Outreach Strategists is a strategic communications and marketing firm known for creating real change.
We craft strategic communications, digital campaigns, and media outreach to help clients connect with hard-to-reach communities, whether in the local neighborhoods or across the state.
We work hard to achieve tangible results that not only benefit our clients but also make a lasting positive impact on the communities they serve.
OUR WORK
Education and
Workforce
Outreach Strategists creates change for educational institutions and workforce organizations. We design enrollment campaigns, support strategic growth, and expand brands through research-driven solutions.
Healthcare
Outreach Strategists delivers tailored outreach solutions to advance public health and promote health equity, focusing on underserved communities. By leveraging diverse media channels, we improve healthcare access, raise awareness, and empower communities for lasting change.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Our team speaks the language of mobility, having led impactful initiatives from large-scale public engagement campaigns to managing the largest auto safety recall in American history. We leverage our expertise across the transportation ecosystem and large-scale infrastructure projects to help clients effectively communicate and achieve their goals.
OUR Clients
OUR services
Advertising
& Marketing
With an approach rooted in research, we develop customized distribution strategies and cost-efficient tactics to reach your target audiences.
Public Relations
We approach crisis communications and public relations with urgency.
Research
& Strategy
Every client receives our best advice on how to define audiences, design precise research approaches, and leverage meaningful insights.
Crisis
Communication
When the unexpected happens, a clear and timely response can make all the difference.
Public
Affairs
We are a full-service public affairs firm which understands how local, state, and national governments make decisions.
Creative
Services
Our multidisciplinary team designs and creates solutions which help build and establish your brand with the audience you need.
Field
Canvassing
We collect information and convey messaging related to important issues affecting communities across the country.
& Strategy
& Marketing
Marketing
Affairs
Public Affairs
Services
Canvassing
Certifications & Cooperative Agreements
AWARD-WINNING
Marketing and PR Agency
Using critical research, Outreach Strategists designed the culturally relevant “Real World Education” campaign, featuring HCC students in the collateral and an award-winning TV commercial.
In just one year:
- Enrollment increased by 3%, exceeding the national average;
- Site views increased 500% across all HCC web pages, and
- Completed applications and payments increased by 600%.
Workforce Solutions “Your Career Your Choice Powered by Workforce Solutions”
SCOPE
The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the world economy. In the Houston and Gulf Coast region, unemployment skyrocketed to nearly 14%. The Gulf Coast Workforce Board–Workforce Solutions is the public workforce development agency serving Houston, Harris County, and twelve surrounding counties that comprise the Gulf Coast workforce development region. It is the largest of 28 such regions in Texas. The organization provides job search services, training opportunities, and other available resources to help job seekers. Since 2016, Outreach Strategists has helped Workforce Solutions raise awareness and bring visibility across the local media ecosystem, including video, and earned media. Federal law prohibits using workforce development funding on traditional advertising; therefore, earned media coverage has become the de facto mechanism for promoting their services to the public.
ROLE
In order to reach the areas most affected, Outreach Strategists assisted The Gulf Coast Workforce Board – Workforce Solutions with a public relations strategy to inform the community about Workforce Solutions’ job search services, training opportunities, and other resources. Because of the TV’s broad reach, Outreach Strategists helped facilitate engagement with local television stations, including KHOU-TV Channel 11, Houston’s CBS affiliate, resulting in station management offering a weekly 30-minute time slot on co-owned KTBU-TV Channel 55 (Quest Network) at no cost to the agency. The result was a magazine-talk show hybrid format TV series called Your Career Your Choice – Powered by Workforce. A proof-of-concept pilot episode was produced in March 2021 and presented to KHOU-TV management in June 2021. The outlet picked up the program with an initial 13-episode order for the first season.
Voters approved Harris Health’s first-ever bond referendum by a 3 to 1 margin, the largest hospital district bond measure in Texas history.
To support this initiative, the Outreach Strategists team:
- Advised Harris Health on increasing the bond amount;
- Engaged stakeholders, monitored media and legislative activity, crafted marketing materials, and
- Developed voter education and communication strategies.
Scope
The United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among developed countries, as each year, about 3,500 infants die from sleep-related deaths. Research and science repeatedly show that the adoption of continuous breastfeeding and the implementation of safe infant sleep practices are linked to reducing sleep-related deaths.
Role
In an effort to reduce the number of infant deaths and to educate and support new moms on the benefits of breastfeeding using Safe Infant Sleep (SIS) practices, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), in partnership with Outreach Strategists (OS), launched a statewide marketing initiative to engage communities around safe infant sleep and breastfeeding practices. The campaign was on television, radio and digital across the state.
To reach a broad base audience across Texas, the OS’ team employed a bilingual digital campaign geo-targeted to reach high-risk areas for infant mortality, caregivers, health partners, hospital leaders, obstetrics- serving and children’s hospitals. The campaign ran across Meta platforms; Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn, programmatic display ads, over-the-top television (OTT) and T.V. and radio ads.
The campaign achieved the goal of reaching across the state of Texas to share critical infant sleep safety messages and breastfeeding resources with parents as well as caregivers and healthcare providers to save the lives of babies.
Results
A total of 3,502 TV spots ran on 15 stations in English and Spanish, including Fox, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, and Univision affiliates across Texas Nearly 4,000 total radio spots ran on 15 English and Spanish stations, including 104.5 FM Latin Hits, Majic 93.3 and more.
Over the course of 10 years, our evolving role with AARP has ranged from strategic communications to building community coalitions and implementing programs across Texas. On an ongoing basis we help AARP manage community engagement efforts, such as roundtable discussions, and provide local public affairs support in key markets.
Our efforts with the City of Houston on “Complete Streets” led to an executive order in October 2013, and our payday lending work resulted in an ordinance being adopted in December 2013.
Our findings from a report on the South Asian community of Greater Houston led to the creation of a non-profit focused on meeting the needs of seniors.
Partnership with AARP, a 38-million-member strong organization, making Houston a better place to live
Helped to cultivate a distinct brand for Harris County Resources, creating a positive public perception for the organization.
SCOPE
Harris County Resources for Children and Adults (formerly Harris County Protective Services) engaged Outreach Strategists to help launch a rebranding initiative to create a positive public perception for the agency, increase public awareness of the free services they provide to the community and to cultivate a distinct brand.
ROLE
Outreach Strategists began this rebranding initiative by engaging in a discovery process to inform research strategies. Informed and empowered with critical take-aways from this research, the Creative Team at Outreach Strategists designed content to elevate the understanding of Harris County Resources, increase trust, and ultimately increase brand awareness. With input from key stakeholders including staff, board and community input, our team employed an iterative process to develop a new logo, a messaging guide, and a communications strategy. A formal brand manual was developed as well as new collateral for the organization and guidance for launching the brand on social media and in other digital spaces.
OUTCOMES
Harris County Resources for Children and Adults is now positioned to reach more individuals and reduce previous confusion on who they are and the services they provide.
Outreach Strategists’ work is helping Harris County Resources fashion a distinct and effective brand with the public, manage their interactions with the press and generate earned and digital media coverage.
Estella Olguin, Senior Communications Manager shared the following feedback about Outreach Strategists’ rebranding work:
“We love our new logo. Across the board. Everyone loves it and is excited about using it!”
“Having consistency with our brand, all over the organization– on our website, business cards, email signatures, are very important. As soon as people walk in the door, it all flows together and we love that!”
Joel Levine, Executive Director, said,
“One unexpected outcome of this rebranding initiative is that it has improved morale among our staff. People on our team are feeling more a part of the agency and are prouder to be able to say who they work for and what they do. In a time when staff can’t get salary increases, the morale is that much more important.”
“We are changing a culture that has over half a century of history. Changing that is going to take some time—but having people on board to do that is exciting!”
AMA Crystal award finalist
Scope
The Austin Independent School District saw a significant decrease in student enrollment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. When schools re-opened to in-person classes, campuses across the district reported that scores of students never returned. Austin ISD turned to Outreach Strategists to design and implement a major marketing campaign to win back families that had left the district for charter schools, private schools, or other options. The district also tasked Outreach Strategists with planning and facilitating a major gathering of representatives of all 116 schools to showcase their offering to families in person.
Role
Outreach Strategists began this campaign with a rapid research and analysis phase that focused on neighborhood school enrollment patterns and identifying reasons why families were choosing charter and private schools over Austin ISD campuses. Using these insights, Outreach Strategists developed a district Enrollment Guide with profiles highlighting each campus and its unique offerings. This guide, which is available in print and digitally, also features videos tailored to each campus and a photo library with curated pictures from all 116 campuses.
Outreach Strategists also devised a Marketing and Communications Plan that gave Austin ISD a detailed road map for reaching parents via paid and earned media.
Outcomes
Production of videos and photos began with the start of the new school year, and are on track to be completed in time for the district’s major recruiting effort later in the fall. When the Austin ISD Showcase event happens in October, each school will have its own brochure to show parents their unique offerings.
Created and implemented the public outreach and canvassing campaign for the Federal Monitor appointed to oversee the largest product safety recall in US history
Outreach Strategists led public engagement for the largest auto safety recall in U.S. history. In major Texas markets, including Houston and Dallas, we successfully organized a coalition of more than 140 community leaders and groups, who shared critical, life-saving information about the recall with their constituents. With a focus on minority and low-income communities, our engagement efforts included a first-of-its-kind recall canvass operation, knocking on 135,000-plus doors to urge vehicle owners to take advantage of the free life-saving recall.
Navigated local and state affairs for a global transportation disruptor
The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) manages Texas’ most- used network of toll roads, processing more financial transactions in an average day than Amazon. When HCTRA embarked on a plan to replace all six of the Sam Houston Tollway’s massive tolling plazas with an all-electronic tolling system, the authority turned to Outreach Strategists to design and implement a community engagement strategy to ensure that the transition away from manned toll booths would happen with minimal disruption. At the same time, HCTRA saw the project as a chance to rebrand itself as an organization that positively impacts people’s lives in ways that extend far beyond simply operating toll roads.
ROLE
The transition of the HCTRA to an all-electronic toll system involved a significant educational campaign led by Outreach Strategists. Starting with extensive research including multilingual focus groups and a landscape analysis of similar transitions, they gathered insights into driver behavior and best practices. They produced a video linking the project’s goals to HCTRA’s mission and values, and developed a comprehensive Communications Plan outlining press releases, media events, and community engagement. Additionally, they collaborated with HCTRA to introduce new branding standards, including an updated logo and the motto “HCTRA Connects.”
OUTCOMES
Insights obtained from Outreach Strategists’ research and analysis helped HCTRA design new tollway signage that clearly and effectively helps drivers adjust to the new driving conditions. HCTRA leaders have conducted multiple public presentations on the project using the materials we developed to help the public understand the changes and the values that are driving them forward.
These efforts have earned HCTRA leadership various awards and recognitions within their industry. The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) has invited HCTRA leaders to conduct multiple presentations on the project’s successes at conferences across the nation. Most importantly, the transition to all- electronic tolling has been conducted with no major disruptions and public safety has been enhanced.
