With 4 Distinct Slogans,

‘We’re Onta Something’

Campaign Nears Launch

By JENNIFER HILL • Special to www.ALLOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – Oneonta is “onta” adventure. And art. And something delicious and something unique.

“The campaign will let people know that Oneonta exists and what it has to offer,” said Mayor Gary Herzig.

During Common Council this evening, Herzig announced a statewide online marketing campaign Trampoline Ad & Design, the who created the city’s new campaign, “We’re Onta Something,” will launch statewide “soon.”

Herzig explained Trampoline’s marketing campaign will be on social media, with some of it “just on websites,” and show four categories in which Oneonta is “onta something” – artistic, unique, adventurous and delicious.

“Each of these will have really exciting original photographs and videos as part of the ad,” said Herzig.  “For adventurous, it might show mountain biking…kayaking.  For ‘artistic,’ it might show the art venues we have in the city.”

He acknowledged that “not everyone liked ‘We’re onta something,’ but said, “I think that when people start to see how it’s going to be used – people have seen previews and were pretty excited about it.”

On the bottom of the image or video, there will be a link to click on that will take the user to a page that will give lots of information on businesses and attractions related to the coinciding category.

“This is designed to really get people really curious about what Oneonta has to offer and to want to come visit and learn about us,” Herzig said, “and maybe even move here and open a business here.”

“I think it’s going to be quite successful,” he added.

The “onta something” marketing campaign was one of the three topics Herzig discussed in a “mayoral report” which he said he would be giving from now on in Common Council meetings.

“We’re not getting the information out there,” Herzig said, “so I’ll try to report on one or two topics of interest.”

Updates on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative was the other topic of interest Herzig presented Tuesday night.  He said of the 60 downtown businesses and property owners awarded funds from the first round of DRI funding – a total of $1.9 million – last March, 47 of those awards “went to people we know have made a commitment to moving forward with their projects.”  Examples of their commitment were “putting deposits down” and having environmental reviews done, which are required by the state before they can receive the funds.

Nine first-round funding award recipients decided not to move forward, Herzig said, and the city was still waiting to hear on the remaining four.  He said the four had until August 30 to make their final decision, at which time “we will know exactly how many awards and how much money has been allocated.”

First-round funding awards were given to businesses who wanted to renew their signage and renovate or renew their facades as well as property owners to convert their structures’ first and second floors to “quality, year-round market rate housing.”

August 30 will also be when the city announces second-round funding award recipients.  For the second round, the state restricted second-round DRI funding applicants to develop “upper floor housing only” because so few had applied for that type of funding in the first round, Herzig explained.  He said the city received five applications and was told “some” were exciting, high-quality ones.

“Whatever money is not spent in the first round will be spent in the first round,” said Herzig, “so, we’re going to start to see results.”

Herzig also reiterated the importance of the Lofts on Dietz, the proposed development of an affordable housing building which will have 40 units for artists and 24 for people earning moderate-to-midlevel incomes.

“This is something I think really hits the sweet spot,” he said.