economic opportunities. These challenges are not unique to Tasmania but reflect broader struggles faced by regional areas worldwide.
Economic literature has long highlighted the potential of regional areas as drivers of sustainable development and underscore the importance of targeted strategies to unlock regional potential. For the Tasman Council, this meant embracing its distinct identity and leveraging its strengths to overcome the disadvantages of isolation and scale.
In Tasmania, the Tasman Council recognised these barriers and sought to address them through a focused and innovative campaign. The municipality’ s rich natural resources, including premium agricultural products, seafood and artisanal goods, were identified as an untapped asset that could drive economic growth if marketed effectively. However, merely having these resources was insufficient without a strategic framework to present them to the right audience.
CONCEPTUALISING THINK TASMAN The THINK TASMAN campaign emerged from a recognition that traditional promotional methods would not suffice for a region like Tasman. The campaign’ s concept centred on leveraging the region’ s strengths— its local businesses and unique natural environment— to create a compelling narrative that could resonate with stakeholders.
To conceptualise this vision, the council engaged with local businesses and producers. These discussions revealed a shared commitment to showcasing the region’ s authenticity and quality. The campaign needed to balance the charm of small-scale production with the professionalism required to compete on a larger stage.
The key objectives of the campaign included: 1. Raising awareness of the Tasman region’ s economic potential. 2. Attracting government support, investment and business interest.
3. Showcasing the high-quality products and services offered by local producers and businesses.
4. Fostering community pride and engagement.
This vision required a multifaceted approach, combining strategic event planning with powerful storytelling to highlight the Tasman region’ s value. Given a limited budget, of utmost significance was creating a campaign that would have longevity, where design and concept components could be re-used to ensure the return on investment was maximised.
FROM VISION TO ACTION: EXECUTING THE CAMPAIGN
Event Design The THINK TASMAN campaign which has been created to endure into the future was built around a flagship event held in Hobart, the state capital. Aware that the Tasman region’ s distance from Hobart( approx. 60-90 minutes by car) could deter participation, the campaign organisers realised the importance of bringing the region to the city. This strategy allowed them to overcome geographical barriers and attract key decision-makers and investors who might otherwise be unable or unwilling to dedicate time to travel.
The event was an exclusive, invitationonly gathering of 100 guests, including government officials, investors, business leaders, producers and media representatives. By creating a curated and intimate experience, the Tasman Council ensured that attendees would engage deeply with the region’ s story and offerings. The exclusivity of the event also emphasised the premium nature of what the Tasman region had to offer.
Tasman Council General Manager Blake Repine( left) with Kerry Vincent MP Minister for Local Government
With the aim of showcasing the region as a premium brand, it was fitting and greatly appreciated that the CEO of Brand Tasmania, Todd Babiak, agreed to be the
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