B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Pinterest
  • WPP
  • AFL
  • Federal Election
  • Anthony Albanese
  • Thinkerbell
  • NRL
  • State of Origin
  • Cannes Lions
  • AI
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Channel 10
  • EssenceMediaCom
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Advertising Week: Susan Coghill’s Winning Formula For Celebrity Endorsements
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Media > Advertising Week: Susan Coghill’s Winning Formula For Celebrity Endorsements
Media

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

Staff Writers
Published on: 2nd August 2023 at 9:34 AM
Staff Writers
Share
5 Min Read
Beyond the Famous Faces - Susan Coghill, Tourism Australia, Chief Marketing Officer
SHARE

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.

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

TAGGED: Advertising Week APAC, Susan Coghill, Tourism Australia
Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

Telstra & Herpes Fly The Flag For Australasia In Final Cannes Lions Awards
21/06/2025
Australia Nabs Silver Marketing, Bronze Digital Young Lions Trophies
20/06/2025
Glimpse Inside the Cannes Jury Room  
20/06/2025
Destination NSW Partners With CommBank To Unlock Visitor Economy Insights
20/06/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?