Story by Staff Report
East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation (EANDC) has received $50,000 in grants, expert consulting services and marketing tools and assistance from NeighborWorks America to further its work attracting new sustainable homeowners and building vibrant communities.
This award expands an important community stabilization effort by NeighborWorks America to support local collaborative efforts to develop marketing and branding campaigns that tell the true story of communities like East Akron. The goal of the campaign is to highlight the neighborhood’s unique assets, grow the sense of community pride and encourage more people to buy homes, open businesses and invest in the neighborhood.
East Akron is one of 10 communities across the country selected by NeighborWorks America to participate in the third round of the Neighborhood Marketing Program. Under the program, EANDC will receive guidance from an expert marketing consultant and work alongside residents and community stakeholders to enhance and promote the neighborhood’s brand. EANDC is now a part of a 42-community effort supported by NeighborWorks America.
EANDC President and CEO Grady Appleton said, “The East Akron Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (EANRP) has fueled the resurgence of community pride. East Akron residents are optimistic about the future of the neighborhood as a whole and feel that it is gaining a positive image. More residents are becoming directly involved in the changes by volunteering their time and efforts to improve East Akron. EANDC wants to provide the people of East Akron with the means to live and comfortably make a life in our neighborhood so that our community can thrive.”
By focusing attention on what makes the neighborhood a great place to live, work and visit, the marketing campaign will lead to more positive perceptions and make the neighborhood more competitive in the regional marketplace.
“A community needs to make a strong first impression to attract investment,”said Paul Singh, director of the Stable Communities Initiative at NeighborWorks America. “NeighborWorks America’s program helps communities promote their strengths in a way that resonates.”
NeighborWorks America launched the Neighborhood Marketing Program in 2012 and is working with 42 organizations to create strong neighborhood brands and rebuild market demand. In developing the marketing campaign, EANDC will learn from successful strategies implemented by other organizations that are participating in the Neighborhood Marketing Program. More information about EANDC can be found at www.eandc.org.
To view theRevitalization Plan go to: http://www.cudc.kent.edu/projects_
More information about community stabilization work supported by NeighborWorks America can be found at neighborworks.org.
Good Place Akron 