People’s opinions are a privilege not a problem: Lessons on ‘cycle salience’ from Tourism Australia
Tourism Australia has a fairly enviable role: to make the beautiful Australian beaches, wildlife, weather, and lifestyle look appealing to international holiday-makers.
The organisation has the might of Robert Irwin, who is currently starring in its latest campaign, plus the sheer luck of him booking a high-profile role on the US version of Dancing With The Stars as the campaign kicks off. And did we mention the weather?
It should be an easy role. But, as Susan Coghill, chief marketing officer at Tourism Australia, explains during the opening talk at Mumbrella’s Travel Marketing Summit on Thursday morning, Australia’s tourism campaigns aren’t just competing with other countries for your attention, but with what she calls “the content jungle.”
Susan Coghill address the Mumbrella Travel Marketing Summit
“Hundreds of millions of travel posts on Instagram, billions on Tiktok, and YouTube, every minute, another 500 hours of content is uploaded,” she says.
“Think about that! 500 hours of content every minute. More than you could watch in a lifetime, in the time it takes me to say this sentence. It’s insane. It’s a great reminder that destinations aren’t just competing with each other. We’re competing with the sheer volume of content being pushed to people every moment of every day.”
And that’s before the streaming channels enter the conversation, with shows like Emily In Paris, and The White Lotus acting as effective tourism brochures and driving millions of dollars in holiday decisions.
“Screen tourism has been around as long as there’s been screens,” she explains, joking “part of the reason I’m here in Australia is because I’ve watched Crocodile Dundee in my formative years – and because INXS Kick was the soundtrack to my freshman year in college.”
This is where cycles of salience — a term Coghill admits sounds like terrible market jargon — come into play.
She explains: “A cycle of salience between a brand, or in our case, a destination, doesn’t just get noticed once, but keeps returning to the cultural conversation.
“Each spark, piece of content, a campaign, a celebrity post, a TV show, it adds another loop. The more loops you create, the harder you are to ignore. Those cycles are helping us make Australia impossible to miss in a world where destinations are competing harder than ever.”
Coghill shares a handful of lessons around creating cycles of salience for a brand.
Consistency compounds impact
“We’re very committed to consistency over time. Because cycles don’t build themselves. They need those familiar cues that keep moving. Chapter two worked because chapter one had already laid those codes. So define your brand codes and use them everywhere. Distinctive outfits, mascots, icons, taglines. These things pay dividends when they show up again and again.”
Believe in your superpower
“Every destination, every brand has a truth that no one else can know when you tell it in your own unique way. Ours is about genuine connection,” she said, of Australia’s friendly reputation. “Yours might be a take-on food, culture, or adventure. Find it, name it, and put it at the centre of absolutely everything that you do.
“Because that’s what will help fuel cycles of salience that last.”
Local relevance makes you shareable
“Pair your brand code with voice and story to feel authentic in-market, and that balance will help you create earned media, organic amplification, and those cycles that will travel further. Keep the conversation going.”
A single campaign isn’t a cycle
“You need multiple ignition points. Cultural moments, seasonal books, events, stories, things that will keep people talking. Plan for a drumbeat, not a one-off, and design content that invites participation from your audience.”
Interesting, not perfect
“What cuts through isn’t always polish, it’s personality. People share what surprises or entertains them, not necessarily what looks immaculate. Give them something worth talking about, even if it’s a little rough around the edges.”
People will have opinions
“One thing I’ve learned is that people will always have opinions about a tourism campaign. It’s practically a national pastime in Australia. But here’s the thing: That is not a problem. That is a privilege. It means that people care.
“It means that what we do sparks conversation, and that’s what strong marketing is meant to do. The key is not to let the noise throw you off course. If you’ve done the work, grounded your strategy, stayed true to your brand, then trust it. Hold your course.
“My advice on this point is really simple. Welcome the conversation, even the criticism, because it means you’re cutting through.
“You can build salience by being in culture, not by sitting on the sidelines. Take it, listen to it, and learn from it.”
Coghill stresses that “cycles of salience don’t just happen, they’re built with consistency, creativity, and connection.”
Of course, you have to allow for chance, too. As she explains, “sometimes, cycles of salience aren’t planned. They come from culture itself.”
Like when the charming star of your campaign happens to net an audience of millions on American network TV.
“Robert Irwin joining Dancing with the Stars in the US wasn’t something we planned, but it’s the exact kind of cultural moment that helps amplify everything else we’re doing. And we are now timing our US launch around the airing of that first episode,” she explains.
“When your campaign talent becomes a part of that cultural conversation independently, that’s when you know that you’ve chosen the right people. And looking ahead, we’re not leaving salience to chance. We’re deliberately stacking sporting cultural moments, the Lions Tour, the NFL in Melbourne, the Ashes, the Rugby World Cup.
“We’re creating a drumbeat of attention that builds towards that once-in-a-lifetime spotlight of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. Each event becomes another loop in the cycle.
“Each one makes Australia a little more a little more difficult to ignore.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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