Welcome to Akron's 'new' neighborhood

To many, Akron is made up of distinct neighborhoods such as Ellet, Kenmore, Firestone Park and Highland Square.

Add one more: University Park.

On Tuesday night, the University Park Alliance — a group that for eight years has been working to revitalize the 50-block neighborhood in and around the University of Akron — unveiled its new branding campaign to better identify the area and to increase interest and investment in the neighborhood.

''Do Something Great Today'' will be the tagline and centerpiece of the marketing campaign to define the University Park area of Akron. The campaign was introduced before the latest in the alliance's Urban Innovators Speaker Series Presentation at the historic Andrew Jackson House in University Park.

The campaign will include brochures and a redesigned Web site, http://www.upakron.com, both available as of Tuesday. By the spring, there will also be other elements displaying the new University Park logo and tagline on street banners, window clings on University Park business storefronts and other marketing efforts.

A planned University Park ''community card'' will entitle users to discounts within the neighborhood.

University Park is a unique neighborhood, so it deserves a unique identity, said Ken Stapleton, executive director of the alliance, which itself is going through a transformation. It is in discussions to merge and create a new organization with the University Park Development Corp., a community-based group.

The goal is to have University Park be referred to by people as an area of the city, he said.

''We think there are plenty of people who are proud to be part of University Park,'' Stapleton said.

By working strategically to promote the University Park neighborhood, ''we can attract and retain key talent to generate more economic development for Akron and Northeast Ohio,'' UA President Luis Proenza said in a prepared statement.

The effort to create a brand for the neighborhood has been about a year and a half in the making and has included many volunteers, among them University Park Alliance partners and other interested parties.

''The place itself is going to be a geographic area that's defined by its proximity by the university and has all the different aspects,'' said Akron-Canton Airport spokeswoman Kristie Van Auken, who was asked to serve on the marketing task force for the branding because of her marketing expertise and past experience on the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation's community advisory board. (The foundation is the alliance's major funder.)

University Park will complement other areas of Akron, Van Auken said.

''It'll be a little edgier and funkier,'' she said.

Every neighborhood tries to differentiate itself to attract businesses, residents and visitors, said Jack Bird, chair of the University Park Business Association and branch manager of the National City Bank on East Exchange Street in University Park.

''It's nice to have that flavor, that distinguishing phrase that people can recognize it by,'' he said. ''Things are looking up. Things are moving forward.''

Akron-based Derby Brand Advertising served as the creative partner on the project and introduced the brand concept and supporting graphic design. The Karcher Group developed the new Web site and navigation.

Stapleton said the alliance had been a little behind in offering a well-functioning Web site. The redesigned site will have up-to-date listings of hundreds of free events, area businesses, community volunteer opportunities and housing opportunities.

Social media will also be used with a University Park fan page on Facebook, updates on Twitter and videos on YouTube — all of which launched Tuesday.

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at
330-996-3724 or blinfisher@
thebeaconjournal.com.