Visits to North Carolina 911 Career Site Jump 20-Fold From Spectrum Reach Ad Campaign

When North Carolina’s 911 Board first connected with Spectrum Reach in 2022, 911 centers across the state were facing a shortage of qualified telecommunicators – a critical challenge that was impacting the 911 centers’ ability to respond effectively to emergencies.

Spectrum Reach’s Recruitment Ad Strategy

To help recruit qualified candidates for open positions, the North Carolina 911 Board partnered with Spectrum Reach – Spectrum’s advertising sales business – to create an advertising strategy targeting audiences statewide. Ads appeared across multiple platforms, reaching people throughout North Carolina. By working with Kernel, Spectrum Reach’s in-house creative team, the Board developed custom ads tailored to connect with those most likely to consider a public safety career.

"When it comes to advertising for something as specific as recruiting experienced 911 telecommunicators, knowing your audience, creating engaging content and actually reaching them are all essential components of a successful campaign,” said Cindy Morgan, Spectrum Reach Account Executive. “With a data-driven, multiscreen strategy and creative that speaks to the realities of this work, we helped 911 centers connect with more candidates and strengthen emergency response for communities across the state of North Carolina.”

The campaign ran across all 100 counties in North Carolina, spanning streaming and TV networks, online video and display ads, social media and search.

Results: Record Growth in Career Site Visits

The impact was immediate.

• After the campaign launched in 2023, visits to the North Carolina 911 Board’s careers page jumped from approximately 1,800 to more than 37,000 annually – more than 20-fold.
• According to Melanie Jones, Executive Director, Guilford-Metro 911, there was a major jump in applications following the campaign launch in 2023:
  • “The January after the ads started being broadcast, we had more than 100 applications, and that had never happened in the history of us taking applications,” Jones said. “Previously, we would receive maybe 40 to 50 applications, meaning applications more than doubled within nine months.”
• Also in that first campaign wave, applicants spent 45% more time on the site, showing that the campaign drove highly relevant traffic.
• The following year, career page visits more than doubled again, reaching 81,000 in 2024. By the end of 2025, visits climbed to more than 118,000 – more than 65 times, or 6,500%, higher than the traffic when the campaign started in 2023.

“Spectrum Reach made a real difference for us,” said L.V. Pokey Harris, Executive Director, North Carolina 911 Board. “They understood the challenges 911 centers face in recruiting 911 telecommunicators. This campaign helps to create awareness about a career in 911 and helps connect those interested in serving their communities with those 911 career opportunities within local governments.”

What’s Next for North Carolina 911 Recruitment

The partnership between the North Carolina 911 Board and Spectrum Reach shows how smart advertising can make a real difference. By reaching people across TV, streaming, social media and websites, the campaign helped thousands more discover 911 telecommunicator jobs.

As a result, emergency response teams across the state are stronger and more prepared when people call for help. The recruitment campaign proves that using the right tools and creative strategies can solve big challenges. North Carolina 911 is now ready to keep building its team and continue serving communities statewide.