Hopefully, you are aware that Buffalo was recently listed by the New York Times as one of the 44 Places To Go In 2009. The Times threw us into the number 37 slot and we should be psyched. There’s a second component to the listing that you should be aware of. We have been steadily climbing the ranks in the Reader Recommendation category. At one point we were listed around the same spot where The Times ranked us… and only a few days later we’re digging in at number three! (vote)
I know that it’s just a Reader Recommendation and all, but at the end of the day the leader in the ranking will be able to chalk up the designation as a usable promotion statistic. I spotted a comment on the BRO Facebook group page that stated, “It’s cool to vote for Buffalo and all, but that just swings the rankings a bit and doesn’t make it a real ranking. Awesome we were recognized though!” Of course this is a different type of ranking – one that can be altered by the number of votes… isn’t that a bit like team spirit or something? As Buffalo continues to feel good about itself, and our outward image reflects our inward pride, why not hit that Reader Recommendation opportunity with a vengeance? After all, we are our best ambassadors, are we not? (vote)
If you haven’t voted yet, it takes two seconds and you don’t have to sign in or anything. Every time someone goes to that page and sees Buffalo hovering around #1 in the reader rankings, it can only be good for our city. Let’s give the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau some more ammo in 2009!
*Once the NYT site loads, look for the small rectangular box (field) towards the middle of the page that prompts the viewer to view ranking by either Times or reader recommendation. Choose ‘Reader’ in order to check out the alternate ranking.