Commissioner

Cody Wolfe, Resident Manager, The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park

Recommended Course(s)

English 202A, 202D, 419

Assignment

This commissioned assignment provides students with the unique opportunity of thinking like a business owner to brainstorm marketing strategies for attracting new clientele. Because The Nature Inn is located in central Pennsylvania, this project would ask students to represent the destination—central PA—as appealing to travelers. Two possibilities exist for such work:

  1. Contribute blog posts to The Nature Inn’s website. These blogs would provide personal reports on the experiences unique to Central PA. For example, students might write about topics unique to the area, such as “The 3 Best Lakes,” “Farm to Table Dining,” or “Making Sustainability Matter.”
  2. Plan and run a social media campaign that promotes The Nature Inn (and, possibly, its blog content). This marketing campaign would center on identifying the Inn’s clientele that is unique to each season and focusing on the algorithmic keywords that attract viewers to the Inn’s website.

Background

The Nature Inn, an overnight lodging accommodation and meeting space located in Bald Eagle State Park, was once voted the #1 Eco-Lodge in the nation. The Inn emphasizes matters of sustainability and educates guests on how they might lessen their carbon footprint. Located on a lakeside setting, the Nature Inn provides guests with binoculars for bird viewing and presents local art along their walls, all of which presents central Pennsylvania as a unique travel destination.