Buffalo in the Spotlight 2008

On Sunday, November 16^th, many Buffalonians woke up to reading a massive, and dare we say "glowing" article on Buffalo's architectural treasures in The New York Times. The article titled "Saving Buffalo's Untold Beauty," published in what most people consider to be the holy grail of the media world, spanned two and a half pages and featured seven color photos of Buffalo-area architectural wonders. Like the Times article, a positive story published or broadcast on a national media outlet can have an immeasurable impact on its subject. In the case of the New York Times article, it meant that over 1.5 million affluent readers were now informed that "Buffalo is home to some of the greatest American architecture of the late 19^th and 20^th centuries" - says Times architecture critic, Nicolai Ouroussoff.

Success does have many fathers. Quietly behind the scenes in the Queen City, there is an army of media-relations professionals, who pitch positive stories about Buffalo with the hopes of attracting people and attention to the city.  Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise and numerous other organizations bend the ear of national editors, hoping to land the next article or story for Buffalo.

Judging by the clippings, Frank Lloyd Wright, Garden Walk Buffalo, cross border travel and national sports are what people across the country have learned about Buffalo in 2008.  Buffalo can boast its name in newspapers such as The Toronto Star and The New York Times, and in national magazines such as Town & Country, Conde Nast Portfolio and AmericanStyle. 

Free hits on Buffalo are also worth a lot of money.  In the April 2008 issue of DreamScapes Magazine, Buffalo was featured in a 5-page spread entitled "Sophisticated Buffalo".  DreamScapes is a Canadian travel magazine based out of Toronto.  The article highlighted several Buffalo attractions that were perfect for a "girlfriends' getaway".  It highlighted places such as Papaya, The Chocolate Bar, Bacchus, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Elmwood Village shops in photos.  This is free publicity for those attractions.  If the destinations featured were to have paid for the five-page layout at an ad rate of $8,540.00 per page, the exposure would have had a media value of $42,700 and publicity value of $128,100.  Buffalo was also one of the cover stories for July's issue Canadian Automobile Association Magazine with a readership of over 1.6 million from the much-desired Canadian market.

How do authors go about writing articles on distant cities?  Sometimes there is enough information in itself, such as with the NHL Winter Classic.  Many times though, authors use an insider's perspective to gain knowledge.  In this case, and in many cases of national publications, the author will contact the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) with an initial idea.  Valerie Mutton, author of the article in DreamScapes contacted the CVB in early 2008, wanting to write a story about a girlfriends' shopping getaway.  In addition to sending her information on shopping districts, the CVB gave her a basic itinerary of must-see art galleries, theatres, restaurants and attractions.  Excited by all that Buffalo had to offer in addition to shopping, she came to Buffalo for a weekend in March.  Doug Sitler, Communications Manager for the CVB gave her a guided tour of Buffalo.  What followed was a great success with a five-page feature story. 

In July, Carolyn Thompson wrote an article for Associated Press highlighting the continued growth and success of Garden Walk that was entitled "Buffalo's Garden Walk Blooms Larger Every Year".   Her article was featured in more than 14 newspapers across the country, including Newsday, Staten Island Live, and Times Union. 

More kudos came with Buffalo's designation as #1 Mid-Sized Arts Destination in AmericanStyle Magazine, an arts lifestyle magazine for enthusiasts and collectors.  Buffalo placed first over Scottsdale, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Savannah, GA; and New Orleans in the Mid-Size Cities category.  AmericanStyle stated that Buffalo received votes from across the country praising the Queen City as "a hidden jewel" and "a well-kept secret".  The magazine cited the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the addition of Artspace Buffalo to the scene, construction of the new Burchfield-Penney Arts Center and a commitment to the arts from City of Buffalo Mayor Bryon Brown as reasons why Buffalo is a top-tier arts destination.

The next time you cringe at "another Buffalo snow story" from the national media, you can rest assured that there are people out there on the frontlines in boosting Buffalo's image.  With a lot of exciting projects making their debut over the next year or two, the area can look forward to even more positive publicity.