Metro Development Group built a 15-acre Lagoon, the largest human-made lagoon in the country in Mirada, a master-planned community located in rapidly-growing Pasco County, Florida. The Mirada Lagoon’s 33 million gallons of water stretches across 15 acres, and its nearly mile-long perimeter contains 17.2 million pounds of sand to create a coastal experience. That’s enough sand to build four average sized, two-story homes!
It's an attraction that warrants attention, however, the real challenge was the date. Due to the massive scale of the project, there were government approvals beyond the client’s control that resulted in repeated delays for the opening.
B2 had to plan for a massive opening event without knowing when the amenity would open. Instead of relying on one opening event, B2 developed a layered announcement strategy that would offer a series of progressive announcements and events.
B2’s Solution
B2’s solution was to have a multi-tiered approach to earning media coverage based on various levels of lagoon access. The outreach plan would include the Lagoon and its many amenities, along with stories about the employment opportunities created by the Lagoon’s operations and the success of Metro Development Group in opening its third Lagoon.
The three tiers of our approach to media relations included:
VIP event
Metro Development Group hosted a VIP preview event, and B2 focused its efforts on hyperlocal publications that focus on covering the neighborhoods and regions nearest to Mirada. B2 pitched reporters on the Lagoon and how community members can benefit from the Lagoon with guest passes and experiences. B2’s team also highlighted the economic impact of the amenity, from jobs created to local spending.
Sneak Peek
B2 worked with regional reporters to host individual sneak-peek visits. These reporters had first-look access and onsite tours before the Lagoon’s public opening. These visits and story angles were tailored to each reporter and their audience, and resulted in stories in several wide-reaching publications.
Public Opening
Metro Development Group planned a weekend of activities to celebrate the Lagoon’s grand opening that included regional and national media. B2 drafted and distributed the news release about Mirada Lagoon’s opening that positioned the lagoon as a leading amenity in the country with an array of visuals.
Success
Using the multi-tiered approach, B2 delivered news coverage in a range of publications: hyperlocal, statewide, regional and national news coverage. The Mirada Lagoon was featured in Builder Magazine, Laker Lutz News, Tampa Bay Times and Axios, among many others.
Coverage also spotlighted the record of success of Metro Development Group’s lagoons and communities and positioned them as industry leaders. Mirada is the third Lagoon opened by Metro Development Group and MetroLagoons. Their first Lagoon, opened in 2018 in the nearby Pasco County community of Epperson, was the first in the United States.
It’s not just about news media coverage. Metro Development Group’s builder partners saw new homes sales increase with the Lagoon opening. In 2023, sales were 703 at Mirada, placing it at No. 17 in real estate consulting firm RCLCO’s 2023 ranking of the 50 top-selling master-planned communities in the country.