Case Studies

This program promotes alternatives to single-occupied vehicle travel to and from workplaces to help reduce traffic congestion in the Capital Region. Our firm wrote the marketing plan that was informed by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the population and created the “Commuter Krewe” brand. Working with the LA Department of Transportation and Development, the program implements promotions throughout the region to incentivize local governments and major employers to share information on websites, social media networks and public outreach. Our firm provides promotional support to the project’s full-time Outreach Coordinators to encourage worksites to promote ridesharing.

A $1.3 billion investment by the taxpayers of East Baton Rouge Parish, the MOVEBR program represents the single largest infrastructure initiative in the history of the parish. In time, the program will deliver less congested corridors, safer streets, and enhanced quality of life for all residents. Rannah Gray serves as the Communications lead and co-lead of the Public Outreach workgroup for the MOVEBR program. She manages subconsultants who provide strategic communications, website design, social media and digital advertising. Marmillion/Gray Media coordinated communications for the program kick-off, designed the program logo, wrote a detailed Communications Plan, coordinates media outreach, newsletter production and coordination of public meetings and outreach for enhancement projects, improvement of existing corridors, and traffic management projects.

From engaging the Baton Rouge community in promoting our city to convening hospitality industry stakeholders to share information in the pandemic, Rannah has worked with the Visit Baton Rouge leadership team to bring a fresh perspective. Together they made Red Stick Revelry, Baton Rouge’s Official New Year’s Eve celebration, a regional destination event.

As sub-consultants to a national consulting firm specializing in ADA compliance and planning, Rannah Gray Communications developed a stakeholders database of advocacy organizations, facilitated public open house meetings and promoted a survey to stakeholders interested in making BREC programs and facilities more accessible to citizens of all ages and abilities. We created a graphic look for all collateral materials consistent with BREC’s Imagine Your Parks campaign and conducted outreach to advocacy groups throughout the state. Responsibilities also included assuring meetings were fully accessible, conducting on-site outreach at BREC Parks and the Main Library; working with local and state advocacy organizations to distribute the survey; and managing media coverage of the public meetings.

Baton Rouge Bus Rapid Transit Improvement Project

Project Lead: HNTB

2018- current

For this bus rapid transit feasibility study, our firm provided public outreach and management of the project’s Advisory Committee and database of stakeholders. As this project moved from a proposed modern streetcar system to a bus rapid transit line, CATS and the East Baton Rouge Parish Redevelopment Authority joined the planning process. This study included organizing and facilitating three stakeholder workshops and three public open house meetings in addition to outreach to those involved in the original TramLinkBR project to inform them of the changes made to this project. Meeting notices, press releases, workshop and open house logistics, and social media outreach were provided by our firm.

Provided branding and public outreach for the update of the Capital Region Long-Range Transportation Plan. This project includes stakeholder outreach, two rounds of public open house meetings and promotion of an online survey to obtain community input for transportation improvements needed to manage growth and improve movement 25 years in the future. The project also included managing media outreach, designing and producing collateral materials and building a stakeholder database and network to achieve buy-in for the plan throughout five Capital Region parishes.

Responsible for branding and public outreach for this project to complete studies and obtain environmental approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a 3-mile tram system linking downtown Baton Rouge with Louisiana State University.  This modern streetcar was envisioned in FUTUREBR, the City-Parish Comprehensive Master Plan for Land Use and Development. RG Communications designed the website; produced informational videos which included an aerial shoot of the corridor; created collateral materials; managed stakeholder, public and media outreach for the project; and provided support for the engineering team. The project received the FTA's prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award for Excellence in Environmental Documents Preparation.

CAPITAL REGION BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CAMPAIGN

Client: Capital Region Planning Commission

Project Lead:  Rannah Gray

2014-2015

To reach young drivers before bad habits develop, this advertising and public education campaign included outreach to high school and college students that highlighted road safety through teen-targeted communications. A high school video competition was held with more than 100 participants, with the winning entry produced in cooperation with team members and run in movie theatres. This campaign used input from teen focus groups to determine the best media mix, with outdoor advertising near high schools and universities reinforcing creative messages involving dance teams and pop culture themes.

Calcasieu Parish Transportation Plan

Client: Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission

Project Lead: Neel-Schaffer

2016-2017

Working with the engineering team and Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, this project involved the update of the transportation plan with emphasis on the Lake Charles area. Responsibilities included stakeholder and public outreach, database development, stakeholder workshop and public meeting coordination, and production of the final report. Media outreach included contacting local news outlets, managing interview requests and working with the local government access channel to get information to the public.

Public Outreach lead for the development of the Comprehensive Master Plan for Land Use and Development. This project included design of the project brand, developing and implementing community outreach, media relations, public official coordination and public meeting management, and building a database of more than 2,000 interested stakeholders to provide input.

Coordinated public meetings and media outreach held in Lake Charles, Houma, New Orleans and throughout coastal Louisiana and managed production of the first comprehensive master plan for coastal Louisiana. In 2017, worked with Marmillion + Company, conducting stakeholder interviews and providing support for the creative of a communications plan for CPRA, focused on communication strategies for the updated master plan.