In a previous post we discussed the negative spin our local media seems to have when it comes to the City of Dayton. And if you’ve ever heard our schpeel or read our About Us, you know that the reason we started this website was to give people an alternative view of our city that they don’t necessarily get with local news. We are not an official media source, but simply proud citizens that decided to tell the world how WE see our city. We realize that our city continues to face huge challenges, but we believe those challenges can be overcome. Sure, it will take a significant amount of financial resources that these days seems to be quite scarce, but by helping to instill a sense of Dayton city pride – both within the city as well as the overall region – it can be done. With the right message, anything is possible… Take a look at what Youngstown is doing:
Youngstown, OH could be Dayton’s twin – both are in Ohio, both are smaller cities with declining populations, and both have economies that have suffered greatly from downturn in manufacturing. Though I’ve never been to Youngstown, it seems that I am always hearing about them in the news. They have become a case study in Smart Decline – the acceptance of population decline and implementation of strategies to actually take advantage of that decline rather than have a "woe-is-me" attitude. Their latest effort is a commercial promoting Downtown Youngstown – a message that says "It’s Happening Here" and showcases the city’s array of happening things to do.
Take a look at what their local news is saying about the spot. It is interesting that the group responsible for the video plans to ask local stations to air the commercial for free as a public service announcement. Since local t.v. stations are required to devote a certain amount of airtime to public service announcements anyway, this doesn’t sound like a big thing to ask.
After watching this short video, I couldn’t help but think – we REALLY
need to do this in Dayton. Shoot the video during City Folk Fest, Urban Nights or the Halloween party in the OD. The theater scene in the CBD, DAI in Grafton Hill, the art galleries and Dayton Dragons in Webster Station, the nightlife of the Oregon District, the neighborhood parties in South Park… the list goes on. Which brings up a possible problem with this idea –
there really are so many things to do and places to go here, I think we
might need more than a one-minute commercial; try a full hour
infomercial!
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