The campaign was originally designed to be a community torism pride campaign that aimed to influence locals to focus on promoting what makes Wollongong such a great tourism destination to their family and friends. It was also born from an idea to get the Tourism Wollongong staff blogging internally about what they love about the Gong.  But for anyone that knows Greg Binskin – if he’s sniffs half a good idea in something small like this  – it doesn’t stay small for very long.

With unpreecendented (but not unexpected) local community and business support, the campaign really took off and through the use of a well timed television, print and outdoor advertising campaign combined with a multi channel social media campaign, we love the gong has easily broken the mould for destination marketing in Australia.

The highlights of the campaign from our perspective were (and continue to be):

• Active industry engagement – this wasn’t a “buy a 1/6 page ad in our print publication and send us your material” project. This campaign included social media training for operators, wide industry consultation, the local council was onboard from the start and the product was a ‘fun’ proposition that business owners could easily understand and get behind.
• Active media involvement – the conversation with local media outlets resulted not in big ad spends, but created smart alignment and use of resources that resulted in true partnerships – not just free ad spots or endorsed advertising spots that got onsold to everyone else.  This campaign had a small but well leveraged budget that delivered results well above what only big dollars can normally buy.
• Active and well supported multi channel social media engagement – this campaign didn’t just set up a facebook page – it started with a strategy that focussed on the message and the audience and the best tools that could reach them with the available internal time and resources.  Youtube, Twitter, Flickr, facebook, Google maps and a wordpress blog combined to deleiver the message in the way that the audience wanted to consume it.
• Actively engaged audience – 3 words sum up this for me “PEOPLE TALKED BACK”.  This wasn’t fake one way broadcast media designed to look like social media.  this campaign got people talking, engaging, owning the message and wherever they could and when they needed to, Tourism Wollongong engaged with the audience and talked back.  True social media at work.  Sure it took time and effort, but so does every form of good marketing.

Threesides are proud to have have worked with Tourism Wollongong in the developing the website, providing social media training to local industry operators, campaign social media strategy, and ongoing tips and tools to make this campaign a success.

We also engaged the website development guru’s at Osky Interactive to help us build and deliver the technical aspects of the campaign with a smart looking and functioning wordpress site and social media integration.

[Quick shout out to Wisdom Advertising and Design in Wollongong who delivered the campaign logo too - check out the specs on their website - who continue to deliver consistently good looking campaign creative to Tourism Wollongong]

Great ideas combined with motivated people and engaged partners is what we know has made this campaign a success and raised the bar that little bit higher for tourism destination promotion in NSW and Australia.

So one question left – do you love the Gong now?! We do (and now we love the award winning Gong just a little bit more…….  

Some chefs we know Tom Moore from Grazing and Knead Patisserie, Ross O’Reily from Knead Patisserie, Andy Hollands from Ellacure and Chris Whitlock from Lambert Vineyards have got together to run an chef apprentice development program, which aims to educate their apprentices and trainees from farm to plate.  Each quarter they take their apprentices to meet a regional producer of an ingredient, learn some more about the ingredient and participate in a Masterclass to learn how to cook with it.  The apprentices are then set the challenge of using the ingredient to develop a  menu for a dinner for the chefs and their guests.

Move over Masterchef – this is the real deal!

So like most good ideas, the chefs wanted to talk about this one over a couple of beers and we never say no to beer.  So far we’ve assisted the chefs to create a brand name and logo The Four Chefs, set up a basic website, got our good friend photographer and office flatmate Paul Chapman involved to create some stunning imagery, generated some media attention and connected them with our client the Capital Region Farmers Markets – who have built a mobile kitchen that the guys and their apprentices are using for monthly public cooking demonstrations using regional produce.

So what did I learn about Truffles that I didn’t know before:

1.    They are a fungus that grows on the roots of certain Oak Trees – the ones that grow all around Canberra so maybe a truffle hunt in the streets of Ainslie might be on the cards!

2.    The romans were the first ones to eat them though who knows what possessed them to eat something that resembles something that comes out the rear end of a horse

3.    They can retail for anywhere up to $3000 a kilo depending on quality

4.    The French use female pigs to sniff them out as their smell resembles the feromones of a male pig on heat which means they need no training to find them

5.    In Australia pigs are not allowed to be used for sniffing out truffles and so dogs are trainined similar to customs dogs to sniff out the prized nuggets
And where to from here with The Four Chefs?  Well like most good ideas the next bit will also come over a couple of beers – truffle infused this time!

Some ideas so far have included a capital region cookbook, cooking school and Masterclasses, gourmet tours of Canberra, special event dinners and maybe even a kitchen product range.

If you’re like me and became a Masterchef tragic over the last month, what are your ideas for where The Four Chefs idea could go? If you leave us a good one you might even get a look in at the next quarterly dining experience.

We all know the type of building and construction on-site signage that you mostly see around the place – flimsy old signs that are dog eared and covered in cement!

Vince runs a small, family owned outfit that specialise in high end renovation and remodelling projects in the price range of 100k +.  He prides himself on delivering a very personalised service that helps his clients relax through their renovation, and a very high quality finished product in conjunction with some of Canberra’s leading architects and interior designers so we needed his signs to say something about this.

With Vince’s hammer close to hand, design firm Love Design delivering the graphics to our brief, and Signage One in Mitchell taking care of our printing onto an antigraffiti bullet proof aluminium, threesides project managed the job to deliver a signage concept that included a quality timber framing with solar panel lighting (as renovated by Vince).   The call to action on the signs is to visits Hot Chippies website to find out more about a specific offer Relaxed Renovations

And the result – well how do you track results of people looking at a sign?  Get them to provide their postcode when they register for more information on the Hot Chippies website which is showing an increase in postcodes that align to the regions where the signs have been placed on display.

When was the last time you did something different with your promotions like Vince?

1. Open your ears before you open your mouth
2. Social Media can be measured  - but measuring isn’t sexy right
3. Privacy still matters – but nothing has really changed
4. Keep being creative in how you use social media
5. Who is your target market:  are they digital immigrants or digital natives?
6. You can spend money in social media – Free is just the beginning
7. Real Time requires Real Time
8. You still need a plan and goals
9. Don’t follow fads
10. The best social media policy: START

To see the full presentation view it on Slideshare or better yet just view it below!

Did you attend the presentation?  Appreciate your feedback below.

It’s been a long time since i’ve been to Broken Hill so I was stoked to be invited to present a session on building successful tourism brands at the Community Economic Development Conference presented by NSW Government Industry and Investment. We run a lot of tourism marketing workshops for local government and councils across regional NSW so the topic was right up our alley.

Top 5 Highlights of the trip to Broken Hill

1)  Being told by one of my attendees that I delivered the best presentation she had seen at the conference -always great to get a high five at the end of a session.

2)  Meeting ‘Shorty’ in the photo here, a Broken Hill business icon who ran the first mailrun in the region.  Always love a good story of the forging of the mighty outback of Australia!

3) Meeting the Carlton United Brewery rep for the region at the pub next to my motel.  Who would have thought VB was still Australia’s number one selling beer.  You can get it any old how, matter as fact i’ve got it now

4)  Presentation by Michael Pascoe on the media myth of the big bad Australia debt that will plague our kids and kids kids.   Some nice stats Michael, i’m definitely hitting the mall this weekend full of all that renewed consumer confidence you have given me

5) Virtual horse racing during the conference dinner at the Broken Hill race track.  To see everyone cheering home their imaginary horses in between entree and main was gold!

As promised to those of you that attended the session – you can view my presentation here Community and Economic Conference Communities in Transition and remember –

Squeaky wheels don’t build good tourism brands!

Clint Wright May 2010 (have always wanted to quote myself somewhere)

If you have any comments, ideas or thoughts from the presentation, don’t be shy – leave a comment on this blog.

Nestled in the scenic Crackenback Valley in the NSW Snowy Mountains, the 18 individual two bedroom habitats blend in to the surrounding alpine bushland with 360 degree views across the valley floor, gentle hills and undulations, rocky outcrops and natural woodlands which are home to both native and farm animals.

For families, there’s plenty to do. With 40 acres of land for the kids to run around on, and an educational walking trail for them to explore, it’s a great addition to all the other fun things they can do and see in the region. In autumn and early winter they can spend a day learning to horse ride, then as it gets colder, learning to ski, or just throw the cold stuff around.  This can be complemented with a day on the Alpine Habitats property just playing in the outdoors, spotting local wildlife, riding pushbikes or kicking a ball around on the mowed area.

And for the parents, enjoy the intimacy of sharing a quiet drink and nibbles out on the verandah as the sun sets behind the mountains. Then as it starts to get more chilly, head inside for a glass of wine by the Eco Smart fire. There’s no better way to end a gorgeous day in the Snowies – and it’s a lovely way to relax and reflect upon your family’s activities.

The habitats are in walking distance to Thredbo Valley Distillery where you can sample schnapps in all the flavours of the fruit basket. It’s a lovely spot to spend an afternoon – grab a Distillers Platter, or sample the family friendly cafe menu – and enjoy the sweeping views through the valley.

The kids will love the habitats from the moment they arrive. They can delight in discovering which habitat is theirs with each individual habitat named after the flora and fauna of the region including echidna, pygmy possum and rainbow trout.  The habitats offer an optional children’s theme that transforms the eco retreat into a children’s wonderland. They’ll find games, toys and equipment in bright, fun colours to entertain.

Alpine Habitats was built by family men with children in mind and so all units are child friendly – from the basic comforts of heated polished concrete floors, to the leather lounges, making it easy to clean up those inevitable little spills. The bedrooms can be set up with kid’s themed furnishings, children’s tables and chairs in bright colours. There’s also a child step to make going to the toilet or brushing their teeth a lot easier. High chairs, port-a-cots and baby baths are also available for the tiny tots.

And with the habitats being Eco certified, it means you can enjoy 4 ½ star comforts and leave feeling a little better for the experience – not only are you getting back to nature, but you’re helping to preserve it for your family’s future.

 Located along the scenic Alpine Way, Alpine Habitats is less than 10 minutes drive from Jindabyne making it easy to grab supplies to cook up a family feast during your stay.  There are also plenty of restaurants, cafes and food stops in Jindabyne and Thredbo, and gourmet breakfast hampers are available in-room. It’s just a short drive from Thredbo village and snowfields and the Kosciuszko National Park, where your family can delight in seeing the lofty snow covered mountains.

 For more information on Alpine Habitats visit www.alpinehabitats.com.au. More information on what there is to do and see in the NSW Snowy Mountains can be found at www.snowymountains.com.au or www.thredbo.com.au.

Here’s an insight on the 5 step purchase decision making process that we all go through, and every business should consider when making decisions on when and how to communicate with their potential and current customers:

1.  Need Recognition – Lisa identified a problem she had to solve, ‘I need a wedding dress’   This need can be influenced by marketing activities such as advertising or PR to create a need or desire.  Ever noticed the number of cold and flu remedies advertised during the winter months.

2.  Information Search – Lisa then starts her search for information she needs to make a decision on solving her problem of finding a dress.  This could include word of mouth recommendations from friends and family,  sales people, website, print material, advertising, radio or visiting retail outlets to view options.

3.  Evaluation of alternatives – Lisa tried on a range of dresses at various outlets and then had to digest all the information about the various options to make a decision.  At this point, decisions can be strongly influenced by sales people defining the value of the dress, quality, unique finish, service that can be expected during fitting, how it differs from competitors products and why that matters.  Though of course Lisa was also strongly influenced by her bridesmaids – never under estimate the power of word of mouth and who really makes the decisions

4. Purchase – Lisa had made her purchase decision and this is where the actual process to make the purchase needs to be easy.  When a customer has made the decision to purchase a product, you need to be available where and when they want to buy with a range of payment options.  If you’re not, there is a chance they will go elsewhere particularly if a similar product or service exists.

5. Post-purchase freak out – Lisa purchased the dress though right up until the last fitting was constantly telling me “she wasn’t too sure about her decision“.  This is a common issue, particular with highly involved decisions such as a car or house.  At this stage follow up communication to reassure the customer they have made the right decision is great practice to build confidence in your brand.

Keep in mind that this 5 stage process happens really quickly for low involvement decision – I’m thirsty, there’s a coke machine, in goes your money, should have bought a sprite  OR take weeks and even months for high involvement decisions – buying a house.

So what have I learnt from watching my wife go through the purchase decision making process – happy wife happy life!

So if you loved the movie Mall Rats and have ever wanted to find out if ghosts really haunt the halls of Canberra’s museums and galleries, now’s your chance!

Who said there’s no nightlife in Canberra

What isn’t there to love about the place:

• ‘peak hour’ lasts for 25mins (20 mins without road works) – you’d be lucky to get to the corner shop in Sydney in that time.
• We get real seasons at the time of year they are meant to happen – unlike Melbourne that you wake up in winter, go to work in summer, lunchtime has fined up to a nice spring day and by 2.00pm you have the winter blues back again.
• We are located 2 hrs from the Snowy Mountains and 1.5 hours from the NSW South Coast – a 14 hour drive to the snow from Brisbane.

…and at this point everyone from interstate is going to start telling me that we don’t get massive concerts, we don’t have a grand prix, beaches or 1400 cafes down pokey little laneways.  I’m cool with that, that’s why I go on enough holidays to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and everywhere else in Australia because I love my whole country. We also have great clients across this region that gets us out the door and travelling all the time (NSW National Parks and Wildlife, Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk, Tourism Wollongong to pick a few).

But what I love most about Canberra is that we are the centre of attention for people that want to “love Canberra in Disguise” - also known as Canberra Bashing or Canberra knockers.  You get it in the media all the time “Today Canberra sent 1,000 more troops to Iraq” – “Canberra has set up a new immigration detention centre” – “Canberra plans new taxes on the poor”.

I AM CANBERRA as much as any politician and I didn’t decide any of those things.  Politicians from Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney decided those.   They are Australians, we are all Australians (time for a song??).  Canberra is a place where you can get a great cross section of what it means to be Australian – it’s where I love to live regardless of what politicians say or do all day up on the hill – Canberra is full of much more goodness than that.

The point of this blog post you ask?  A pro-Canberra rant? A stop Canberra bashing rant? A shameless plug for six of our clients? No – the whole point of this post was to give you a great lead into a really funny video (aired on ABC’s Hungry Beast TV show) that one of our friends at the Australian Instititue of Sport sent me through (We worked on their Tourism Award win with them).

This made me laugh – it’s got all the good bits of Canberra in it and does a great job of taking the piss at the same time – Truly Australian Humour.

Enjoy – Todd.

Image courtesy of The Canberra Times

The National Gallery of Australia’s blockbuster exhibition, Masterpieces from Paris has smashed the exhibition attendance record of 370,000 and expects to hit 400,000 visitors by Easter Saturday.

Threesides was contracted at the commencement of the exhibition to assist the Gallery with the tourism and partnership marketing. This included working with tourism industry partners to develop Masterpieces packages and encourage visitors to Canberra. Partners include 100 local tourism operators as well as the likes of QANTAS, the ACT Government and Accor, to name a few. As result of these successful partnerships and marketing efforts, with current daily figures of about 5,000 projected to continue Masterpieces from Paris may even reach half a million visitors.

“The response to Masterpieces from Paris has been incredible and we are very pleased that people from all over Australia and, indeed, from all over the world have experienced this exhibition.” Gallery Director, Ron Radford said.

“About 80 per cent of visitors have travelled from interstate or overseas, and feedback continues to show that more that 97 per cent of visitors surveyed rate the exhibition as impressive or very impressive,” He continued.

Due to popular demand, visitors may also spend a night with the Masters when the gallery opens its doors for 32 hours straight on the last Saturday of the exhibition, April 17.

Masterpieces from Paris is on show at the National Gallery of Australia between 10am and 5pm from Sunday to Thursday and 10am and 9pm on Friday and Saturday’s. Tickets are available online via Ticketek, $25 for adults and $6 for children up to the age of 16.

So does tourism marketing work for attractions? 400,000 people can’t surely be wrong!