The Client:
North Beach Now, a coalition of Miami Beach residents, business owners and preservationists united in an effort to enact a zoning change designed to improve quality of life through the addition of new housing, walkable streets, public parks, sensible commercial development and inviting businesses in an 10 square-block area of North Beach called “Town Center.”
The Challenge:
Revamping North Beach required the approval of voters. This was no small feat given that Miami Beach residents – historically a pro-preservation group – had never passed a comprehensive zoning change of this nature.
Knowing the odds, our team orchestrated a two-month campaign alongside residents, business owners, preservationists and property owners aimed at educating voters and galvanize community support.
The Solution:
Media coverage, voter outreach, digital advertising, content creation, direct marketing and social media engagement all factored into the campaign mix.
We created a North Beach Now website that served as a central source of factual information and a platform for educating the community. We took the time to meet with residents, elected officials and members of the media one-on-one in an effort to explain the merits of our plan. And we undertook a targeted digital marketing and social media campaign that ensured our messages were reaching voters every day.
The Results:
- The “North Beach Now” campaign garnered a favorable endorsement from the Miami Herald editorial board
- More than 200,000 digital media impressions were achieved for an electorate of just 11,000 people
- Campaign website experienced more than 18,000 website visits over a six week span
- Ballot item was approved by a margin of 59% to 41% — the first referendum of its kind to pass in Miami Beach
