With surging COVID-19 cases in Winthrop, Massachusetts, the town was recently identified by the state of Massachusetts as a town with an infection rate in the red — making it a COVID-19 hotspot. As a result it has become one of 21 cities and towns in the Massachusetts Stop the Spread campaign, a strategic program to support the testing of asymptomatic individuals to help control the spread of COVID-19. Along with this designation the town received funding to support testing efforts.
Town leadership and public safety officials needed a way to relay the urgency of the rise in cases and new testing sites to the public and quickly, and they turned to JGPR for assistance. Winthrop has long been a JGPR client, so the company was already familiar with the town and its leadership, and JGPR also staffed the town’s Emergency Operations Center for more than 10 days during the initial spring 2020 COVID-19 surge.
JGPR recommended developing a public service announcement (PSA) video and building a COVID-19 news portal website with information dedicated to all-things COVID-19 in Winthrop.
In just three days (including the weekend) JGPR produced two videos, including a PSA video in English and Spanish, and launched the new website–the release of which and associated press coverage has helped Winthrop test nearly 500 individuals for COVID-19 in two days.
Making the PSA
JGPR held a conference call with the Winthrop police chief, fire chief, public health director, and town manager on Friday. Initially the discussion revolved around a PSA that would explain how Winthrop’s COVID-19 testing sites worked, but it became clear during the course of the meeting that the message needed to be stronger and a part of the solution that would drive the town caseload down.
JGPR developed a 75-second script that still focused on testing, but detailed the benefit and importance of testing, even for those who are asymptomatic, as a way to protect those around you and lower Winthrop’s COVID-19 caseload.
JGPR sent two videographers, including staff video producer Cynthia Johnston, to Winthrop on Sunday to record the PSA, which featured Winthrop’s Town Manager and Public Health Director. The two recordings went quickly and smoothly with the help of a teleprompter, and took no more than 30 minutes. The JGPR Team then got b-roll from around Winthrop and shared an edited first draft of the video with the Winthrop team Sunday night.
On Tuesday, the JGPR team recorded the video in Spanish in Winthrop with a reserve police officer who had been identified as being available. It was important that the video could be served to the variety of language speakers in town.
Building a COVID-19 News Portal
The JGPR Web Division was able to get a COVID-19 news portal for Winthrop up and running in one day. The site received thousands of unique visitors during the initial launch week.
Video Works
JGPR can quickly turn around a PSA, Video News Release (VNR), or Branding Video for you! View a catalogue of some of our recent work.