How Tourism Australia Cut Through The “Sea of Sameness”
Speaking at the Adobe Symposium yesterday morning, Tourism Australia managing director John O’Sullivan shared the company’s strategy and thinking behind the highly coveted and awarded Crocodile Dundee Super Bowl Ad Campaign.
O’Sullivan said Tourism Australia’s job is about one simple thing: it wants to make Australia the most desirable and memorable destination on the planet. It’s about experiences.
“Those two adjectives are really really important. We’re about first-time visitation which is about desirability and then importantly we want people to come back because Australia is a complex destination,” he said.
“We’re a big expanse, we’ve got lots to see and do. A lot of people see Australia as a once in a lifetime, three-to-four-week week holiday, but we want them to come back in short sharp bursts.”
O’Sullivan said Tourism Australia’s strategy is not built around volume, but yield.
“Unashamedly, we took a position about eight years ago that we wanted our industry to be about spend and yield of customer. It’s great to have volume but we also have to have a commercial outcome as well,” he said.
“We have a notion of a high-value traveller. It’s someone we know has a desire to travel to Australia or abroad, they have great demand for the experiences that Australia has to offer and we know they’ll spend more, stay longer and come back. They are the strategic drivers of everything that we’ve been doing.”
O’Sullivan said the pure problem that Tourism Australia is trying to solve right now is getting people to keep coming back to Australia once they’ve visited, and the Crocodile Dundee campaign was a key part of achieiving that.
“The opportunity in North America is that Americans are travelling right now. The Australian industry has had a great story over the last eight years with mainland China, 1.4 million visitors,” he said.
“You can now fly from 17 cities in mainland China into eight cities in Australia.
“At the beginning of 2017, we thought that there was more to get out of the North American market and by comparison our share is not as good as it could be. We also know that Americans really like the experiences that Australia has to offer as a holiday destination.”
O’Sullivan said there was a number of conditions in Tourism Australia’s favour:
- Air capacity has never been better – more cities than ever before fly direct and indirect and there are competitive fares.
- 11 per cent growth in Americans travelling overseas.
- Australia’s relatively cheap because of its exchange rate.
- Global conditions favour Australia, and Aussies are welcoming and friendly to Americans.
At the start of 2017, Tourism Australia sat down and decided if it was going to play in this market then it would have to play a little bigger than what it normally does.
“The problem we had is that the top 10 travel brands in America like Expedia spend on average the equivalent of Tourism Australia’s annual operating budget on marketing,” he said.
“If you weight that up, it’s about how do you use a platform that can talk to our target audience in the most effective way possible.”
“We did our research and it came up unequivocally that the Super Bowl was the right platform. What sold it to us [was] we knew that at least 50 per cent of our target audience would be consuming this content at the time of the game. That, for us, was an opportunity too good to refuse.”
While Australia is known for its stunning geography, great food and wine, and unique wildlife, but O’Sullivan said the glue that holds it all together is the people.
“It’s the one thing that distinguishes us from the rest of the world,” he said.
“The message for America is you take those three experiences and the experiences around the Australian people, and it’s about making us a welcoming destination and getting some cut-through that we probably haven’t had for a number of years.
“If you look at what a lot of tourism boards do, and we’ve been guilty of this ourselves, it’s about these beautiful landscapes, classic music. At the end of the day, it goes through this kind of ‘sea of sameness’. And we needed to distinguish from that, and one of the key ways of doing that was around the people.
“What brought the campaign to life was our partners (airlines, trade, industry, media and technology). We had over 40 partners who continue to work with us on this project, there were over 100 NDAs signed. It’s been about using creativity to solve a strategic issue with great partners and using people as the differentiator.”
The Crocodile Dundee campaign remains the number one searched, shared and viewed Super Bowl campaign this year, with a media reach of 7.7 billion and 900 per cent increase in organic bookings.
“It’s really easy to do the same thing every day and feel comfortable. Sometimes taking that leap can produce something that’s out of the box,” O’Sullivan concluded.
If you work in travel marketing, make sure you get your tickets to the upcoming Travel DAZE conference on Monday 3 September, where Tourism Australia CMO Lisa Ronson will be speaking along with Airbnb country manager Sam McDonagh, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip and many more.
Please login with linkedin to comment
Adobe Symposium Adobe Symposium 2018 Advertising Crocodile Dundee Droga5 John O’Sullivan Tourism AustraliaLatest News
Revium Snags Peter Bauld From Deloitte Digital
Revium, a leading full-service digital and AI consultancy, has announced the appointment of Peter Bauld (lead image) as Executive General Manager. Revium is a full-service digital and AI consultancy with over 20 years of experience creating engaging digital experiences for leading organisations and their customers. Bauld joins Revium after an illustrious career spanning over two […]
EMG/Gravity Media Names New Managing Director
The makers of Australia's Got Talent has been a magnet for senior hires in recent times.
Opinion: Shark Tank’s Sabri Suby Slams Politicians Jumping On TikTok Ban Bandwagon
Are politicians actually scaremongering about TikTok or just fed up of you doom-scrolling in the work bogs?
TV Ratings: “Ivana Was Robbed” – Final Three Contestants Revealed On Australian Idol
B&T's unsure if these Idol contestants look extra young or whether we are as old as we feel.
Veridooh Snatches Prashand Menon From ScentreGroup
Out-of-home OOH) and digital media leader Prashand Menon (lead image) has joined OOH ad tech company Veridooh as group business director within NSW and QLD. Menon joins Veridooh from his most recent role as ScentreGroup’s group business director and brings with him more than 10 years of experience in Australian media. Previously, he held positions […]
Creative Content Studio OK COOL Answers APAC’s Call, Opening In Melbourne
Life set to get extra confusing for new agency staffers mistaking OK COOL for a pass-ag housemate text message.
Harry’s Cafe de Wheels & Hipages Launch New Pie To Fuel Tradies While On The Tools
The pies should apparently be better for tradies' health, apparently but won't be better for on-site ribbing.
Women Leading Tech’s Woman Of The Year Megan Dalla-Camina: What’s The True Cost Of Cutting DEI Spending?
Cutting DE&I spending might seem easy but you might change your mind when faced with Dalla-Camina's ire.
Thrive Introduces A Batch Of New Senior Leadership Roles
You could say that Thrive is set to thrive with these new hires. But that would be too obvious.
It’s Coming Home! Sponsors Make Subbuteo World Cup Finals Free
No idea what Subbuteo is? You clearly had a more exciting childhood than our editorial team.
Media Bigwigs Bet On Predictive Intelligence Platform Prophet In $5M Seed Funding
Prophet, profit, geddit? Must be laugh-a-minute in this startup's office.
CommsDeclare Brands Shell Energy An “Olympic Gaslighter” & Urges Agencies Not To Pitch For Creative Account
And we thought the gaslight Olympics took place in the Coogee Bay Hotel smoking area!
AFL Wins Battle With Warner Bros. As New AFL Team Is Revealed
There hasn't been this much wrangling over a cartoon animal since, well, ever!
BBC Podcasts Go Global With Amazon Music
Ironically, BBC podcasts unlikely to be available in the Amazon given the lack of signal.
Johnson & Johnson’s Former Consumer Healthcare Arm Reviews Creative
J&J inspired by Scottish term for knowledge 'ken' in its rebrand; nothing says 'wise' like a shot of Listerine.
Kat & Co Transforms Into THE WORLD OF Experiential Agency
After more than twelve years of producing experiences for some of the world’s most innovative brands, including Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co, Kat & Co has quietly metamorphosed into THE WORLD OF. THE WORLD OF is an experiential agency at the juncture of culture, technology and the human condition. […]
Adobe Brings Firefly Generative AI Into Substance 3D Workflows
Still unclear of what generative AI actually is? Steer clear of this story.
Clemenger BBDO Introduces Saucy Campaign With Declan Cleary & Lee Kum Kee
When we heard this was a saucy campaign, we thought it be the barbecue and ketchup showdown we'd been waiting for.
Gawk Acquires 40 Billboard Locations From Transad
Gawk makes it move out of VIC into NSW with acquisition. Has promised to stop going on about Melbourne nightlife.
All About Attribution: Commission Factory Releases New eBook
Ever wanted to dive deep into channel attribution? Consider this the perfect springboard.
SMG Studio Launches Risk: Global Domination X Dune Part Two
Through a licensing agreement with Legendary Entertainment, SMG Studio inked the rights to adapt Dune: Part Two into a game based on Risk: Global Domination, Hasbro’s interactive board game. Inspired by Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic masterpiece, Dune: Part Two, this new digital adaptation, RISK: Global Domination X Dune: Part Two, is poised to captivate players from […]
RMIT Study Reveals That 73% Of Employees Don’t Believe Gen AI Is Relevant
Noticing staff switching off when you tell them about gen AI? Understand why here.
Australian Eggs Launches Egg-citing New Campaign Via Connecting Plots
How do you like your eggs in the morning? We usually skip them and go straight for the darts and whisky.
Future Lions 2024 Invites Young People To Be Heard With Spotify
Future Lions, of course, is the AKQA-backed student initiative at Cannes Lions, not a feeder for the rugby team.
QMS: Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year & Mardi Gras Were Boon For OOH Market
Taylor Swift, Lunar New Year and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival have had a dramatic impact on the number of people moving in and around Sydney over the past month, drawing big crowds into the heart of the city and its surrounding suburbs. New data from digital outdoor company QMS reveals a […]
Legend John McEnroe Joins Pepperstone’s Team Of Global Tennis Ambassadors
Despite the deal, McEnroe remains confused about difference between above- and below-the-line marketing.
LinkedIn Launches New Thought Leader Ads For Companies To Promote Member Posts
Though LinkedIn couldn't get any more insufferable? You thought wrong.
Latrell Mitchell Smacked On Wrist After Dropping Multiple F-Bombs In Post-Match Triple M Interview
Andrew Abdo has confirmed he is not angry... just disappointed.
TV Ratings: “When You Do Love Yourself, You’re Amazing” – Is This MAFS Most Heart-breaking Split?
Hold the press. MAFS groom and bride actually shown to be nice people.
Opinion: The Only Drag Marketers Should Be Worried About
Thought Transactional Drag was a lifeless club night in Newtown? Read this and you'll think again.
AWARD School Welcomes Class Of 2024
It's best to think of AWARD School like Survivor but with pitch decks instead of swimwear.
Interest In Motorsports Reaches New Heights As Formula 1 Grand Prix Revenue Expected To Surpass $100 Million
Need to get a dull sports client some quick results? Rustle up a Netflix series and watch the dollars roll in.
Chair Rob Murray To Depart As SCA Considers ARN’s Latest Takeover Bid
Struggling to make heads or tails of the SCA & ARN saga? Add this to your woes.
Adland Legend John Singleton Separates From Seventh Wife
Singo calls it quits with seventh wife as his race with Rupert Murdoch to become the most-married man continues.
ACCC Eyes Search Competition, Citing ‘Decreasing’ Quality & Rise In Generative AI
The only decline in search quality we notice is when B&T doesn't appear at the top of Google.
“Imagine A Career Above The Clouds”: Royal Australian Air Force Launches New Campaign Via VML
Don't worry about the forthcoming war with China - at least you'll get a bird's-eye view of the apocalypse.