The tourism folk are again at the door with their begging bowls.  Surprise! they want more money ($40Million) to “market” tourism.

While we think tourism is a good thing, The Marketing Association (MAANZ) suggests to the government not hand over yet more good money until these folk learn to market better.

We listen to them on radio shows telling us they need “a combination of marketing and product” and burbling on about supply and demand factors.  Yikes!  “Product” is the very corner stone of marketing.  Not an add on.

If they understood “marketing” they would know of the foundation marketing model – the four P’s (Product, Price, Place and Promotion).  However, they continue to think of marketing as synonymous with the P for Promotion. 

 Not once do I hear them talking seriously or knowledgably about that other marketing basic – the target market.  If you haven’t got a target market (please stop them blathering about “the demographic”!) you don’t have focus and you cannot possibly devise a good Promotional (advertising; P.R. sales promotion etc) message.

The lack of marketing understanding and the subsequent lack of Promotional success will tell you why Laura Bloody Bingle and  Baz Luhrmann et al didn’t work.

The government can again  choose to throw more money away (into the willing hands of the ad agencies and media) in the hope that it may turn out to work (luck does happen) – or they could insist on the industry getting much more marketing smart.

 Dr. Brian Monger

FMA CPPM

Executive Director