City of You Campaign Wins Marketing Award

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – City of You, a multifaceted marketing campaign for the city of created by Youngstown State University faculty member R.J. Thompson, has been named best in its category by the Ohio Economic Development Association.

Thompson, an assistant professor of graphic and interactive design, said the campaign replaces Youngstown’s Rust Belt reputation with a positive, inclusive public image as a city “where anyone can build a future for themselves.”

The organization selected City of You as the winner in the Economic Development Marketing category for medium sized communities – those with populations of 50,000 to 150,000. T

“This is a tremendous honor for me,” said Thompson in a news release. “It recognizes the strong, supportive relationship between YSU and the city of Youngstown, and perhaps most importantly, the power that design can have on culture and community.”

The City of You campaign was a three-year process for Thompson to create, and one of several projects funded by a $250,000 grant awarded to YSU and the city by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The funds provided several new tools for the city, including marketing materials, a new website, a podcast and youth programming.

The campaign has strengthened the partnership between YSU and the city, Thompson said, and it can be customized to represent other communities, neighborhoods and civic organizations across the region.

Thompson is also director of Youngstown Design Works, a design agency operated by YSU graphic and interactive design students that provides services to area businesses. He has created several interactive course applications for smart phones and interactive phone applications for the McDonough Museum of Art, the city and Youngstown Farmers Markets.

Pictured: R.J. Thompson.

Source: YSU News Center.

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