Tamalpais Union High School District
Case Study
TBD
In March of 2024, Tamalpais Union High School District encountered a major setback when a bond issue failed due to aggressive opposition. Fueled by public perceptions that facility upgrades were unnecessary and already excessively luxurious, traditional campaign tactics failed and the measure lost by X NUMBER OF VOTES.
As TUHSD geared up to try again, they partnered with COMPETE to develop new organic social media strategies to:
- Strategically overhaul public perception
- Build trust through honest storytelling
- Pass a new bond measure with resounding support
Starting From Scratch:
Tamalpais Union High School District was starting from zero – literally. Like many large government organizations, they had tried to start organic programs on several occasions, but were never able to follow through effectively. The lack of staff time, overwhelming feeling of posting and engaging with such regularity, and comprehensive follow through limited their ability to be successful without the assistance of professionals.
We built a strategy that revolved around daily engagement and highly proactive social media management to build a consistent, trustworthy, and organic presence in the community where true stories from the three high schools soared. From football games to theater, cheerleaders to orchestra, we wove narratives that focused on daily life on campus – starting with the good, and ultimately weaving in the desperate need for improvements and upgrades.
[Audience growth graphic – create from PDF but make nicer – fade out the ending followers to only focus on big fat zeros]
Our goal was beyond growing audiences and engagements; it was ensuring the community felt a direct connection with and affinity for TUHSD schools, students, and faculty – regardless of if they had any real and direct connection.
Pivotal Moment
Gradually, and after building a solid presence within the community, we began to introduce persuasive elements into the program.
A critical difference, however, is that we maintained a disciplined commitment to low-production and on-trend videos that deliberately did not feel like they came from an advertising firm.
And then, we dropped this one:
After this video dropped, the opposition indicated that they would no longer follow through with filing an argument against the bond.
Results That Speak For Themselves:
After six months of deliberate, thoughtful, and targeted social media efforts, the District’s social media had grown to impressive numbers.
But beyond social media metrics, the community had fully bought in and was ready to deliver for TUHSD.
Measure XXX passed by
Key Takeaways
- Build trust organically – after that you can start to slip in persuasive elements to direct your audience into your desired outcome
- Speak honestly – our pivot point video was not hyperbolic. It was simply on trend, relatable, and real footage
- Be consistent – post regularly, post on timely elements, communicate in the comments
About Tamalpais Union High School District:
The Tamalpais Union High School District is a high performing district in a very active, supportive, and educated community. Currently approximately 4,800 students are served in three comprehensive high schools and two alternative programs. In addition, the Adult and Community Education courses attract hundreds of community members each year. The Cities included in the District are listed under Cities in TUHSD below.
Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus
