National Waterpark Day
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is home to America’s largest indoor waterpark resorts – with four locations in Wisconsin Dells, Wisc.; Sandusky, Ohio; Round Rock, Texas; Pocono Mountains, Penn. and a fifth opening in Virginia in 2026. While the brand has strong local market awareness, expanding national recognition remains a key priority as Kalahari continues to grow.
@Itsabuzzworld - Kalahari National Waterpark Day - Wisconsin Dells
Challenge
Kalahari’s limited footprint presents an ongoing challenge: every time the brand enters a new market, consumers unfamiliar with the all-encompassing resort experience need to be educated. With only four locations, Kalahari lacks the widespread recognition of competitors, requiring strategic marketing efforts to drive awareness beyond its existing regions.
Additionally, while National Waterpark Day was originally established in 2017 in collaboration with the National Day Calendar, its novelty had diminished over time. The challenge for Morning Walk was twofold:
Reignite interest in National Waterpark Day and make it a relevant, attention-grabbing moment in 2024.
Leverage the holiday to generate national media exposure while driving measurable consumer engagement and sales.
Our solution was to develop an influencer-driven campaign that positioned Kalahari as the ultimate indoor waterpark destination, utilizing authentic, engaging content to highlight its unique, all-under-one-roof experience.
Objective
Increase awareness of National Waterpark Day while driving conversions through a one-day-only promo code (WATERPARK) offering $10 off a day pass or up to 28% off an overnight stay.
Conclusion
Through a strategically integrated PR approach, Morning Walk successfully amplified National Waterpark Day, driving sales via UTM links while elevating Kalahari’s national brand awareness. The campaign showcased Kalahari’s “all-under-one-roof” experience, emphasizing its appeal to families of all ages. By blending earned media, influencer marketing, and experiential tactics, this campaign delivered both meaningful brand engagement and tangible business results.
Our Approach
To achieve national visibility and engagement, Morning Walk developed a multi-channel PR strategy that included:
Targeted media pitching to secure national and regional press coverage.
Guaranteed market segments for controlled messaging across key DMAs.
Multimedia news releases to amplify brand reach.
Morning show segments customized for various locations.
Influencer collaborations to create relatable, user-generated content.
A celebrity partnership to extend the campaign’s reach through high-profile engagement.
Influencer Collaborations
Partnered with 18 influencers aligned with Kalahari's target audience.
Created authentic, engaging content resulting in over 836,000 impressions.
Celebrity Partnership
Leveraged a popular reality TV family as talent for the paid broadcast campaign and leveraged their social media audiences across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to cross-promote the campaign, resulting in over 3 million impressions.
Media & Press Coverage
Developed compelling press materials, including press releases, media alerts, and exclusive story angles.
Secured 238 placements in top-tier outlets such as International Business Times, Yahoo Finance, Morningstar, and StreetInsider.
Paid Broadcast Campaign: Achieved 23 mentions across national and local media, reaching over 3.1 million.
Multimedia News Release: Secured 148 placements with a total UVM of over 91 million.
Morning Show Segments: Placed five custom segments across DMAs, tailoring messaging for maximum relevance.
Results
836,849
Total Influencer Impressions
49,755 engagements
2,402 UTM visitors
103 posts
95,197,560
Total Campaign Impressions
94,360,711
Earned Mentions
Earned Media Overview: 238 mentions (94 million reach)
GMT: 35 mentions (3.1 million impressions)
Multimedia News Release: 148 placements (UVM: 91 million)
3.1 million
Total Celebrity Impressions
224,559 engagements
4 million UTM visitors
42 posts
