City Launches “Can We Count on You?” 2020 Census Campaign

Erie, Pa. – May 4, 2020 – The City of Erie is launching the “Can We Count on You?” campaign to remind all residents, specifically in the City of Erie, to take the U.S. Census in the month of May.

“If we don’t get an accurate count, Erie loses up to one billion dollars in federal funding over the next ten years,” says Mayor Joe Schember. The $1.06 billion in potential funding could support Erie’s schools, streets, parks, playgrounds, community centers, emergency responders, health care, small business, and neighborhood revitalization.

Residents can answer by mail, online at my2020census.gov, or by calling 844-330-2020. By law, personal information cannot be released for 72 years to any person or government agency. “I want to challenge everyone in Erie to find five people who have not yet completed the census and help them do it,” says Schember. 

“It’s crucial every infant and child, college student and senior citizen, foreign and U.S. citizen, everyindividual and family be counted,” says Renee Lamis, Chief of Staff to Mayor Schember. “We’ve also created materials in multiple languages to make sure we reach as many of our diverse neighborhoods as possible.” In addition to English, marketing materials have been translated to Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Swahili, and Nepali. 

The U.S. Census Bureau releases daily response rates for each census tract. This helps city officials identify Census Tracts with low response rates and focus marketing in those areas. These updates also measure the campaign success and allow city officials to adjust the campaign strategy as needed. Residents can check progress at https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html.

The City of Erie Mayor’s Office contracted Engel O’Neill Public Relations and Advertising to build out the campaign creative and media. The campaign includes TV, radio, outdoor, transit, print, and social media. A focal piece of the campaign is a video, produced by Paul Gibbens Creative, in which Erie residents ask viewers “Can we count on you?” in their native language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niNU0VG9pig

Campaign literature and other resources are available on the city’s website at https://cityof.erie.pa.us/2020census/ . To take the U.S. Census or for more information, visit www.my2020census.gov. You can also respond by mail, or by calling 844-330-2020. Can we count on you?

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