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As long as you pay taxes then I have no problem with you having no problem using taxpayer dollars.

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If you knew your Mallomar History 101, you would know that Mallomars were first produced in West Hoboken, which is now known as....Union City!

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The Heights already has a branding campaign by the realtors: It's West Hoboken!

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Downtown JC is hot, the Heights is in dire need of investment and vision. If this is a way to branch out of DTJC, and get some much needed redevelopment in other neighborhoods it will be money well spent!

"a $100,000 state tourism grant, $500,000 in EDC funds" this IS Jersey City money. do we need a pr campaign or should we start working on remedying our deficiencies and leave the marketing of the real estate to the developers.

if you like being told and it makes you fell better that Jersey City is best this or the best that, then I guess this is not a waste of money. but you are already here, no?

if this turns into more about promoting the mayor, like many others before, the private contributions become and end run around campaign finance restrictions.

Though I do agree with you on this administrations low prioritization of sidewalk/road upkeep (Pacific Ave is borderline undrivable), they make it pretty clear in the article that no city dollars are being spent.

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There are several things that our tax dollars can be spent on. Let's start by fixing all the red lights (many of them don't work), fixing the sidewalks (I sometimes feel like I live in a third world country with the sidewalks all broken and unkempt), fix the building department so that people can their TCO quicker (JC is the only place I have seen where it takes so long to open a store front/restaurant).

There are so many more....

JC is as hot as can be.. so why are we spending money for marketing? Makes as much sense as tax abatements to developers who are dying to build here anyway.

i have no problem with fulop using taxpayer dollars to promote jc tourism which would generally make jc more appealing and lead to more amenities

Jersey City selects three marketing firms for $950K branding contract

By Julie Kayzerman/ The Jersey Journal
June 13, 2014 at 4:41 PM

The Jersey City Economic Development Corp. has awarded a consortium of three marketing and advertising firms a $950,000 contract to develop the city's new branding campaign, officials said.

Harrison Rand Advertising and Creative Civilians, both of Hudson County, were selected by the EDC board for the branding contract, alongside New York City firm Development Counselors International. The trio of companies are charged with fulfilling Mayor Steve Fulop's vision of marketing the city as a "premier travel destination" for work and play.

The firms will be working collaboratively on the campaign, however each will receive its own assignments and budget, according to city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill.

The budget currently stands at $950,000 and is subject to quarterly reviews with the ability to be increased to $1.2 million pending review, Morrill said.

The contract will be paid for by a $100,000 state tourism grant, $500,000 in EDC funds and "up to $600,000 in private contributions," Morrill added.

The marketing strategy is expected to include a log and tagline, a new website and a social media effort to attract visitors to the city.

Earlier this year, Jersey City held a contest for residents to get involved asking them to submit a logo and tagline that may be used in the branding effort.

Harrison Rand Advertising is based in Guttenberg, while Creative Civilians has an office in Jersey City.

"The RFP review committee evaluated and selected the firms who produced a campaign that will attract investment into every ward in the City," Morrill said. "The goal is to position the city in a way that we can see investment beyond the waterfront.

"We are excited for the future of Jersey City."

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... .html#incart_river_hudson

Should Jersey City be rebranded? Absolutely. However, taxpayer dollars and resources should not be spent on this $1.2 million marketing initiative while municipal services and our aging infrastructure deteriorate.

Once you look past the public relations spin from City Hall, it becomes obvious that the rebranding and marketing campaign is another subsidy to the rich developers. The same developers continue to build a surplus of luxury housing in Jersey City, while affordable housing for the middle class continues to disappear. The developers are the primary recipients of the expensive marketing campaign designed to attract new residents from New York to Jersey City, and for that reason they are supportive of the campaign by Mayor Steven Fulop.

The campaign's intention is to attract new residents as stated in the city's RFP seeking a rebranding and marketing consultant. It is not enough that nearly 5,000 new residential units under construction today are the result of many generous tax-abatement a-greements, now the government will use Jersey City taxpayer money to sell the new real estate. Developers are fundamentally responsible to advertise and sell their luxury housing, not the taxpayers.

Additionally, I worry how our rising star in the Democratic Party will use the proposed $1.2 million campaign. Political supporters may want to see Mayor Fulop's name and face all over the marketing campaign in an attempt to create the impression that he led Jersey City to greatness. However, we should not forget how Gov. Chris Christie was criticized for appearing in the "Stronger than the Storm" campaign. Whether or not it was intentional, public perception labeled Christie's campaign as self-promoting.
As councilman, I find the proposed rebranding and marketing campaign offensive to a majority of Jersey City residents who know that municipal services are extremely diluted across 15 square miles and 249,000 people. These residents are often led to believe that the city does not have enough money to improve public safety, our main streets and neighborhood centers, the aging infrastructure, dilapidated playground and park facilities, to balance our budget, and to provide cleaner streets.

Now, political supporters who will benefit from the campaign encourage the mayor to spend $1.2 million to promote the idea that living in Jersey City is the "best." Before we rebrand and sell Jersey City as the "Best Mid-sized City in the U.S.," we must become the best mid-sized city in the U.S. Jersey City is the best in terms of our community; however, there are many adjectives that come to mind when we think of Jersey City government. Unfortunately, "best" is not yet one of them. The mayor himself acknowledged this in his letter to The Jersey Journal regarding snow removal within the city, saying the removal process has been going "too slowly" and that the administration "will be better every day going forward."

The Fulop administration deserves credit for working to get City Hall in order, but there is still much to be done to meaningfully impact the daily lives of those outside of City Hall BEFORE the administration tackles a project as large as rebranding the city. Making individual daily lives better takes precedence over making our immediate image better. The mayor has only been in office for nine months. There will be plenty of time during his administration to work on rebranding the city.

Private partnerships between developers, corporations, and not-for-profit organizations should drive rebranding and marketing campaigns so that Jersey City government can focus their limited resources where it is needed most. Any good coach will always tell his or her players that mastering the basics is the difference between being good and being the best. If Mayor Fulop focuses his efforts here and is successful, I guarantee everything else will follow.

The City Council is a check and balance to the mayor's executive power. The City Council makes final decisions on public policy and spending of municipal funds. The City Council members need to have the courage to stand up for the constituents who elected them.

Spending public dollars and precious resources on this "Best Mid-sized City" campaign is premature at best. The funds now earmarked for the rebranding campaign have to serve a greater purpose "" the existing Jersey City residents.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Michael Yun is the Jersey City Ward D councilman.

Jersey City: who thought we would miss Healy!?

Jersey City: Bank rolling Hudson County since 1940!

Jersey City: hey, it ain't Newark! (Sub Camden if you wish)

Jersey City: a politicians' leap pad!

Jersey City: ask the Port Authority for permission first.

Or the graffiti that is all over town.

Quick! Someone with mad artist skills: Do a pic of a PATH train car stuffed with people like a can of sardines.

I actually liked your logo quite a bit, but I wasn't thrilled about the tagline. Your blog post on the logo design is awesome, btw. I really appreciate the design details (particularly the palette information) and the shortened version of the logo (the "JC" logo) is definitely a winner. Good luck to both!

I'm one of the finalists, too. Here's some more info about my entry -- it wasn't meant to be just the one image. And I'm printing those t-shirts regardless of whether I win.

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Thanks! That was definitely the intent, we'll see what happens next.

Ha ha ha! We are not Detroit! That was a great. Thank you for the morning laugh.

sp2xs: I really like your submission. The logo itself was a good juxtaposition of classic and modern JC characteristics. The tag line is cool: it isn't tacky, and it has a positive, forward looking vibe to it.

Or this classic:

This is Cleveland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM

Thanks for posting this. The "Make it Yours" was actually submitted by me. Hopefully you all like it and vote!

NJ.com readers asked to help pick winner of Jersey City logo-tagline contest

By The Jersey Journal
March 11, 2014 at 4:19 PM

Jersey City is looking for new logo and tagline for its branding and marketing efforts -- and NJ.com readers are being enlisted to help.
The contest, organized by the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation on behalf of the city, has narrowed the submissions to five local finalists. One will be selected and the designer will receive a $5,000 prize and consideration as part of the city's branding and marketing campaign.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and the EDC are asking NJ.com readers to vote in the poll for the best logo and tagline "to express how dynamic Jersey City is to residents, business owners, tourists and people looking to move here," officials said.

Four of the five finalists incorporated the Statue of Liberty into their designs. One design also incorporated the Colgate clock, the Landmark Loew's Jersey theater and the Liberty Science Center, but spelled "opportunity" incorrectly in the tagline.

The NJ.com poll is one component that will be factored into the scoring of the contest and selection of a winner. The online contest begins today and runs through Saturday.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _logo-tagline_contest.htm

l

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Thanks. I do used it when it shows up, but it only runs every 30 mins. if you're lucky. They need more frequent service.

We need a video produced like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXnPT1qH8qE

to help brand Jersey City. It did wonders for Milwaukee.

I voted for Fulop to tackle the spending and debt in JC, not to rebrand the city. Our debt is choking the city and doesn?t allow for needed improvements. I remember the 2012 temporary appropriations when the B.A. said $60 to $70 million of all tax dollars goes into debt service each year. That figure was around $20 to $25 million in the 1990s. We are borrowing constantly; rebranding the city will not address our city?s finances and it has a negative outlook on property taxes.

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This is sort of OT, but you should probably try taking the Newport Mall/Exchange Place bus instead. It will save you the meandering route through JSQ and its environs, since it runs directly down Montgomery St. to downtown.

http://acbuscorp.com/monwestline.html

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First of all, Brooklyn is only excited because the Nets are brand new and playing decently. That'll end as soon as they suck again.
Also, the people who fled Brooklyn came from families that were often crammed into small apartments and like many people of the time fled when they found the means to do so.
Also, the infrastructure in DTJC is in serious need of an upgrade. The water and sewer pipes in many areas are ancient and unreliable.
Also, Been here a long time the PATH trains are packed but you are right, that's not the City nor the Developers problem and neither do they seem to concern themselves with the shitty commute that many people face. AND it's getting worse.
Also, Taxes will always go UP,UP,UP. That's how NJ pays its bills.
Also, No one cares if people are white or gay or whatever. I do know that many absentee landlords cash in by exploiting newer South Asian immigrant workers and cram them into overcrowded apartments because many of those people are just trying to economize and probably don't realize they're breaking the law.
As far as development? We should learn from the past MISTAKES and not repeat them. Development for developments sake can be a recipe for disaster.