by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Downtown Vision, Inc. unveiled a new strategy for marketing downtown as a great neighborhood for living, working and playing during a ceremony Tuesday at Friendship Fountain on the Southbank.
DVI released its new slogan, “Downtown . . . Not your ordinary neighborhood,” which will receive heavy print and radio play in the next few weeks.
“We really want to help bring downtown to the top of the mind,” said Lyn Briggs, director of marketing for DVI. “We want people to understand that downtown is a neighborhood, and we want to change attitudes and perceptions about downtown.”
Briggs said that DVI will have a billboard on San Jose Boulevard and a Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus emblazoned with the slogan.
“The Jacksonville Transportation Authority donated that space to us for three years,” said Briggs. “And the bus will be all over Jacksonville.”
Briggs said DVI is trying to appeal to a wide market with its new campaign.
“What’s so interesting about this industry,” said Briggs, “is that because downtown is so diverse, we have to bring our message to a very diverse community. That means males, females, older and younger people.”
The non-profit organization, which includes members of downtown’s business and cultural community, has been working to improve the conditions downtown with programs such as the Downtown Ambassadors. And the DVI sponsored farmer’s markets are flourishing on the Northbank and the Southbank.
Although Mayor John Delaney was ill and unable to attend the ceremony, he praised the work DVI is doing.
“Downtown Jacksonville is coming of age,” he said in a statement. “With billions of dollars of private and public development underway, downtown is in the process of renewal. Now is the time to tell the story of the significant rebirth that is occurring in downtown Jacksonville.”