Introducing Lucy Paloosa,
ITD's new Instagram mascot

In the third week of February, personnel from the Office of Communication (OC) shared the highlights of 2019 with the Transportation Board, and took a look ahead at 2020. Many topics were covered in a short amount of time, including the subject of ITD’s social-media presence.

The OC is responsible for maintaining and posting content to three social-media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. There is a dedicated social-media team within the OC that meets regularly to discuss how efforts are being received by the public, and how they can be improved to best represent the department.

D1/D2 Public Information Officer Megan Sausser serves on the social-media team. She explains that social media allows ITD to control our message, expand our audience, and engage directly with Idaho drivers.

“Over the past few years, the OC’s capacity to gather content has grown, not only with the addition of PIOs in the district, but also with support from the field,” Sausser said. “We find ourselves branching out more and more with content that’s reaching a greater audience.”

It’s this type of thinking that led the OC’s social-media team to launch Instagram just over one year ago. Before Instagram, ITD had last joined a new social-media platform in 2009.

“The decision to join the Instagram world came after it was determined that we were missing a younger demographic that doesn’t as readily subscribe to Facebook or Twitter,” said Instagram lead and ITD Chief Photographer Mark Hall. “With much of our messaging geared toward new drivers, we felt Instagram was the right fit.”

Since ITD’s first Instagram post was made, the OC has continued to carefully curate content and organically grow the department’s social-media audience. They track trends and follow other departments of transportation throughout the nation in order to see where improvements to ITD’s page can be made.

During a recent meeting, members of the social-media team commented on Washington Transportation Department’s use of a mascot for Instagram posts.

“We saw them utilizing this cute little goat called Mazama to relay important information in a fun and engaging way,” said Sausser. “It didn’t take us long to conclude that we too could benefit from our own mascot to help highlight the great work ITD does year round.”
  
In just a few short weeks, an appaloosa named Lucy Paloosa was born.  She made her debut before the board during the OC’s February presentation, and since then has been completing her ITD onboarding process.

“Of course appaloosas are the state horse of Idaho, but they also excel in many different areas and are highly regarded throughout the world for their strength and beauty,” said Hall. “We truly could not think of a better mascot to represent the people we are, and the work we do.”

Watch for Lucy coming to a district near you. She loves to get her hooves dirty and help out wherever she can so make sure you extend an invite when heading into the field or even hanging in the office. Of course it’s important to document your time with Lucy, too - after all, what’s an Instagram mascot without a photo?

Follow ITD on social media at the following:
Facebook: @idahotransportationdepartment
Twitter: @IdahoITD
Instagram: @idaho_transportation_dept

If you have photos you would like to share with the social media team, please send them to your district communication officer:
Districts 1 & 2: megan.sausser@itd.idaho.gov
District 3: jake.melder@itd.idaho.gov
District 4: jessica.williams@itd.idaho.gov
Districts 5 & 6: megan.stark@itd.idaho.gov

Published 03-06-20