Louisiana Office of Tourism

The travel and hospitality industry faced an array of challenges due to the global pandemic. For Louisiana in particular, COVID-19 altered travel plans to the bayou state, specifically New Orleans, whose usual hub for international and national tourists hit a significant COVID-related decline.

To reignite tourism, the Louisiana Office of Tourism (LOT) and strategic marketing agency Miles Partnership tasked The Pollack Group (TPG) with media relations for their first-ever appearance in the 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®.

In true Louisiana fashion, the state’s colorful float embodied jazz and Mardi Gras with a 60-foot-long alligator and a vibrant street view of the New Orleans French Quarter. In addition to celebrating the state’s unique fusion of European, Caribbean, African, and Native American cultures, the float included participants dressed in lavish baby gator costumes, as well as a team of stilt walkers, all done in an elaborate celebration of Louisiana traditions for millions of spectators in New York City and TV viewers across the nation. Lastly, Louisiana native and Grammy winner Jon Batiste performed the hit single “FREEDOM” live from his eighth studio album, WE ARE.

TPG handled the announcement media relations showcasing LOT’s participation in the 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® and successfully secured coverage and interest among top-tier media, including live interviews with Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser on Cheddar News and Yahoo Finance. The agency attended the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® onsite to assist with onsite media interviews and act as a liaison for Miles Partnership, LOT, and Macy’s.

In the days after the parade, TPG monitored all media coverage and provided extensive social listening metrics to LOT and Miles Partnership, detailing impressions, reach, Share of Voice, and sentiment among parade viewers.