Since 2000, the IN has held an annual Best of the Coast issue – where readers vote for the best restaurants, services, etc along the coast. Our certificates and trophies are placed in businesses all over Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.
The News Journal has announced (after not doing it for nearly 15 years) that it will hold this summer at “Best of the Bay” campaign. There are selling advertisers on buying ads on the ballot insert, ballots themselves and in the “Winners” issue.
They canceled the original Best of program when it was rumored that restaurants like McGuire’s paid employees to stuff the ballots.
Foolish us – we usually wait until the votes are counted before we ask people to advertise.
It will be fun to see how many businesses who buy ads in the ballot inserts – also win awards. Of course, it will only be a coincident.
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, I guess.