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The Insider: Philadelphia: 'Home to the Country's Most Talented Communications and Marketing Professionals'

Innovation Philadelphia's new study Creative Footprint, has uncovered particular strengths within the following industry sectors: Software Development; Communications and Marketing; Architecture, Engineering and Planning; Graphic and Visual Arts and Multimedia Design; Product and Merchandising Design; and Information Technology. Over the next six issues, Innovation Matters is taking an in-depth look at the big six, and here is what we've found about communications and marketing:

The Philadelphia Region's communications and marketing industry sector's economic impact on the Philadelphia Region is $5.4 billion annually. Communications and marketing is the largest for-profit, creative industry in the Philadelphia Region, employing 67,300 workers with average annual wages of $55,800. Communications and marketing firms comprise nearly 25% of all creative industry employment in the Philadelphia Region.

The Philadelphia Region's communications and marketing industry - defined in Creative Footprint as all industries/occupations relating to fields such as journalism, advertising, public relations, broadcasting, publishing, promotion, marketing and consulting - houses impressive highly-skilled employees. From 2003-2005, communications and marketing occupational employment grew by 19.7%. The region's communications and marketing employment growth in recent years sets the stage to enhance Philadelphia's reputation as a hub for communications and marketing.

» Read the full story

Innovation Spotlight: Marketing Buzz in the Philadelphia Region

Innovation Philadelphia spotlights regional creative industry entrepreneurs, young professionals making an impact on the Philadelphia Region, or innovative initiatives that showcase the tremendous innovative and creative talent driving Philadelphia's economy.

February's spotlight on creativity is local entrepreneur, Tina Wells. At age 16 Tina founded Buzz Marketing Group (then called "The Buzz"), a youth marketing agency specializing in research, events and promotions. While her peers were going to the movies and the mall, Tina began writing reviews on companies and their products. Tina realized the obvious disconnect between teens' desires and companies' misdirected outreach and developed an inventive and creative strategy to forge the gap.

Tina has been honored as a young professional, with honors including being named on Essence Magazine's 40 Under 40 Award, Billboard's 30 Under 30 Award and AOL's Black Voices Top 10 Black Female Entrepreneur's Award.

» Read More

Opportunities Abound: Career Advice and Insights from Leading HR Professionals

Calling all young professionals! Join Innovation Philadelphia on Thursday, March 20 at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Connect with the Philadelphia Region's leading HR representatives to gain career advice on future career paths, changing career directions, the types of high-demand career opportunities available in the region and specific opportunities available at regional companies. With a world-class music venue as the backdrop, the stage is set to rock your career at this unique networking event. Event admission is free. Pre-registration is required.

» Register Today

In the News

» Site lets fans track web of celebrity connections

» Britain gets creative

» Soccer becomes official in Philly tomorrow

» Artistic Nirvana

Creativity and Neighborhood Development: Strategies for Community Investment Report

From the transformation of an old factory into a vibrant arts facility, to the development potential of public art and festivals, this publication offers recommendations for investment in arts- and culture-related activity as a strategy for neighborhood development.

Resulting from The Reinvestment Fund’s (TRF) collaboration with the Social Impact of the Arts Project (SAIP) and the Rockefeller Foundation, Creativity and Neighborhood Development: Strategies for Community Investment demonstrates that arts and culture can be a key ingredient in neighborhood revitalization. The publication calls for investing in community-based creative activity, and offers investment ideas for creativity, development and knowledge.

» Learn More

Call For Design Proposals

The Creative Greenhouse is a Pennsylvania-based not-for-profit organization, which strives to identify and bring together those who make creativity and innovation possible for others - they call them Sparkers. A creative sparker is someone who brings out the creativity and innovation in others. Creative Sparkers celebrate the joy found in the creative process and relish new ideas and perspectives. The Creative Greenhouse's first class of Creative Sparkers will be recognized in May, 2008. They are seeking to commission an original design for an award (including the production of three awards) to commemorate their achievement. A two or three-dimensional rendering of the award plus manufacturing specifications and instructions must be submitted by April 15, 2008.

» Learn more

Your Opinion Counts

The Philadelphia Region's for-profit, creative economy, when proactively focused on as an economic development generator, will become a chief anchor in the region's future economy landscape. The Philadelphia Region's creative industry professionals were asked in a recent poll how to best grow the for-profit, creative economy. The results of the first poll are in:

What communications and marketing services does your business rely most heavily on?

» Vote Now

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