Tuesdays are sort of the worst. You never get to take them off for a three-day weekend. They are far away from payday. And the humble taco is the only thing to look forward to in most cities. Thankfully, things are different in New Orleans.
#HappyTuesday is the latest campaign by the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp. (NOTMC). It aims to “change the internet’s opinion of the lowest ranked day of the week” and has already made an impact at that arbiter of influence, BuzzFeed.
Two of BuzzFeed’s writers, as well as their producer and a photographer, spent 24 hours awake on a Tuesday in New Orleans to experience and document a #HappyTuesday for themselves. Their resulting blog post, “How NOLA Taught Us to Live Our Best Lives on the Worst Day of the Week,” celebrates how special the visitor experience can be in NOLA no matter what day of the week you are here.
Mark Romig, president and CEO of NOTMC, explained, “We’re an economic development corporation, and our main tool is to market the city to leisure travelers. We do that through a number of marketing projects: paid media, social media, advertising and special events. It’s important to continue to message New Orleans as a great place to visit not only on weekends, but at the beginning part of the week.”
The campaign is using both social media and traditional marketing tools to spread their message. The new website has been tailored for folks looking for something to do and special offers linked to the campaign. It’s a breeze to navigate on both computers and mobile devices. Simple drop-down menus and clear categories like “Deals” and “Events” make it easy to find something to make your Tuesday more interesting. Their curated content also offers additional info that can be helpful for visitors and locals alike.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of the campaign is that NOTMC has partnered with local businesses to offer special deals to people who use the website. Recent opportunities include discounts on cooking classes, airfares, hotel rooms, deals at retailers and exclusive dining offers.
“Our mission as an organization is to support the economy and build a larger economic base for the city,” said Romig. “We want to see increases in hotel occupancy, tickets to museums and events. Time will tell and we won’t be able to check off boxes immediately, but I believe it will be a long-term effect. The message needs to take and people need to understand that we’re great in the early part of the week as well as weekends.”
NOTMC has even enlisted the help of local culture bearers and influencers to help visitors understand how happy a Tuesday can be in NOLA. If a person is on Twitter and complaining about Tuesdays, they just might get a response from Dr. John, “Big Chief” David Montana, chef John Besh or Kermit Ruffins, to name a few. Those folks are collaborating with the campaign via social media to encourage people to visit New Orleans during that midweek period.
The next layer of the campaign will be aimed at “drive markets,” or those markets surrounding New Orleans that are in driving distance, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, and Lake Charles, Louisiana; Beaumont and Houston, Texas; Biloxi, Gulfport, Jackson, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama.
“The most important outcome and return on investment is how we can affect occupancy and spending in the early part of the week — Sunday evening to the Wednesday/Thursday window,” Romig said. “That is where we believe we have the greatest opportunity to grow spending in the city.”
With a recent study released showing visitor spending in 2015 increased to a record $7.05 billion and visitor numbers nearing pre-Katrina levels of 9.78 million, the midweek period is ripe for tourism growth. The numbers are trending for a very happy Tuesday indeed.
For more information on #HappyTuesday, visit www.HappyTuesday.com or tweet #HappyTuesday or #VisitNewOrleans.
Jennifer Gibson Schecter was once a tourist in New Orleans herself and is now proud to call NOLA home. Prior to New Orleans, she wrote for publications in the Midwest and New York City.
