That afternoon, a report on CNN claimed that during the autumn, the worst U.S. city for pollen sufferers was Harrisburg, PA. One did not need to be a rocket scientist in order to see that members of the public might easily mistake Harrisonburg, VA for Harrisburg, PA. Hence, the number of dating couples in Harrisonburg could well decline in response to that report.
As the officials in Harrisonburg put their heads together, they had reason to discuss what other characteristics of their city might appeal strongly to a dating couple. They could justly study carefully the restaurants in the area. Such a study would cause the officials to note that some of local restaurants featured uniquely Virginian foods, such as fluffy biscuits and juicy baked ham. The city officials might thus decide to work on the publication of ads for such restaurants.
If those officials had wondered about where to look for guidance, they would have been well-advised to check-out some Harrisonburg personals. The statements in the many Harrisonburg personals were sure to contain some clues about the preferences of the local dating couples. Once the city officials had learned about such preferences, then they could introduce a PR effort that highlighted the presence in Harrisonburg of any of the couples’ most preferred features.
A clever writer and historian could have seized on that moment to show the city officials relevant material that he or she had written. Publicity for Harrisonburg, VA could take the form of a school story about dating in Colonial times. Such a story might talk about young colonial couples strolling in the meadows and fields around the village that later became Harrisonburg, VA.
Any such material would emphasize the difference between Harrisburg, PA and Harrisonburg, VA. Any such material would help to lure more dating couples to the parks of Harrisonburg. Any such material would underline the absence among local residents of any concerns over pollen levels.
In the absence of such material, officials in Harrisonburg might have considered visiting the local pharmacies. They might have thought about asking local drug stores to refrain from putting allergy medicines in a prominent spot during the autumn months. They might also have discouraged any plans for a sale on facial tissues or hankies.
The right sort of PR effort would be sure to encourage the return of many dating couples. Those couples might take a canoe down one of the streams close to Harrisonburg, or they might visit one of tennis courts or amusement parks in the area. Those dating couples would then discover that Harrisonburg did not have the sort of pollen problems that plagued the capital city of Pennsylvania.