The marketing department of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. recently learned  two proposals for PPL Blue Ribbon Marketing Partnership grants were approved.

The grants total $4,000. The money will be used to create compelling and colorful “one page” collateral materials that will highlight and showcase Allentown’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) and the Slate Belt region of Northampton County.

A first proof of the NIZ one-pager has been created. LVEDC plans to meet with representatives from City Center, The Waterfront, Alvin H. Butz Inc., and the City of Allentown to develop continuity and messaging. It will be available for all entities to use in promoting development within this center city and waterfront area.

“We greatly appreciate PPL’s generosity; this grant money will allow us to create even more collateral materials by year end,” said John McGran, vice president of marketing for LVEDC. “Once we finish the promotional materials for the NIZ area of Allentown and the Slate Belt, we will turn our attention to the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton – and the Lehigh Valley in general.”

Because of the grants, the NIZ and Slate Belt collateral pieces will sport a PPL logo to denote it was created in part by a Blue Ribbon Marketing Partnership. A total of 26 regional organizations were funded with PPL grants this year.

The LVEDC marketing team is also working to create tri-fold pieces of collateral and a new PowerPoint presentation for use by LVEDC’s business attraction department.

Additional collateral pieces in the works include pamphlets outlining the investor program and financial department offerings.

Earlier this year, LVEDC created a brochure promoting the new LVEDC councils. Several hundred copies of that product have been handed out, forcing LVEDC to initiate a second printing.

“The support of companies like PPL and our many other investors makes all of this possible,” said McGran. “It helps me with my goal, which is to do everything in my power to promote the Lehigh Valley, its businesses and its workforce.”