Earlier this month, VJ participated in the Colorado Traffic Safety Summit, an event dedicated to advancing roadway safety through collaboration and innovation. We attended as a trusted partner to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and as a presenter. We shared our view on how communication strategies can help save lives.
Our poster session, “Moments of Impact in Modern Communication,” highlighted how data-driven communication strategies influence behavior and improve safety outcomes.
Five pillars stand at the core of effective traffic safety communication:
- Audience Understanding Leads to Higher Engagement
- Consistency Across Channels Multiplies Your Message
- Metrics Drive the Message, Target & Channels
- Measure What Matters
- Data-Driven Strategies for Safer Roads in Colorado
What resonated most was the potential use of existing traffic data to make our roadways safer. Engineers, officers, and public health leaders wanted to explore how they could use the data they collect. They aimed to improve communication strategies. This included better audience targeting, shaping campaign messages, and teaching engineers to make data-driven decisions.
The Power of Collaboration
Bringing together engineers, law enforcement, communicators, and policymakers in one place is rare. This is what made the summit so impactful. The conversations reinforced how vital it is for these different roles to connect, share information, and work together.
That spirit of collaboration was evident in every discussion. What started as presentations or sharing data quickly turned into real two-way conversations and collaborations. Attendees learned more about each other’s challenges and priorities. By bridging perspectives, the dialogue became more than the sum of its parts.
When professionals who don’t often cross paths have the chance to engage, silos break down. Data becomes more actionable when paired with on-the-ground enforcement experience.
Policy ideas gain momentum when shaped by real-world communications strategies. And engineers designing solutions gain valuable context from those working directly with communities. At these intersections, where expertise overlaps, meaningful progress truly begins.
From Learning to Application
At Vladimir Jones, the summit was not just about sharing what we know. The focus was also on finding ways to introduce new ideas in our client work.
- Leveraging Learnings: The summit highlighted the importance of sharing knowledge. Learning from professionals in various fields within the same organization is valuable. We must always include communication in our larger strategy. We’ll continue to bring this holistic approach to our projects.
- Data Opportunities: Various sessions highlighted just how much untapped data exists, from traffic flow to even street light timing. These data sources can help shape campaign strategies in new ways. We see great potential in helping clients use their own data within their communication strategies.
- A Continuous Conversation: The summit is only in its fourth year. However, it has great potential to bring together different views from across Colorado. What’s most exciting is the idea of continuing these conversations every year, deepening relationships and driving innovation forward.
Attending the Colorado Traffic Safety Summit let us share our knowledge and learn from others. It also helped us confirm our role in the larger goal of road safety. Events like these prove that when diverse voices come together, we can spark new ideas and create real impact.
At VJ, we are committed to applying what we’ve learned, harnessing data, driving behavioral change, and thinking boldly. At Vladimir Jones, we focus on more than just running campaigns. We believe in the mission of saving lives through education and changing behavior. And that’s a mission worth showing up for every time.
