From punk rocker and hip café owner to software maverick and internet entrepreneur, Cincinnati resident John Knodel has worn many hats. In his latest incarnation, Knodel is cofounder of Online Rewards, a one-stop online shop for incentive and customer loyalty marketing programs that is using innovative software and creative thinking to outbid long established competitors and put Cincinnati on the map in this highly competitive industry.
Erlanger-based Mentos has found a new way to engage fans of the quirky brand by creating a hub for creativity with its "Fresh Goes Better" Facebook page, which launched in April.The chewy mint candy has long inspired creative interpretation and even fascination. The brand's ad campaign in the mid-1990's featured people popping the candy to calm down and find solutions to not-so-serious problems (like ripping a dress or ruining a suit with paint). Then there are the Mentos and soda fountain videos that are popular on YouTube, and even featured on an episode of the Discovery Network's Mythbusters science and experiment show. One of the most famous Mentos commercial interpretations was the Foo Fighter's Big Me video from the '90s. "Mentos has a very strong heritage of bringing a 'nothing can get me down' attitude to consumers. This is evident in the historical Freshmaker commercials that showed people solving small problems in a creative way. While the creative execution may change (Facebook), the basic tenants of the brand are still as relevant in 2010 as they were in the 1990's," said Mentos Brand Manager Craig Cuchra.Amateurs too have taken creative interpretation of the brand. The company's page offers a central place for Mentos-inspired pictures, video and even music."The underlying motivation for our Facebook page is to provide a type of curatorship for all things Mentos. We noticed a lot of user generated content out in all kinds of social media websites that were not initiated by anyone at Perfetti Van Melle (Mento's Italian-based parent company)," Cuchra said.Fans can upload video, music and art through the Facebook page to be displayed. Like all company Facebook pages, it also creates a way for the company to interact with consumers on a more personal level.Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Mentos Brand Manager Craig CuchraYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox
While checking out the Freedom Center's latest exhibit, Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Tradition, attendees can enjoy hors d'oeurves, guest speakers, and the jazz stylings of Premium Blend. The event is sponsored by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The event is June 24th in the Freedom Center's Grand Hall, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.Jeremy K. Smith, a member Mayor Mallory's Young Professional’s Kitchen Cabinet, collaborated with Freedom Center staffers Charles Davis and Jackie Wallace to plan the evening. Networking is key to Smith's vision for Textural Rhythms. "I wanted to bring together some organizations that don't typically work together," said Smith. Co-sponsors include Mayor Mallory's YPKC, the League of United Latin American Citizens-Cincinnati, 100 Black Men of Greater Cincinnati, and the National Black MBA Association, Cincinnati Chapter.Smith notes that many quilters find pattern inspiration by listening to jazz as they work. Attendees will find similar inspiration in the sounds of Dayton-based Premium Blend, a popular regional performing group that combines jazz with R&B and rock.WCPO's Jennifer Moore will emcee. Guest speaker Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle, Associate Professor of Musicology at Miami University, specializes in music of Africa and the African diaspora; her presentation will highlight the connections between quilting and jazz music, and the significance of each in the African-American community. Admission is $20; please visit here to purchase tickets. Textural Rhythms: Quilting the Jazz Tradition runs June 15-August 14 at the Freedom Center.For more information go here.Writer: Elena StevensonSource: Jeremy K. Smith, Mayor Mallory’s Young People’s Kitchen Cabinet
A new website, mywashingtonpark.org, will ask Cincinnatians what kind of events or programs they would like to see in Washington Park once the estimated $46 million renovation there is complete. The Emanuel Community Center partnered with The Creative Department, an Over-the-Rhine based advertising firm, that donated its services to create the website. Residents can go to the site and post their ideas or vote on existing ones. As the information is gathered, it will be sent to major stakeholders like the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to help guide future programming or infrastructure in and around the park, Emanuel's executive director Karyl Cunningham said. "We want to leverage all the investments of brick and mortar that have been done in Over-the-Rhine," Cunningham said. "Because at the end of the day community is really about people, and engaging those people once an investment is made." As Over-the-Rhine has changed over the last 100 years, the Emanuel Community Center has changed with it, Cunningham said. Begun as a German boarding house in 1871, the center now provides programming that ranges from yoga and photography classes to early childhood education. And as a new socioeconomic group moves into the neighborhood, the ECC wants to promote programming that engages both the new and old residents to build a cohesive, diverse community."We are really not doing anything too different than what the organization did 100 years ago, and that is to create opportunities to bring people together despite their socioeconomic background," Cunningham said.By gathering ideas from both those demographics, as well as other Cincinnati residents, Cunningham hopes that the site can help the park be a successful anchor for the community.Some of the ideas already posted there include a dog park meet and greet, a sustainable organic community garden, a series of jazz concerts and a "Taste of OTR" festival featuring food from Over-the-Rhine.She hopes that events in the park will not only engage neighborhood residents, but also draw people down from the suburbs. Whether its with jazz concerts, picnics, or art shows, she said she wants the website to be an evolving reservoir of ideas that can help guide future decisions in and around the beautiful park.Writer: Henry Sweets
A mix of incentives and a new advanced manufacturing center has helped lure two companies to Northern Kentucky and led to expansion of existing companies that are expected to add up to 404 jobs across the region.Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, and local government and business leaders announced the numbers at recent the formal opening of the Gateway Community and Technical College Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Florence.Five Northern Kentucky manufacturers have announced expansion plans for this year, with two others bring jobs because of relocation. The companies will invest a total of $28.4 million in the region."These seven new and expanding manufacturers will also benefit from their proximity to the new Center for Advanced Manufacturing, which is expected to train as many as 10,000 workers and 400 companies annually by 2015. The center is yet another example of the importance the Commonwealth places on advanced manufacturing and related fields," the governor said.Two manufacturing companies, Coating Excellence and Jacobs Automation, have recently announced their location to the Northern Kentucky area and will bring 80 new jobs to the community. The expansion of existing companies - a mix of those long established and startups - will make up the bulk of those new jobs. Those companies are:Diversified Structural Composites Inc. - Since 1991, Diversified Structural Composites is a manufacturer of pultruded fiberglass and carbon fiber composite components. The company is consolidating two operations into a larger 96,000 square-foot facility in Boone County.Hahn Automation Inc. - Established in Kentucky since 2001, Hahn Automation is a full-service supplier of custom automation equipment serving the automotive, household and pharmaceutical industries. The expansion project will involve the construction of a 25,000 square-foot building on a five-acre site in Hebron.Parway Products Inc. - Founded in 1946, Parkway Products is a global leader in custom molding technologies. The company’s Erlanger facility, located at 1400 Jamike, specializes in the manufacture of composite engine and aerostructure components to support the aerospace industry. The expansion will increase the existing facility from 55,686 square feet to 110,166 square feet.Impak Acquisition LLC - Impak Acquisition is a newly created company specializing in large point-of-purchase displays used in retail establishments. The expansion will allow the company to add equipment to its Edgewood facility.Zumbiel Packaging - Zumbiel Packaging manufactures paperboard consumer packaging. The company is moving its headquarters and the remainder of its manufacturing operations from Ohio to Hebron, Ky. Zumbiel Packaging will build a 180,000 square-foot facility next to its existing 320,000 square-foot Hebron facility. Writer: Feoshia HendersonSource: Kentucky Office of the GovernorYou can follow Feoshia on twitter @feoshiasoapbox
Greater Cincinnati ranks nationally as the eighth most improved housing market for 2010. A report by Cincinnati USA and the North Kentucky Chamber of Commerce says the worst of the recession in the area is over. Sales in greater Cincinnati were down in the first two months of the year but rebounded in March and April as buyers tried to take advantage of the tax credit. Read the full story here.
Time named 100 people who most affect our world in their annual Time 100. Zaha Hadid, the designer of the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art (CAC), ranked under Time's list of "Thinkers," who create work with a sense of passion and a universal touch. The Contemporary Arts Center was Hadid's first completed project in the United States.Read the full story here.
Kroger plans to expand its stores in Richmond, Virginia with its three year expansion plan of refurbishing a dozen stores, adding three fuel-stations, and opening two more stores. The expansion shows the economic success of Kroger as they add more jobs to the area and continue to be a low-price leader among traditional supermarkets. Read the full story here.
Timmy Lee, MD, UC Health nephrologist, staff VA physician and lead investigator on the study, was awarded the National Kidney Foundation's Young Investigator Award-totaling $150,000 over three years-to look at ways to improve access placement in patients starting dialysis for the first time. The goal is to increase the use of the most effective dialysis access in order to prevent extra surgeries and interventions in patients. This study along with a multi-disciplinary clinic at the VA for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease will be used in order to perform the research to improve the lives of patients. Read the full story here.
Procter and Gamble's hair care line, Pantene, reinvents itself again in order to reconnect with consumers. According to Business Week, some of the big ideas behind more than two years of research and reformulation include both an "atomic force microscope, similar to one used on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, and micro-computed tomography, used to measure bone density" to ensure the shampoos were truly making hair healthier. Read the full story here.
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