Civic News

PhillyPolice.com, Project Liberty, Seed Philly: an update on January news of the recent past

It’s a look back into our archives in an effort to check back on stories that made news in the past.

South Broad Street as seen from the top of City Hall. (Photo by Christopher Wink)

As January 2013 closes, what has come and what remains from past first-months in the technology community?

A year ago, Center City tech startup incubator Seed Philly launched and is still finding its footing. Two years ago, we learned of a 14-year low in venture funding in the region. Three years ago, tourism agency GPTMC finished its rebranding with the launch of VisitPhilly.com, and almost four years ago, the Philadelphia police launched their own new website.

Where do those efforts stand today? It’s a look back into our archives in an effort to check back on stories that made news in the past.

January 2010

GPTMC rebrands, refocuses its online efforts as tourism engine

  • On January 13, 2010, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. introduced its new online home, VisitPhilly.com, bringing in bigger photos and a more affective incorporation of its content. Along with the site’s clearer navigation system, GPTMC introduced 25 new advertisements in its With Love, Philadelphia XOXO campaign and a new commercial. Presuming that Visit Philly would be more memorable than go Phila, the move sought to create simpler search engine optimization.
  • Making Visit Philly even more interactive, GPTMC partnered with Foursquare in 2012 to create a “Check In to a Masterpiece” list of 12 pieces of Philadelphia art extending across mediums, genres and time periods. By hitting the Visit Philly Foursquare page, tourists and residents of the city competed to become the mayor of one or more of these masterpieces by checking in when they visited one of the works on the list.

National tech publications make lists that don’t put Philadelphia as a leader

January 2011

Venture capital investment sags following the economic recession in the region

Philadelphia Police have sought new web communications tools to get public help

January 2012

The publishers of the Philadelphia daily papers fully launch a media tech startup incubator

Center City incubator Seed Philly launches into a quickly-growing community of startup housing and tries to find its place

This report was done in partnership with Temple University’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods program, the capstone class for the Temple’s Department of Journalism.

Companies: Visit Philadelphia / Seed Philly / SEER Interactive / Technical.ly
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Donate to the Journalism Fund

Your support powers our independent journalism. Unlike most business-media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational contributions.

Trending

These 10 regions could be most impacted by federal return-to-office mandates

From Belgaum to Baltimore and beyond, this founder leaned on family to build a biotech juggernaut 

Philly vs. Kansas City: Who’s got the stronger tech economy?

How this Comcast director of product management is bringing heart to AI

Technically Media