Holland BPW: I&E Fiber Campaign

Holland Board of Public Works had the vision and the votes to bring city-wide fiber to every address in Holland. They needed help making sure residents understood what they were voting for.

The Story

After a successful downtown pilot, Holland BPW was ready to scale — bringing a community-owned fiber network to every address in the city. But a project this size required a public vote, and broadband’s dense vocabulary and political interference from cable companies had the potential to create confusion. Residents needed clear, accessible information before stepping into the voting booth.

Deliverables Overview

Campaign branding and message strategy
WordPress microsite
Motion graphic explainer video
Collateral design
Public relations support
Stakeholder engagement support

How We Worked Together

We launched an information and education campaign that translated a complex infrastructure proposal into something Holland residents could understand and act on. Clear messaging, an easy-to-navigate microsite, and a motion graphic explainer broke down the costs and benefits across demographics — meeting voters where they were.

The result?

On August 2, 2022, Holland voted 53% in favor.

Interactive and Intuitive

One basic function we included on the website was millage calculator. Since the taxable values of homes can vary widely depending on the last time the home was assessed, we helped connect people with an online lookup tool so they could confirm their home’s value and get a clear idea of what to expect on their tax bill should the millage pass.

Multimodal

Connecting with voters in an information and education-style campaign means accommodating a number of different learning styles. Some community members prefer watching a video or self-directed browsing on a website. Others found it important to connect through community meetings. In those contexts, a simple rack card or tri-fold brochure can help guide the conversation.