A screen grab from the Red Bank Flavour website. (Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A restaurant-and-bar-led consortium has rolled out a multi-front web marketing campaign to boost Red Bank’s profile as a cultural destination.
Dubbed Red Bank Flavour, the campaign’s aim is to resharpen the town’s dulled edge as Monmouth County’s go-to place for dining and nightlife, a distinction it lost in recent years with the rise of Pier Village in Long Branch and the two-fisted resurgence of Asbury Park’s downtown and boardwalk.
“It’s about bringing people back to Red Bank, and letting people know that we’re still very vibrant,” says Valerie Aufiero of Front Street Trattoria.
The campaign, developed and executed by the Asbury Park design firm M Studio Design & Marketing, includes a robust website, a Facebook page and Twitter posts.
The website includes sumptuous food pix, a restaurant and food directory, business profiles, a calendar and recipes. It touts itself as a place to “discover up-and-coming chefs, off-the-beaten-path lounges, or where to find the most delectable dessert and perfectly mixed cocktail.”
Recent Facebook posts have touted a half-price night at Teak, specials at Gaetano‘s, updates on the Guinness Oyster Festival – which was postponed from last Sunday to October 2 because of concern about rain that didn’t materialize – and a photo of a cupcake engagement ring from Sugarush.
The campaign is the fruit of a revitalization effort reported on by redbankgreen back in May. It’s backed by about 25 restaurants and food purveyors, who kicked in the proceeds from Food & Wine Walk events to pay for it.
But the aim is to grow the marketing effort beyond eateries and bring in local theaters, retailers and other businesses, organizers said.
“Our main mission was to create awareness and excitement about the culinary destinations in Red Bank,” said M Studio’s Jenna Zilincar. “But potentially, we would like to see it turn into something broader.”
