Destination BrandWatch: Digital Campaigns from Tourism Australia, Canada & VisitBritain

Tourism Australia teams up with YouTube to promote Australia

Tourism Australia has teamed up with Google and YouTube in an innovative new digital marketing campaign, which will showcase many of Australia's most iconic visitor attractions to an international online audience of millions.

Making Tracks will see four international musicians from the US (two), the UK and Taiwan, who have recently been selected to take part in YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011, flown to Australia where they will each team up with one of Australia’s most promising musicians and take part in their very own journey Down Under.

The journeys, and the musical compilations which come out of them, will be filmed and later broadcast on YouTube and via Tourism Australia’s digital and social media channels.  Between them, the musical pairings will travel to every State and Territory and participate in a range of Australian experiences, including surfing at Bondi beach, a scenic flight over Uluru, an ocean walk on Kangaroo Island, a helicopter flight over the Twelve Apostles, journeying across the Western Wilderness in Tasmania, hot air ballooning over Canberra and a visit to the Sunshine Coast.

The campaign is the latest push in Tourism Australia’s highly successful digital strategy, highlights of which include a YouTube-branded channel and the recent There’s nothing like Australia marketing campaign, which has encouraged thousands of people around the world to share their favourite Australian experience.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0re84NEU1s&feature=player_detailpage]

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy believes that the creative collaboration with YouTube will enable Tourism Australia to reach new markets by focusing on music and the arts.

“Making Tracks is Australia’s own magical musical mystery tour and will open up some of Australia’s most iconic destinations and experiences to a huge, global online audience. I’m sure the experience will prove inspiring to all the musicians taking part. What better way to showcase Australia’s music, arts and culture than through these unique and highly personalised musical road trips through our great country.”

Source: www.tourism.australia.com

Canada Tourist Board uses QR barcodes for Facebook campaign

The Canadian Tourism Commission is adding QR barcodes to their current advertising to promote a Facebook social media campaign.

The barcodes will give smartphone users a convenient link from CTC ads direct to the board's website. QR barcodes allow people to use their camera and an app to read the code and the programme takes them to the CTC homepage.

This is not the first advertisement to use QR barcodes, it has already been adopted by brands like Calvin Klein. The Canadian Tourism Commission will be using the QR codes to help promote a social media competition on their Facebook page.

“We are excited about the opportunity to spread the Canada message wider than ever before since our re-organisation, and we certainly hope that all of us who have a vested interest in Canada’s tourism growth will benefit from this investment,” said Rupert Peters, managing director of Canadian Tourism Commission, London office.

Source: www.travolution.co.uk

VisitBritain Develop Inspirational TV Channel in Time for Royal Wedding and 2012 Olympic Games

VisitBritain, the national tourism agency has formed an innovative partnership with Geocast TV to develop, host and manage its new media site: VisitBritain TV.

Geocast TV is a specialist production company working with a range of digital media including film. Its brief is to develop a video and streaming media website which promotes British people and events, enabling the millions of overseas tourists who come to Britain to get the most out of their visit.

Justin Reid, Head of Digital and Social Media at VisitBritain said, “The Royal Wedding this year and the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 will provide unprecedented media exposure all around the world. We want to ensure we cater for the information needs and interests of both new visitors who are inspired to come to Britain for the first time and people who know us well and want to get under our skin more.

“As millions of people research ideas for holidays and days out online, we’ll be bringing them an enhanced media experience featuring news from around the country, live events, travel reports and feature programmes.”

Richard Day, Director, Geocast TV said, “We are delighted to be working with VisitBritain at this extremely exciting time. VisitBritain TV showcases Britain at its best, featuring events and programmes that will inspire people to explore more of the country. Our experienced production team will be delivering high quality programming for the site every week, enabling people to anticipate and plan their leisure itineraries.” Have a look at VisitBritainTV yourself now- http://www.visitbritain.tv/

Source: media.visitbritain.com