"Real Talk" wins national Savvy Award for best video
Published on September 17, 2025
Pictured: Communications Manager Vic Hathaway with the Savvy Award for Best Interview/Talk Show/News Programming for Pop. 0-100,000 at the annual 3CMA conference.
MARANA- The Town of Marana has been honored with a Savvy Award for Best Interview/Talk Show/News Programming for populations 0-100,000 from the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA). The award recognizes the Town’s innovative production of a special video episode of the “Real Talk with the Town of Marana” podcast, which spotlighted the new Marana Aquatic and Recreation Center (MARC) ahead of the May 3, 2025 grand opening. Communications Manager Vic Hathaway accepted the award on behalf of staff at the annual 3CMA conference on September 4, 2025.
Produced as a narrated walkthrough, the 35-minute podcast featured Town Manager Terry Rozema, Parks & Recreation Deputy Director Wayne Barnett, and Parks & Recreation Superintendent Brandon Laue as they narrated a tour of the facility and highlighted its state-of-the-art amenities. The video was filmed and produced by the Communications Division of the Town Manager’s Office, including Communications Specialist Amanda Gomez, Visual Communications Designer Zakary King, and Communications Manager Vic Hathaway, and features branding by Senior Visual Communications Designer Ramon Armenta.
"Teamwork makes the dream work," said podcast host Town Manager Terry Rozema. "Staff from the Town Manager’s Office and Parks and Recreation came together to create an episode that’s more engaging and visually dynamic than ever. It’s a great example of how collaboration across departments helps us bring the best information and experiences to our residents."
View the award-winning episode:
Judging Comments:
"Loved the thorough explanations in this submission and the multi-prong approach to the opening of the MARC. Reusing the long-form content as shorter clips for social is great. Congratulations on a successful opening and campaign."
The podcast was distributed across multiple platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and the Town’s Newsroom, reaching thousands of residents. The video became Marana’s most-shared Instagram post in two years and contributed directly to a surge in membership sales ahead of the grand opening.
“You never know exactly how a community will respond to an episode, but the turnout confirmed that the Town has not only found a reliable way to connect with residents, but is also making thoughtful, strategic decisions in developing facilities and services that meet their needs,"said Communications Manager Vic Hathaway.
The campaign far exceeded its original goal of selling 200 pre-opening memberships. By opening day, more than 600 memberships had been sold, and a week later, that number grew to 1,148 memberships representing nearly 3,900 residents.
Pictured: residents get a first look at the Marana Aquatic & Recreation Center at the grand opening on May 3, 2025.
“The significant public response to the MARC opening was a direct reflection of the Communications Division’s outstanding work,” said Jim Conroy, Parks and Recreation Director.
3CMA’s Savvy Awards are regarded as the top national recognition program for government communications, honoring excellence in creative, effective public outreach. Marana’s project stood out for its innovative approach, measurable impact, and strong community response.
This marks the second award for “Real Talk with the Town of Marana,” which has consistently ranked in the top 10% of global podcasts by Listen Score and has become a trusted source of community information. The podcast previously won a Silver Circle Award for Digital Interactive from 3CMA in 2023.
For more information and to watch the award-winning episode, visit www.maranaaz.gov/realtalk.
ABOUT THE SAVVY AWARDS:
The Savvy Awards, held in conjunction with 3CMA’s Annual Conference, recognize outstanding local government achievements in communications, public-sector marketing and resident-government relationships. The Savvies salute skilled and effective city, county, agency or district professionals who have creatively planned and carried out successful innovations in communications and marketing. 3CMA accommodates local government organizations of all sizes and budget classes by judging entries in several different population groups. Over 1,100 entries in 37 categories were received. 3CMA utilized professional communicators from across the United States as judges who review every entry and provide constructive comments on the winning entries. The list of all award winners is available online at
3cma.org. For additional information, please visit
3cma.org or call 703-707-0830.
VIEW THE 2025 SAVVY WINNERS
GALLERY:
Pictured left to right: 3CMA Executive Director Scott Lehtonen, Town of Marana Communications Manager Vic Hathaway, and President Annette Privette-Keller of Kannapolis, NC.
Pictured: close-up of the Savvy Award
Pictured: podcast host Town Manager Terry Rozema