MARKETING
REPORT
The 2012 marketing campaign reflected
an extensive integrated strategy which
took place from July to October 2012.
Numerous key communication tools were
utilized to reach identified target markets,
enhance brand awareness, broaden
audience engagement and increase box
office revenue.
The 2012 Festival launched on Monday
30th July – two weeks later than previous
years. This early start provided greater
campaign intensity while retaining a
lengthy pre-sales period for those visitors
planning a trip to Melbourne with Festival
events included.
Retaining the Festival’s traditional
corporate branding shade of purple and
introducing gold to the colour palette,
the 2012 marketing and communications
campaign highlighted the depth and
breadth of the program, introduced
it to new audiences, and encouraged
participation amongst all Melburnians. The
campaign’s triangular tiles anchored the
Festival as uniquely Melbourne reflecting
the environment in which it operates; from
the architecture of Federation Square, to
the geodesic dome roof of AAMI Park and
the branding of our transport provider
Metro Trains.
This vibrant new branding gave the annual
campaign a fresh update and illustrated
what Melburnians could expect from their
Festival.
PROGRAM GUIDE
PRINT ADVERTISING
• The program guide is an 88-page, fullcolour brochure and once again proved
to be the Festival’s key sales tool. In the
2012 Audience Intercept Survey*, 68%
of respondents reported the guide as a
direct influence in attending an event,
along with 76% who recall seeing or
hearing about the Festival primarily
through this outlet.
• A print advertising campaign valued
in excess of $300,000.00 ensured
coverage across major daily papers with
numerous advertisements placed in The
Age, Saturday / Sunday Age, mX, The
Australian and Weekend Australian.
• A total of 320,00 program guides were
distributed: 220,000 were inserted
into The Age newspaper on Friday
24th August with an additional
100,000 circulated across the streets of
Melbourne (cafes, cinemas, bars & retail
stores), festival venues, tourist hubs,
regional Victoria and direct mailing
activities.
• The guide was also made into an online
‘flip’ magazine which was available for
viewing on the Festival website and
visited 6,129 times with an average of 15
minutes spent each visit and viewed by
people from over 50 different countries.
*Source 2012 Melbourne Festival Audience
Intercept Study – Intuitive Solutions
STREET PROMOTION
• A Festival mini-guide, Foxtel Festival
Hub program guide and Art Matters……
On Film mini guide were produced
and widely distributed throughout
Melbourne targeting the arts and
culture, retail, hospitality and tourism
sectors.
• A festival branded gerobak to coincide
with the Grobak Padi program roamed
Federation Square to distribute program
guides and raise awareness of the
Festival dates.
• National publications utilised included
Southern Star, The Monthly, Australian
Jewish News, Limelight Magazine
Dumbo Feather and Victoria’s Cultural
Guide.
• Local media included The Melbourne
Review, Beat, Inpress, Triple R
subscriber magazine, Melbourne’s Child
and Melbourne International Film
Festival program guide.
• An eight-page advertising feature was
inserted into The Age on Saturday 6th
October, which was the weekend prior to
the Festival’s opening and proved to be
an extremely successful awareness and
sales tool translating into an immediate
spike in ticket sales.
ONLINE ADVERTISING
• In 2012 online and digital advertising
became an integral part of the
marketing mix and in addition to
partnering with The Age and The
Thousands, the Festival advertised
via online outlets Broadsheet, Beat,
ArtsHUB, Crikey, RealTime, Theatre
People and The Shortlist Daily.
• The Festival also generated enormous
digital reach via a dedicated online cross
promotional strategy with other arts
organisations, community groups, local
government, ticketing providers and
venues.
• DL flyers promoting two key Festival
events were distributed to targeted areas
across the CBD and inner city suburbs.
• A2 posters were utilised to promote
highlight events and were distributed
throughout restaurant, retail, tourism
and art precincts.
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