Creativity Every Day: Staying Relevant Beyond the Trend

Sponsored by Orlo

This month, we’re proud to be supported by Orlo, the digital engagement platform built for the public sector.

From social media management and archiving to AI insights and customer service management, Orlo helps teams streamline communications, stay responsive, and build public trust—whether it’s crisis comms or everyday updates.

Oh, hi!

Taylor Swift’s TS12 “orange wave” wasn’t just fun—it was a case study in agility. From landmarks glowing orange to feeds turning bright, cities and brands showed they can move at the speed of culture. That matters.

Trends are accelerators, but only systems turn them into lasting trust. Cities need both.

Think of it like music:

The singles are your trend moments—orange lights, viral hashtags, playful campaigns.
The album is your year-round storytelling—ritual updates, everyday wins, fast follow-up.

Singles spark excitement, but the album builds trust.

Something else to keep in mind

You can’t jump on the moment if your team’s stuck waiting for approval or in yesterday’s news cycle. Creative agility requires trust. That means giving your team autonomy and building workflows that make it safe to move fast. Set everyday review systems and test your fire-drill mode.

What happens when a trend, crisis, or real-time opportunity hits? If you don’t have less than a 24-hour pathway for review and release, you’re not ready yet.

Three Things You Should Know:

• Major cities from New York to Kansas City lit landmarks in orange to join the Swift momentum and residents noticed.

• San Antonio used the hype to drop the sparkling orange graphic over an image of the famous river walk.

• Countless cities utilized TS provided stickers to quickly jump into the conversation.

This part really matters: You can’t predict the next viral wave but you can build the album that makes your city ready for it.

💡What You Can Do:

1️⃣ Name the ritual. Publish at the same time every week—“Week in the City,” “Top 3 Fixes.” Predictability earns attention.
2️⃣ Show the everyday. Highlight the quiet work, parks prepped, streets repaired, that builds visible trust.
3️⃣ Engage like a neighbor. A human reply in two days beats a press release a month later.

Your challenge this week: Name your album. Decide the ritual, post it publicly, and stick with it for 90 days. Reply and tell me what you’re trying.

Keep the music playing,

—Dana

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe to the CityCX Newsletter here.