AUDIENCE: Nature enthusiasts, photographers, kids and teens, and parents hoping to raise children who will lead the world with care and compassion. 

Each fall Pacific Northwest native salmon begin their journey from the ocean to their birthplaces in the streams and rivers that feed into Puget Sound. The Salmon SEEson program helps people witness this amazing migration at locations all around King County, Washington. 

Salmon are a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest; they have shaped our landscape as much as the glaciers and volcanoes. They feed us and their presence tells us that our rivers are healthy. From grizzly bears to orca whales, at least 137 different species depend on the nutrients that salmon provide. Salmon also fuel a $3 billion industry, supporting thousands of jobs and local economies. And native people consider them part of their spiritual and cultural identity.

OBJECTIVE: In 2018, We rebranded our graphics and greatly simplified our poster, which had included a map and photos in previous years. We placed that extra information on our webpage, as well as on our agency’s homepage. This allowed us to create a bold and eye catching design (using spawning salmon colors!) that garnered respect from our partner organizations who share the materials with us.

• Along with our traditional printed poster and flyers, we expanded our outreach to include social media graphics and messaging, which helped us reach new audiences and stay relevant.

• We developed an online interactive map for our webpage. 

• We created a hashtag (#SalmonSEEson) that we promoted on all our materials to make a place for people to collect and share their Salmon SEEson photos and experiences. 

• We created Snapchat filters for viewers to use to enhance their photos and create a more memorable and shareable experience, as well as increase our name and program recognition.

• We advertised a photo contest with a prize to incentivize our constituents to get involved in the program.

 

• We ran targeted ads on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and sent personalized NextDoor posts, letting residents know which salmon viewing location was closest to them. 

• We provided quality outreach and educational information to our partner organizations so they could engage in different ways (print, web, social) in their preferred way.

OUTCOMES: We created an eye-catching and appealing campaign in the hopes that witnessing this miracle of nature would encourage people to be good stewards of our native salmon. Due in no small part to an expanded advertising campaign and the additional graphics and messaging that we employed and shared with our partners, we saw a significant increase in participants at various salmon viewing locations and a record number of attendees at many of our sessions and events—as well as a measurable increase in traffic on our social media channels. 

One hundred percent of the graphic design for this project was created in-house using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.