Visit modesto

Situation

Modesto is located in California’s Central Valley region, where something is always fresh! Rich in agricultural bounty from its famous almond blossoms to generational roadside farm stands. 80% of the world’s almonds come from the Central Valley region with over 1.5 million acres of farms. While this region of the US is home to big names such as Blue Diamond, 120,000 of those acres are found in Modesto, where orchards are mostly operated by 2nd and 3rd generation farmers. Creating a quintessential experience for travelers to see the authentic story of this must-see agricultural phenomena.

Approach

With all this in mind, it is no surprise the destination wanted to increase awareness for their Almond Blossom Cruise, an annual four-week event that takes place throughout Modesto and encourages visitors to drive through the countryside and stop at local orchards and iconic attractions. Throughout the cruise, visitors are given the opportunity to pause and take in the beauty of their surroundings with a picnic or stroll along the Stanislaus River. And you can’t forget to try a famous Almond Butter Milkshake!

By partnering with Madden, Visit Modesto leveraged a strategic public relations strategy with earned media tactics such as quarterly newsletters, pitch development, and media outreach to generated national coverage for this event and the destination as a whole.

Through targeted pitching and quarterly newsletters, Modesto’s Almond Blossom Cruise garnered national coverage which created an incredible buzz around the event. Notable outlets included Travel + Leisure, New York Times, Good Housekeeping, and Thrillist. Not only did the CVB office see an outpouring of interest to visit Modesto, but community partners reaped the benefits of Madden’s PR efforts.

Results