Water Wise Spokane

Empowering SPOKANE TO Conserve WATER

The Water Wise Spokane campaign was developed in 2019 with the City of Spokane’s Water Department to energize citizens towards sustainable habits and to promote incentives and resources that make a measurable impact on local water use. In its first year, the campaign succeeded in supporting a 2% reduction in Citywide water use, and the campaign continues to evolve and contribute to the regional efforts to preserve our aquifer and protect our riverflow.

From a complete program rebrand in the first year, to ongoing media creation including diverse videos and photography, to social purpose marketing and audience engagement and promotion development –  our multimedia service partner approach has supported the growth and success of this essential City of Spokane initiative.

Services

  • Documentary Video
  • Photography Services
  • Social Purpose Marketing

Client Type

  • Conservation
  • Government

The Water Wise Spokane campaign is dedicated to empowering Spokane citizens toward sustainability. These efforts help safeguard our aquifer, the Spokane River, and the broader network of waterways, ensuring the well-being of all inhabitants and ecosystems.

Our joint efforts underscore the City’s collective responsibilities and challenges, such as managing seasonal stormwater and the pollutants that it carries from our hardscapes into our waterways, as well as reducing our overall water consumption, especially during the warmest summer months.

Water Wise Spokane presents a growing array of resources for Spokane water utility customers. From rebates on water-efficient equipment upgrades, to credit-earning programs like the SpokaneScape lawn replacement and the Water Wise Challenge, to seasonal conservation and stormwater protection tips, Water Wise Spokane aims to empower residents to conserve water, reduce utility bills, and enhance environmental stewardship throughout the City.

Becoming Water Wise

Jan 2019

City of Spokane’s Digital Journey

In 2019, Rogue Heart Media began collaborating with City of Spokane’s Water Department on the City’s Water Stewardship campaign, as a multi-faceted digital marketing effort dedicated to responsible management of our region’s natural resources. We developed community-based social media profiles for building audiences and a direct distribution of issue focused content and a fresh localized media library, increasing resident engagement and program awareness. As a result, website traffic and SpokaneScape applications increased, and we achieved the initial goal of a 2% City water use reduction in the first year.

July 2019 - 2023

SpokaneScape Photo Contest

To inspire homeowners to appreciate the beauty of native plants and drought-tolerant landscaping, and to celebrate homeowners that converted their yards before the launch of the SpokaneScape rebate program, Water Wise Spokane facilitated a contest asking residents to submit photos of their yards with the contest hashtag. Three submissions were internally selected as “finalists, and then the winner was ultimately chosen by popular vote via social media. The campaign had a great response, building the media library of “SpokaneScaped” yards to normalize and promote lawn alternatives.

Mar 2020

Rebranding Campaign

Recognizing the need to reimagine the campaign brand that had been called “Slow the Flow,” Rogue Heart developed and designed the way towards Water Wise Spokane and a suite of delightful program logos with creative collaborator Katherine Bell.

Rogue Heart’s contract expanded to officially support the City of Spokane under two separate departments and budgets, growing the City’s Stormwater messaging through direct work with the Wastewater Department, and building out educational media to support proper green area and swale maintenance, among other priorities.

July 2020 - Current

Water Wise Challenge

In 2020, we were determined to design a way to measure and reward households committed to improvement – and thus launched the Water Wise Challenge. Participants compete against themselves and their household’s summer water usage from the year prior. Those who reduce their consumption by 10% or more receive a utility bill credit as a reward, increasing in monetary value for 20%, 30% and overall greatest reduction in use. Joining the Challenge is free, however, participants sign a formal pledge committing to reducing their water usage through implementing tips & strategies provided.

We’ve seen real results and positive changes from citizens as a result of this campaign. In our best year yet, 70 participants saved over 1 million gallons!

Water Wise Challenge Winners

Sept 2020

Campaign Wins Best of Show!

We were honored to receive the Blaze Award (Best of Show) during the Spokane MarCom Association’s SPARK Awards  for the campaign’s impact on social awareness, action, and advocacy. This top honor recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication and hard work in creating a comprehensive, long-term initiative to reduce local water consumption.

July 2023

Spokane Biosolids

Seeing the City of Spokane’s innovative wastewater treatment facilities that generate biosolids as fertilizer for local farmers was a fascinating opportunity! The creative stories of sustainability for our region that come out of this work make us proud Spokane citizens.

December 2024

SPARKS Conference Presentation

We had the opportunity to co-present with the Water Wise team at the SPARKS 2024 Social Marketing Conference in Bothell, WA, on the topic “Self Competition for the Win:How individualized goals energize change” – sharing the successes of the uniquely designed Water Wise Challenge and the first five years of program data. We are proud that the power of self-competition within program design was well received by our social marketing peers from across the region!

June 2026

Commercial Case Studies

Always evolving, the Water Wise program is in a season of highlighting large impact partnerships in efficiency work with some of our City’s highest water users. We are excited to continue sharing the important educational resources and rewarding stories with Water Wise Spokane, and supporting their creative development of effective conservation campaign strategies.

More Work

All Work
Aerial view of the city of Spokane with the words

Spokane Climate Project

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Glen Tana Farmland aerial view

Inland Northwest Land Conservancy

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