Treasure hunt with purpose

Summer for many tourism-based organizations on the Gulf Coast can be slowdown central, where deep discounts are the usual way to draw in local residents.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota is taking a different approach. It recently launched a unique marketing campaign with a treasure hunt twist. Selby, a nonprofit living collection of tropical plans with a living museum mission, hid 40 pairs of binoculars in public spaces scattered throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties. The binoculars come inside a black Marie Selby Botanical Gardens case with a sticker that screams “Prize Inside!” The prize: A pair of passes to Selby good for use by July 31, a $38 value. (The finder also gets to keep the binoculars.)

The treasure-hunt theme, says Mischa Kirby, Selby marketing and communications director, came up at brainstorming meeting. Kirby says the goal was to reach out to area residents who know a little about Selby, but haven't been in a while. The idea was also to spread the word about the variety of summer programs Selby has planned. Selby chose to hide 40 binoculars because it has been in a yearlong celebration of its 40th anniversary since July.

“We wanted to be able to get people's attention,” Kirby tells Coffee Talk. “Not just offer drips of information.”

Selby, to come up with the best places to hide the binoculars, analyzed zip codes in the two-county region of past visitors. It found the top 10 where there had been drops in visitors, and started from there. The list runs from North Port and Venice to Lakewood Ranch and north Manatee County. There's also a social media element to the campaign. Selby's Facebook page posts pictures of winners, and clues to help treasure seekers.

Selby President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki adds that the binoculars are symbolic, in that there “is always something to see and explore here.”

Adds Rominiecki: “I never want to hear someone say 'Selby is so beautiful, but I've already been there.'”