Governor Rendell Says PA Enjoyed Record-Breaking Gains with Groundhog Day Promotions

Governor Rendell Says PA Enjoyed Record-Breaking Gains with Groundhog Day Promotions

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day promotion produced record results this year, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today.

The state's live Web cast of Phil's emergence from his burrow was witnessed by a record-breaking audience at VisitPA.com. And, its new viral marketing initiative on Groundhog202.com enticed audiences with videos of a groundhog - and his shadow - suffering cabin fever in a take-off on the movie, The Shining.

"Groundhog Day is uniquely Pennsylvania," said Governor Rendell, who participated in a pre-Groundhog Day event via satellite link from Harrisburg to Punxsutawney. "Every Feb. 2, all eyes look to Punxsutawney. But, this year, because of our increased marketing efforts and innovative use of technology, we were able to showcase and share the magic and spirit of Punxsutawney with more people from around the world like never before."

The event in Punxsutawney was supported by a special section on VisitPA.com, which hosted a live Web cast and allowed viewers' access to Web cams located on Gobbler's Knob, where Phil makes his annual predication. The Groundhog Day section of VisitPA.com reported 688,000 page views between Jan. 9 and Feb. 6, representing a 100 percent increase from 2005. Over the same period, views to two remote-controlled Webcams and one static Webcam on VisitPA.com were up 123 percent.

The Web cast reached audiences in all 50 states and more than 100 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Russia, Spain, Italy, Iran, Kenya and Bangladesh. Total viewership through the Webcams and Web cast totaled more than 70,000 views in a 36-hour period.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office also created an interactive, viral marketing campaign called Groundhog202.com to generate excitement and guide people to VisitPA.com. This was the second year for the Groundhog-supported promotion, which garnered national attention in its inaugural year.

This year's viral films featured "The Groundhog" and his alter-ego "The Shadow." Available on http://www.groundhog202.com/, the films showed "The Groundhog" slowly descending into madness while spending the winter in the Poconos' Skytop Lodge, which is more than vaguely reminiscent of the hotel in Jack Nicholson's cult film, The Shining.

The goal of the site was to capture the fever of Groundhog Day and let those who discovered the unique site to pass it along to their friends through e-mail, Web logs and word-of-mouth. When Variety Magazine's Army Archerd asked Jack Nicholson about groundhog202.com for an article, he responded with "They better watch out - because you know Jack's not afraid of his shadow." He asked for the web site address to check out the Groundhog's performance in his role.

However, Hollywood was not the only media market interested in this year's Groundhog Day prediction. Media coverage of Groundhog Day surpassed that of recent years. Broadcast media outlets all over the world downloaded and aired video footage that was provided via satellite feed by the commonwealth. Television stations throughout the country, including NBC's Today Show, Fox and Friends, ABC's Good Morning America and CBS's The Early Show, told Punxsutawney Phil's story nearly 4,500 times, or the equivalent of more than 18 hours of free air time.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is dedicated to fulfilling the needs of travelers by presenting them with the information and resources they need to plan and enjoy the activities, attractions and destinations that are uniquely Pennsylvania. For more information about Pennsylvania's tourism industry, go to http://www.visitpa.com/, or call (800) VISIT PA.

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

CONTACT:
Kate Philips
717-783-1116

Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

CONTACT: Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,
+1-717-783-1116

Web site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/
http://www.visitpa.com/
http://www.groundhog202.com/

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