Imagine a place where the beauty of the Caribbean meets the convenience of your own backyard. That’s precisely the vision Metro Lagoons brings to life, offering an unparalleled “daycation” experience at locations throughout central Florida. With crystal-clear blue waters, expansive sandy shores, and a vibrant array of recreational activities, MetroLagoons provides a feeling of tranquility and natural splendor you won’t find at an average waterpark. With existing locations in Wesley Chapel, San Antonio and Wimauma, their newest property in Ft. Myers, Florida has been drawing crowds since opening in May of 2025.
Since 2022, Cordelia Labs has played a key role in building brand awareness to attract new customers and increase overall ticket sales month after month. We’ve executed over a dozen campaigns making strategic use of both digital and “traditional” media tactics.
Heading into the 2025 season, we sharpened our marketing tactics by making a clear division. For our established lagoons—Epperson, Mirada, and South Shore Bay—our focus remains on consistently driving ticket sales with a complementary touch of brand awareness.
However, Brightwater, the exciting new lagoon in Fort Myers, called for a different approach. The Tampa lagoons have the luxury of having been in-market for the last 4 years, while Brightwater needed to be built from the ground up. While ticket sales are always paramount, the launch of this newest property demanded a stronger emphasis on brand awareness to introduce it to the community.
The Tampa DMA (Designated Market Area) strategy remained consistent:
- Focus on ticket sales.
- Increase awareness with a precisely tailored marketing campaign that drives higher level awareness.
In 2025, we launched a series of TikTok videos in partnership with some area influencers. The campaign focused more on younger audiences looking for fun, affordable “staycations.”. We launched our first CTV campaign to get in front of consumers watching streaming television. We even hosted a live event on the air with iHeartRadio’s The Joe Show to kick off Memorial Day weekend. All of this led to a quick, successful start for the 2025 summer season.
For Brightwater Lagoon in Fort Myers, we needed to drive awareness of the launch with an eye toward converting views into visitors. That has meant print, radio, CTV, and out-of-home media for the top of the funnel and search and social media ads for the bottom. With these tactics combined, we’ve been spreading awareness and converting the curious. The result? Brightwater Lagoon has opened to outstanding success in its first few months.
In 2024, we delivered 35+ million impressions with a 355% ROAS by the end of the summer. Our goals for 2025 continue to be aggressive. Our expectations are to grow our ROAS by another 30%.
How will we do it?
- Launch the Brightwater Lagoon with a full media mix of digital and traditional tactics that pique consumer curiosity and lead easily to ticket sales.
- Maintain a strong presence in the Tampa DMA to support the three established Lagoons, Epperson, Mirada, and South Shore Bay. Continue to convert loyal customers and stay top-of-mind with unique creative media ideas.
The successful launch of Brightwater and the sustained growth of our established locations underscore the power of a tailored, full-funnel media strategy. Cordelia Labs’ partnership with MetroLagoons has consistently transformed ambitious visions into tangible results, blending innovative digital tactics with impactful traditional media to both attract and convert eager visitors.
The 2025 season has already seen significant strides, particularly with Brightwater’s impressive debut, fueled by a robust brand awareness push across diverse channels like out of home, print, radio, and CTV, seamlessly integrated with high-converting search and social campaigns. Meanwhile, our sustained efforts in the Tampa DMA continue to ensure the enduring success of Epperson, Mirada, and South Shore Bay, keeping these beloved destinations top-of-mind for loyal customers.
With a phenomenal 355% ROAS delivered in 2024 and an ambitious additional 30% ROAS growth target for 2025, our journey with MetroLagoons is far from over. We remain committed to crafting unique media experiences that not only pique curiosity, but drive immediate action, ensuring that every “daycation” dream seamlessly transitions into a ticket sale. The success of MetroLagoons stands as a testament to strategic media planning, precise execution, and a partnership that truly makes waves.
