Photo Release -- With Hundreds of Thousands of Messages Sent, 2012 Marks Another Record Year for Government-to-Citizen Communications, According to GovDelivery Study

Report Reveals That Health, Severe Weather, and Jobs Account for More Than One-Half of Government Communication Requested by Public

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 30, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GovDelivery, the leading provider of public sector digital communications solutions, today released three 2012 Digital Communications Reports highlighting communications trends in the Federal, State & Local, and International government space. The reports are available as infographics and can be viewed at:

• http://bit.ly/2012DigitalComms_graphic
• http://bit.ly/2012SLT_DigiComms_graphic
• http://bit.ly/2012Int_DigiComms_graphic

2012 was a record year for government communications

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=16917

"For the second year in a row, citizens were most interested in receiving government updates that impacted or related to the health of their families," said Scott Burns, CEO and co-Founder of GovDelivery. "And, while healthcare and jobs and employment stayed near the top of the list of topics most requested by the public, 2012 marked a significant increase in the number of messages requested around severe weather."

The reports are based on data from GovDelivery's clients representing more than 550 public sector organizations from around the world and illustrate the breadth and depth of government communications sent to millions of citizens throughout 2012. The reports unveil key trends across several categories, such as the top keywords and subjects of government-to-citizen communications. In this category, messages around health and healthcare, severe weather, and jobs and employment accounted for more than 50 percent of more 450 million messages sent in 2012.

Each report then dives into specific data for Federal, State & Local, and international government organizations, revealing:

• Organizations with the most shared public content. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Department of Defense had the most shared public content in the Federal market, while the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Maine Governor's Office, and the City of Baltimore, Maryland topped the State and Local space. Internationally, the United Kingdom's Driving Standards Agency (DSA), the European Space Agency and the Department of Energy and Climate Change had the most shared public content.
• The most shared public messages. This category showed which specific messages were shared the most in 2012. From a Federal perspective, the most shared message came from the IRS about mortgage debt forgiveness. Last year, the IRS also held the top spot in shared messages, with an email on increased mileage reimbursement rates. For State and Local organizations, the most shared update came from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, promoting a streaming live video feed from their black bear den. Internationally, the DSA continued to have the most shared message, focused on driving test updates, in international public sector communications (both 2011 and 2012).
• Topics with growing public interest. These topics saw the largest increase in subscribers in 2012, illustrating the kind of information the public wanted from the public sector. For Federal agencies, the Small Business Administration had the fastest growing topic around regional newsletters. For State and Local organizations, the largest growing topic came from the Texas Department of Transportation and focused on their annual event. Internationally, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) continued to have the fastest growing topic. In 2011, their topic on Construction had the most subscribers; in 2012, their general newsletter topic outpaced all other organizations' in terms of subscriber growth.

The report also provides insight into public sector agencies' ability to accelerate outreach through the GovDelivery Network, which allows government organizations to cross-promote content with other agencies. By working together, organizations can dramatically expand their communications outreach without any additional strain on valuable agency resources. For Federal agencies, the number of subscribers coming in through the GovDelivery Network increased from 100,000 in January 2012 to approximately 300,000 by the end of the year.

"Public sector organizations are recognizing the transformative power of communications, specifically how digital communications can directly impact mission goals. The value of communications will only increase as the public's expectations around government transparency and efficiency continue to grow," said Burns. "Leveraging more than a decade of experience, GovDelivery is in a unique position to help the public sector maximize their direct connections with citizens and stakeholders by tapping all forms of digital media to reach and engage better than ever before."

About GovDelivery

GovDelivery, the leading provider of government-to-citizen communication solutions, helps more than 550 government organizations transform their communications by maximizing direct connections with the public while reducing communications cost. Clients, including more than half of major U.S. federal agencies, as well as state, county, and city governments in the U.S., and local authorities and central government agencies in the United Kingdom, use GovDelivery solutions to optimize their effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement in communications with the public. GovDelivery is an ICG (Nasdaq:ICGE) company. For more information, visit http://www.govdelivery.com.

The GovDelivery logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8030

The photo is also available via Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

CONTACT: Mary Yang
         Communications Manager
         651-726-7317
         Mary.Yang@govdelivery.com