Professional Biography

Barbara Oney has been a leader and innovator in marketing and business alliances for over 25 years.  For the past 12 months, Ms Oney has been working to develop the Digital Airport Initiative (DAI), a business collaborative intent on delivering a dynamic high-tech media system to promote Northeast Ohio in Hopkins Airport.  

 

Along with this effort she has provided internet marketing guidance for the Ingenuity Festival held in downtown Cleveland in July ‘07.  Earlier this year she served as interim Executive Director for Cleveland’s Red {an orchestra} stepping in to assist in the production of their April concert. 

 

She was also the Executive Producer for the first simulcast of an orchestra into the 3-D web-world “Second Life” through a unique alliance with Case, CSU, OneCommunity and Red {an orchestra}. 

 

Currently she serves in a volunteer capacity as Chairman of the Relationship Committee on the Boy Scouts of America, Greater Cleveland Council’s Board of Director’s Marketing Committee.

 

Previously, Ms. Oney was the Chief Marketing Officer for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland (CVB).  While there she launched the CVB’s first fully integrated branded marketing campaign “See Something New”.  Technology-based marketing strategies accounted for a 10% reduction in marketing costs.  She was also responsible for securing a founding seat on the Marketing Alliance of Greater Cleveland (Cleveland Plus) for the CVB.

 

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Prior to moving back to Cleveland Ms. Oney served as Vice President of Universal Studios.  While there she developed an in-house promotional department that provided over $11 million in incremental media and sponsorship exposure within the first 9 months. 

 

Before working at Universal Studios, Ms. Oney was founder and president of Barbara Watts and Associates, Inc. (BWA) for seven years.  The full-service agency's clients included Warner Bros., Hollywood Video, Andrew Jergens, Universal Television and HBO, BWA was sold in 1998.

 

In 1990 Ms. Oney joined Twentieth Century Fox as Director of Worldwide Promotions.  In this position she managed the sale and execution of promotions and corporate partnerships with film, video and television properties on both a domestic and international basis. An alliance campaign she developed between Home Alone and Pepsi secured over $8 million dollars in media for the video and increased Pepsi sales by nearly $200 million.

 

Starting with MGM/UA Home Video as Director of Special Accounts in 1986, she instigated and managed a division that handled all of the direct mail, premium, laser and promotional licensing deals.  As the Direct Mail Sales Representative she was responsible for up to $10 Million a year in sales to accounts such as Columbia House and Time/Life Home Video.