The Challenge

The City of Calabasas aimed to strengthen its communication channels with residents and businesses to build trust and increase engagement. To effectively manage and elevate the City’s robust communications, the City sought a partner that could serve as a single source of knowledge and talent.

Our Approach

Calabasas engages Tripepi Smith to provide ongoing communication support with a focus on creating meaningful connections and strategizing on improving the City’s perception in the community.

The team holds weekly check-in calls to collaborate with City staff and stay aligned on evolving priorities. Communications are prepared on an on-demand basis. Key offerings include:

  • Social Media Creation and Management – The Tripepi Smith team develops and distributes social media on a daily basis based on topics identified through the City’s website, planning discussions with department heads, staff requests and additional sources. The team developed an expansive suite of branded templates to ensure a cohesive visual identity across platforms. The team also optimized the City’s Meta account, allowing the City to run targeted ad campaigns as needed.
  • Website Management – Tripepi Smith provides general website management to ensure pages are fresh and timely. The team reviews the site for ADA compliance and provides training to empower staff to maintain their respective pages.
  • Newsletter and Press Release Development – The City of Calabasas distributes extensive written content, including one weekly newsletter, two monthly newsletters and periodic press releases. Tripepi Smith manages the weekly newsletter end-to-end and supports City staff with the monthly newsletters as needed. The team also drafts and distributes timely press releases to key local media.
  • Photography and Videography – The Tripepi Smith team collaborates with City staff to produce high-quality video and photo content. Tripepi Smith records City Council and Planning Commission meetings, manages the City’s TV channel and creates videos recapping events and promoting services. The team also photographs key moments at council meetings, events and locations throughout the City. This includes updating employee headshots to ensure consistent, professional visuals across platforms.
  • Graphic Design – Graphic design is a key element to the success of many communications. Tripepi Smith supports the City of Calabasas with graphic design on an as-needed basis with everything ranging from posters and banners to signage and newsletter headers, along with other items that create a cohesive but distinct brand for the City.
  • Monthly Metrics Reporting – Monthly metrics reports provide Calabasas with a snapshot of communications performance, from social media reach and engagement to top webpages and newsletter opens, enabling data-driven decision-making. These reports include in-depth analysis from Tripepi Smith, which helps tailor the City’s communication outreach for maximum impact.
  • Emergency Communications – The Tripepi Smith team is available to craft and distribute emergency communications when needed. The team has experience working in a variety of emergencies and has already coordinated with the City on several occasions. Having access to a large team and extensive resources allows Tripepi Smith to respond to emergencies quickly and efficiently.
The Results

With Tripepi Smith’s support, Calabasas continually enhances its digital reach and strengthens its position as a key voice in the community.
Notable outcomes include:

  • Brand pillars guiding the priorities and voice of the City’s communications.
  • A notable increase in social media metrics across Facebook, Instagram and X:
    • 125% increase in impressions
    • 95% increase in engagements
    • 400% increase in followers
  • Proactive awareness of media coverage with detailed monitoring and sentiment reporting.
  • Consistent visual presence across multiple distribution outlets.
  • Streamlined collaboration through regular check-ins, timely edits and on-call strategy support.

Together, these efforts empowered the City of Calabasas to not only establish a stronger image in the community but also lead with confidence and clarity in a dynamic media landscape.