Jersey Shore's marketing battle for beachgoers
Skift Take
Jersey Shore towns are not only battling New York for summer tourists, but are trying to out-market one another, as well, as they seek to rebound from Hurricane Sandy.
Beach towns have always jockeyed for their share of summer tourism dollars, but Hurricane Sandy is prompting many to step up their game.
Take, for example, the strategies of two Seas:
Sea Isle City burst out of the gate two months ago with a billboard at New York City's Lincoln Tunnel, proclaiming "We're ready." More recently, the resort took a page from Atlantic City's playbook (Do AC) by stamping its slogan on 6,000 car magnets.
Seaside Heights, whose waterlogged Jet Star roller coaster has become a symbol of destruction, is playing the long game. A steady stream of news coverage about its rebuilding process will reach critical mass today, when Fox News' Shepard Smith comes to town for two one-hour live broadcasts.
"We've given overwhelmingly easy access for the stations that want to come in," said Michael Graichen, a spokesperson and lifelong resident of the Ocean County borough. "As long as the stories are positive, we gave them the access they needed."
While southern New Jersey beaches have aggressively courted beachgoers who would normally visit Long Island and North Jersey, northern beaches such as Seaside Hei
