Four agencies in the running to rebrand Australia
The $3m project to rebrand Australia for the world has come down to four agencies.
In June, the Australian Government’s Austrade sought expressions of interest to create a stronger brand for Australia and said it was looking for “the best creative minds” to create the next generation of Australia’s international branding.
Part of the project includes promoting Australia as a tourism destination
It can now be revealed that in late November, four agencies pitched for the $3m contract, which has a time frame of delivery up until 2021.
Saatchi & Saatchi, Host/Havas, Interbrand Australia and Clemenger BBDO Sydney all had short-term $22,000 contracts with Austrade in November to pitch for the business.
Once decided, the responsible agency is charged with cementing Australia as a trusted exporter of premium-quality goods and services, a competitive investment destination, a quality provider of education and a great place to visit.
The government said the winning agency will develop a “contemporary” nation brand platform including brand strategy, brand narrative, visual identity, brand architecture, associated brand assets and creative material.
“This is a transformational project for Australia and we’re looking for the right agency partner to join us for the ride,” the government said.
“We’re looking for an agency that understands the depth and breadth of Australia’s capabilities and most importantly, knows how to articulate Australia’s competitive edge and how to present it to the world.”
The then-Turnbull government flagged its intentions to create a “stronger brand for Australia” back in November 2017, saying a unified national brand would help exporters sell their products and services to the world.
“A unified brand will bring together Australia’s export strengths – such as tourism, agricultural products and education – under one Australian banner,” the Trade Minister’s office said.
A brand isn’t what you say about yourself, it’s what people say about you.
With only $3million, compared to the efforts and hundreds of millions invested over decades by others I hope the client and agencies are smart enough to integrate rather than restate positioning.
The trick with effective strategy of this sort is invariably not to come up with a brilliant underfunded idea, but to get diverse people to take a step in the same direction.
Toby Ralph
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Pure Australian Goodness.
http://www.pureaustraliangoodness.com.au
Job done.
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Let’s see how “B2B” brand Australia from Austrade and “B2C” brand Australia from Tourism Australia fit together, or not. And the extent to which the States get on board into an overarching brand framework, IMHO, having swum deep into this particular pool in about 2006 and also recognising there are strong views on both sides of the argument, there should be one brand with different value props to different customer types. But this does require a high level of collaboration and quality co-governance. Should be no problem, right…?
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There’s only one brand agency in the mix?
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Over the years there have been a few of these flag waving exercises proposed. No real brief, no real strategy, just wheel spinning by panic stricken governments trying to provide evidence of industry. Each agency invests time and budget into a pitch that in the end doesn’t go anywhere. The excuses : too busy with election, new government with new priorities, bad policy from previous government. If you’re in this pitch put on the juniors, the sooner they learn disappointment the better for their future development.
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Bloody good idea Michael, bloody good.
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Please refer to the Mumbrella opinion piece on this subject that explains why ‘No Worries’ could be the answer here… (it’s a lot more sophisticated than you initially may think).
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