Anyone else heard of this or get this email? real?

I removed names and identifying info (i think I got it all). If this is legit it would be awesome to have to publicity, but who has that kind of $$ or where does one get that kind of sponsorship? sigh....
Original Message ----------
> From: [email protected]>
> To: [email protected]
> Date: September 17, 2014 at 11:21 AM
> Subject: Official Best of Missouri 2014 TV production
>
> Wednesday, September 17 2014
>
>
>
> Dear Mr. and Ms. xxxx,
>
> We would like to feature the xxxxxxxx Bed & Breakfast and Tea
> Room Restaurant as the “Best Romantic Victorian Inn” in a two-minute
> segment on our upcoming television special The Official Best of Missouri –
> 2014 and on our internet travel and business site www.OfficialBestOf.com.
> The half-hour television program will air on KDNL ABC St Louis, KCTV CBS
> Kansas City, and on the Discovery Channel. We would be honored to feature
> your historic and impeccably decorated Victorian inn and
> tearoom-restaurant in this year’s show. (Please be sure to check out our
> website.)
>
> Confirmed Missouri 2014 attractions:
>
> (it gives a list)
> The “Official Best of” solicits nominations for our www.OfficialBestOf.com
> Website after we have searched online travel resources to determine which
> nominees will be named “best of”. No attraction can contact us for
> inclusion. Our selection process is rigorous with extensive research that
> requires positive reviews from a minimum of three independent sources. Our
> website has been receiving around 400,000 hits a month (over 600,000 hits
> in April 2014) and traffic on our website surges after each TV airing of a
> state. We are currently enjoying our 7th season of awarding and showcasing
> the best attractions in the United States in a variety of categories. We
> soon will be featuring all 50 states.
>
> The New York Times recently published an article entitled “Online Reviews
> of Hotels and Restaurants Flourish” about the rising importance of online
> sites that filter through thousands of restaurant, hotel and attraction
> reviews. These sites, such as ours, condense this information into
> organized categories. We, however, have one important distinction: we are
> the only site with video segments about each of the award-winning
> attractions selected as the best in each state. You have approval of this
> two-minute segment. The television program and website will feature no
> more than twelve Missouri attractions, each in a different best of
> category.
>
> There are six components to the “Official Best Of” promotion:
>
> • A 30 minute television special, the Official Best of Missouri – 2014,
> which airs on KDNL ABC St Louis, Saturday October 18 at 1pm; KCTV CBS
> Kansas City, Saturday October 18 at 11am, and on the Discovery Channel,
> Wednesday October 21 at 4am Central, 5am Eastern and Pacific.
> • Three year promotion of your two-minute video segment on our travel site
> www.OfficialBestOf.com.Visitors to the site can easily access your
> featured video along with a direct link to your website. Your feature will
> also be placed on several other video websites.
> • A broadcast-quality DVD of your feature that you may copy and distribute
> as you like.
> • A web version of your feature, with full usage rights, to use in any
> other form of advertising.
> • Complete ownership of all the high definition B roll footage of your
> feature.
> • The Official Best of logo that highlights your award of distinction and
> identifies you as the best in your category.
>
> There is a sponsorship fee of $3,900. (This covers the production of your
> two-minute video segment, the television airings and the placement on our
> website for a full three-year period. There are never any additional
> charges during the three-year promotion. We rely on these sponsorship fees
> to finance our production because we do not have any commercials on our TV
> program or any outside advertising on our website.) Please note: We also
> offer a one minute small business/non-profit segment with all the same
> benefits for $2500.
>
> Please email or call if you have any questions. We look forward to
> showcasing the xxxxxxx as the “Best Romantic Victorian Inn in
> Missouri – 2014”.
>
> Best Regards,
> xxxxx
>
> xxxxx
> Associate Producer
> xxx @officialbestof.com
>
>
>
> www.OfficialBestof.com
> Media World USA
> 6671 W. Sunset Blvd
> Suite 1535
> Hollywood CA 90028-7170
> 1-800-889-9656x117
>
>
>

No didn't get this, but a similar outfit contacted our local tourism bureau early this summer about featuring local sites in 30-minute "spots" that would air on several TV stations in our 4-state region.
They came and did some filming around town, interviewed me about my guesthouse and filmed a walk-through.
Several of us here in the county pledged couple of hundred dollars each.
Haven't heard anything about it since. No money laid out so far, so no risk if they never get around to airing the "spots".
True they may have been casing the place for a break in, but that's not likely and I have a good alarm system for when nobody is there!

"Best of ....." for those who PAY to be "Best of" is just a form of advertizing.

Have not gotten this one but have seen similar.

As they say if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Could be legit but airing may be at 2-3am def. not prime time or when your market would be watching TV. Airing once and then history.
I am sure you can think of several marketing options that would be a better use of those dollars.

$3900 for two minutes, $2500 for one minute. Discovery Channel to air at 4 am/ 5 am. Not the best time. It's a lot of money and if you have it to spend on advertising, I wonder if your dollars could be better spent on your own ad.

Okay, serious question, if you were voted best of... and you don't pay, do they just vote again? Sounds fishy to me.

Of course it's advertising. Of course it's fishy. There was a chicken wing place in my town that put on their marquee, "Voted Best Wings In Town".
Not counting KFC, they were the ONLY wing place in town, and I have no doubt that the voters were the owners, maybe adding in their staff, maybe adding in their customers. No city-wide neutral vote was taken, I guarantee you. It's what businesses do. People learn to take it all with a grain of salt.
Or they fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Whatever.

Jon Sable said:

Okay, serious question, if you were voted best of... and you don't pay, do they just vote again? Sounds fishy to me..

Click to expand...

Jon Sable said:

Okay, serious question, if you were voted best of... and you don't pay, do they just vote again? Sounds fishy to me.

Click to expand...