research paper abstract Urban Smarts is an at-risk youth program that focuses on artistic expression of the student participants. This paper explores the history of the program, the current problems with the brand and offers a new design and marketing solutions. In exploring this paper one will learn what an at-risk youth is and who the specific target audiences are for this program. The Urban Smarts program is a unique client because of the division of target audiences included in the demographic. These individuals, including potential participants, potential volunteers, parents of potential participants and donors, all require different methods of marketing and branding to find appeal in Urban Smarts. This paper details these methods and why they are effective. One will also discover the history of the program and the current branding used, or lack thereof. Included in the paper is also detail of competing at-risk youth programs and why they are successful. Through the understanding of the program’s current standing, one will then journey into a detailed branding effort. This branding campaign includes thinking outside the box and avoiding cliché’s often used in youth targeted branding. By avoiding the cliché look and feel, the design is able to appeal to each division in the target audience. The multi-media campaign will explore various advertising mediums and ways to push the program further. Methods include electronic, social, print and video media. Also included will be implementation of guerrilla marketing efforts. The guerrilla marketing will solidify the “out of the box” methods and ideals that Urban Smarts holds within its values. By the end of this paper one will understand the exact steps that will be taken to work towards the program’s branding as well as new marketing efforts and how they will result in benefiting said program.
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