TOURISM VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT

domestic marketing
Travel + Leisure
named Melbourne
one of the world’s
100 Greatest Trips
Visit Make Believe campaign image, Dandenong Ranges. Photo: Publicis Mojo.
Tourism Victoria's primary
role is to encourage visitors
from interstate and overseas
to holiday in the state.
Melbourne
To capitalise on the momentum
gained by the Melbourne 2006
Commonwealth Games, in September
2006 Tourism Victoria launched phase
eight of the successful jigsaw campaign,
with a major brand campaign for
Melbourne. The campaign theme, It’s
Easy to Lose Yourself in Melbourne, takes
inspiration from the city’s inherent
mystery, diversity and creativity.
The campaign moves beyond simply
putting Melbourne on the wish list and
towards motivating consumers to come
and explore the city for themselves. It
promotes the city as a place of hidden
treasures and invites visitors on a journey
of discovery. It does this by building on
the city’s current brand reputation as
stylish, sophisticated and romantic, and
by adding the attribute of creativity to
further differentiate Melbourne from its
main competitor, Sydney.
The campaign emphasises Melbourne’s
depth, diversity and difference by
focusing on the key strengths of
precincts; people; arcades and laneways;
boutiques; galleries; fine food and wine;
arts; culture and architecture.
Underpinned by the promotion of a
series of signature experiences – luxury
and indulgence; cultural discovery; cool
hunting; fashion and fun; and relax and
rejuvenate – this integrated campaign
comprising television, cinema, print,
online, public relations and cooperative
travel industry marketing elements,
was also launched in New Zealand in
September 2007.
While only in the second year of the four
year $12.4 million campaign, domestic
results to date indicate that Melbourne
has overtaken Sydney as the most
lucrative market for domestic tourists.
Domestic overnight visitors spent
$4.7 billion in Melbourne – $135 million
more than in Sydney. Over the period
March 2003–2008, overnight visitors to
Melbourne grew at an average annual
rate of 1.5 per cent, outperforming both
Sydney (-1.9 per cent) and the Gold
Coast (+0.5 per cent).
The campaign has received numerous
prestigious industry awards, including
two Caxton Awards and the coveted
Quinliven Black Award, which celebrates
the most outstanding newspaper
campaign of the year.
Travel + Leisure magazine named
Melbourne as one of the world’s 100
Greatest Trips. Melbourne was the only
city highlighted in the Australia, New
Zealand and South Pacific region.
According to the 2008 Brand Health
Survey, Melbourne is perceived by
Australians as the nation’s top spot for
shopping; theatre; style and romance;
quality food experiences and world
class restaurants; cafes; nightlife and
major international sporting and cultural
events. For the second year running
readers of Shop Til You Drop magazine
voted Melbourne as the best shopping
destination in Australia. Of the 3,000
readers surveyed, 73 per cent regarded
Melbourne as the best shopping area
compared with 23 per cent who voted
for Sydney.
BRAND HEALTH
australia's best shopping city
Capital Cities %
Melbourne 57
Sydney 22
Adelaide 2
Brisbane 8
Perth 2
Other 9
In the annual Brand Health survey
Melbourne increased its lead position
in the consumer mindset as the
city associated with shopping.
MARKETING
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