About the Marketing Platform Project

Iowa is building a standard enterprise Marketing Platform with help from an outside vendor. 

The Iowa Marketing Platform is a custom Drupal CMS. It’s made for organizations and state agencies that need a unique content model and design system. This differs from what the DX platform offers. The websites in the Marketing Platform Project have their own branding and content needs. The DX platform cannot meet these needs. The new platform will offer a tailored content model and designs. Agencies will create engaging content and keep their unique branding. They will use a shared system that focuses on accessibility and plain language.

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Project Goals

  • Create a new content model and design system that allows sites to create compelling content and maintain distinct branding elements

  • Develop needed features to benefit all agencies

  • Build a stable, reliable platform to ease ongoing support and maintenance

  • Supply a consistent, easy to use content entry interface

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Platform Goals

  • 10-15% reduction in site content

  • 83% accessibility score in Acquia Optimize (formerly known as Monsido)

  • 8th grade reading level

  • 93% quality rating in Acquia Optimize

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Timeline

Marketing Platform Kickoff and Launch Timeline

Last Updated: 09/3/2024
CohortDepartmentURLPlanned Cohort Kickoff DatePlanned Cohort 
Launch Date		Site Launched
1HHShttps://stophiviowa.org/7/5/20241/31/2025Launched
2Homelandhttps://ready.iowa.gov/9/27/243/14/2025Launched
3DPShttps://stophtiowa.org/12/12/20245/19/2025Launched
4HHShttps://yourlifeiowa.org/2/17/20257/27/2025 
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Schedule at a Glance

A week-by-week overview of what to expect as you prepare to bring your marketing site onto the Marketing Platform.

WeekActivityResponsible
Pre-kickoffReview project background and training materialAgencies
 Review Acquia Optimize reportsAgencies
 Identify web rolesAgencies
Week 1Design + Strategy KickoffAgencies, Lullabot
 Deliver content inventory/audit spreadsheet and content audit guideLullabot
 Begin working on the content auditAgencies
Week 2 - 3Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)Agencies, Lullabot
 Continue working on the content auditAgencies
 Attend Navigation & Style Spectrum WorkshopAgencies, Lullabot
 Begin working on the context matrixLullabot
Week 3 -4Attend office hours (30 minutes each week)Agencies, Lullabot
 Continue working on the content auditAgencies
 Continue building content matrixLullabot
 Attend Design Review Meeting (Zoom Mocks)Agencies, Lullabot
 Deliver writing for the web guide, Iowa style guide, and website best practicesLullabot
Week 4 -5Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)Agencies, Lullabot
 Continue working on the content audit and content developmentAgencies
 Attend Content Matrix Delivery MeetingAgencies, Lullabot
 Deliver content type page tablesLullabot
Week 5 - 6Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)Agencies, Lullabot
 Continue working on the content audit and content developmentAgencies
 Attend Design Review Meeting (Sample Pages)Agencies, Lullabot
Week 6-10Design built in CMSLullabot
 Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)Agencies, Lullabot
Week 10-12Content development and content entryAgencies, Lullabot, DOM DoIT
 Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)Agencies, Lullabot
Launch weekPoint your domain to the new Pantheon siteDOM DoIT
 Implement the redirect planDOM DoIT
 Archive the original websiteDOM DoIT

Pre-kickoff

Agencies will:

  • Review project background and training material
  • Review Acquia Optimize reports for your site and fix:
    • Spelling and grammatical errors
    • Broken links
    • Text links with “click here” language
  • Unpublish any old or outdated content and documents on your existing website.
  • Identify website roles.

Week 1

Design + Strategy Kickoff: A meeting led by Lullabot to provide details on the process, guardrails, and participation, metrics, and next steps to launch the marketing site.

Lullabot will:

  • Deliver content inventory/audit spreadsheet and content audit guide.
  • Deliver project checklist, which outlines agency next steps.

Agencies will:

Week 2-3

Agencies will:

  • Attend Navigation & Style Spectrum Workshop (60 minutes)
  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Continue working on content audit.

Lullabot will:

  • Attend Navigation & Style Spectrum Workshop (60 minutes)
  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Begin building the content matrix, based on navigation we created in our workshop together. The content matrix is a spreadsheet that acts as a sitemap for your new site.

Week 3-4

Agencies will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Attend Design Review Meeting (Zoom Mocks) (60 Minutes)
  • Continue working on content audit.

Lullabot will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Attend Design Review Meeting (Zoom Mocks) (60 Minutes)
  • Continue building the content matrix.
  • Deliver writing for the web guide, Iowa style guide, and website best practices.

Week 4-5

Agencies will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Attend Content Matrix Delivery Meeting (60 minutes)
  • Continue working on the content audit and content development

Lullabot will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Attend Content Matrix Delivery Meeting (60 minutes)
  • Deliver content type page tables

Week 5-6

Agencies will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Attend Design Review Meeting (Sample Pages) (60 Minutes)
  • Continue working on the content audit and content development

Lullabot will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Attend Design Review Meeting (Sample Pages) (60 Minutes)

Week 6-10

Agencies will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)

Lullabot will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Design built in CMS

Week 10-12

Agencies will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Content development and content entry

Lullabot will:

  • Attend Office Hours (30 minutes each week)
  • Content development and content entry

Dom DoIT will:

  • Content development and content entry

Launch Week

DOM DoIT will:

  • Point your  domain to the new Pantheon site.
  • Implement the redirect plan.
  • Archive the original website. Site archives are decommissioned after 30 days. After this, you can access a public archive of your old site at Archive.org.
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Differences between DX and Marketing

Guidance to help Iowa stakeholders determine whether a site should be hosted on the DX platform or on the marketing platform.

DX vs Marketing Guidance
DX PlatformMarketing Platform
An Iowa government agency or department within a government agency.A marketing or public awareness campaign run by an Iowa government agency or a Governor’s Initiative.
Is a .gov top-level domain.Likely .org or .com, but may be .gov.
Content
Provides information about government services so that any constituent can complete a task or learn about something important to them.Educates a targeted audience about a specific issue or topic. Informs site visitors about opportunities, actions, and support related to that issue or topic.
Publishes mostly text-based content and documents. Provides accurate, reliable content about public services, constituent resources, laws, and regulations. May absorb marketing content if it’s limited in scope.Publishes text-based and graphical content. Frequent use of icons, buttons, promos, and imagery. Provides reliable, audience-specific content about a focused topic. Content depth or format requires a different presentation.
Frequently updated, but enduring and permanent.May be time-limited, such as a microsite dedicated to Earth Day 2024.
Includes official government forms (i.e. applications, filings), and tools to access government services (i.e. registrations, payment portals).May feature lead generating forms, e-commerce capabilities, or interactive content with personalized experiences based on user input.
Design
Offers a standardized visual design to convey governmental authority and trustworthiness. Supports a consistent user experience for all constituents regardless of agency.

Offers unique visual designs consistent with a brand or campaign. Encourages familiarity with a brand to increase public awareness with a specific audience.

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