survey, plans to boost Notify Coppell and digital outreach
Summary
City communications staff briefed council on a citywide survey of nearly 1,700 residents, current digital metrics and plans to grow emergency alerts (Notify Coppell), explore WhatsApp and expand marquee messaging.
Hannah, the city’s chief communication strategist, told the Coppell City Council on March 25 that a citywide survey of just under 1,700 respondents showed gaps between how informed residents feel and how informed they want to be on several topics, and that staff will prioritize emergency alerts, construction notices and council communications.
The survey showed that 78% of respondents feel very or somewhat informed about community events but only 60% feel informed about emergency preparedness; Hannah said, “92% of residents would like to be informed about the importance of preparedness.” The presentation included the department’s 2024 metrics — about 7,574 e-news subscribers with a 49.8% open rate and a 3.8% click rate — and social media figures for Facebook, Instagram and X.
Why it matters: City officials said improving awareness of emergency channels and targeted outreach could reduce confusion during storms or construction and help residents find services and volunteer opportunities.
In the work-session presentation, Hannah described specific gaps and next steps. She said Notify Coppell, the city’s emergency alert program, currently reaches a minority of residents and staff plan a rebrand and outreach push to increase signups. Staff also plan to test WhatsApp to reach communities with higher preferences for text-based messaging, continue experimenting with video to increase engagement, and pilot an outdoor marquee sign on South Belt Line to share brief public notices.
Council members asked how the marquee pilot would be scheduled and whether graphics would display reliably; Hannah said staff are troubleshooting display issues and working to fill a regular schedule. Councilmember Kevin asked about next steps for the marquee; Hannah said new graphics will be posted once the display issue is resolved. Councilmember Walker and others praised the team’s results and outreach work.
Staff provided several specific metrics during the presentation: e-news subscribers (7,574), an e-news open rate of 49.8% and a 0.07% unsubscribe rate; Facebook gained 906 followers in 2024 (about 10% growth) with nearly 2 million impressions; Instagram grew by roughly 700 followers (25% growth) with about 465,000 impressions; X added about 200 followers (near 4% growth). Hannah also reported that community newsletters and the Coppell Chronicle remain important noncity channels for resident awareness. She said the office is exploring how to leverage community Facebook groups and other local outlets.
The council did not take any formal action; staff said the presentation will inform future outreach priorities and that they will continue experimenting with platforms and metrics.
The presentation concluded with staff offering to return with follow-up plans and implementation timelines for Notify Coppell and the marquee pilot.
