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City communications, NextGen discuss newsletter, text alerts and social media to reach younger residents
Summary
David Gilbert, the city’s senior media strategist, briefed the NextGen Advisory Board on options for reaching younger residents, including targeted newsletters, Instagram stories with links, opt-in text alerts and periodic postcards; staff said an NGAB-specific newsletter would require review by the city manager and city attorney.
David Gilbert, the City of Littleton’s senior media strategist, briefed the NextGen Advisory Board on the city’s communications tools and options for reaching younger residents and residents who say they do not regularly consult official channels.
"From what [the city clerk] told me, an NGAB-specific newsletter would be... probably require discussions with the city manager's office and the city attorney’s office," David Gilbert said, describing the limited precedent for individual boards issuing city-branded newsletters. Gilbert said the city can, however, work with NGAB on posting items in existing outlets such as the Littleton Report, the city e-newsletter and Visit Littleton social accounts.
Board members and staff discussed several outreach options and trade-offs. Suggestions that emerged included short, single-topic print handouts at high-traffic kiosks or newsstands on Main Street; Instagram Story posts that link to longer items; a tiered opt-in text-notification system with selectable topics (events, council, restaurants); concise e-mail bulletins for single issues rather than biweekly full newsletters; and QR-code-enabled surveys at events to gather quick feedback.
Gilbert described internal analytics showing the city’s traditional channels underperform among younger demographics and said the communications department will be bringing in a new director whose priorities will include modernizing outreach. He also said the department has been experimenting with "city council preview" posts to surface upcoming agenda items and with Visit Littleton as a testing ground for short-form video.
Board members emphasized brevity and clarity. One NGAB member said they preferred bullet-point summaries and repeated formats that make it easy to skim; another recommended against "fluff" posts intended only to boost frequency. Several members said they would opt into a limited, well-targeted opt-in text campaign if the cadence and content were clearly useful.
Gilbert said the city is exploring a range of methods — from postcards and mailers to text alerts and more social stories — and invited NGAB to continue the conversation with the incoming communications director. He also encouraged NGAB to submit specific items it wants amplified in city channels, and to share artwork and sponsor logos for co-branded event promotion.
Board members agreed to supply candidate questions for speakers, to collect logos for promotional slides and to coordinate on a short post and a downloadable flyer for the upcoming homebuying session.
