Tourism marketing in Western Australia is famously abysmal. Look critically at this from the viewpoint of international tourism marketing. What is the positioning of Western Australia as a tourism product? What is it that distinguishes Western Australia from any other tourism destination in the world? Come on; I’m waiting!

It’s a product that doesn’t know what it is. The ad is a case study in poor strategic thinking.

Does the tourism authority think we the only place in the world with beaches and waterways? The only thing to be said in favour of Perth beaches is that they are quaint, reflecting the determination of generations to resist ANY tourism development of ANY sort on even ONE of them. Welcome to 1960.

Why do we have to re-assure people that there are designer clothing shops in Perth? Are we competing with Paris?

Who is the target market for this ad? If it is young people, are they going to fly 24 hours on a plane to drink beer in the Ocean Beach Hotel? “Well honey; it’s Carnivale in Rio or a beer in a pub in Perth. Toss a coin.”

If ‘relaxed lifestyle’ is all we have going for us; NEWSFLASH; that’s an immigration strategy, not a tourism strategy.

If local colour is what we’re selling, for God’s sake, don’t fill up the ad with bland-looking models acting badly. Use REAL people who look interesting. Let’s hear some Australian accents! Americans in particular find Australian accents very engaging; instead we serenade them with insipid guitar music.

Ironically, they’re using Russell Morris’s ‘The Real Thing’ as the sound track and they’ve completely emasculated the REAL version and turned it into MUZAC. The original is a fabulous arrangement which could be the basis for a very strong campaign and HOLD THE PHONE they’ve removed the emotional underpinning of the song; the line that says: “there’s a meaning there for me”. *Bangs head against desk*.

Now what is the only thing in this ad which will be remembered by international viewers? Close your eyes for a minute and pretend you’re not Australian. What stood out?

Kangaroos. The reason they keep putting kangaroos into ads for Australia is that research shows people love them. So, knowing that, do we create wildlife corridors close to the city and promote ourselves as the wild west of Australia? Do we invite tourists onto golf courses where kangaroos hang out? If Kings Park were populated with kangaroos and you could take your pet kangaroo for a hop along the beach, which city in Australia would Oprah be visiting?

Tourism marketing (like just about all marketing) is PRODUCT and BRANDING and not much else. We have neither product nor branding at present. Tourism Australia is absolutely correct to direct Oprah to Sydney, Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef. They’re brands and Perth is not. How much do you want to bet Oprah will nurse a joey on camera?

Here’s a song about Perth.

Without a strong commercial interest group or re-development authority there is only local government to rely on and the City of Perth probably have other planning priorities. Left to its own devices it will continue its slow decline as the City of Perth foreshore develops and the western suburbs snare all the stylish restauranteurs.

If you had a brief to market the area you would need the authority to compel businesses to conform to presentation standards. This would include making signage fit its surrounds. Ageing brick buildings can accommodate painted signage, but big tin signs just look crap.

From presentation standards you would progress to coherence and then ambience, events and promotion. Let me just deal with coherence. I’d create 4 destinations. The Backpacker’s Quarter, The Mediterranean Quarter, The Asian Quarter and the Arts Quarter (which would include fashion).

Now you have four identities you can build on, each in a defined area, each of which can be separately marketed. You’d theme each quarter; street furniture, signage, art and walk trails.

Yes, it’s possible. Yes, the government would need to spend some money. But without an intention to create a focus, the slow decline will continue.

Proof reading? We put it through the spell checker. Not my fault Microsoft think ‘dinning’ is a word. Probably means making a big noise. Anyway, we sent it to the client and they signed off on it, so NOT problem belong us.

The Official Visitors’ Guide to Melbourne in Spring is published by Destination Melbourne, the peak body for tourism in Melbourne and Regional Victoria. Soon to be renamed Destination Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Looks like they’re targeting the American market: they spell “splendour” the American way; “splendor”.

The booklet is written in co-operative marketingesque. “There is so much to see and do in Melbourne that it’s almost overwhelming. Just as well the city is cleverly planned, making getting around and about a breeze”. It goes on to point out that it’s easy to travel on Melbourne’s extensive transport network. I guess you just PAY YOUR MONEY and GET ON BOARD!

Will the shopping cater for your every need? Will the restaurants be many and varied? Will the city have unique character? A full spectrum of activities? Great food and wine? Then I must be in, err, any city in the world.

Tourism promotional copy in Australia is predictable and awful. This publication is no worse than any other. The bureaucracy churns them out, businesses advertise with precious little return and the tourists wade through 128 pages of crap thinking, please, mercy, just tell me the interesting bits.

This is the sign which announces the charming little town of Gingin, where I currently live.

The sign is conspicuously positioned on the Brand Highway. Visitors to Gingin and residents of Gingin drive past it in great number. What signal does it send to a potential visitor? *Scratches head*

Signs provide information but they are also advertising. With a positive or negative effect. Here are the Free Beer newly invented guidelines for country signage.

1. Remove old signs. Clue: make someone responsible.
2. Make signs legible.
3. Don’t let a committee design your sign.
4. Use a professional graphic designer. More people will probably see the sign than any other form of advertising you do.
5. Have a theme for your signs, ideally one that relates to your positioning. Timber towns use wood, mining towns use ornate wrought iron. The Pinnacles could use ant hills.

You should come and visit Gingin (Motto: On the Move). There are four events listed under Tourism on the Gingin website one of which is Seniors’ Week. Look out Margaret River, here we come!

People are used to listening to well-produced programs on radio. They are the quality benchmark. If you expect to get an audience you better make sure your content is damn good because the chances are your broadcast quality is not up to scratch.

Some people will invent compelling content and slowly rise to prominence. They will have to claw their way over numerous no-talents.

The truth is, this is not broadcast radio. I say that despite the fact that public broadcasters like the ABC are raising awareness of the medium by allowing listeners to time-shift their favourite radio shows; Radio National is up to 200,000 downloads per week in Australia.

Podcasting is closer to what’s called narrowcasting; catering to a specific audience who subscribe to a service.

One of the things that distinguishes podcasting is context and this is where the opportunities lie. I’m not interested in tourism information unless I’m a tourist. If I’m a tourist in a new city and there is a good menu-driven podcast covering major tourism facts and destinations, I’m into it. When I’m walking past the Bell Tower in Perth, no that’s a bad example. When I’m walking around the Sydney Opera House I’d be quite interested in a podcast about the history of the building.

You’ve used audio aids in museums and galleries. They really add something. More general tourism programs can be developed that colour the tourist’s experience of a whole destination, not just one of its museums.

A second example of the power of context. Buying real estate. I’m walking around a Home Open. My iPod has a menu that says, “kitchen, backyard, neighbours …”. Each of these menu items contains a short podcast by the home owner or the real estate agent describing the features of the room. “The Louis XIV commode-scriban has a solid cherry inset with burl walnut panels and is inlaid with floral marquetry and cross-banding. Unfortunately it’s not included with the house.”

The new and powerful applications of this medium will be those that augment the visual experience of the mobile user. Think tourism, thing training, think shopping.

So Mr Tax Payer, would you risk an extra $35M/$51M for an extra 1,000 seats? Would you pay an extra 69% for an extra 9% seating? Remember that the last 9% will only be used when the venue is full. It’s a no-brainer. Re-furb the Perth Entertainment Centre. $50M buys a lot of hospital beds.

I must admit to an emotional bias here; my father Brian Treasure championed the building of the Entertainment Centre when he worked at TVW 7. At the time there was no adequate venue for the large stage shows that TVW and Edgley’s were travelling around Australia (Disney on Parade, Moscow Circus etc) and Perth was missing out on international acts. It was more attractive financially for promoters to bring acts over to the east coast only. Now, 32 years after the building that fixed this problem we are faced with the same situation.

$60 million; 260 beds. Does that add up? It’s a cost per key of $231,000. The industry rule of thumb is your cost per key divided by 1000 = the actual room rate you need to break even at 70% occupancy. $231 per room.

But the actual room rate is only half the “rack rate”. In other words, to break even the hotel would need an advertised room rate of $460 a night. Good luck with that. Something’s fishy in Ningaloo.