Mardi Gras’ marketing gamble, foolish or forward thinking?
Mardi Gras has taken an interesting marketing approach to how it’s announcing its key music line up for its main revenue raising event.
It’s not. That is, it’s not saying a word.
In spite of former Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland letting the cat out of the bag yesterday that she would be headlining the popular Mardi Gras Party on March 6, its organisers have refused to confirm or deny this.
It’s also refusing to respond to speculation that Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston or George Michael will also be the other headliners during the event.
A Mardi Gras spokesman said: “We have a policy this year of not confirming acts for major shows for the Party.”
Could you imagine Big Day Out or Good Vibrations refusing to tell people what their line up was? There would be a riot.
And could you imagine how their sponsors would react? Not very kindly I would suspect, given their reliance on ticket sales and the ongoing impact of the GFC on consumer spending.
With all the attention centering on the Sydney Festival with its “best launch yet”, it would be easy to forget that the annual Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras brings in an estimated $30m into the New South Wales economy and attracts an estimated 21,500 international and interstate visitors.
It’s a big event for NSW tourism, behind the $155m New Year’s Eve celebrations brings into the state.
So, good on Mardi Gras for having to balls to try something different. But with tickets to the Party at $135 a pop (plus booking fee), they’d better hope it doesn’t blow up in their faces.
Camille Alarcon
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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This is exactly the approach Mardi Gras used to take a few years ago when they were running packed events.
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different? they do this every year………..they release tid bits now and then to boost ticket sales but how hard can it be to market an event to a captive audience I mean really…………they managed to **k up the orgnaisation by sorting a deal out with gay cruise sponsors and by not checking dates for the first time ever having to split the parade and the party…………..these guys are not rocket scientists
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this has been standard policy for MG over the years – so not all that new.
half the fun of going to the event was the reveal of artist after months of speculation and rumour.
lets not forget that is a HUGE community event so comparisons to BDO etc arent so relevant.
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Agreed this has been a strategy in the past, but not in recent yrs.
I still maintain it’s slightly risky and also interesting given the number of high-profile music festivals that have popped up since Mardi Gras first launched – all of whom are battling for consumers’ dollars.
And it’s def. not just the gay community who go to the various Mardi Gras events – an ave. of $30m annually being injected into the NSW economy can’t be all from the pink dollar!
Cheers,
Mumbrella – Camille
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They’ve done this forever. Then everyone spends February trying to guess which of the wild rumours about guests are actually true.
The other rumour I heard was that someone forgot to book the venue this year and that’s why the party is happening a week after the parade. Wouldn’t want to be owning up to that one.
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I saw an ad that said this is policy. this is like the good ol’ days, i think the year before they had one surprise act Cyndi Lauper (worst kept secret in town she was at teh State Theatre) . every music festival says ‘plus more to be announced’ and ‘surprises on the night’ but mardi gra is teh only ones that have said an offical policy not to announce the big name talent. even if they have gaga and whitney, they ain’t saying. that’s new. that’s risky. but they must have some pretty good acts to be keeping quiet about. am tempted to go…
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These guys were around long before BDO, I guess the new festivals have pushed some of the little guys out and they have to compete any way they can. Risky decisions and all. They are certainly pulling impressive tourists.
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With-holding the performers, bands and headliners seems to work rather well for Glastonbury and a number of the smaller festivals in the UK. Glastonbury make a point of selling the “Experience” not the bands or the headliners.
/y0z
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Actually, I’d be interested in knowing what your stance on this was Camille.
Do you think it’s foolish..as you seem to suggest in your comment above or is it forward thinking, which you (sort of) acknowledge in the final line of your peice??
Anyway, the policy got them this peice didn’t it.
I would say it’s a clever tactic that has history and tradition within the gay community.
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Hi Sean,
Yes, I think it’s a clever tactic – esp. in the current day when you need to have greater stand out as a brand. You’re right, it’s certainly getting the Mumbrella community talking….
Also, given that Sydney Festival will be getting extra Govt. funding to the tune of $6.25m over the next five yrs, it’s most certainly not only competing against the music festivals.
Cheers,
Camille – Mumbrella
The old Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras organisation had a clear policy not to disclose its really big names and it was one of the really special things about the Party. When New Mardi Gras was set up it really had to work hard to build up its reputation again. The focus changed to using big names to give people a reason to buy their ticket.
When we haven’t announced major talent in recent years (Cyndi Lauper in 2008 or Tina Arena last year being good examples) it has been due to contractual obligations. Where we could announce (Olivia Newton-John in 2008) we tried to get as much publicity as possible. In 2006 and 2007 we were able to announce all our acts and did.
So this is indeed a change of policy. With a string of creatively successful seasons under our belt and a track record of delivering great talent at our parties, New Mardi Gras has decided to return to the previous policy.
Why is this? Firstly, it’s actually easier for us to get really big stars with this policy in place. They are able to do our party without impacting on ticket sales to their other events. Secondly, and most importantly, we believe the suspense and speculation generated adds to our community’s experience of the Party. In an era of instant gratification and all the information you need at the touch of a button there is some charm in surprises.
And Mardi Gras Party will be a night of surprises in 2010.
Damien Eames
Head of Marketing & Communications
New Mardi Gras
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Keeping talent a secret worked years ago, because Party was about so much more than who was on the line up.
As NEW Mardi Gras becomes more and more vapid and superficial, and as Police crackdown even further on people taking drugs into the party, what else is left to get excited about but the performers?
These days Mardi Gras feels like a sad parody of itself. Constantly talking about how NEW it is, but always relying on its history for legitimacy. Dragging the same cliches down Oxford street, oblivious to the fact that the period of history is actually over. I mean, has anyone BEEN to oxford street lately?
Can the government hurry up and legalise euthanasia so we can put the whole tired thing to bed!
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Mardi Gras is very relevant for a community of people still struggling to gain the most basic of human rights within their relationships. The party is much more than a line up and much more than getting drugs into a party. It’s a celebration of a community that still has a lot left to fight for.
Good on Mardi Gras for trying to reinvent itself to remain competitive in a tough market, while still remaining true to it’s history!
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but it’s not remaining true to its history. it’s remaining true to sponsorship deals and the city of sydney. it’s sold the community down the river.
and when was the last time mardi gras parade actually created any kind of change? nobody – especially those in power – take it at all seriously. it no longer has any power, which is really sad… believe me, nobody loved mardi gras more than me once upon a time!
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Mardi Gras Party and BDO are completely different events, why would you even compare them?
The headliners for the Mardi Gras party HAVE been announced. David Guetta, Carl Cox, Dusty Kid, as well as other DJs Dan Murphy, Jake Kilby, Alan Thompson, Sveta, Gemma, Ben Drayton, Mandy Rollins and many more.
They haven’t announced their special guests because they will only perform one or two songs. If they announced them as headline acts people would surely complain.
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wow i’d love to be part of a community that celebrated and was celebrated every year! Mardi Gras belongs to the Sydney identity and is based on celebrating and creating media around a really important topic – freedom – equality – tolerance.
Josh, the world has changed… all organisations have bigger commerical issues to face, it isn’t the same landscape for events and Mardi Gras has had to adapt. Sydney would be a shell of a city without this event on its calendar.
Why can’t bitter people see that it’s still wonderful to be celebrated for being you whilst raising awareness for a REAL issue. Mardi Gras gets more intenational media every YEAR than anything else Sydney does (since the Olympics).
So while thousands are out during mardi Gras enjoying the city, meeting the tourists and going to places across Sydney (not just Oxford St) that have gay things happening, I hope you are not too lonely at home Josh…
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