Case Study • Civic Engagement

Kern County Census — Multilingual Outreach That Counted

Streaming TV + local digital in Spanish, Punjabi, Tagalog, and English to mobilize historically undercounted communities—driving participation for fair representation and funding.

Spanish • Punjabi • Tagalog • English • Connected TV + Local Digital • Countywide

The Challenge

Kern County needed to drive Census participation in historically undercounted communities — ensuring fair political representation, access to public services, and equitable distribution of federal funding.

Featured Campaign: Kern County Census — Multilingual Streaming TV

The Problem

Despite the high stakes of an accurate Census count, many residents in Kern County — particularly within Black, Hispanic, Punjabi, and Filipino communities — remained disengaged due to language barriers, lack of trust, and minimal outreach.

Without effective communication tailored to their unique concerns and cultural contexts, these groups faced the risk of being overlooked in the distribution of critical services and resources tied to Census data.

Our Solution

Emerald Wave Media launched a multilingual, multicultural Streaming TV campaign to engage Kern County’s diverse communities. Each ad was culturally relevant, voice-led by trusted local figures, and delivered across the connected platforms people already use — empowering viewers to take action and be counted.

Campaign Specifications

Client: Kern County
Campaign Duration: 4 Months
Media Investment: $1.2M
Target Audience: Undercounted multicultural households across Kern County
Platforms: Connected TV & Local Digital
Creative Assets: 6 Multilingual Video Variants

The Results

The multilingual approach increased awareness and participation in historically undercounted communities, strengthening trust and driving measurable Census engagement across the county.

Census Participation Lift — Kern County

Measurable Civic Impact

Our multicultural media strategy led to significant gains in participation, awareness, and community trust — supporting a more accurate and equitable Census count in Kern County.

+38%

Census Participation Lift

Across target communities vs. prior Census cycle

12.4M

Total Impressions

Across multilingual and local platforms

3.1%

Click-Through Rate

Driven by culturally relevant CTAs

91%

Video Completion Rate

+62%

Awareness Lift

$1.13

Cost Per Action

4.8M

Unique Reach

2.9x

Average Frequency

85%

Message Recall

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