Zehnder Communications, Inc

Royal Sonesta Greasing of the Poles

Royal Sonesta New Orleans is a sophisticated landmark hotel located in the heart of the French Quarter on Bourbon Street. The hotel is home to iconic venues including Restaurant R’evolution, Bar R’evolution, Desire Oyster Bar, The Jazz Playhouse, Le Booze, and PJ’s Coffee Café. In addition to world-class accommodations and amenities, Royal Sonesta New Orleans offers 20,000 square feet of meeting and special event space.

Industry

Travel & Hospitality

Services

PR / Crisis Communications

Social Media

The Challenge

Zehnder was tasked with turnkey event execution, so we set out to reimagine Greasing. We devised a plan to elevate the event into a definitive Mardi Gras tradition, positioning The Royal Sonesta New Orleans as the premier destination for all things Carnival Season.

The Strategy

In order to optimize the run-of-show and draw a crowd, Zehnder invited national TV personalities, local legends, and high-profile content creators to participate in the event. We welcomed revelers from across the globe to view the festivities via live stream on the hotel’s social media, and leveraged media relationships with partners like WGNO-TV, WDSU-TV, and WWL-AM radio to boost exposure.

The Results

Today, Greasing of the Poles is considered the official kick-off to Carnival weekend. Thanks to strong media relationships, we secured national and international coverage on BBC-TV, Yahoo! Travel, Associated Press, Thrillist, and USA Today. Many of our partners now give Greasing extra attention by sharing our live stream to their social pages and engaging with their followers in real time throughout the event. Thousands gathered at the front doors of The Royal Sonesta for the flagship event, filling Bourbon Street with onlookers and garnering national and international attention.

335,000,000

average unique views

150,000

average livestream viewers

250,000

Facebook, Instagram, and X impressions

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