For Census 2000, an integrated marketing plan was implemented, consisting of:

A massive partnership effort

A first-time paid Advertising Campaign

A redesigned census questionnaire, advance letter and follow-up postcard

Various promotional activities such as Census in Schools and the Road Tour

Full media services to support press coverage of Census activities

With common messages and themes, these programs all worked together to persuade and motivate respondents. Local governments and other Census partners used posters and other promotional tools to customize their outreach materials while maintaining the Census Bureau’s messages and themes.

After mail response rates had declined in two successive censuses (1980 and 1990), Census 2000 yielded the first increase in mail response when 67% of the questionnaires mailed out were returned.