The taxpayer-funded agency tasked with marketing WA to the world as a vacation destination has secretly dropped a new global campaign that was in production, it can be revealed.
Tourism WA did not respond to questions about the exact timing of the decision to abandon the project, which coincided with a period of upheaval that saw the appointment of a new chief executive and chairman.
The West Australian reported that the organization would not disclose the amount spent, but did not dispute that the cost was around $2 million or that a production crew had entered the state to film during the border closure.
“Initial production work” was done in September 2020, the same month Brodie Carr stepped down as Managing Director of Tourism WA. It took over a year for her replacement, Carolyn Turnbull, to be announced.
Tourism WA said the initial campaign “did not meet the long-term needs of the post-pandemic traveler”, but a new global brand to be unveiled next month was “based on the same key ideas but tailored to a market evolving world of travel”.
“As many organizations have experienced, COVID-19 has impacted service goals contracted before the pandemic. As a result, previous work to develop a new tourism brand for Western Australia has required revision due to changing consumer behaviors,” the statement read.
“Our journey towards our transformative new tourism brand for Western Australia began several years ago when Tourism WA developed and launched a unique tourism narrative for the state.
“The document ‘Western Australia Tourism – Our Story: The Spirit of Adventure’, which was created in consultation with over 500 tourism business owners and industry leaders from across the state, was a fundamental platform designed to inform a new consumer brand for the state.
“The first production work was carried out in September 2020 with the aim of creating and offering a new global consumer brand.
“Given the changing travel landscape due to COVID-19, the work did not meet the needs of the post-pandemic traveler and so the images were repurposed and used in the Wander out Yonder and Adventure mid-campaigns. Awaits to ensure that value was extracted from the work done to date. »
The “creative assets” resulting from this work were also part of the state government’s $12 million interstate marketing blitz that was launched when the border opened in March and continues to be used. overseas, the agency said.
For more on this story, check out The West Australian.
