Good question! And yes, there's only one destination that can actually ask you this way - and it's the Aussies.
TOURISM AUSTRALIA is launching an audacious ad campaign using the tag line "So Where The Bloody Hell Are You?" The campaign will be launched March 7 with a week of promotional activities followed by print and TV ads. In formulating the campaign, the agency invested $6.2 million in the past 18 months on in-depth market research during which it interviewed 47,000 tourists around the world. The research showed that past promotional efforts have succeeded in generating a high level of awareness; however, what is now needed is for the awareness to be converted to actual travel. The new, more aggressive campaign is designed to accomplish that.
The tag line should certainly gain them attention for their message. Whether it converts that awareness into actual visitors is another question altogether. Like their Hogan commercials in the past, it will increase brand awareness, which has made Australia #1 on the wish list of many travelers, but the majority of them have not actually taken the trip.
That's where other major factors, such as distance and pricing come into play. Let's face it, for many it's a "bloody long way" to get to that place and enjoy the shrimp on the barbie....! And that, my Aussie friends, will remain a formidable barrier to overcome, even with a spend of $ 6 million plus on market research alone, which by the way, in my days in destination marketing would have been more like the overall budget to execute the campaign. That's how lucky you - or is it the ad agency! - are to be able to get the message out to the market.
Good luck and report back on the success in three years or so......
Technorati Tags: australia , destination marketing
I think the Australian tourism promotion is 'bloody' great.
Posted by: cassy | September 07, 2006 at 10:34 PM
So glad the Brits have ban it from TV. That's huge publicity. I proudly sang 'Where The Bloody Hell Are You?' for the American Launch of the Campaign in Union Square, San Francisco. Rock on! You have to get people's attention! It's advertising, not a polite conversation with tea and scones!
Posted by: Hopkinson | March 09, 2006 at 02:42 PM
Thanks for your comment. I guess they got more out of the research than just the slogan, but anyway,quite a chunk of money for the tourism industry.
To answer your question: My suggestion for destinations that are facing high geographic barriers due to distance from source markets, is to aim for high revenue niche markets with repeat visit potentialvs. trying to attract huge numbers and to focus on the closest source markets. Now, in the case of Australia that is probably Asia, first of all Japan, where they have a strong brand image and have replaced Switzerland as the #1 desired country to visit. The U.S. West Coast is another option and down the road China.
Posted by: JEB | March 03, 2006 at 06:21 PM
You are absolutely right, awareness without conversion is not worth much. But awareness of their brand is certainly worth something. Question is how much is it worth? I don't know a whole lot about Australian economics, but I'd venture to say tourism is up there as a priority.
$6 million in market research! To settle on a Slogan Campaign. Incredible.
What would be an effective strategy to help a destination that has such a high barrier to travel?
Posted by: TourPro | March 02, 2006 at 10:44 AM