At Nancy Marshall Communications, we are in the business of full-service website development, including web strategy development and internet marketing. I wanted to share the news about a website we lauched recently for the New England Outdoor Center.

AUGUSTA, Maine - The New England Outdoor Center (NEOC) officially unveiled their new website, http://www.neoc.com.  The site provides information about the four-season Maine adventure resort,  including their wide variety of outdoor activities, lodging options, special packages, recent news and videos. Based in Millinocket, Maine since 1982, the New England Outdoor Center has provided visitors from across the world with a one-of-a-kind Maine outdoor experience.

“With the start of the whitewater rafting season in Maine and our plans for expansion, we recognize that our website is going to be one of the most valuable tools for our customers. We feel that the layout, design and capabilities of our new site will allow customers to make plans at our four-season resort from whitewater rafting to snowmobiling, as well as select lodging options easier and faster than ever. Due to our wide range of customers from Maine and across the globe, we are excited to work with the team at Nancy Marshall Communications to create the new website and an ongoing Internet marketing strategy to communicate to our current customers and attract new ones,” said Matt Polstein, co-owner of New England Outdoor Center. Continue Reading »

Happy Halloween from the Maine PR Maven!

I still haven’t decided what I am going to be for Halloween. I’ve been working on my computer all morning today, so this afternoon I need to get into my closet and figure something out.  What would I wear other than my normal clothes if I wanted to be the Maine PR Maven?  Hmmm, I will need to think about that. I may be heading to Kingfield tonight for the Halloween Spooktacular at the Herbert Grand Hotel.

My friend and fellow alumna of Colby College, Heidi Murphy, owner of the local newspaper, The Irregular,  alerted me to this event. Thanks Heidi!

Leaf peeping is a very popular activity for tourists during the fall months. Research has shown that driving around and looking at the sites is actually the number one activity that tourists in Maine enjoy doing, and during fall foliage, the Maine attractions have the backdrop of oranges, yellows, reds and golds to make the views even more magnificent.

My PR agency, Nancy Marshall Communications, has been promoting leaf peeping in Maine since 1993 as part of our work for the Maine Office of Tourism. So it was very exciting today when MSNBC named Maine  as one of the top leaf peeping destinations in the nation. (Moose Photo Credit: MSNBC)

Now there are lots of things to do in Maine while you peep at the ‘leafs.’

You can:

1. Peep and Eat. As a matter of fact, Portland was just named one of the best eating cities in the nation by Bon Appetit Magazine.

2. Peep and Paddle. Canoeing on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail or whitewater rafting is great at this time of year, and there are fewer people on the rivers than there are in summer. Check out the rafting on the Kennebec, Penobscot or Dead. I was a Maine Rafting Guide in my 30s, but then I realized it made me really nervous to be responsible for so many people in a rubber raft going down a roaring rock-filled river, so I decided not to do it and just carry the license around to show people. Continue Reading »

Back in May of 1993, I went through the Maine raft guide training course at Northern Outdoors in The Forks, Maine. It was an odd thing to do for a new mom….my son Craig had been born just 8 months before. Somehow in my Type A mind, I didn’t want motherhood to change me. In hindsight I should have welcomed the change, but back then I was thinking that in my role as the PR person for Northern Outdoors Adventure Resort, I needed to become a Registered Maine Guide. Luckily my husband, mother, and in-laws understood my obsession and supported me by helping take care of Craig. Continue Reading »

My niece is getting married in San Francisco in August. So my mom, who everyone lovingly calls “Oma,” has bought airplane tickets for my whole family so we can all go to the wedding together. After the wedding, my husband, two sons, and I are going to take four days to tour around the state. California, here we come!

Yesterday I realized we should start making some definite plans and book hotel reservations since the trip is only about six weeks away. So I went to the California state tourism website at www.visitcalifornia.com.  I looked through the site but I realized that what I really wanted to do was get a travel guide with photos and descriptions, and sit on the couch with my husband and sons to plan our trip. Continue Reading »

Yesterday I met with several managers of a hotel group to talk about PR, and the subject of social media came up. I was telling them of the power of online communities and networks. One of them then mentioned Travel Advisor . One of the managers at the table said he would not use Travel Advisor alone to plan a vacation but it might be one of the things he looks at. I told him that I agreed; I thought it should be one of the many sources of information you use for making travel plans.

So I’m putting it out to my blog readers. Do you use Travel Advisor when making plans for a vacation?  Do you use other services like Travelocity, Expedia or Hotels.com?  Do you read the comments that other people leave about their experiences? Do you believe them? How much do others’ comments influence your decision-making process?