FOR THE SOCIAL GOOD
The Path to Pineville W VU MEDIA MAG AZIN E 201 9
WRITTEN BY SAMANTHA STOCKSDALE | PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVID SMITH
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BrandJRNY’s work with the small West Virginia town has shed new light on the Pineville experience.
Within minutes of meeting Dr. Rita Colistra, you become fully aware of her West Virginia pride, commitment to students and dedication to the public relations profession. Nobody epitomizes the WVU College of Media mantra of pursuing passion with a sense of purpose quite like she does. In January 2015, a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation helped Colistra, an associate professor in the College of Media, combine all those passions into a single, impactful project: BrandJRNY. The goal of BrandJRNY is to revitalize rural, West Virginia communities while giving students a real, client-agency experience. College of Media students and faculty work with community leaders to showcase the best features of the town. The process involves research, immersion trips, roundtable and community events, brand ideation and development and the creation of logos, ads, social media, websites, t-shirts, billboards and whatever else is needed to put the branding plan into action. The ultimate goals for each community are different, but BrandJRNY’s efforts have led to increased tourism,
