NewsE-Team

Actions

Parma raising $15,000 for its own "script sign"

Posted at 8:00 AM, Feb 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-05 13:31:50-05

While the pizza comes out fresh at Antonio's at the Shoppes at Parma, Parma City Council President Sean Brennan is cooking up an idea of his own.

"One day we're on our way from Cleveland and I thought, 'we need to do this in Parma," said Brennan.

He wants to put a sign with "Parma" written out in script in the city, just like Destination Cleveland did in five locations around Cleveland.

But the payoff for the project is almost impossible to pin down.

Destination Cleveland tells us they spent $25,000 on each one of the five signs all over the city. They say the goal was to increase the brand value for the city, getting exposure during the Republican National Convention, on national broadcasts when Cleveland's sports teams do well, and on social media.

There are hundreds of pictures of the signs easily seen with simple searches on social media websites, and Destination Cleveland says that means the project has been a success, even if they can't put a dollar figure on the payoff.

Antonio's Kitchen Manager Roger Grimes can track the benefit a sign would bring through foot traffic at his Shoppes of Parma location.

"I think it would be a cool thing to have, especially if you put them around Antonio's," said Grimes.

He says foot traffic is already good around their location, but people snapping pictures right outside could only help.

"I think we gauge success by the excitement it creates, when we go to Cleveland signs there's usually a line before you get your picture taken," said Brennan. "So it's really hard to gage I think."

The price tag in Parma is $15,000, and Brennan is trying to raise it thorough his non profit, The Parma Charitable Fund, costing taxpayers nothing.