Government careers in marketing and communications bring a different angle than the large corporate world with unlimited ad spends and research tools. Host Hugh Plappert talks with Tai Lieu, a Marketing and Communications Specialist in city government, about moving from psychology, sales, and television advertising into digital marketing and eventually into local government work.

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Tai shares how experience at a television station, Gnet, and the USA Today Network shaped a deep understanding of digital marketing, targeting individual audiences, and working with multiple local sites. That journey led to political consulting, statewide races in Iowa, and a growing network of state leaders, local leaders, and a city manager who later opened the door to her current role.

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Throughout the conversation, Tai explains city budget realities, AI tools, social media policies, citizen questions, city council meetings, and projects like a statewide city podcast and a Bring Buckies to Iowa initiative that connect citizens, city leadership, and local development.

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👤 Guest Bio

Tai Lieu started in the psychology field with a drive to help people, then moved into sales and a first job out of college at a television station, doing television advertising. Tai learned about marketing by working with clients to help grow their business, overcoming challenges, and later moved into the digital space as a digital marketing manager for Gnet and the USA Today Network.

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Political consulting and communications for statewide races in Iowa, working with state leaders and local leaders, and a connection with a city manager led to a marketing and communications role in city government. Tai now works under an economic development department, focusing on city initiatives, citizen communication, and projects that connect city leaders and community members.

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• 📌 What We Cover
• How a background in psychology, sales, and television advertising led to a career in marketing and communications, digital marketing, and eventually the government sector.
• Learning digital marketing as a digital marketing manager at Gnet with six local sites, then transitioning to the USA Today Network corporate team with 109 sites, and targeting individual audiences based on demographics.
• Moving into political consulting and communications for statewide races in Iowa, reading FCC filings, tracking where ads were placed, and growing a network of state leaders, local leaders, and a city manager who later invited Tai into city work.
• Key differences between a large corporate world with unlimited ad spends and research tools, and a city budget where every taxpayer dollar, software decision, and AI chat box proposal requires careful research, comparison, and cost-effective choices.
• A statewide podcast in Iowa called Know Your City with City Manager Luke Nelson that covers local policies, local initiatives, city issues, citizen questions, property taxes, and new developments, and gives citizens a way to become educated and follow up directly.
• A Bring Buckies to Iowa initiative tied to Norwalk growth, Highway 5 and I-35, a 2,900-acre annexation, and a Southwest Development Corridor dedicated to industrial, tech, data, and commercial growth.
• Why people skills matter in government careers, including listening first and acting second, making sure citizens feel heard, connecting city leaders, citizens, and community members, and following up with the right resources or staff.
• How a revamped social media policy, turning off public commenting, and adding clear contact information on posts shifted social media from an open forum to a place to post information and invite one-on-one questions from citizens.
• Accessibility through city council meetings every other Thursday with in-person attendance, Zoom options, YouTube live streams, recorded meetings with closed caption, a mayor’s forum community chat on Saturday mornings, and city leaders who attend community events and offer to continue conversations.
• Systems that support efficiency, including calendars, reminders for social posts, Zoom meetings, social media monitoring, statewide alerts, local news alerts, and staying up to date on current events.
• Advice for people interested in local government careers in marketing and communications, including talking to city leaders and elected officials, asking what drives them, being ready to be in the public eye, staying up to date on technology, joining a group like municipals, and learning which channels fit each community.
• Guidance for new employees in local government to listen, ask questions, get to know every department, look for areas of improvement, and focus on education in that first year.
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• 🔗 Resources Mentioned
• Know Your City with City Manager Luke Nelson - A city podcast that covers local policies, local initiatives, city issues, citizen questions, and new developments.
• Bring Buckies to Iowa - A city initiative connected to Norwalk growth, Highway 5, I 35, and the Southwest Development Corridor.
• City of Norwalk, Iowa website - norwalk.iowa.gov
• Norwalk Living magazine - A local magazine used to advertise city council meetings.
• Zoom - Used as an option for citizens to attend city council meetings and ask questions.
• YouTube - Used to stream and record city council meetings with closed caption.
• Municipals - A group of communication specialists across the metro who share ideas and ask questions about channels like TikTok and local newspapers.
• TikTok - Mentioned as a possible city channel, depending on the community.