Warren Works outlines marketing push, asks city and county for $100,000 each

Representatives of Warren Works updated the Warren County commissioners on the organization’s brand launch, digital marketing performance and 2026 program plans and requested municipal support to cover a projected budget shortfall.

Warren Works reported that the brand launched on Sept. 12 and ran a 30-second streaming video that delivered 219,932 impressions and an estimated reach of about 148,000 households in Buffalo, Rochester, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. "So far, we've had 219,932 impressions, with the ability to reach about a 148,000 households," Jenny said in the presentation.

The group said its social campaigns have produced 120,896 impressions and 870 actions (link clicks, profile visits or other engagements). The presenters described target demographics as adults 25–44 with household incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 and said they are pursuing audiences interested in outdoor recreation, fitness and homeownership.

Warren Works representatives outlined website results and planned content. The organization reported roughly 2,800 page views (about 1,200 active users) and 28,000 site events and said it will add newsletters, campaign landing pages, updated photography and more videos in 2026 to sustain engagement.

On infrastructure and programming, presenters said they have placed "Starlight" hot spots in TDU, Sheffield, Sugar Grove and the city of Warren and are considering expanding to additional trailheads such as Jake's Rocks. Jim, a Warren Works representative, said the current devices typically operate May through September and that year-round deployment would require additional power and security: "We've basically left it open or had it functioning during the summer months from May to, we take it down ... so it's from basically May through September," he said.

Warren Works also described workforce and youth outreach plans, including 3-D virtual tours of local businesses for school students; the first videos were of Whirley Industries, with future videos planned for Warren General Hospital.

Budget and municipal request: Warren Works presented a 2026 budget showing projected revenue of $410,000 and expenses of $441,000, leaving a shortfall of about $41,000. The group said personnel costs are roughly $200,000, marketing would total about $120,000, and asked for $100,000 in support from both the city of Warren and Warren County. "We're really looking at about $5 per head," one presenter said when describing the municipal ask and expected private leverage.

Commissioners asked follow-up questions about the hot-spot deployments and whether they could be left in place year-round; presenters said security and electricity at remote trailheads remain constraints. The presenters invited county officials and community members to provide feedback and to coordinate co-marketing through a downloadable toolkit on the Warren Works website.

Warren Works' materials cited alignment with the county comprehensive plan and with local partners including the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry and several local foundations. The commissioners did not take a formal vote on funding at the meeting.