Promotions & Merchandising

Mardi Gras History & Merchandising Ideas

Mardi Gras history
Mardi Gras began in New Orleans in 1837, and has grown to become the city's largest celebration. The carnival season begins January 6, or King's Day, marking the Feast of the Epiphany, the day when the Magi were said to have visited the Christ child.

It's a season of regal celebration, filled with parties, colorful costumes, music, parades and general revelry. New Orleansians hold private masked balls, and various krewes (the carnival organizers) dress in king's costumes and host parades where they throw millions of beads, doubloons (coins) and other trinkets to people who eagerly line the streets to participate in the festivities.

Parade-goers often wear costumes, as well, dressing in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple (for justice), green (for faith), and gold (for power). The partying builds until Mardi Gras Day-Fat Tuesday-a final day of feasting before Lent begins. Many of the largest parades are held on Fat Tuesday, drawing tourists from all over the world who pack local hotels to capacity over Mardi Gras weekend.

History of the King Cake
The Preferred Mardi Gras Dessert-No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a King Cake. The pastry is thought to have originated in France in the 12th century, where it was eaten to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, the day the Magi came upon the baby Jesus. The circular cake with an opening in the center, symbolizes the circular route the kings took to prevent King Herod from killing the Christ Child.

In New Orleans, people perpetuate the celebration by consuming King Cakes throughout the Mardi Gras carnival season, which ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. Local bakers produce more than a million of these decadently delicious treats each year, shipping many of them out to Mardi Gras celebrations around the country.

Endless Flavor Variations-King Cakes started out as a simple ring of dough with little decoration, but bakers throughout the years have taken creative license in introducing new flavor profiles and decorative touches. Some feature the colors of Mardi Gras, with brightly colored green, purple and gold sugars. Others feature candied fruits, representing the rubies and emeralds in the King's Crown. Most are made from a rich brioche dough, and many contain decadent fruit and custard fillings. Because of the seasonal appeal of this theme-based product, bakeries command premium prices and excellent margins for their King Cakes.

The Plastic Baby-Historically, Mardi Gras King Cakes were baked with a small plastic baby hidden inside. The person who received the piece with the baby was expected to continue the festivities with another party and another King Cake. Today, the babies are often placed in the center of the cake, rather than baked inside, but the tradition of carrying on the party still thrives!

Mardi Gras merchandising ideas

Use A Taste of Mardi Gras posters, product descriptor cards, bag inserts and other merchandising materials to promote your Mardi Gras event. You can download them FREE from this web site.
Decorate your bakery in traditional Mardi Gras colors–with gold, purple and green balloons, streamers, beads and confetti. On-line sources for these and other supplies are listed below.
Display Mardi Gras masks and crowns in your bakery case.
Have employees wear beads, feathers, tiaras, crowns and Mardi Gras colors.
Play Dixieland music in the background.
Pass out Mardi Gras doubloons (coins) that customers can redeem for discounts on bakery items.
Distribute A Taste of Mardi Gras™ bag stuffers with every purchase to build interest in your King Cakes.

Hold King Cake tastings

Use King Cake tastings as an opportunity to tell customers about this unique pastry’s history and tradition — and to emphasize the high-quality ingredients and scratch methods you use to create your King Cake.
Draw attention to your King Cake tasting by dressing your demonstrator in a king’s costume. You’ll boost sales substantially!
Click here for a Jeweled King Cake formula.

Package and display King Cakes to promote higher sales

Wrap King Cakes and other featured Mardi Gras baked goods in green, yellow and purple cellophane. Or put them in a clear packaging that shows off their unique shape.
Stack King Cakes to create colorful self-serve displays to promote impulse purchases.
Use A Taste of Mardi Gras ad slick art to create customized packaging for your bakery.

Offer a Mardi Gras party package

Bundle a King Cake with beads, balloons and paper masks customers can use to host their own Mardi Gras celebration.
Collect business cards from customers for a weekly drawing for a free King Cake or other party dessert.
Use the business cards to develop a mailing list for use with future promotions.