I imagine the first thing a person would say if I told them I had just sent pitches to 10 travel editors in envelopes that went into the U.S. mail with stamps is: “this guy is a dinosaur.” I can hear a burst of laughter as they yell out, “sounds like they should be called Dinosaur PR.

Ah, but could there be wisdom in this approach? Yes, indeed.

For the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, we created a “press kit” with whale festival coffee from a local vendor and photos, stories and background burned on a CD. The result was that most of our targets gave us coverage of the annual whale festival.

Our reasoning is simple: editors don’t want to take phone calls. Their emails are bursting and overflowing with pitches. Headlines coming in from wire services are non stop.

What could be better than to have an actual box with goodies or envelope with information land on your desk?

My pitch is for the Grey Whale Inn in Fort Bragg in an effort to boost occupancy.

Reserve your final judgment. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

As the publicists for the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce in Northern California, we have developed specialized email distribution lists of local (Mendocino and two surrounding counties) media and travel and feature editors at major newspapers and magazines across the U.S.

Sometimes this just isn’t enough. Since we have no budget for national PRNewswire or BusinessWire releases, we look to bigger tourism partners for help.

All of our releases go to the California Travel and Tourism Commission, whose PR team issues news releases, special interest packages and pitches stories to media all over the world. It is a synergistic relationship that has paid big dividends in expanded coverage and more tourism for our area. Since we compete with tourist giants and neighbors, Sonoma and Napa Counties, we need all the help we can get.

Another powerful partner: California State Parks News Office. Since we have more than a dozen state parks, state beaches and state preserves in our 100 miles of coastline paradise, we look for every opportunity to package local events that include activities in local state parks. The result: the State Parks News Office sends our releases to more than 300 media who have asked to be on their news distribution list.

Lesson: if money and staff resources are tight, look for promotion partners who can help you spread your message. You don’t have to feel alone in the desert.

The old media blitz is like a hail mary pass: you get your media pitch ready and throw it at as many reporters and editors as possible hoping to get coverage for your client.

Sure, there are occasions when a media campaign for an important product or service makes sense, but a well placed story can be far more effective. Take this case in point: I was talking to a travel editor at the San Francisco Chronicle about one story and also mentioned that the Point Cabrillo Light Station in Mendocino was about to open the former Head Lightkeeper’s residence as a bed and breakfast.

“I love lighthouses,” she said, “I’ll do the story.” It was near 5 months before the story appeared, but it was huge when it did, nearly a full page with photos. Here’s the kicker: AP picked it up and sent it around the world. Then the New York Times News Service distributed it. And the stories just keep coming.

The result: reservations have been pouring into the Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo, a non-profit that puts all its money — after expenses — into restoration and maintenance of the 1909 light station.

Lesson: thoughtful, targeted placements are always better than the shotgun approach.

As the media managers for the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce, whose job is to stimulate tourism, this goes a long way toward that goal.