The city of Altoona will roll out its new marketing campaign, AltoonaNow, with a brand launch party that starts at 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Prairie Meadows Event Center. The launch marks the culmination of a two-year effort initiated by the Altoona City Council to stand apart in its efforts to promote the city and generate economic development opportunities. That effort also coincided with the council’s decision to pull out of the Eastern Polk Regional Development Inc. That contract terminated June 30. “We’re going to take a more proactive approach to economic development,” City Administrator Jeff Mark said. The program’s first-year budget was $129,500, which included consulting fees, website development and advertising.