Public Relations:
Uncovering the Need for Organizational Change Through Strategic Planning and Research
The Client
Western Water, a major water district in Riverside County serving more than one million customers. The agency was navigating a period of public frustration, rising service expectations, and a critical need to rebuild trust after a contentious water-rate increase.
The Opportunity
When Western Water faced a tough rate increase, the fallout wasn’t just unhappy customers - it was shrinking trust, mixed messages, and a growing gap between the utility and the million people it serves. Early conversations hinted at communication issues, but as I dug deeper, it became clear that the real problem was bigger. Western needed a full reset on how it listened, responded, and engaged its community.
The Approach
To understand the root causes of that trust gap, I helped lead a comprehensive research and discovery process designed to capture perspectives from all angles:
Direct input from customers, community leaders, and internal staff
Multiple rounds of qualitative and quantitative research
Evaluation of how Western showed up across every communication channel
Clear identification of service gaps and trust drivers
Across every input, the same theme kept surfacing: the district didn’t just need better messaging—it needed a customer-centric communication strategy paired with stronger, more consistent service delivery.
The Reward
Four years later, Western went back to its customers with a new statistically valid survey to answer one big question: Did any of this actually work?
It did - and then some.
Understanding of Western’s work and water costs increased 17 points (36% → 53%).
Trust indicators rose 14 points (32% → 46%).
Customer service sentiment flipped from overwhelmingly negative to almost 65% positive.
The transformation wasn’t accidental - it was the result of a multi-year, research-driven effort that aligned communication, operations, and customer experience. The strategic plan didn’t just improve metrics; it reshaped Western’s relationship with the community it serves.
The Services
Working as part of the District’s communications leadership, I helped design and deliver a comprehensive research and discovery process to understand exactly where trust was breaking down.
This work included:
One-on-one interviews with key stakeholders
Internal and external focus groups
A full SWOT analysis
Review of existing materials, digital channels, and customer-facing touchpoints
A media audit
A statistically valid customer survey
Across every input, one theme rose to the top: Western didn’t just need better messaging—they needed a customer-centric communication strategy and a stronger, more consistent service experience.
The Solution
From these insights, I helped develop a districtwide strategic communications program that finally gave Western a clear narrative, a unified voice, and an implementation roadmap grounded in real community expectations.
Key deliverables included:
A comprehensive strategic communications plan
A master narrative and key message platform
A three-year implementation plan
Customer service improvement recommendations directly tied to research findings
Ongoing counsel to operationalize the plan across internal teams
