The Best Job In The World… In Cleveland?
Thursday
May 7, 2009
There’s an article in the BBC today about how the Best Job in the World tourism campaign might be the best PR stunt ever?
In a blaze of publicity, more than a thousand media organizations around the world this week reported that the job of “caretaker” of Hamilton Island in Australia had been given to a 34-year-old ostrich-rider from Hampshire, Ben Southall.
Given that part of a PR executive’s job is to sell a product without paying for advertising space, then Tourism Queensland’s “best job in the world” competition has been a PR triumph that has left those whose day-job it is to devise such campaigns green with envy.
While we agree that it was a great stunt, and it did work. You have to take it with a grain of salt. The exotic location didn’t hurt, right? I mean, who in the world didn’t want to apply and go live on a tropical island for 6 months and get paid to do it?
Hand is up in the air here! I wanted to go!
Here’s the point. It was a great PR stunt. It was a great pitch. Masterful really.
But what if it was The Best Job In The World…
In Cleveland?
Forget the press. Forget the viral nature of it. Forget the kudos. Nobody would have paid attention to it.
The lesson is… Your pitch is only as good as the quality of your product/service.
Comments
Lauri Burkions
May 7th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
But, Jim, as you know, people do not understand that Cleveland is a gem in the ruff. People who first find out they are transferring to Cleveland first think, OMG, I'm going to nowheresville. Then, they get here, and voila, they become the best PR people for our city. Bad rap, yep. Keeps the unwanted folks out
.
Jim Kukral
May 7th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Lauri, we both know that to be true, but that's not the point
Cleveland isn't Aruba, just saying 
no matter what we think about it.
Lauri Burkions
May 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
OK, so we show Mentor-on-the-Lake in July