This text specifically discusses a marketing assessment task related to the promotion of Australia by Tourism Australia, which is the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the country.
Executive Summary
The report aims to assess the effectiveness of Tourism Australia, a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO), in promoting Australia as a tourism destination. It focuses on three important factors for success: conducting marketing research as a core activity, targeting the appropriate tourist demographic, and effectively promoting distinctive tourism features, clear visuals, and a strong brand.
Additionally, the text provides a thorough examination of two recent campaigns, namely ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’ and ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’, in connection with the three aforementioned success factors.
This report provides extensive research and exploration, detailing the basis of each campaign, the conducted market research, and the specific target audience for each campaign.
According to the results, the ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ marketing campaign was more successful than the ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’ campaign. This was evidenced by higher international visitor numbers in the year of the campaign’s release and the following year.
It is evident that Tourism Australia, as a Destination Marketing Organisation, is efficient. Furthermore, their campaigns are becoming more targeted and appropriate for the intended market as time progresses.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Destination Marketing Organisation of Tourism Australia is responsible for the international promotion of Australia. The effectiveness of this organization depends on the annual influx of international tourists attracted by their continuous marketing campaigns.
Tourism Australia is renowned for two recent campaigns: the 2006 release of ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’ and the 2010 release of the ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign.
2. The “There’s Nothing like Australia” Campaign
In 2010, Tourism Australia launched the ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ (TNLA) campaign. The first phase of this campaign, called ‘Invite’: Australian Consumer Promotion, aimed to engage and encourage Australians to share their favorite holiday destinations within the country. This promotion became the largest consumer-generated promotion in Australia, with over 60,000 stories and photos submitted by Australians (Tourism Australia, 2013; Tourism Australia, 2010).
The responses to the first phase of the ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign have been transformed into an interactive map at www.nothinglikeaustralia.com. This map provides global travelers with a personal guide on destinations and activities to consider for their Australian vacation.
The memories shared by the Australian public all started with the phrase “There’s nothing like.” These memories were then categorized into distinctively Australian sections that were not specific to any particular location. From this selection, various statements were generated for the creation of different print and image media. Additionally, these memories inspired the script and filming concepts for a significant video production.
As of May 2010, Tourism Australia’s TNLA campaign, referred to as ‘Inspire’: International Campaign (Tourism Australia, 2013), entered phase 2. This phase involved the release of the commercial, print/image media, and interactive map/website in numerous countries worldwide. The global launch began in China and extended to the USA, UK, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, France, Korea, Italy, Japan, and Hong Kong (Tourism Australia 2012).
Plans for the third phase of the ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign, called ‘Engage: In-Market Campaign’, include collaborating with Australian airlines, travel agents, and tour operators. The goal is to allow anyone selling Australian holidays to incorporate the campaign’s tagline and imagery, thus establishing a strong international brand for Australia. Additionally, marketing research is emphasized as a crucial activity within this context.
Extensive research was conducted by Ipsos ASI, the research specialists, in key target markets for Tourism Australia before launching the ‘There’s nothing like Australia’ campaign (Tourism Australia, 2012). Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to test different film concepts, print media executions, and a film soundtrack with a select sample audience in the key markets of Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, UK, and USA. The same stimulus materials and questionnaires were utilized in all target markets, with the assistance of local language translators when necessary. 2.2 Targeting the Right Type of Tourist
Tourism Australia (2013) recognizes that a crucial aspect of their ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ strategy revolves around targeting high-yield consumers. To understand what influences tourists to travel and what makes them open to the Australian experience, Tourism Australia has conducted psychographic research. This research has identified the characteristics of the target market, referred to as Experience Seekers, who are particularly interested in what Australia has to offer and are more likely to have longer stays, spend more money, and explore regional areas (Tourism Australia, 2013). Experience Seekers are long-haul travelers who are less concerned about the cost and time associated with long-distance travel, which are common barriers for others. They represent 30-50% of all long-haul outbound travelers from the key markets mentioned earlier. Furthermore, Experience Seekers are well-informed, interested, and curious about potential travel destinations (Tourism Australia, 2013). This section focuses on promoting unique tourism features, providing clear images, and building a strong brand.
The TNLA campaign has been tailored to attract experience seekers to Australia by fulfilling their desire for authentic personal experiences, interactions with locals, and unique experiences. The commercial included in the campaign showcases various scenarios that meet the wants of these travelers. From the statement “where everyone’s your mate” to the scene of a piano being played on the beach and the interactions with Australian wildlife, all these scenarios are exclusive to Australia and meet the expectations of experience seekers.
3. The campaign is titled “So Where the Bloody Hell are You?”
In 2006, Tourism Australia launched a new international promotional campaign called ‘The Australian Invitation’, also known as ‘So where the bloody hell are you?’. This campaign included various print media and audio-visual material. The video ads featured typical Australians making statements about actions taken at iconic Australian locations. The commercial ended with Lara Bingle, a celebrity, emerging from the ocean at Fingal Spit and asking the famous punch-line, “So where the bloody hell are you?”. 3.1 Marketing Research as an Integral Activity.
Before launching the ‘Australian Invitation’ campaign, Tourism Australia conducted extensive research and investigation on the proposed presentations. This comprehensive effort included working with around 86 focus groups and gathering feedback from over 47,000 international tourist consumers. The research activities involved segmentation studies, brand tracking, international visitor studies, and in-depth interviews, which amounted to a total cost of $6.2 million (Weaver and Lawton, 2010). These studies were specifically conducted on key markets for Australian tourism, as identified by Tourism Australia, such as the US, UK, China, and Japan (Jan Charbonneau, 2012).
According to Jan Charbonneau (2012), the research results were positive for the campaign, which was described as ‘attention grabbing’, ‘distinctively Australian’, ‘authentic’, and having a genuine and believable invitation to Australia. An individual from the UK even mentioned that it had an Aussie vibe, being cheeky, laid back, and forthright. Additionally, the campaign aimed to target the right type of tourist.
The campaign known as ‘Australian Invitation’ aimed to target a sophisticated global traveller, one who has a high income and level of education, as well as being open-minded and well-travelled (Tourism Australia, 2006). This particular type of traveller, labeled as ‘Experience Seekers’ by Caroline Winter and Sharon Gallon (2008), actively looks for and enjoys authentic personal experiences. They are also enthusiastic about adventure and place a great emphasis on experiencing contrasting activities (Tourism Australia, 2006).
3.3 – The promotion of distinctive tourism characteristics, high-quality visuals, and a strong brand.
Tourism Australia’s 2006 campaign incorporates various features that align with the desires of Experience Seekers, catering to their preferences and engaging the desired tourist market. The advertisement is personalized with phrases such as ‘We’ve bought you a beer’ and ‘We’ve saved you a spot on the beach’, while showcasing physical activities like swimming, playing golf, and native aboriginal dancing. The campaign also highlights the contrasting environments of Australia, from the remote Uluru in the outback to the vibrant cityscape of Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Although Tourism Australia’s ‘Australian Invitation’ campaign effectively promoted the distinctive qualities of Australia, there were some drawbacks associated with this marketing strategy. The inclusion of the phrase ‘bloody hell,’ which is commonly used in colloquial Australian language, may be easily misunderstood when used in an international campaign aimed at representing a country. It is important to understand and interpret the advertisement’s language within the context of both the ad itself and the unique characteristics of Australian language, rather than applying meanings from viewers’ home countries.
According to Caroline Winter and Sharon Gallon (2008), a problem arose in the UK regarding the use of the word ‘bloody’ in a video advertisement. The Advertising Standards Authority received 36 formal viewer complaints about the ‘swearing’. Additionally, when a series of three billboards for the campaign were launched, featuring the phrase ‘We’ve switched on the lights. And the champagne is on board. So where the bloody hell are you?’, the ASA received 32 official complaints from UK residents.
The ‘Australian Invitation’ campaign in the UK faced controversy, resulting in a 10-day ban on television. The ban was later lifted, allowing the advertisement to be aired after 9pm, during no-kids timings (Caroline Winter & Sharon Gallon, 2008).
The UK participated in the initial market research for Tourism Australia’s newest campaign, which did not encounter the issues that the Australian Government/Tourism Australia is currently facing. It is important to note that while this global tourism campaign was specifically designed for experience seekers in targeted markets, when it is broadcast on a country’s TV or featured in print media in a capital city, it reaches a much broader audience than the original research group. This larger audience may include individuals that the advertisers had not originally considered, and it is this segment of the population that may potentially have concerns regarding the language used in the ‘Australian Invitation’ campaign (Caroline Winter & Sharon Gallon, 2008).
The Australian Invitation campaign caused controversy in Canada as well. While they accepted the use of the word ‘bloody’, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had issues with the word ‘hell’. As a result, they banned the ads from airing during family programming and monitored audience reactions when the ads were shown at other times (Caroline Winter & Sharon Gallon, 2008). In addition to this, Canadians also objected to the image of a half-full glass of beer in the ad and questioned if it complied with Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission’s Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages (Caroline Winter & Sharon Gallon, 2008). Ultimately, the shot showing the beer was removed from the ad when it was shown in Canada.
Japan also faced a small issue with Tourism Australia’s new campaign. The campaign was translated into the native language of the country it was targeting. As a result, the phrase ‘so where the bloody hell are you?’ in Japanese became a less friendly version of ‘where are you?’. This alteration was not banned, but it didn’t receive the social acceptance originally intended (Caroline Winter & Sharon Gallon, 2008).
Comparisons are made between various campaigns to evaluate the efficacy of Tourism Australia, the destination marketing organization.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008) reported that the number of international visitors increased after the introduction of both campaigns.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009) reported that the ‘Australian Invitation’ campaign was initiated in early 2006 and resulted in a 2.9% rise in visitor figures for the 2006-2007 period when compared to the previous year. Notably, New Zealand, the UK, and Japan experienced notable growth in terms of international visitors as per previous statistical data. It is noteworthy to mention that there was significant controversy surrounding the campaign specifically within the UK.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), the launch of Tourism Australia’s ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign led to a 3.8% rise in international visitor numbers, with the biggest surge seen among visitors from China, New Zealand, and Malaysia.
The ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ campaign is now in its third year and third phase, taking over from the previous ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’ campaign within a span of just two years. In 2008, Tourism Australia launched their short-lived promotion called ‘See the Movie, See the Country’, alongside Baz Luhrmann’s film ‘Australia’.
By keeping a campaign running instead of creating a completely new one, the government can save money on promoting the country. This is done by going through the established phases and making improvements or changes only as needed.
When comparing the visitor numbers of the second years of the two campaigns, it is the most recent TNLA campaign that has the better numbers. ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’ has a decrease in visitor numbers (0.2%) in 2007-2008 specifically from Japan, the UK and Korea, compared to the 2006-2007 statistics (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). On the other hand, the second year of release, 2011-2010, for ‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ had an increase of 2.1% with China, New Zealand, Indonesia, and
Taiwan (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013) experiencing the largest growths.
5. In conclusion,
Over time, Tourism Australia has enhanced its campaigns by extending their duration. It has also demonstrated that conducting thorough market research on the target audience and gauging their response to the campaign leads to more favorable outcomes.
The ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’ campaign, similar to the 1984 campaign ‘Put another shrimp on the barbie’, has made a significant impact internationally. It poses the question of what the current ‘There’s nothing like Australia’ campaign will be remembered as in the future.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has published three reports on the Australian National Accounts: Tourism Satellite Account. The first report, for the year 2006-07, can be accessed at http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/ [email protected] /Previousproducts/5249.0Main%20Features22006-07?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=5249.0&issue=2006-07#=&view. The second report, for the year 2007-08, can be accessed at http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/ [email protected] /Previ ousproducts/5249.0Main%20Features22007-08?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=5249.0&issue=2007-08#=&view=. The third report, for the year 2010-11, can be accessed at http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/ [email protected] / Previousproducts/5249.0Main%20Features22010-11?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=5249.0&issue=2010-11#=&view.(2013) Australian National Accounts: Tourism Satellite Account, 2011-12, Retrieved May 22, 2013 from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/ [email protected] /La testproducts/5249.0Main%20Features22011-12?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=5249.0&issue=2011-12#=&view= Cox, C., &Wray, M. (2011).Best Practice Marketing for Regional Tourism Destinations.Journal of Travel &Tourism Marketing, 28 (5) Gallon, S., &Winter, C. (2008).Exploring Attitudes Towards Tourism Australia’s ‘Where the Bloody Hell Are You?’ Campaign.Current Issues in Tourism, 11 (4) 301-314 Jan Charbonneau.(n.d.) ‘So Where the Bloody Hell are You?’: Tourism Australia faces off with British and Canadian Legislation.Retrieved May 20, 2013 from http://discoveringindonesia.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/so_where_the_bloody_hell_are_you_tourism-australia.pdf Mina Hong.(2008).“Where the Bloody Hell are You?”: Bloody Hell and (im)politeness in Australian English, Retrieved May 20, 2013 from http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/72902/Issue1-minha-hong-bloody-hell-and-impoliteness-in-Ause.pdf There’s Nothing Like Australia – via Mumbrella (2010) Retrieved May 20, 2013 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpn6ijA8rrY Tourism Australia.(n.d.) Our Target Market.Retrieved May 20, 2013 from http://www.tourism.australia.com/markets/the-experience-seeker.aspx Tourism Australia.(n.d.).The following links provide information about tourism in Australia:
– “There’s Nothing Like Australia – Travel Photos & Experiences” from http://www.nothinglikeaustralia.com/ (Retrieved May 20, 2013)
– “So Where the Bloody Hell are You?” from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ZLr9ePuj8 (Retrieved May 21, 2013)
– “There’s Nothing Like Australia – Phase One” from http://new.tourism.australia.com/media/8260-3295.aspx (Retrieved May 20, 2013)
– “There’s Nothing Like Australia – Brand Research” from http://new.tourism.australia.com/documents/Factsheet_-__TNLA_Brand_Research.pdf (Retrieved May 21, 2013)
– “Next Phase of Campaign Rolled out Across the Globe” from http://new.tourism.australia.com/news/industry/industry-717.aspx (Retrieved May 20, 2013)
– “There’s Nothing Like Australia Campaign” from http://www.tourism.australia.com/campaigns/theres-nothing-like-australia.aspx (Retrieved May 21, 2013)
Additionally, the book “Tourism Management” by D. Weaver and L. Lawton (4th ed.) provides further information on tourism in Australia and is published in Milton, Australia by John Wiley & Sons Australia.
