Simply (Not) the Best

The Rimrock has one of these placards on their hostess' tabnle for "Best Steakhouse." Any objective tongue that's been to the Rimrock knows how hilarious that is, although a "best bar" claim would be pretty legit.

I'd be interested in knowing if the company contacts businesses saying that they won these awards first and foremost?

If so it isn't the restaurant's fault for wanting to be noticed for what they view as achievements in the community.

It's wrong to take advantage of mom and pop restaurants who typically don't have the budget to spend on lavish things. It also hurts to the restaurants reputation to showcase awards they didn't win.

After previously being employed by this company, I've come to a realization that there is definitely some wool being pulled over restaurants owners eyes.

We were instructed that anyone in the Top 10 was a "Winner" and that anyone who had at least 3 stars was "Top Rated"

It didn't matter if the Restaurant had one review from 2004, or no reviews at all, or even 80 reviews from yesterday, it was all fair game. Most of the graphics portray the whole, Winner, Top 10, or Top Rated thing, but the review comments are constantly manipulated and cut up to build the best review possible from the words left on the site.

Bottom line...just don't trust the decals on the windows.

I saw this on TV and they had someone who owned a business that bought one of these stickers. She said that she had no idea that they weren't rated as tops!

As an owner of the coffee shop/bar that was voted second best coffee in town last year, the FIRST thing you do when you are told that you are tops is go on line to look at the reviews.

We got two "top picks" this year, one from Seattle Metropolitan magazine and another from the Lonely Planet. Both sent us stickers...kurt from Cafe Racer

8.21.08

Dear Luke Deucy,

We at InTheSpotlight.com would like to take the opportunity to respond to your story, “The cost of being one of the city’s best,” that was aired on KOMONEWS 4 in Seattle on the evening of 8.20.08 and posted on the KOMONEWS.COM website on 8.21.08. It was unfortunate to have missed the call you placed to us after business hours on 8.20.08, as we would have been happy to respond to any inquiries, as we have with staff writer, Emma Breysse, at your affiliate company, Seattle Weekly. Had we had that opportunity to respond before the segment aired, we would have been able to clear up some of the inaccuracies that you reported.

The first thing I’d like to clear up is the implication that we somehow ‘download content’ from any of these websites in order to duplicate branding on our graphics. In your segment, you show a variety of our plaques that clearly show no confusion of brands. I would encourage you, your viewers, and your readers to visit all the websites, including our own, to confirm this. You may do this at:

www.inthespotlight.com, www.citysearch.com, and www.cityguide.aol.com

Many, if not all, of the decals shown in your segment actually came directly from the publications, and not InTheSpotlight, which may explain why the resemblance to their branding seemed so overwhelming.

Ms. Breyssee, in her attendant article in the Seattle Weekly, “Simply (Not) the Best,” also makes several false statements. First, she states that we “do not differentiate between quotes that come from critics employed by the sites and comments from anonymous readers.” All reviews that appear on these graphics come solely from user comments—content that is not owned by these publications. As we state in “Our Mission” on our website, part of the service we provide is in supporting The New Word of Mouth as voiced by the people who frequent local businesses. That we offer these business owners ways to display not only favorable consumer reviews, but also their recent awards and accolades in their industries, is providing for them an opportunity to participate in their company’s reputation, as well as to promote it.

And, yes, Ms. Breysse, like most, we are a for profit company and have never claimed otherwise. The information we provide is free. Our products, however, do come with a price.

Finally, I’d like to say that the real disservice you and Ms. Breysse do is not only to Mae Phim’s and Divine’s restaurants, but to many small business owners who rely on these types of displays to attract interest in their business and promote their community reputations. By calling us into question, you question the validity of these restaurants’ achievements. You and Ms Breysse claim that “Mae Phim didn’t win Best of Citysearch…in either of the categories mentioned.” This information is public and easy to find, so I wonder where either you obtained your information before committing it to both print and the television. You need only view the content of the following link to take my point: http://seattle.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2006/thai_food.

Ms Breysse prints the following in her article:

“…Pam Connors, a first-time visitor to Seattle who made the decision to dine at Divine, a Greek restaurant in Maple Leaf, after noticing an In the Spotlight decal in their window declaring it one of Citysearch's best. Connors says she has noticed similar products in several cities she has visited, and based her dining decisions on them more than once.”

These products are designed for exactly this type of situation, which benefits both the consumer and the business. Ms. Breysse’s article calls into question whether Ms. Connors made a valid dining decision, or whether she was the victim of an advertising scam. In short, it calls into question whether Divine is in fact worth it or not. I encourage you and your readers to visit Divine’s Citysearch Top 10 page (http://seattle.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2007/mediterranean_food) as well as their recent feature as a Zagat Survey Noteworthy Newcomer. Divine’s intention to display these achievements was a great business decision and exhibits an owner’s pride in their recent success. One in which your segment and Ms. Breysse’s attendant article has served to call into question.

Michael Stern or I would be happy to answer any further questions you may have about our relationship with Citysearch or AOL, our partnership with the Zagat Survey (which you failed to mention in your segment), our company, or our products.

Sincerely,

Lisa Lorenzana
Director of Operations
InTheSpotlight.com
1-888-272-8782

We at InTheSpotlight.com would like to take the opportunity to respond to your story, “The cost of being one of the city’s best,” that was aired on KOMONEWS 4 in Seattle on the evening of 8.20.08 and posted on the KOMONEWS.COM website on 8.21.08. It was unfortunate to have missed the call you placed to us after business hours on 8.20.08, as we would have been happy to respond to any inquiries, as we have with staff writer, Emma Breysse, at your affiliate company, Seattle Weekly. Had we had that opportunity to respond before the segment aired, we would have been able to clear up some of the inaccuracies that you reported.

The first thing I’d like to clear up is the implication that we somehow ‘download content’ from any of these websites in order to duplicate branding on our graphics. In your segment, you show a variety of our plaques that clearly show no confusion of brands. I would encourage you, your viewers, and your readers to visit all the websites, including our own, to confirm this. You may do this at:

www.inthespotlight.com, www.citysearch.com, and www.cityguide.aol.com

Many, if not all, of the decals shown in your segment actually came directly from the publications, and not InTheSpotlight, which may explain why the resemblance to their branding seemed so overwhelming.

Ms. Breyssee, in her attendant article in the Seattle Weekly, “Simply (Not) the Best,” also makes several false statements. First, she states that we “do not differentiate between quotes that come from critics employed by the sites and comments from anonymous readers.” All reviews that appear on these graphics come solely from user comments—content that is not owned by these publications. As we state in “Our Mission” on our website, part of the service we provide is in supporting The New Word of Mouth as voiced by the people who frequent local businesses. That we offer these business owners ways to display not only favorable consumer reviews, but also their recent awards and accolades in their industries, is providing for them an opportunity to participate in their company’s reputation, as well as to promote it.

And, yes, Ms. Breysse, like most, we are a for profit company and have never claimed otherwise. The information we provide is free. Our products, however, do come with a price.

Finally, I’d like to say that the real disservice you and Ms. Breysse do is not only to Mae Phim’s and Divine’s restaurants, but to many small business owners who rely on these types of displays to attract interest in their business and promote their community reputations. By calling us into question, you question the validity of these restaurants’ achievements. You and Ms Breysse claim that “Mae Phim didn’t win Best of Citysearch…in either of the categories mentioned.” This information is public and easy to find, so I wonder where either you obtained your information before committing it to both print and the television. You need only view the content of the following link to take my point: http://seattle.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2006/thai_food.

Ms Breysse prints the following in her article:

“…Pam Connors, a first-time visitor to Seattle who made the decision to dine at Divine, a Greek restaurant in Maple Leaf, after noticing an In the Spotlight decal in their window declaring it one of Citysearch's best. Connors says she has noticed similar products in several cities she has visited, and based her dining decisions on them more than once.”

These products are designed for exactly this type of situation, which benefits both the consumer and the business. Ms. Breysse’s article calls into question whether Ms. Connors made a valid dining decision, or whether she was the victim of an advertising scam. In short, it calls into question whether Divine is in fact worth it or not. I encourage you and your readers to visit Divine’s Citysearch Top 10 page (http://seattle.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2007/mediterranean_food) as well as their recent feature as a Zagat Survey Noteworthy Newcomer. Divine’s intention to display these achievements was a great business decision and exhibits an owner’s pride in their recent success. One in which your segment and Ms. Breysse’s attendant article has served to call into question.

Michael Stern or I would be happy to answer any further questions you may have about our relationship with Citysearch or AOL, our partnership with the Zagat Survey (which you failed to mention in your segment), our company, or our products.

Sincerely,

Lisa Lorenzana
Director of Operations
InTheSpotlight.com
1-888-272-8782

Wow you're really out of things to write huh? There are so many interesting important stories out there and then here you go targeting a company that sounds harmless to me. It's pretty pathetic.

Dear Ms. Lisa Lorenzana,
I'd like to say something in regards to the statement that you made here:

Finally, I’d like to say that the real disservice you and Ms. Breysse do is not only to Mae Phim’s and Divine’s restaurants, but to many small business owners who rely on these types of displays to attract interest in their business and promote their community reputations. By calling us into question, you question the validity of these restaurants’ achievements. You and Ms Breysse claim that “Mae Phim didn’t win Best of Citysearch…in either of the categories mentioned.” This information is public and easy to find, so I wonder where either you obtained your information before committing it to both print and the television. You need only view the content of the following link to take my point: http://seattle.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/2006/thai_food.I believe completely that the disservice that has been done here is by your company "Searchlight" as you are CLEARLY misleading these mom and pop restaurants into believing that they've received something to which they have not! I looked at the link provided they were number 5 on the list, that's not winning that's like being nominated.

By placing the call to Mae Phim telling them that they won this you are misleading this restaurant and you are later misleading their customer base by telling them that they won. It CLEARLY shows that: Chantanee Family Thai Restaurant won the award.

What your company does is leeches off the work of other companies and passes it off as their own by lying to the businesses that you pander to. That's not respectful, that's tarnished and like selling snake oil.

And for the last comment:

Wow you're really out of things to write huh? There are so many interesting important stories out there and then here you go targeting a company that sounds harmless to me. It's pretty pathetic.
Comment by Katie Tom from Seattle on Aug 22nd, 2008, 14:20 pm

I'm going to take a wild guess that you work for Searchlight and I personally think that discredible, lying and manipulating businesses are indeed newsworthy and I myself am thankful for the story.

Each year, Citysearch does in fact distribute branded decal stickers (free of charge) to merchants who are actual category winners in our "Best of Citysearch" campaign who are worthy of the accolades. The stickers that say "In The Spotlight" on them are not authorized by or connected with Citysearch, and have in the past been provided to merchants who may or may not have been actual category winners of the "Best of Citysearch" awards.

Nicole Myden
Public Relations Manager, Citysearch.com