MISSION STATEMENT

In endeavoring to chronicle the panorama of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, we heed the words of the late New Orleans writer Robert Tallant.

CHANNELING THE TRUE SPIRIT

We believe in the true spirit of Mardi Gras: an optimistic and enduring human capacity for merriment and make-believe, for mirthful mockery and the creative indulgence of whimsy, as expressed through a remarkable amalgamation of homegrown customs and traditions. Our mission is to showcase this spirit, and deepen the public’s appreciation of Mardi Gras as a cultural attraction, in an online environment that is fun, engaging and free of advertising clutter. In so doing, we hope to counter distorted media portrayals of Mardi Gras as an unbridled indulgence in mass inebriation and flesh-baring exhibitionism. For beyond the risqué revels that are confined to one infamous French Quarter thoroughfare (Bourbon Street), Mardi Gras retains a traditional family orientation and offers veritable cornucopia of processions and presentations that, collectively, represent an authentic and compelling expression of indigenous folkways. We strive to provide the inside skinny on navigating the amorphous, multifaceted extravaganza that is Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

While our goal is to offer the best resource possible for our audience, we understand that people seeking insights about Mardi Gras also want information about related products and services. Recognizing that connecting our audience to appropriate vendors makes Mardi Gras Unmasked a more useful resource, we seek collaborative marketing relationships with long-term partners.

Our partners generally fall into two categories: non-profit community-based organizations with altruistic objectives, and commercial enterprises seeking sponsorship opportunities. The former receive free exposure on Mardi Gras Unmasked, albeit at our discretion. As for commercial sponsorship, we’re amenable to partnerships in the following areas:

• Hotel and Air Reservations (reserved)
• Tours and Attractions (reserved)
• Mardi Gras Beads and Paraphernalia
• King Cake
• Mardi Gras Balcony Access and Hospitality Packages
• Where to Drink and What to Eat (we’re not a dining guide, however)
• Music Venues and Concert/Entertainment Promoters (although we’re not in the business of compiling listings—see below)
• Content Creators and Distributors (artists, record labels, publishers, filmmakers, media outlets)
• Transportation

OLD SCHOOL VS. NEW SCHOOL

We’re not a site that sells “advertising” to all comers, however, because we’re only interested in showcasing products, services and messages that are relevant to our audience and consistent with our mission. Nor is it our policy to exclusively promote businesses that pay money to Mardi Gras Unmasked.

The “pay-to-play” model—whereby sites only feature businesses that pay for placement or referrals/click-throughs—is old school. It’s also naïve in a way because on the Internet, no business exists in a vacuum and your competition is only a mouse click away—just jump on Google and type in keywords relating to your business. You’ll find your competition on the pages that come up.

The same principles apply to Mardi Gras Unmasked, dictating why we’re not in the business of creating or duplicating content—live music listings, for example—that is readily available elsewhere. If we don’t have it and somebody else does, we’ll send our visitors where they need to go to find it.

Our modus operandi, in developing original content and helping visitors to Mardi Gras Unmasked find the information they need, is not to exclude the competition but to generate more business for everyone. So if you’re a vendor with something that we think is of value to our audience, we’re not going to exclude you for competitive reasons—we’re going to link to you!  Even if you’re in the same line of business as one of our sponsors.

Thus, prospective sponsor-partners you may find their competition listed or discussed as part of Mardi Gras Unmasked’s editorial content. Should that be a disincentive to becoming a sponsor? Maybe under the old-school way of thinking.

In fact, sponsors can benefit from the traffic generated by useful content that includes mentions of competitors. That’s because in the garbage-free environment of Mardi Gras Unmasked, sponsors receive enhanced visibility throughout the site and benefit from all the goodwill and bells and whistles we bring to the table.  We work to ensure that sponsorship not only increases brand awareness but also results in the conversion of visitor traffic into sales. We know from past experience that affiliation with Mardi Gras Unmasked is an effective way to drive sales, because of the good will we’ve created with our audience. The reason we’re not at all shy about asking our audience to support our partners is simple: sponsorship underwriting allows us to step-up our technology, content and overall creative execution.

Mardi Gras Music Radio
Mardi Gras Unmasked sponsors enjoy premium
exposure opportunities including spots on our CD-quality
radio station, which can be streamed on mobile devices. 

WE KNOW WHAT WORKS

We invite sponsors to work with our creative team in developing campaigns that fit with the aesthetic of Mardi Gras Unmasked. Our team has been involved in Internet marketing since its inception, and we know what works. Besides placement on web pages, exposure in our video player and on Mardi Gras Music Radio, we offer viral marketing campaigns utilizing social networking, custom widgets and downloadable toolbars for web browsers.

By offering the following marketing and creative services, we welcome the opportunity to add value to partners’ branding and promotional efforts:

• copywriting/editing
• voiceover scripting and production
• video production and editing
• web graphics and animation
• original artwork
• technology integration for tracking referrals, click-throughs and conversions

The captivating, feature-rich environment of Mardi Gras Unmasked speaks to the depth of the creative and technological resources at our disposal. Our job is to leverage those resources as effectively as possible to foster and quantify relationships between our sponsors and our audience. Together, we can grow and track sales—quantifying conversion rates as well as click-throughs.

To contact us regarding sponsorship, click here.