SEAN GENTILE

This local business competition I helped launch showcases my skills in every phase of a complex project - from concepting to branding, marketing and data collection.

A publisher of a weekly newspaper among other community resources, PS Communications constantly sought new ways to connect our readers and local businesses that fueled the local economy. In this contest, we asked readers to nominate and vote for businesses they thought were the best in the area, and encouraged businesses to compete by marketing themselves for votes.

Initially, I worked with our publisher and associate publisher to nail down nominee categories, competition rules and a schedule. I then generated a brand, designed all contest graphics, and worked with our marketing team to create a multi-channel campaign that yielded maximum response in a short time frame.

In less than three weeks, almost 12 percent of our readership got involved, sending in nominations, comments and votes. Our inbox was buzzing with feedback from the community as we tallied the results. We featured winners in our fall seasonal publication with comments from the community and awarded them framed certificates to display proudly in their place of business.