Festival Fever
The Sydney Festival is a brand on the move. While most brands rely on consistency of messaging to build brand strength, the relevance and fortitude of Sydney’s premiere cultural event turns on dynamic marketing which changes constantly.
While the average brand might refresh or rebadge once a decade, (if that), the Festival rethinks its look, feel and direction every few years with the arrival of each new Festival director.
This year is one such year of change. European-born Lieven Bertels has taken the reins from director of three years, Lindy Hume, bringing with him a distinctly divergent creative aesthetic and marketing approach to Sydney’s premier cultural event.
But this year it’s not just the brand which is on the move. Stalwart marketing director, Jill Colvin, is also moving on after a grand 12 years. The 2013 summer Festival will be her last hurrah.
“It’s very mixed feelings,” says Colvin. “I’ve learnt so much here and have had such great opportunities. It really is the job of a lifetime because you get to work with amazing artists and get such autonomy to be able to do creative work.”
Colvin, who heads up the modest marketing team of four (including two contractors), has been working beside Bertels over the last six months to transform Hume’s whimsical branding into something bold and sharp, substituting bright colour and imaginative imagery for black and white word play.
“Under Lindy Hume the brand became quite feminine and whimsical… Leven, being European and masculine has a different approach and he’s vey interested in language. The aim was to really simplify the look and feel to make it very simple and clean, so we got rid of anything that seemed extraneous to the actual words.”
The brand’s tagline of six years – “This is our city in summer” – still features this year but includes a myriad of alternatives like “This is our city in wonder” and “This is our city in jubilation”. “We’ll be doing lots of fun things with words and involving the community and getting them engaged with different ways of seeing the festival through language,” says Colvin.
Aside from the triennial rebrands, it’s the brand’s digital transformation which excites her the most. Her enthusiasm for social and mobile is palpable – reflected in the scope of initiatives trialled and installed over the course of her tenure.
In addition to the YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter handles, this year sees the introduction of a mobile site, a new iPad app and major redesign of the website which utilises a more dynamic and socially-motivated Pinterest-style “pinning approach”.
From January, the site will feature most recent event snaps, tips for what’s on today, and daily weather reports. “It’s all about people trying to connect with their friends, tell their friends what they’re seeing and making all of that really front facing,” she says.
Last year, the marketing team flirted with gamification with sponsor, Intel. Through the mobile app the team built a series of Festival challenges, the completion of which would unlock digital badges. But Colvin has cut gaming from this year’s program.
“That was a little bit of a bandwagon to jump on,” she concedes. “I think where we missed the boat on it was getting it out a little late. It probably didn’t get enough promotion to push it hard enough.
“But we are always interested in trying these things and seeing how they go. The great thing is that we have built something of a reputation for being quite experimental and curious about what you can do through the space.”
This reputation has piqued the interest of major sponsors who are increasingly keen to leverage and build on the Festival’s pervasive online presence. This year, ANZ is creating a “complementary digital campaign” – something Colvin can’t elaborate on except to say it is “extremely exciting”.
Social media is perhaps the most fundamental part of the Festival’s marketing, and it’s not hard to understand why. “It’s very different to being a corporate entity. We have a bunch of people who love us and feel really passionately about the Festival. It’s a very social event so it’s natural that that is reflected in social networking… There’s just a really natural alignment,” she says.
Social media has come under the microscope this year following a series of online attacks on celebrities, media personalities and political figures. The Advertising Standards Bureau’s decision to make brands responsible for comments left by fans on their pages has also sparked talk of wider regulation of the channel – a topic Colvin avoids.
“I’d probably prefer not to comment on that. I really do see things from within our prism. I don’t actually think you can regulate it. I think it’s beyond that,” she says.
The Festival’s own policy is to leave all negative comments on the Facebook page unless they are racist or defamatory, letting the marketplace of ideas do the bulk of the moderation. “We find if someone writes something negative, nine times out of ten someone will come in and bat in the positive direction, so we tend to let the community manage itself,” she says.
She also tributes digital channels with propelling the Festival from obscurity to global fame. In the last few years Sydney has consistently been named one of the top festival cities of the world by the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). “I think the Sydney Festival is a large part of that entry,” says Colvin.
“The world of social and digital has helped us amplify our messaging in a way which doesn’t necessarily cost us a large amount of cash. Ten years ago we were much of a Sydney facing festival, now I think we are positioned much better as a national and international event largely through developments in digital and social”.
Colvin’s office down at Festival headquarters in The Rocks is almost entirely wallpapered with photos of beaming, frolicking toddlers, prompting questions about her family. “Yes, I do obviously have children,” she laughs. “Two of them – it looks like I have a hundred. That’s one of the reasons for deciding it’s time to go. I really would like a summer with my kids.”
Further than some surf and sun, though, the future is wide open. “I’m not sure what’s next yet,” she smiles, clearly tickled by the prospect of some career mystery. “I’ve got a very open view on what that might be and seeing where the universe takes me.”
Please login with linkedin to comment
Latest News
Kantar: AVOD Subscribers Double In 12 Months
Study finds Aussies happy to watch ads on their streaming services. Or, are they just putting the kettle on more often?
Val Morgan Digital Exceeds All Campaign Uplift Benchmarks Via A 12-Month Brand Metrics Study
Val Morgan announces it has exceeded all its campaign benchmarks. Still can't get under an hour for the City To Surf.
Australian Retirement Trust launches monster of a campaign, by M&C Saatchi and Bohemia
Get offered a seat on the bus today? Knees creak like an old pirate's galleon? This retirement ad may be of interest.
Print Audits To Discontinue As Audited Media Association Of Australia Pivots To Support Influencer Marketing
Is it just B&T or are audits in the media industry suddenly becoming murkier than Roxy's husband's tax returns?
News Corp Australia Launches 2024 National Education Advocacy Initiative With Expanded Program
News Corp set to shine a light on the nation's schools in new series, giving illegal bikie gangs a well-earned rest.
Decoding The Consumer Maze: Urban List Report Reveals How Modern Shoppers Spiral From Discovery To Purchase
Latest report unravels a shopper's journey from the joy of discovery through to a nasty letter from a debt collector.
Cosmo Returns To Australia!
Ever get the feeling we've weirdly warped back to 1988 at the moment? Confirm it with the relaunch of Cosmo in print.
People & Culture Consultancy Human Kind Collective Launches To Plug HR Gap For Media Agencies
Does the very mention of HR have you struggling to remember last year's Christmas party? Get the sweats with this news.
‘We Want To Be A Growth Partner, Not Just A Media Buyer Or Someone That Makes Ads’ – Bohemia Boss On Agency’s Ambition
B&T's chatting with Bohemia boss Paul ‘Hutch’ Hutchison. Although we do think 'the dagger' a far superior nickname.
Initiative’s Geoff Clarke: ‘Youth Hits Targets With Enthusiasm, Experience Hits The Targets You Can’t See’
Initiative’s CCO Geoff Clarke on the value of experience in agencies. Not to mention quoting lines from Pulp Fiction.
The Iconic Teams Up With 5 Aussie Athletes For Latest Campaign
Fashion label brings in the athletes for new campaign, many of whom appear to have prepped with re-runs of Zoolander.
Seven West Media Secures New Director Of News & Current Affairs
After a tumultuous few weeks, Seven unveils director of news & current affairs. And B&T never uses tumultuous lightly.
Seven Network Expands NSW Sales Team With Two New Group Business Directors
Seven ramps up its NSW sales team. Both of whom are well versed in pronouncing Manu Feildel's croque-monsieur.
New PR Subscription Changing The Game For Aussie Start Ups
Need better PR? You can now buy it via a monthly subscription. Price does not include a fascinator or Moet piccolos.
Paul Kent At Centre Of Fresh Scandal After Alleged Street Brawl
Do you long for the fights, gouges & testicle grabs of footy's glory years? So too, it appears, does Paul Kent.
DiDi Taps Disney’s Tim Farmer For Head Of Brand Marketing Role
Disney's Tim Farmer shifts over to rideshare company DiDi. Taking with him his Donald Duck coffee mug & mouse ears.
As Sure As Night Becomes Day, The End Of Third-Party Cookies Has Been Delayed
The question remains: what will we see first? The end of cookies, alien invasion or Jesus's second coming?
Fast 10: Scoundrel’s Tim Bullock Explains What Shane Warne & Salt-N-Pepa Have In Common
It's a Fast 10 with Scoundrel's Tim Bullock. Make it sound even faster by sucking on helium while reading it.
Outbrain Snatches Chris Oxley From Foxtel Media
Foxtel's Chris Oxley shifts over to Outbrain, but not before having his press photo taken in the wilds of the Daintree.
oOh!media & POLY Partner With Greening Australia For OOH Awareness Campaign
Like to quell the road rage with super cute pics of fluffy marsupials? This outdoor's just the ticket.
Are Media Cares For The Carers In Its Latest Social Change Campaign
Are Media calls on the government to add super payments to carers' payments. Remains silent on AUKUS, however.
In A Fragmented World, Engagement Is King
Today, B&T TV's talking fragmentation & engagement. But not in a down-on-one-knee sense of the word.
Kyle Sandilands On Advertising: “We Want Return Business. It’s No Good Just Taking Someone’s Money”
Kyle & Jackie O finally arrive on Melbourne radio. As yet, no sign of the monotonous and bitter AFL-NRL debate.
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.