Tourism Australia has confirmed that it is to commence an open tender process to appoint a suitable media service provider(s) to satisfy its global media planning, buying and advertising requirements.
The national tourism organisation’s current contract with OMD is due to expire on 30 June 2016, after a period of five years. The new contract will also be for a period of up to five years.
The tender will be two-phased: an initial Expression of Interest (EOI) process aimed at better understanding the changing media landscape and informing its future requirements; and the second phase, which will involve a Request for Tender (RFT) with those shortlisted agency partners identified through the first phase.
A Tourism Australia spokesperson said that the two-phase process would help better inform its future media requirements and identify the right partner or partners to help drive the execution of its global marketing strategy.
“As a Government agency, and for a contract of this size and importance, Tourism Australia is required to conduct an open tender process.
“OMD has been a fantastic partner since 2011. With the term of the existing contract approaching its end, this two-phased tender gives us the opportunity to better understand the changing media landscape and the agency partnership structure we require to deliver on our future media requirements.
“The role of the media and the media agency is also evolving rapidly as both data and technology become essential components in effectively reaching today’s consumer. The changes the industry has seen over the last five years are enormous, particularly the move towards greater customisation and personalisation which have coincided with consumers continued adoption of digital.
“We have decided to structure this process in a way which gives us an opportunity to better understand these emerging trends, particularly in terms of new technologies, before formally starting the tender. We believe this is the best way to identify and engage the most effective partner or partners to meet our immediate and future media services requirements,” the spokesperson said.
