Swim with alligators, only in Winona (4/7/2021)
Tourism marketer uses April Fool’s Day for a fun campaign
Tourism marketing took a bizarre twist on April Fool’s Day when Visit Winona, the organization responsible for marketing Winona unveiled a “Minnesota Gators” campaign touting the possibility to swim with American Alligators in Winona. Using an email blast and social media as a launchpad, the organization announced that a new company called Minnesota Gators had come to town and were offering gator experiences including everything from hand feeding to swimming with the creatures.
Clicks went to the spoof website (www.mngators.com), where the fictitious company lauded its safety record of 62 percent and made hilarious claims about the experience like, “They love to bask in the sun next to you on the beach, and your kids will love running from the mothers defending their eggs,” and “Kids never forget the first time they lose a finger.”