Benjamin Franklin, Dr. J and the fictional Rocky Balboa have all resided in completely different versions of Philadelphia, but each showcases a different part of the City of Brotherly Love. Now, Philly’s tourism gurus are looking to showcase a slew of different views of the city to potential visitors by showcasing different neighborhoods.

It used to be that colonial-America relics, the Art Museum steps and images of soft pretzels and cheesesteaks were what sold Philly to outsiders, but consumers are a bit more discerning now, so Philly’s tourism board is using its varied neighborhoods to help draw people there. The city has launched its Philadelphia Neighborhoods site, which highlights 14 different areas of the city. According to a press release, the site features “600 new pages of content, photography, mapping, videos and a consumer-generated Instagram feed.”Continue reading...

When a state or a city becomes synonymous with a tragedy or urban decline, how does it move forward? 

Colorado is the latest state to face this question in the wake of last summer's mass shooting in Aurora. As the nation grapples with gun control, mental illness and public safety after a rash of gun violence, Colorado is left with an issue of perception beyond its borders. 

"When something hits the press and it may not be good, Colorado gets known for that," Jeff Donaldson, account director for the state’s new brandCO program, told the Denver Post. "Our goal as a state should be to have a brand that rises above all that."Continue reading...

Everybody is looking for cash these days, but how to drum it up when everybody is also paying extra close attention to where a wallet’s contents are disappearing to. Cities are no different. Government services are hurting for cash and there are only so many ways to generate more dough.

So cities are getting creative, the New York Times reports. Baltimore is currently trying to sell space on its fire engines to raise some extra pennies. And why not? The city’s current budget has made the elimination of three city fire companies necessary this summer.

Philadelphia is selling ad space on its subway fare cards and one of the city’s main train stops is now named for AT&T. Chicago is selling naming rights to its eleven "L" subway stations. As for the Times' hometown, the naming rights for the Atlantic Avenue subway station at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn were sold in 2009, and the MTA implemented the Barclays name change in May.Continue reading...

American Airlines parent AMR plans to cut 13,000 jobs and pensions.

Apple's iPhone 5 may be coming in June.

Benetton family plans to take retailer private.

Deutsche Bank profit tumbles on European debt crisis.

Facebook sets stage for historic IPO as valuation game begins.

GM cancels half of upfront ad commitments in cost-cutting move.

Google responds to Microsoft criticism of privacy policies.Continue reading...

The world's second largest food company (annual revenues of about $49 billion) is home to eleven billion-dollar iconic brands: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, and Trident.

But what about Kraft's smaller brands, at risk of being sent to the glue factory because of flagging consumer interest or meager ad budgets?Continue reading...

Al Jazeera, which has stood out during the Egyptian crisis, plans to renew its efforts to be carried in the US. Egypt's "March of millions" is underway, with last ISP shuttered.

Amazon could get a sales-tax benefit from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Apple moves to tighten its control of apps store.

BP reports $5 billion loss, puts US refineries up for sale, and faces long road with its safety drive.

Chrysler will pay employees a performance bonus.

Gap’s North American president, Marka Hansen, to leave. 

GM will give its Facebook fans a sneak peek at its Super Bowl spots, including major push for Chevrolet, on Friday.Continue reading...

New billboards along I-95 in Philadelphia, Route 30 in New Jersey and on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, urge motorists to go to VisitPhilly.com to submit a "love letter" to Philly. One lucky participant's message will end up on a highway-side billboard (and maybe on an ad resume!)

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is jacking up the "love" part of "city of brotherly love" as a new part of the “With Love, Philadelphia XOXO" campaign. It's just the latest attempt to cultivate and foster both a sense of civic pride and communicate that Philadelphia is more than many outsiders might think. And as with most crowd-sourced campaigns, the journey, not the publicized goal, is the goal. 

It's just the latest move from a municipal branding agency that demonstrates how a lot of creativity and a willingness to work outside the normal branding channels, can turn low-budget strategies into big awareness and real results.Continue reading...

Logo redesigns are a tricky business. Though intended to modernize a brand's image and attract a wider audience, logo redesigns sometimes fail to properly communicate brand values or take into account peoples' general lack of comfort with change.

Loyal Minute Maid consumers, for example, are still adjusting to the brand's new logo. Now, fans of Philadelphia will need to do the same.Continue reading...