Entertainment & Music oprah audience

[Bert1]

Ha. Yeah Oprah's heaps cool.

 

[Ghostwriter]

'hundreds' of bookings have been made...

 

[Bert1]

'hundreds' of bookings have been made...

By Oprah to the caterers.

 

[Copernicus]

No one I know has made any indication that Oprah has convinced them to go to Australia. Of course, the people I know actually work and don't have middle aged stay at home wives, so probably not the target demographic.

It's hard to say if this will have any real impact. Most people I talk about Australia to say exactly the same thing: "I've always wanted to go."

But they don't, because it's bloody expensive and too far away. It remains out of reach for all but the committed traveller and grey nomads.

 

[DarwinRoo]

I understand however if I recall correctley the liberals had won more votes and seats outright. The fact remains that our leader was "elected" by three Independents who chose the Labor party. Once again not by the people of Australia. Julia was never accepted is not accepted and will never be accepted, in my opinion, as a leader. In the first instance she backstabbed the then PM Kevin Rudd and in the second instance she was 'elected' by a select few.

You are right though we never elect a leader, however in this case not even the public were able to elect the party or the coalition of parties thereof.

Incorrect.

 

[peejay]

No one I know has made any indication that Oprah has convinced them to go to Australia. Of course, the people I know actually work and don't have middle aged stay at home wives, so probably not the target demographic.

It's hard to say if this will have any real impact. Most people I talk about Australia to say exactly the same thing: "I've always wanted to go."

But they don't, because it's bloody expensive and too far away. It remains out of reach for all but the committed traveller and grey nomads.

Atlanta is not the target market for the USA in terms of Visitors to Australia.

Its the west coast & north east pocket. However with Qantas now flying to Dallas that might open up the region somewhat.

Travel time from West Coast to Aus is roughly the same as West coast to europe. Cost ( air fare) is also similair now .

 

[Ghostwriter]

So where are all these Americans?, seems like the reverse is happening.
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/now-even-americans-cry-come-on-aussie-20110224-1b6te.html
Surely now we will see mass resignations at the Tourism Commission, they have got this one horribly wrong.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Still waiting for the influx of Americans, i'm dissappointed too because I mortgaged my house to open a souvenir shop just to cater for the influx of Americans which hasn't happened, where are they?, I will soon have to put off my workers and close the shop which sells cuddly Koalas and kangaroo toys as well as Harbour bridge replicas, all made in China mind you, more people to add to the growing unemployment queues.
Surely there will be resignations en masse at Tourism Australia, this decision is throwing people out onto the streets, what with winter coming on surely adds to the misery.

 

[grizzlym]

From today's Age:

Tourism boost, or just a phantom of the Oprah?


OPRAH Winfrey's imprimatur has launched careers, spawned business empires and raised millions of dollars for charity, but the ''Oprah effect'' has not revived Australia's flagging tourism industry in the US.


The number of visiting Americans continues to fall, despite claims from Tourism Australia that the talk show star's tour last year was worth $360 million in global publicity. The Sunday Age can also reveal that Tourism Australia's chief, Andrew McEvoy, gave a reporter incorrect US arrival figures for May, which he claimed was the first sign of the campaign's success.


Industry experts are questioning the $5 million taxpayer-funded tour, with some saying the money should have been spent on the booming Chinese market.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/travel/tra...f-the-oprah-20110716-1hjbh.html#ixzz1SJUa2rfH

 

[Messenger]

Can't blame Oprah for the AUD surging while the US economy tanks.

Looks to be money poorly spent though.

 

[grizzlym]

Can't blame Oprah for the AUD surging while the US economy tanks.

Looks to be money poorly spent though.

How I see it is that as a tactic it might be ok, but as a branding strategy it lacks. And the issue that tourism Australia has - as evident by the recent campaigns and roster of agencies involved - is one of brand. Building a brand around Oprah 'aint going to work.

 

[Ghostwriter]

Sent an email to TA a few weeks back quoting these figures, still haven't recieved a reply.

 

[grizzlym]

In the world of marketing/comms, the Oprah idea would be disparagingly called a 'client idea'.

The client is 'excited by it, and all they want is someone to execute it. The truly good people out there don't touch these sorts of things (unless of course it's a cracker of an idea and sound in strategy), but there's no shortage of companies who'll grit their teeth, smile and say a bunch of insincere words while pocketing the money.

Famously, the great Qantas ad with 'still call Australia home' was conceived by the old head of Qantas. No agency wanted a bar of it until Singo saw the merit (and the money) in it, and made the thing. Very much the exception instead of the rule.

 

[Caesar]

By what metric is this being marked a failure?

The way I see it, the move delivered what it was supposed to deliver in spades - positive and massive exposure embedded in content consumed by hundreds of millions of people. The value of that on a pure dollar basis is undeniable.

To say that it has failed based on tourist numbers IMO gives far too much credit to the importance of marketing and advertising in product delivery. There are plenty of other factors far more relevant and important that are driving these trends.

 

[pickman]

By what metric is this being marked a failure?

The lack of Yanks jumping on planes heading here.

 

[grizzlym]

By what metric is this being marked a failure?

The way I see it, the move delivered what it was supposed to deliver in spades - positive and massive exposure embedded in content consumed by hundreds of millions of people. The value of that on a pure dollar basis is undeniable.

To say that it has failed based on tourist numbers IMO gives far too much credit to the importance of marketing and advertising in product delivery. There are plenty of other factors far more relevant and important that are driving these trends.

Well, exposure or branding (whatever you want to call it) is something that cumulatively adds to the brand's equity. From that perspective this sort of activity is not at all effective - you can't build on it, it gives you no platform, it doesn't leverage anything. It's in isolation to the work that preceded it and, what I imagine is the work to come. Ask yourself the question: can Oprah be the face of Australian tourism going forward? To me, the answer is no.Therefore it's a tactic.

Rather activities like this are purely tactical and any marketing team worth their salt would have performance measures in place i.e. bums on seats, enquiries, that sort of thing to gauge the ROI.