Not every destination sells itself the way it should. This is especially true for places that lack sophisticated, destination-driven PR operations. And therein lies an opportunity for hotels, resorts and golf courses, as well as the agencies that serve them.

Case in point: In Hue, Vietnam, Phu Bai Airport recently revealed (but did not announce) that it was opening two months ahead of schedule after a lengthy closure to upgrade the facility. We couldn’t see that anyone had issued any news on the matter, so – as we frequently do – we appropriated the news to optimize exposure for a client, La Residence Hotel & Spa.

We wrote up the news. We included some commentary from the client. And we dispatched this news with an image of our client. A significant number of media outlets picked up on this news, and we even landed a laudatory comment from a respected Bangkok-based editor:

“I appreciate very much that you sent (this) to me (so) I could update the news on Hue in a timely fashion. I must congratulate you on your professional approach to public relations that has high news value. The information is on our daily today (Friday).”

Most PR agencies typically issue news about clients that keep clients at the center of the story. This indirect approach can be effective, and can enhance your standing with editors who’ll respect you for not always trying to ‘sell’ your client.