Some New Englanders may soon find Bradenton in their fortune cookies. Here’s why.
As many Americans make meals or order food to celebrate Lunar New Year on Tuesday, some New Englanders will be getting a taste of Bradenton with their takeout.
The Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is partnering with a fortune cookie company to promote the area’s beaches, warm weather and attractions.
It’s a place where prospective visitors might least expect to find messages like “warm weather is closer than you think or “soon the only ice you will find will be in your drink.”
The get-warm-in-Bradenton fortune cookies are being distributed to restaurants and inside food delivery bags in the New Haven, Conn., area from mid-December through mid-February.
On the reverse side of the get-warm message is a logo of the visitor bureau and a QR code.
When the diner scans the QR code, it takes them to the visitor bureau web page which shows them photos of Anna Maria Island beaches and provides information about vacationing in the Bradenton area.
“We have seen a huge increase in traffic from the New Haven area on our landing page,” Kelly Clark, chief marketing officer of the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Monday.
“With tourism back on the rise, these fortune cookies come at a time when many people are finally making travel plans again. We are thrilled to partner with OpenFortune on this unique initiative and look forward to helping people discover the Bradenton area as the perfect destination for their long-awaited next vacation,” Clark said.
Incidentally, the high in New Haven was 29 on Monday, and the low was 6 degrees, providing another incentive for anyone looking for warmer weather.
Why New Haven?
Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines started non-stop service between Sarasota Bradenton International Airport and New Haven on Jan. 13. It is the first time direct service has been available between Connecticut and the Bradenton-Sarasota area.
“As soon as the flight was announced, we started ramping up efforts,” Clark said. “Our goal was to create more awareness because we now have the new flight. It’s one of the more fun campaigns we have worked on, including coming up with between 20 and 40 fortunes. It’s been a really great campaign.”
OpenFortune creates and distributes more than 1 billion branded fortune cookies to more than 21,000 restaurants nationwide.
“Traditionally, fortune cookie messages focus on the future, many including travel and warmth,” Matt Williams, co-founder and chief cookie officer of OpenFortune, said in a press release. “In this partnership, we are informing people who may not know of Bradenton to consider this beautiful destination in their upcoming travel plans.”
For more information on the partnership, visit OpenFortune.com.
