Mobile Recreation — City of Federal Way

Interviews and field conversations revealed that most attendees discovered Mobile Rec by chance or through word of mouth. The city site made details hard to find, and social presence was minimal—so awareness depended on luck.

• Low discoverabilityParticipants found us by chance or word of mouth, web path was unclear, little to no social media presence.
• Buried informationProgram details were several clicks deep and fragmented across pages.
• Minimal social presenceFew posts, inconsistent cadence, no cross-posting to neighborhood groups.
• Missed partnershipsNearby programs (Skyhawks, Day Camp, Pac NW Soccer) ran in parallel without structured collaboration.

Clarify where to go and when, meet families where they already are (schools, parks, partner programs), and keep updates current.

• Single source of truthA shareable route/schedule page with times, locations, and what to expect.
• Pre-summer school outreachLeverage district channels (Backpack flyers, announcements).
• Findable websiteSeasonal homepage tile, and clean path to find info.
• Consistent social rhythmSchedule posts, day-of story, short recap; cross-post to local groups.
• Program collaborationsCoordinate pop-ups with Skyhawks/Day Camp/PacNW to tap adjacent audiences.

We spoke with families at park stops and logged quick, anonymous responses about awareness and attendance patterns.

• 266 participants (2023)Pilot summer season total.
• 18% recurringVisited us multiple times.
• 63% stumbled upon usFound us by chance at a park.
• 29% word of mouthHeard from friends/family.
• Pain pointsDistance/schedule conflicts; didn’t know when/where we’d be, didn't even know about us.

We focused on high-leverage channels families already use: schools, parks, partner programs, and neighborhood social groups.

• Advertise with schools before summerCoordinate school announcements and backpack flyers with a short QR to the schedule. Result: +23% first-time attendance in June–July.
• Make Mobile Rec findable on the city websiteCreate a top-level page and seasonal homepage tile; simplify the path (Parks & Rec → Mobile Rec). Publish a single shareable route page. Result: page visits 4.3×; schedule clicks +57%.
• Collaborate with Skyhawks / Day Camp / PacNWSet up pop-ups at session start/end with mini-kits and handouts. Result: referrals +13%; repeat attendance +10%.

By addressing discoverability, outreach, and partnerships, attendance grew significantly between the pilot and our most recent season.

• 266 participants → 512Pilot summer 2023 to summer 2025 ≈ 92% growth (nearly doubled).
• Recurring familiesRepeat participants increased from 18% to 39%.
• Partner referralsCross-attendance from Skyhawks/Day Camp/PacNW accounted for 26% increase in participants.