Creative Strategy
What is the basic problem/issue to be addressed?
To develop a Promotional Plan for the 5 Lands Walk for 2012.
Objectives:
To develop a creative strategy that will increase visitation by ________ over (period of time).
The strategy will target existing audiences as well as widening the appeal to potential
audiences.
Target Audience:
Currently: Local residents, visiting friends and relatives, walking groups, Indigenous
communities, and people with an interest in photography in Sydney, Newcastle and the
Hunter Valley.
Audience for promotional plan: As above with the addition of ethnic and niche communities,
and different age groups within the local residents (young adults & young couples, as well as
families and retirement-age residents.)
Major selling idea to communicate:
“Around the World in 9km” – to replace the current tagline of “Connecting people to people
and people to place.” An interactive experience of local AND international cultures with the
beautiful backdrop of the coastline and the added attraction of whale-watching.
Creative Strategy Statement:
Advertising creativity is defined as ‘the ability to generate fresh, unique and appropriate
ideas that can be used as solutions to communication problems.’ As a group we have
identified the need to emphasise the uniqueness of the event and refresh the marketing angle
so as to attract a larger audience.
We have concluded that there are communication problems between the managers of the
event and the general public which has affected their knowledge of the event and therefore
their decision to attend the event or not. It seems that not enough local residents are even
aware that the event is taking place; let alone what the day involves. Our aim is to rectify this
by ensuring that at the very least, all of the residents living in the suburbs of Terrigal through
to Macmasters Beach are knowledgeable of the event. The aim of our promotional plan is
also to increase awareness of the event in neighbouring suburbs of the Gosford City and
Wyong Shire region, and ideally over the coming years to the Sydney and Newcastle regions.
We aim to encourage those people who have a particular interest in or are descendant from
the ethnic communities showcased in the event to attend, i.e. Greek, Phillipino, Aboriginal,
etc. As a result of these conclusions, we have proposed a change to the advertising of the
event, suggesting “Around the world in 9km” as the new tagline for the event. We have
decided that this phrase encapsulates the unique nature of the event more accurately and
clearly – people know right from the word go what the day involves and the kind of
experience that they will have. Currently the tagline is long, the phrase itself doesn’t flow and
while it is meant to evoke a sense of affiliation with people and place, it does the opposite
and alienates the receiver and the audience. The phrase seems intended to appeal to people
with a specific and perhaps professional interest in social studies rather than the general
public. The new phrase is shorter, “grander” and reminiscent of ideas in the public’s general
knowledge.
Supportive information/requirements:
“Around the World in 80 Days” was originally a classic adventure novel by the French writer
Jules Verne, however the title of the book has been re-used and the story adapted in many
different areas of popular culture, including film – the 2004 movie directed by Frank Coraci
and others; animation, TV, theatre, music, etc.
The phrase will headline our advertising campaign, and it is expected to overcome some of
the communication problems discussed above. Refreshing the advertising campaign would
also involve a review of the images and graphics associated with the event, including flyers,
posters, and the 5 Lands Walk website so that they reflect this phrase and the ideas it
conveys.
Advertising execution:
Straight-sell, with testimonials and demonstrations – potential demonstrations in shopping
centres as part of the promotion of and lead-up to the event.