Coppell reviews communications survey, plans push for emergency alerts and marquee outreach

Coppell — At a March 25 City Council work session, communications staff summarized a citywide survey and 2024 digital metrics and recommended steps to raise public awareness of emergency alerts, road maintenance updates and council initiatives.

The presentation, led by Communications Strategist Hannah Cook, drew on a survey of “just under 1,700 respondents,” Cook said, and on 2024 engagement figures for the city’s e-newsletter and social platforms. She told council members the results reveal a gap between how informed residents feel and how informed they want to be, especially for emergency preparedness and construction updates.

Cook said 78% of respondents feel “very informed or somewhat informed” about community events, while 92% want to be notified about emergency preparedness and construction. “By comparing how informed residents feel and how informed they want to be, we’re able to identify the gaps and opportunities that we have,” she said.

Why it matters: Council members flagged emergency communications and road-work notices as priorities for public safety and resident service. Staff said raising awareness of Notify Coppell — the city’s emergency-alert program — and increasing text‑message reach are central to narrowing that gap.

Key details and metrics cited by staff: the city’s e-newsletter has about 7,574 subscribers and a 49.8% open rate; the reported click rate was 3.8% and the unsubscribe rate about 0.07%. On social platforms staff reported adding about 906 Facebook followers in 2024 (10,379 total), roughly 2 million impressions, about 540,000 unique Facebook accounts reached and just under 100,000 engagements. Instagram grew by roughly 700 followers (about 3,500 total) with 465,000 impressions and about 20,000 engagements; the city reported approximately 65,000 followers on X with about 9,600 engagements.

Cook said staff will continue to prioritize e-news, explore WhatsApp for communities with higher text/WhatsApp preference, experiment more with video, and “strengthen our Notify Coppell emergency alert program and to encourage more residents to sign up.” She also noted the city has begun piloting an outdoor marquee sign on South Belt Line and is troubleshooting content display issues experienced in early posts.

Council questions and staff responses: Councilmember Jim Walker asked about next steps for the outdoor marquee pilot; Cook said staff is developing a schedule for content and troubleshooting display problems after a test graphic failed to render. A council member identified in the record as Kevin praised the update and noted water‑bill inserts continue to perform well. Cook and other staff present (Maria Dennison and Samuel Dickerson) said the city will tailor outreach by platform and demographic groups identified in the survey.

What remains unresolved: Staff proposed outreach and platform experiments but did not present a formal, council‑adopted communications policy or a funding request during the work session. Cook said staff will return with implementation details as the Notify Coppell rebrand and marquee pilot advance.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked staff for the report and indicated broad support for increasing emergency‑alert enrollment and continuing platform experiments. The work session transitioned to the regular council meeting after the presentation.