Tourism Australia’s Oprah House marketing coup
Tourism Australia has pulled off a huge PR coup, tying up a deal that will see part of the final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast from Australia.
The chat show queen, who has a large US following as well as global syndication, announced the plan to a screaming audience, telling them that they were invited too.
The nose of a Qantas plane then arrived onto the set, before Qantas ambassador John Travolta stepped out to join Winfrey.
Tourism Australia is to hold a press conference at the Opera House later today to discuss the plan.
The December visit – understood to be about ten days – will see Oprah and her audience tour Australia before it culminates in a show at the Sydney Opera House, or Oprah House, as headlines are already putting it.
She told the audience: “This is my last chance to do something really big. Maybe I should take all of you with me to the other side of the world. We’re going to Australia!”
Winfrey’s marketing influence is massive, with the impact her recommendation can have on book sales a celebrated marketing phenomenon.
Tourism Australia will be hoping that the impact on the travel plans of Winfrey’s audience will be similarly dramatic.
The announcement and the local interest it will generate in the show will also be a huge bonus for Ten, which has the Australian rights to Oprah.
This morning Ten said that its entertainment journalist Angela Bishop will interview Oprah via satellite later this week with the interview to be broadcast across Ten News, The Circle, and The 7pm Project.
Ten is fasttracking the Oprah episode that featured the announcement and it will be broadcast at 1pm tomorrow.
The PR effect of the Oprah visit is already obvious. At the time of posting, Google News already lists 1,461 articles relating to the visit.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said today: “The Oprah Winfrey show has a world-wide audience across 145 countries and we are delighted to partner with Tourism Australia on this amazing opportunity to showcase the best Australia has to offer.”
Qantas Airways, Tourism New South Wales, the Sydney Opera House, Tourism Victoria, Tourism Queensland, R.M. Williams and Network 10 are all partners in the venture, Tourism Australia chairman Geoff Dixon said.
He added: “We can showcase why there’s nothing like Australia to audiences around the world and encourage them to come and explore our country for themselves whether it’s their first time or their fifth time.”
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Three separate mentions on The Today Show in about 12 minutes. Amazing coverage. To the Tourism Aus team … “You’re getting a raise and you’re getting a raise and” – ok even I’m starting to get over that now
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And on the ABC local radio news. You can’t buy that!
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Oprah House … nice headline
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I can’t put into words how excited I am about this. I have felt physically sick all morning at the thought of missing out on a ticket. I have to go to this!!!
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How Exciting! I’d love to go and see her. Very amusing she will be at the ‘Opera House’ now dubbed the ‘Oprah House’.
I must say I love her hair in this clip. Makes her look fresh and youthful again.
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Also mentions on Sunrise and I have had many phone calls for my media mates this morning.
The tourism marketing machine is all fired up!!
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@Richele – Me too! Every time I even try and consider the fact that I won’t get a ticket, I feel ill. I know a lot of people don’t like her – but I LOVE HER!
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If this can translate to more US people coming to Oz … great! Smart execution absolutely, but let’s not get too excited about the local media coverage and buzz … it’s entirely expected and effectively preaching to the choir. What TA would be looking for are frequent full planes flying out of LAX to SYD/BNE/MEL first and foremost.
How is the US coverage?
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This is the greatest article you have published all year. Tourism Australia and Qantas marketing has just opened future doors for future organizations From Australia.
It’s definately what we call a success campaign already!
Look out for something into China as well, it’s something we work with.
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I don’t think all of our coverage combined gets anywhere near her audience for that one episode
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love the idea, love the pun.
love to know who’s idea?
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please get rid of the fairfax ad. it should only expand when my mouse goes over it and not block content #fairfaxadfail
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“entertainment journalist Angela Bishop”… entertainment journalist?.. err, oxymoron.. with the emphasis on MORON?
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Agree. Fairfax ad major fail. SO annoying!!
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Bloody great idea. Worth every penny. Hats off to DDB if they came up with it.
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How much is it costing Tourism Australia?
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Go Oprah, Go Oprah… oh wait, that is Ricky or is it Jerry….. Love Oprah!!!!!!!!! And wow, good partnership for sure, Americans will be coming over here by the screaming plane fulls!! Great for tourism business that’s for sure.
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What an exciting campaign to work on – I must say I’m a little envious! This is only day one, can’t wait to see the case study once the project is all wrapped up.
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Great news but they will all have their travel in Australia paid for.
The trouble is when the other USA visitors who come to Australia without the help of Opra, they will find that this country is probably one of the most expensive countries in the world to travel.
Customer service is sadly lacking in Australia. You pay exhorbitant rates for hotels, internet in hotels, food, tourist attractions, and half the time you pay a fortune for breakfast, which you would get for free in Japan and Korea. Internet is free at most hotels in those countries, and accommodation is certainly cheaper.
Australian Tourist commission and tourist operators need to spend more money on training staff in customer service, and in providing reasonable cost accommodation. When I can get a single room at a good business hotel with ensuite, free internet, slippers, gown in Osaka for $50 a night and have to pay $220 for a single room with no breakfast a night at Ayers Rock and $125 a night in Devonport – something is seriouly wrong in Australia with tourism high prices.
We also have flights that are delayed constantly, expensive flights in Australia for some routes and there is no fast train in Australia.
Carole Goldsmith
International Business Journalist.
Reporting across Asia Pacific Region for media in Australia, USA and Asia
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Absolutely cracking campaign – brilliant brilliant brilliant. I was wondering what on earth could be done to top the Greatest Job in the World and this may well have done it – although I’m reasonably sure this is costing Tourism more. Congratulations on a sensational idea!!
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Imagine all the phone calls, dotted Is and crossed Ts this deal took. Well done Tourism Australia, this will be worth all the hassle and whatever you spend on it. Plenty of US coverage in all the major outlets too, you just can’t buy that much exposure. Bring the world’s most influential celebrity from the world’s biggest consumer culture down here and serve up the best we have to offer – brilliant! We’ll probably have to watch from behind our crossed fingers at all the cork hats and forced accents but I don’t even care. I HEART THIS.
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@Carol – you raise valid points and I agree with you 100% on the cost of broadband, it’s one of the many reasons why our Government is investing in a national broadband network. However, I’d like to point out that for many many many decades countries in Europe such as England and France were incredibly expensive to travel – accommodation, food and services were all frightening yet it didn’t stop them from being massive tourist destinations.
Australia like all countries have levels of experience. It’s a very safe country to travel compared to many others and that’s why its such a massive destination for backpackers. Camping sites here are numerous, well serviced and reasonably priced. When people come here to visit THE OUTBACK, well, it’s in the middle of nowhere and facilities cost a lot to develop so yes, they cost more to stay at but hey, you can pitch a tent under the stars for nothing and frankly thats the best way to see Uluru anyway (only tourists and international business journalists call it Ayers Rock.
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Gee Carol we are sorry we went along with the abolution of slavery, serfdom, coolies and forelock tugging. if we knew you were coming we would have baked a crap cake.
We are ‘expensive’ because we pay real wages, provide a safe and clean environment, and in my experience you get the sort of service you deserve.
If your rant is anything to go by your attitude probably gets you what you deserve too.
We don’t want everybody to come, and if the people who want what you want go home and tell their friends we don’t have what you want then the standard of visitor will improve smartly.
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Three Hundred Americans?!
I didn’t think that many Americans had passports 😉
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Anyone else joining me for an Australian flag burning ceremony at The Rocks this afternoon?
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The team here think they should follow it up with a plane load of Aussies going to Noo York. TA could select them from the online campaign they did a few months ago when they asked everyday Aussies to tell them their favourite place in Australia. They would be the ultimate Aussie tour guides and spruik their choices to Americans in their own backyard.
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As has been said above, I agree that the real coup here is in actually landing the deal (no pun intended here). I would think the core idea came from pretty straight-forward word association, though we are going to have to settle for decades of Yanks (term of affection.. not a Ricicle), asking us where to find the Oprah House. In actually signing the deal with arguably the World’s greatest and most influential media celebrity, the TA team must have sweated blood…
Hats off to you all
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I see the naysayers are already grizzling about the $3m spend by the fed and state govts on bringing Oprah to Oz. That’s just 1/600th of the total economic value of US visitors to Australia last year according to the latest International Visitor Survey ($1.8 billion). It’s small change considering the importance of the market and the proven power of an Oprah endorsement.
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With all the players involved in this, it’s very impressive it didn’t leak until Oprah announced it. Presumably the tourism bodies didn’t tell their politician bosses until the last minute, otherwise it would have done.
Well done.
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When a single room in a yha costs $130 a night in sydney – i will spend my money and do my research in japan and korea
I handled all 250 of the media from around the world and OZ when the rock was handed back to the rightful owners and clive holding was the aboriginal affairs minister and yes it is called Uluru
I was PR mgr for Sheraton at the time
and worked there for a year. So I know ULURU and every crevice in the rock very well
you will not win on this one Australia is an exhorbitant country to travel
carole
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@Carole, just as well we make up for the horrid expense by being so damn friendly.
I’m not really interested in winning, so you can take whatever points you think you’ve scored. I’m just exchanging a different perspective and opinion. That’s why Tim provides this lovely forum innit?
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Unfortunately people, it’s all expenses paid including the $3m Australia/NSW is pitching in for the 450 guests of our country. It’s a little like the recent World Youth Day which were told by the NSW Govt would be great for tourism. $40m later tourism to both Australia and Sydney languish at their lowest numbers in 35 years. Someone needs to get some perspective on this, particularly Tourism Australia. Granted the great O is fantastic publicity, does it necessarily translate? Did anyone actual do a cost/benefit analysis as was done by the NSW Audit Office on World Youth Day? I suspect we were all get excited for five minutes and realise it was a bit of fluffery.
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Three million is actually surprisingly cheap considering it cost GM $8 million to giveaway those Pontiacs a couple of years ago.
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Dear wet blankets,
If it’s $3M or $3M plus expenses…it’s PENNIES compared to what it would cost to buy that exposure in the USA. We’re talking about a country where you could spend that on one 30 second ad in the Superbowl! It’s already made every news broadcast and chat show in the USA…almost worth more than the annual budget TA spends in the USA already. Today.
And Australia may not be every American’s cup of tea for either experience or cost, but in a country of over 300 million, if even a few more thousand make the journey every year, it will pay for itself. Let’s not forget Oprah is one of the most famous and powerful people in the world, so really, this is potentially a Global campaign.
I’ve never been a big fan of TA or their campaigns….but I must begrudgingly admit…this is awesome!
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Very clever!
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Great idea.
TA’s site used to be flooded with US enquiries every time Steve Irwin appeared on Leno or Letterman.
I congratulate TA. If it was their idea – well done. if it was someone else’s – well done to them and to TA for approving it!
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@Carole…. just LOVE your signature. How professional of you. Really adds value to the nonsense comment.
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Id love to know who wrangled this deal. A masterstroke on many levels. It is probably worthwhile making sure it is all credited now, so down the track we don’t have DDB taking credit for it, when it was actually the clients idea. We wouldn’t want that now.
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A big thank you to TA for a really clever idea. Well done guys! Love your work
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I’m with the Apologist. Measuring the ‘success’ of this will be nigh on impossible. All it’ll do is get Angela Bishop to keep her silly job for another 5 minutes.
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Americans, happy for them to visit, spend their money and soak up the atmosphere here in OZ.
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was there an agency involved in this idea?
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http://www.wwtdd.com/2010/09/o.....r-3000000/
😉
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http://www.wwtdd.com/2010/09/o.....r-3000000/
“So Isla Fisher, Sophie Turner, S.I. model Natalie Mendoza, porn star Kiki Vidis, Miranda Kerr, Yvonne Strzechowski (the blond girl from ‘Chuck’), Holly Valance, Naomi Watts, Rose Byrne, Elle Macpherson, and Isabel Lucas came here. And Oprah is going there?
Wow Australia is really getting fucked in this deal.”
😉
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Great idea. But before everyone puts their hands up claiming credit [ now known as The Earth Hour Syndrome] can the client please tell us who created the idea. Heard it was one of Tourism’s own people in their L.A. office. Is that correct?
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@Carole where did you stay in Osaka and how long ago?
Last August the cheapest hostel in Osaka I could find was $25, 6 beds per room, no breakfast, no linen, and internet at extra cost. The idea of a business hotel for $50 seems unthinkable.
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Everyone I have spoken to is up in arms over this ridiculous publicity stunt. Here we are paying $3million (and thats only the beginning) to have a multi Billionairese come out with 300 people, supposedly in the name of promoting Australia to America and the world. Bunkum. The Americans wont come here for a number of reasons. One, they are broke. Two, they wont come while their dollar is so weak against ours. And three, they only get 2 weeks a year annual leave and Australia is too far away. Simple as that.
Oh and by the way – Carole Goldsmith is 100% right. Here on the Gold Coast, “customer service” is an oxymoron, like army intelligence and political correctness.
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This can only be a good thing for Australia. Yes the Tax payers are spending a lot to have her come here, but we also did that last year with Tiger Woods coming out to play in the Australian masters and that generated a lot for the local economy. We have a lot to offer in Auatralia, and one being the Yarra Valley wine region in Victoria. Which does have a lot more to offer than just wine, but we are producing some of the best food and wine in the Country. Bring her out I say 🙂
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When’s the announcement about (edited by Mumbrella as unverified) closing?
I’m curious to see the photon spin!
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love it, this is an excellent idea! for the 3mil plus expenses I think this is a phenominal investment. Aside from the international coverage the show gets itself, we can surely expect exposure through her website and magazine. we’re talking about one of the most famous people in the world, an international trend setter and when she’s enthusiastic about something it tends to spread like wildfire and if you saw the footage of her repeatidly screaming ‘we’re going to Australia!!!’ she seemed pretty excited 😀
Well done Tourism Australia.. maybe we could Lara Bingle involved somehow?? 😛
Hamish McBain
NOT an International Business Journalist.
NOT Reporting across Asia Pacific Region for media in Australia, USA and Asia
(but don’t hold it against me :P)
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Queen Victoria Building will be cleaned up for this.
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I suspect the only people who are complaining about the amount of money ($3mil AUD ffs) are people who don’t work in the industry who would be shocked to hear we spent over $180mil on those “where the bloody hell are you” ads.
I still want to know where in Osaka i can get a business hotel for $50. Anyone?
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Well it seems that most of the comments here have been posted by people with stars (literally) in their eyes. However, the fact remains that only a select few will benefit from all this nonsense. Many here go on about it being a “phenominal investment” and “good for Australia”. One person even said “I can’t put into words how excited I am!! ” Well, I would join that excitement if I thought this thing would provide tangible improvements, such as lower taxes, more realistic prices, better services and better customer service in the tourist and catering industry. Of course none of those will happen. Every year we have to put up the Qld Govt rabbiting on about how much money the Indy Carnival injects into our economy. But for most of us, nothing changes. We dont see any of the above improvements, in fact, just the opposite. Continually higher taxes and prices. So don’t tell me that this waste of $3m PLUS is going to benefit this country, only an elite few who will be seen posturing and falling at their feet for their own benefit.
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Sheesh, lighten up. Oprah is coming to town.
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