Earned media and public relations, a component of the 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program, complemented the paid advertising and partnership activities by ensuring that positive and educational stories about the census received broad coverage through broadcast, electronic and print media. The program was built on lessons learned from Census 2000 to integrate a robust earned media effort into the campaign from the outset. It leveraged communications vehicles that have, in the past decade, literally redefined how news is created and consumed in this country.

Internal and external communication tools were supplemented by the outside expertise of the 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program contractor, DraftFCB, through its public relations subcontractor, Weber Shandwick, and its race and ethnic media subcontractors. Internal tools included talking points, toolkits for field media specialists, media training, and a crisis management plan. External communication tools were delivered via a dynamic 2010 Census website, news releases, news conferences, media interviews, videos, blogs, and social media vehicles such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flicker.

Over the course of the campaign, there were more than 17 billion news “impressions” – potential readers and viewers – about the 2010 Census in the news media. Some of the highlighted earned media and public relations events for the 2010 Census were:

• The 2010 Census Road Tour, that brought the census message into the community. At each road tour stop, specialists arranged events and coordinated with local partners to generate media coverage. The tour launched on January 4, 2010, featuring a Today Show tour of the vehicle with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau Director. Outreach efforts netted 102 million media impressions during the first week and ultimately a total of 217 million media impressions during the 18-week tour.
• The launch of 2010 Census operations was marked by an event in Noorvik, Alaska, on January 25, 2010, with the U.S. Census Bureau Director delivering the first census form to a remote Alaskan village via dog sled. Over the course of the campaign, there were more than 17 billion news “impressions” – potential readers and viewers – about the 2010 Census in the news media.
• The “Take 10” Campaign which inspired mail participation by giving the public real-time access to daily 2010 Census Mail Participation Rates. The Public Information Office released daily news updates highlighting states that had met or exceeded their mail participation rates from Census 2000. The viral nature of the campaign resulted in more than 20 million views of localized, daily rate “widgets”. By empowering the nation, the Take 10 Campaign drove home the point that the success of the 2010 Census was literally “in [their] hands!”

Recommendations for planning the 2020 Census:

• Have a fully staffed and experienced Public Information Office team at least two years prior to the census year. Due to the complexity of the census, the learning curve needed to develop the background knowledge and materials for earned media activities is long.
• Restrictions on document sharing between the Public Information Office staff and the Census Bureau’s regional office media specialists hindered the ability to get critical information in a timely fashion. It is recommended for the 2020 Census that restrictions on document sharing be removed, quarterly meetings established and at the height of operations, daily phone calls implemented between the Public Information Office staff and the regional office media specialist.
• Tactics and challenges to engage the public and inspire participation should be identified and built into the 2020 Census plan from the start, rather than added as a late-stage idea.