For years, regional destinations and regional tourism businesses have asked constantly how they can get better results from their advertising.

The main reasons why regional tourism advertisements don’t succeed are as follows

• advertisements do not convey the message that customers want to read about the destination or product. Too often advertisements express what the seller wants to say rather than provide the information that customers are seeking.
• format of the advertisement fails to attract the attention of customers
• advertisement is too small
• advertisement is a “one-off” - these advertisements only succeed in exceptional circumstances
• advertisement appears in a newspaper or magazine which is not read by the target market or target market segment
• advertisement appears where there is no supporting destination marketing or proven market demand
• advertiser fails to recognise the difference between uncommitted travellers yet to decide which destination is to be visited by comparison with customers who have chosen a particular destination but are still undecided as to where to stay, what to do, etc
• advertisement is in a publication with poor distribution.

This paper addresses the problems outlined above and other issues that limit advertising results.  There are many hints and tips provided including indications as to which advertisements would be a compete waste of money.

This paper is structured with

• a definition of “advertising”
• a review of the various advertising options available
• do’s and dont’s
• a need to have an annual marketing plan, even a simple one.  Benefits go straight to the “bottom line”.
• format of advertisements - very important
• evaluation of results, also very important.

About the author

The author of this paper has had a lifelong career in tourism, marketing, aviation and business management.  Before starting Advance Tourism in 1988, Norm held appointments with Trans Australia Airlines / Australian Airlines which included Holiday Travel Manager, National Group and Convention Manager, State Manager Tasmania and General Marketing Manager. These posts included marketing and management responsibilities throughout Australia and overseas.

As consultants specialising in regional tourism, Advance Tourism has been directly involved in assisting regional tourism from large regions to small tourism businesses with their marketing.

This background makes it possible to produce this reference paper which is designed to help regions and tourism businesses get better results from funds spent on advertising.

definition of ADVERTISING

Advertising is one of the main elements of the market communications mix. It involves using paid media to communicate persuasive information about a destination, product or service.  Advertising is used to provide information and influence attitudes amongst customers. Advertising can be directed at customers in either a targeted narrow way or in broad geographic applications.

Advertising has three basic objectives

• to inform customers about new products, experiences, services and other information that they need to be know
• to persuade customers to purchase a destination or product, to perceive a destination or product differently or change a brand preference (as an example to perhaps change a customer’s preference for a destination or change of accommodation at a destination) or
• to remind customers about a destination or product, where it may be purchased or how it may be purchased (booked).

Customer buying patterns

When planning tourism advertising it is essential to consider customer buying patterns when planning a holiday (even tourism industry staff). These are the usual steps for most people.

Step 1.  Type of holiday  Usually the first question is “what type of holiday do we want?” This may be a seaside holiday, a touring by car holiday, perhaps a fishing trip, a restful quiet break in a mountain retreat, a houseboat holiday or one of many other options.

Step 2  Location  “Where is the best place for our chosen type of holiday?” Will it be within the same state, interstate, perhaps New Zealand?”

Step 3  Other activities  “What else will we do while there?” ”What other attractions or activities are available to enjoy? Other activities of appeal may be bushwalking, visiting wineries, playing golf, water skiing, river cruises, shopping, etc”  While there may be a main reason for visiting a destination, usually customers want to know about other features.

Step 4  Accommodation   “Where shall we stay?”  “What options are there in type, standard and tariff?”

Step 5  Dates and travel method  “When do we want to travel?”   “How will we travel?”

Step 6  Bookings “How do we make bookings?”  “Do we need to book in advance?”

Assistance with information.  When formulating travel plans, frequently customers need information to assist with their decisions. The most popular sources of information are

• Visitor Information Centres (reached by phone, e-mail or writing)
• Internet, websites are very popular with both Australian customers, particularly in capital cities, and overseas visitors
• destination brochures
• travel agents (particularly for some destinations reached by air services or cruises)
• automobile clubs (for touring customers)
• friends and relatives who have previously visited the intended holiday destination.

It is important to note that selection of the destination is a significant part of the process of planning leisure travel.  If customers know little about the destination, it is not likely to be high on their list of preferred places to visit.

The various steps above need to be kept in mind when designing tourism advertising.

advertising has changed

In recent times advertising strategies have changed.  In the “old days” the practice was to rely on mass media motivating customers to make purchases to achieve marketing objectives. In the “old days” the choice for advertisers was largely morning and afternoon city newspapers, TV and radio.  Today there are no afternoon newspapers but there are more “free-to-air” TV channels and cable TV.  “Free-to-air” TV has become so expensive that even some State Tourism Organisations are unable to fund TV advertising and have turned to cable TV, cinema advertising and other means to communicate with their markets.

In the “old days”, advertising was used to reach a broad range of people usually to promote a destination or product. Today, tourism uses targeted advertising which is far more cost/effective where generation of business is the priority.

A major new development has been the introduction of the Internet. It’s widespread use by customers and the travel industry in major markets in Australia and overseas  has had a dramatic impact for tourism. Consumer media is increasingly directing customers to contact their website to access further information and to make purchases. This development is seriously under-estimated by large numbers of regional tourism organisations and businesses - to their detriment. Anecdotal evidence from regional tourism businesses with their own website is that commercial benefit has been so significant they would not be without this new medium.

There is a wide range of options available where regional destinations and tourism businesses may spend their marketing budget.  Some of the choices include

Options are explained with hints and tips on the following pages

Print media

Widespread misunderstanding

Businesses in tourism are  faced with two levels of marketing

Many tourism businesses recognise the need for marketing for their business but feel it is the responsibility of some-one else to market the destination, not them. This is not correct.

Every business that gains benefit from the visitor industry needs to support destination marketing.  The undertaker in Tenterfield NSW has long been a member of the local tourism association as that enterprise gets business from the visitor industry.

Because individual businesses alone cannot afford to fund destination marketing, around regional Australia are private sector regional and local tourism organisations comprised of members who are local tourism businesses. The role of these organisations is to

• undertake destination marketing activities for their destination
• generate revenue for local tourism and other businesses.

Most Councils support this emerging new industry, tourism, because of

• the flow on benefits from the industry for the community
• the need for the destination to be competitive with destination marketing which the private sector cannot fund alone.

It is imperative that private sector tourism businesses, when planning their advertising budget, consider the need to support, and gain from, effective destination marketing.

Do’s and don’ts of ADVERTISING DO have a plan

No matter how small or how large is the tourism destination or tourism business, there needs to be an annual marketing plan, even a simple one.  It does not need to be complex but the plan will provide direction and help make better decisions about advertising opportunities as they arise. 

Any improvement in results from better control of expenditure will go straight to the “bottom line”.

Further details are shown later under “Importance of Marketing Plans”.

• to stimulate demand in a shoulder period. These advertisements may have a retail approach using packages to attract customers
• to promote a new feature like an attraction, extending trading hours, a motel adding a dining room or a houseboat operator adding new houseboats to the fleet
• to compete against new competition by reminding customers that they will still be welcome
• to take advantage from a tourism organisation’s destination marketing initiative.

The days have gone when advertisements can be scheduled without a clear business reason.  What the advertisement is designed to achieve should be stated up front so that evaluation is easier.

As indicated above, every tourism business needs to be cognisant of the importance of destination marketing.  If the customers do not visit your destination and go somewhere else, no tourism business or any other business will earn any revenue from visitors.

Many regional tourism businesses spend money on advertisements that fail to produce results.  Often they blame the newspaper, magazine, or other medium which was used.

Far too often the advertisement fails because it has a format that does not attract the attention of customers. The “Advertising formats” section of this paper has further details.

Advertising only once in any consumer newspaper, magazine, trade press, radio, TV or any other medium does not usually achieve anything. It takes a series of advertisements to have impact. Tourism businesses that schedule one advertisement should not be surprised when they get no response.

The only exception may be when the advertisement is included in a travel supplement featuring the destination which includes

• strong editorial exposure,
• other supporting marketing activity designed to target a specific market or market segment identified by the tourism organisation.

Sometimes a tourism business feels obliged to take an advertisement in a program for a local event.  This is usually for “good citizen” reasons.

Some tourism businesses say that they have a small budget and can only afford a small advertisement in consumer print media.  In that instance it is recommended that other marketing techniques be used. Small advertisements usually are not seen by customers and become a waste of money.

The exception is classified sections in newspaper regular travel features and automobile club magazines. They are read by prospective customers.

A major limitation with many advertisements is that they are designed to either

• show pride in the destination or product by the advertiser, and/or
• emphasise what the advertiser wants to sell.

Refrigerator manufacturers do not promote the size of the engine or the cubic capacity for storage.  Instead they address issues important to the customer such as the size of the freezer shelf, how the  milk and other drinks are stored, compartment for eggs, chiller tray and ease of access to the various features.  The WIIFM factors for refrigerators are storage and convenience, that’s what customers want.

Customers do not usually share your enthusiasm for your destination or your product.  They want to be certain that what you are offering will be enjoyable for them and will cater for what they want.

Any tourism advertising must recognise that customers decide whether or not they will “buy” the destination, attraction, place to eat, motel, B&B, caravan park, etc. on the strength of the WIIFM factor.  Will it provide an enjoyable experience, is it located to suit their needs, will the accommodation be part of the fun, etc?

When a customer sees any tourism advertising, always at the back of their mind, in some form, is the question, “what’s in it for me?”

If customers cannot see any benefits to enjoy,  the sale (booking or attraction entry) will be lost.

In the interests of “saving a few bob”, tourism destinations and tourism businesses sometimes use photos that look as if they have been taken from a family snapshot album. Such photos can be a real “turn off”.

There is a technique for good tourism photos.  By browsing through brochures produced by Tasmanian Temptation Holidays, Qantas Holidays, Sunlover Holidays, cruise ship companies, New Zealand brochures and others, the standard will soon be clear. This needs to be matched to be competitive. 

Any tourism destination or tourism product needs to use photographs that impress customers otherwise they may think your destination or product is second rate. If this occurs not only will you have “saved a few bob” in the expenditure column, but the revenue column will be down too.

When choosing a professional photographer to take photos it can help to choose a photographer skilled in tourism photos. As an example a photographer who is good with wedding photos may not have the skills for tourism photos which are quite different.

Unlike other products, tourism is about enjoyment, excitement, adventure, special interest, relaxation and particularly different experiences.

Destinations that are more successful have emotive advertising supported by brochures which enthuse customers with their carefully selected pictures, appealing design and exciting copy. Advertisements that use bland and uninteresting copy cannot expect to

• be competitive, or
• enthuse customers about their destination or tourism product.

Later in this paper are examples of copy (text) which are designed to enthuse the customers.

A successful practice is where a group of local businesses join together to share the cost of a large advertisement to target their customers. Good examples are groups of B&B businesses at a destination sharing the cost of a large advertisement in a newspaper, local destination brochure or an AAA directory. A good example is shown on pages 270-271 of the 2003-2004 edition of the AAA Queensland directory where 13 accommodation businesses have joined with the Hervey Bay Tourism Bureau to promote Hervey Bay.  The double page advertisement highlights the features that customers enjoy at this destination and then offers a selection of 13 accommodation properties.

Exercise caution - advertising in new markets

Some think that new markets can be developed with advertising alone.  With tourism, this is extremely difficult to achieve.  There needs to be supporting marketing activities in place. 

As an example, some regional destinations have attempted to tap into the NZ market but have had disappointing results because neither customers or the travel industry in NZ are familiar with their destination.

Within Australia, the same applies.  Developing new markets can take up to three years and usually requires a defined marketing strategy.

Advertising is likely to be unsuccessful without supporting publicity, promotions, industry briefings and easy access by customers to brochures and/or website

importance of marketing plans

Every destination needs a destination marketing plan as do individual tourism businesses. Such plans do not have to be complex but there is a need to prepare a plan each year which defines

• existing markets to be serviced with marketing initiatives to maintain market share and to increase demand
• existing market segments to be protected and expanded further
• cooperative marketing initiatives.  For tourism businesses this should mean joining with the tourism organisation to help market the destination.  This can include an advertorial in the destination brochure, a listing on the website, participation in special promotions or other activities.
• new business to be developed
• reprint of existing brochures
• direct mail. etc

Once a simple plan has been produced, it becomes much easier to plan how budgets and other resources will be used.

One benefit is the ability to more easily define which advertising opportunities (there are many each year) which offer business potential as distinct from those that would be a waste of money.

Regional tourism spends large sums each year on advertising but how much proves to be effective?  Many advertisements fail to produce results and poor design is often the reason. Advertisements that work follow a number of basic rules.

First and foremost, successful advertisements carry a strong message that relates to the reader.  It grabs their attention, and excites their interest by presenting customer benefits in a compelling, involving way.  The advertisement heading describes the one key selling point that will enthuse the reader.  This should have no more than eight words.

The copy then expands on this and talks about other advantages, expressed in terms that readers understand.  The advertisement needs to have a warm, friendly, reassuring personality.  It should be honest, simple and clear with no fancy design gimmicks or flash graphics.  It doesn’t have to strive for effect, because a good advertisement taps the potential customers’ emotions, and appeals to their needs with telling words.

Chances are non-performing advertisements will be self-serving by putting the brand name (name of the business) at the top instead of a hard working headline.  This is the lazy way to do it.  The reader reaction will be “OK, so you call yourself Black Stump Valley.  So what?  Why don’t you tell me.

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