A BOLD campaign to market Mildura as a tourist destination is kicking goals.
Anyone who has been watching the AFL finals will have noticed the Visit Mildura branding on their television screens in recent weeks.
The LED boundary signage has been accompanied by commercials being played at finals venues on the big screen, as well as a full-page advertisement in the Footy Record, which will include the Grand Final.
It has also involved some regional radio advertising.
To understand the reach, the Brisbane v Richmond game a fortnight ago had the largest Channel 7 audience for a Friday night ever.
While some may question the value of promoting Mildura nationally as a tourist destination when borders are closed, the counter argument is there could never be a better time to sell the dream.
People all over the country have never looked forward to their next big getaway more.
The impact of the marketing campaign may not yet be known, but the numbers to the Visit Mildura website paint a positive picture.
Melbourne visitors to the site have jumped 12 per cent, Brisbane visitors to the site up are 17 per cent and Perth is up 66 per cent, while Geelong visitors to the site have skyrocketed by 700 per cent.
It can’t be coincidental that Brisbane Lions, West Coast Eagles and the Geelong Cats have participated in the finals series.
The Geelong numbers are especially encouraging given Victorians are going to have to holiday within the state while the borders remain closed.
Importantly, though, what this particular marketing campaign has achieved is increased brand awareness.
Personally, I’ve always felt since moving to Mildura some years ago that this region doesn’t sell itself anywhere near well enough to the rest of the state, let alone the country.
My wife and I are Victorians, but knew so little about the place before we moved that we had to Google “Mildura” to find out more.
In these extraordinary times, this region should not be afraid to promote itself strongly as a lifestyle and tourism destination.
We need to understand our assets and our identity and sell it. Now, perhaps, more than ever.
This is the food bowl of Australia, for starters, so the opportunities around that are endless.
The adage that you have to spend money to make money rings true.
And while it’s understood the deal struck with the AFL was far less than people may imagine, it’s a positive step that organisations like Mildura Regional Development are willing to think big in terms of their advertising reach.
The original plan was for a tram advertising campaign to coincide with the AFL finals and Spring Carnival in Melbourne, but that has now deviated with branded buses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.
On top of that, this weekend the Visit Mildura branding will not just appear on the AFL footy, but flash across our TV screens during coverage of the Bathurst 1000.
With the support of some generous local businesses, the Visit Mildura sign will be featured on the V8 car of Mildura driver Cam Waters as he contests the pinnacle of Supercars racing.
Waters enters Bathurst as one of the favourites so, all going to plan, his car will be front and centre for 1000 kilometres.
What a marketing dream.
