Online Public Relations Thoughts

I'm sure several bloggers have received a pitch for the Pennsylvania Tourism web site. I have, and I'm certainly not alone. Well, unlike most such pitches, I'm going to write about it because I think the company involved launched a natural and effective idea for publicity and blogging. The idea was to take a number of people and have them blog as they tour Pennsylvania. They were careful to get individuals with a range of interests that were slugged as follows: thrill-seeking family, history buff, culture vultures, open roader (a motorcyclist), hipster roadtrippers and outdoor adventurer. Each is finding a part of Pennsylvania that appeals to the person's interests and of course, to you. One deliberate oversight, it appears, is choosing anyone who is clearly middle-aged or old. Pennsylvania must be for the young. Here is a press release that goes into greater detail.

Any way you look at this, it is an effective use of blogging and publicity. Of course, one is left to wonder what would happen if someone blogged about poor service, insufferable people or an ugly landscape. (And Pennsylvania has all these things.) I haven't read all of the blogs, but they seem suspiciously cheery to me. I hope Pennsylvania Tourism knows to let people write what they really find. If not, they'll ruin a good idea.