Advertising Week: Susan Coghill’s Winning Formula For Celebrity Endorsements

Beyond the Famous Faces - Susan Coghill, Tourism Australia, Chief Marketing Officer

It’s easy to assume that celebrity sells, but relying on star power doesn’t guarantee campaign success. Among the most challenging aspects is conquering authenticity. what exactly defines an authentic celebrity endorsement? Let’s explore based on Susan Coghill’s keynote at Advertising Week APAC.

During yesterday’s presentation at Advertising Week APAC, Susan Coghill, CMO of Tourism Australia, revealed the five guiding principles for working with great Australian talent, from A-list celebrities to lesser-known figures, as she went “Beyond the Famous Faces.”

And in case you’re wondering, these principles are:

  1. Authenticity drives effective advocacy
  2. The role of talent must be clear
  3. Make the idea better
  4. Create an ensemble
  5. Go for longevity 

But while each principle could easily merit its own dedicated article, one aspect that should be on everyone’s radar is Tourism Australia’s clever approach to conquering the first, what Coghill dubbed as “the ‘A’ word.”

Expressing her views on authenticity Coghill commented, “I have to say I’m not a big fan of the word authenticity. I think it’s terribly overused in marketing and presentations. But I have to start there because when your brand is not a product, per se, it’s a country, […] it’s a culture, authenticity is so incredibly important.”

So how did Tourism Australia master authenticity so effectively?

For context, 13 years ago, Tourism Australia established their Advocacy program, made up of over 100 influential people from around the world, united in their shared passion for Australia. These ambassadors range from sports stars, fashion designers, celebrity chefs, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, actors, and artists and boast the likes of Chris Hemsworth (their global ambassador), Kylie Minogue, Jessica Mauboy, and Kylie Kwong.

Thus the Advocacy team devised  what Coghill describes as “the winning formula” for collaborating with such exceptional and diverse talent, and their findings provide a formidable framework for brands for their own celebrity endorsements:

Experience + Storytelling + Passion + Influence = Effective Advocacy

Coghill elaborated on the winning formula, explaining how “In an effort to be as thorough as they can be with their strategy […] our Advocacy team thought through the implications of removing any single one of those elements.”

Experience + Storytelling + Passion + Influence = Inauthentic Promotion

Removing experience, the contextual element, leads to inauthentic promotion. Coghill explained,  “If you remove the context of an amazing Australian tourism experience or a strong connection to Australia, the result is inauthentic promotion. And that’s really what celebrity for celebrity’s sake looks like.”

Experience + Storytelling + Passion + Influence = Unfocused Enthusiasm

Omitting the art of storytelling, or in other words, great content, leads to little more than “just people doing stuff.” “Great storytelling cuts through and connects with people. If you remove that, what you’re left with is unfocused enthusiasm,” emphasised Coghill.

Experience + Storytelling + Passion + Influence = Paid Endorsement 

Removing passion leaves you with a common paid endorsement. “Now, I appreciate that that works for some brands. But for us, that passion for Australia, and the people, and experiences really is essential,” stated Coghill.

Experience + Storytelling + Passion + Influence = A Nice Time 

Lastly, remove influence and, in Coghill’s words, “what you essentially have is a nice time.” We all love a good time, but unfortunately, it’s probably not what’s going to be driving your desired brand or commercial outcomes. Coghill also advised that influence isn’t always about the big numbers, “it’s about credibility with a certain audience or another group of influential people.”

Well, there you have it – all this knowledge and know-how, on the house! As brand owners and advertising professionals, creating a personalised “winning formula” for you and your audience is key to fostering authentic advocacy. Although, in my opinion, Chris Hemsworth can fit seamlessly into any winning formula.




Please login with linkedin to comment

Advertising Week APAC Susan Coghill Tourism Australia

Latest News

Marc Collister: AI & Automation Set To Revolutionise Creativity In 2024
  • Opinion

Marc Collister: AI & Automation Set To Revolutionise Creativity In 2024

Marc Collister (pictured) of P2 Content Creators spills the beans on his 2024 predictions drawing from two decades of experience in the advertising, film and television industry. I’m certain it will come as no surprise that in 2024, we can expect our industry to move at breakneck speed again. With even more rapid shifts in […]

Opinion

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
Reddit Recap Reveals That Aussies Went Nuts For The Tillies, Eurovision And, Erm, Finance
  • Technology

Reddit Recap Reveals That Aussies Went Nuts For The Tillies, Eurovision And, Erm, Finance

Reddit’s annual Recap report has revealed the issues and moments that captured Australia’s collective mind over 2023 with, naturally, the Matildas featuring high on the list. The inaugural Australia-hosted Women’s World Cup saw Aussies glued to the footy (or, indeed soccer) with one enterprising user capturing the moment that Cortnee Vine scored the winner against […]

Zeno Group Australia Bolsters Client Offerings With An Expanded Creative Services Portfolio & New Senior Leader
  • Marketing

Zeno Group Australia Bolsters Client Offerings With An Expanded Creative Services Portfolio & New Senior Leader

Zeno Australia has announced expanded creative design capabilities and the appointment of Jim Michell (lead image) to its senior leadership team. The new moves support strong growth in the region. Zeno Australia’s clients, including Abano Healthcare, Motorola and Yorkshire Tea, can now tap into a suite of creative design services to augment the agency’s work […]

Spikes Asia Announces Its 2024 Jury Line-Up
  • Marketing

Spikes Asia Announces Its 2024 Jury Line-Up

Spikes Asia, APAC’s most prestigious and sought-after Award for creativity and marketing effectiveness, has revealed its 2024 Jury line-up today. The 93 industry experts from across 18 markets represent APAC’s leading talent from a diverse range of disciplines. 2024 sees the highest representation from brands, including Budweiser, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and, for the first […]

Assembled Media Inks TikTok Creator Campaign for BIC
  • Campaigns

Assembled Media Inks TikTok Creator Campaign for BIC

Assembled Media, is drawing upon the creative power of TikTok Creator Marketplace to help generate unique, impactful content for iconic stationery brand, BIC. The social activation campaign titled ‘A Pen for Every Side of You’ promotes the flexibility of BIC’s 4 Colours pen and is active nationwide on the BIC Stationery TikTok account. The campaign […]

Big data and analytics visualization technology with scientist analyzing information structure on screen with machine learning to extract predictions for business, finance, internet of things
  • Media

IAB Launches Fourth Module In Its Marketing Measurement Innovation Series

IAB Australia has launched ‘Evolution in Market Mix Modelling’, the fourth module in its Marketing Measurement Innovation Series, which has been developed by IAB Australia’s Ad Effectiveness Council. The module explores what is driving the increased use of MMM and how the technique is evolving with advances in computing power and machine learning to provide […]

Aerial view of a coal fired power station with large cooling towers emitting co2 into the atmosphere. With its lights already turned on the power station is illuminated in moody twilight.
  • Media

Scope3 Expands Carbon Measurement Capabilities To Include DOOH Advertising

Scope3, the collaborative sustainability platform leading the decarbonisation of media and advertising,  announced the addition of digital out-of-home (DOOH) to its emissions measurement. With DOOH ad spending predicted to grow from $17B in 2023 to nearly $24B by 2028, measuring this channel brings us one step closer to understanding the total impact of digital advertising […]

January 14, 2023 - New York, New York, USA: 2023 NRF Big Show press conference with Composition 2024 NRF Singapore.    Photo by Ian Wagreich / © Ian Wagreich Photography
  • Marketing

Now Open For Registration – NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific

NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, is now open for online registrations for the main conference. Jointly organized by the National Retail Federation and Comexposium, Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific will take place from 11 – 13 June, 2024 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore and is expected to draw thousands […]

DBC2 Appoints Jason Fisher To Newly Created Role Of CEO
  • Marketing

DBC2 Appoints Jason Fisher To Newly Created Role Of CEO

Following a period of significant client growth, leading auto marketing agency, DBC2 has appointed Jason Fisher (lead image) to the newly created role of CEO. The appointment is part of DBC2’s long term growth strategy ahead of the agency announcing a brand refresh and expanded proposition in early-2024. As a new shareholder of the business, […]

Three New Hires At Amplify
  • Marketing

Three New Hires At Amplify

Extra pressure on Amplify's Nescafé Blend 43 catering tin today with the arrival of three new recruits.

Boomtown’s Final Masterclass Of 2023 Attended By Almost 100 Media Reps
  • Media

Boomtown’s Final Masterclass Of 2023 Attended By Almost 100 Media Reps

Don’t treat regional media as a charity, but a real growth opportunity: That’s the message from Boomtown’s final masterclass of 2023, attended by almost 100 media industry representatives from across the nation. The masterclass was part of a series of educational sessions, delivered by Boomtown, the media collective championing advertising in regional Australia. The sessions […]