Why Mardi Gras Should Be Great For Brands, But Isn’t

Why Mardi Gras Should Be Great For Brands, But Isn’t
Frank Masterson
By Frank Masterson



B&T’s account manager Frank Masterson is the only gay in the B&T village (Christmas pashes excluded). Here, he argues the upcoming Mardi Gras festival should be a boon for brands and marketers and wonders why so few brave ones make such a token effort…

Having been in the country for a year since December, this will only be the second Sydney Mardi Gras I’ve attended. But like the good, well travelled and entitled Millennial that I am, I’ve managed to drink cheap booze out of a brown paper bag at pride festivals in Brighton, London, Manchester and Chicago, so here’s hoping I can blag having a half-educated opinion.

Most will know that Mardi Gras’ past couple of years has been a turbulent ride, with overheads soaring and ticket sales dwindling. It was a similar story with my beloved Brighton Pride back in the UK, which started as a free day parade and party for the whole family, but now charges you $100 just to get on the street.

So what’s the answer to keeping the event fresh and in the black? There are a million and one opinions on what the organisers and councils need to do to, but since The Misfits is in the business of marketing and I sell sponsorship, let’s concentrate on that. 

It is fantastic to see new big players on board in the major partner categories. Great friends of B&T Facebook and Twitter were announced this year (though we’re still waiting for our invite on the float) as well as Google, Qantas and Airbnb all back again and a host more companies that you can see on the website under partners.

There are the usual tiered classifcations of these partners, but in my mind only one classifcation is important – their wallets are open.

To read the rest of Frank’s rant, make sure you grab a copy of our latest mag here, or just pop by the office and we’ll personally hand you one.




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