YOUNGSTONWN, Ohio — Coinciding with its expansion of new product offerings, Youngstown Publishing Co., the parent company of The Business Journal, has named a new head of strategic solutions to help drive that growth.
Tony Marr brings more than a decade of experience in the media and digital marketing industries. As head of strategic solutions, Marr will leverage the publishing company’s capabilities to generate high-quality, engaging content to create new products and services to serve the publication’s network of marketing partners.
“We’re building on a strong foundation of what we can offer businesses in terms of marketing solutions. What we offer, who we can offer it to and how we get it there.” Marr says. “I believe we’re in a great place to really help grow and develop a lot of businesses out there in more ways than just placing an ad. We want to use all of our platforms and really help companies create successful and meaningful content that at the end of the day is seen by a larger audience and boost their overall sales.”
Bringing Marr into the fold is another step in The Business Journal’s commitment to promoting the growth of business, industry and the quality of life for the more than 700,000 residents of the five-county region through its Marketing Formula for Growth strategy, says Jeff Leo Herrmann, CEO of the Youngstown Publishing Co.
Marr will work with customers to develop compelling, revenue-centric marketing programs powered by the company’s portfolio of media brands, including The Business Journal, Brain Gain and the new After Hours Youngstown website to deliver impact, frequency and action, he says.
“What impressed me about Tony was his marketing DNA and collaborative approach to working with clients and colleagues. He’s a great fit for us and will serve our clients very well as we roll out the Marketing Formula for Growth,” Herrmann says.
Marr joins the company’s sales and marketing team that boasts deep industry experience and world class media and digital marketing expertise. The members of the commercial team include Jan O’Malley, sales manager, Ryan Cochran, account executive, Amy Peebles, marketing analyst, and Christine King, marketing operations.
Marr isn’t a new face to The Business Journal or its audience. From 2008 to 2012, he was part of the team that developed the newspaper’s video department and flagship webcast, The Daily Buzz. He left The Business Journal to work for Prodigal Co. as its digital video manager and soon became a brand strategist/senior account manager and copywriter there, working for a number of national accounts.
“My time in the marketing world helped put into perspective all of the ways that are out there that can help companies grow and really how to plan for it. I think our platforms here are a great launch point for every company from B2B to B2C,” Marr says. “Our goal will always be to deliver great content to our readership from our trusted brand, but now we are looking into how we can help generate great content and continued opportunities for those who choose to partner with us by using our own distribution channels. I see exciting times ahead.”