We’ve heard former Mid Coast Business Chamber president Graham Brown and former Taree mayor Eddie Loftus stridently bemoan the decision to adopt the Barringon Coast as our region’s destination name, echoing local State MP Stephen Bromhead’s wide-reaching research.
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With a background in destination research, marketing and promotion; I offer an explanation why Barrington Coast is unlikely to generate anything like the projected $695 million boost to the local economy. I wish it would but it’s not going to happen.
MidCoast Council’s proponents of Barrington Coast say extensive research produced compelling evidence that confusion over Mid Coast or Mid North Coast is costing us new visitors, is emotionally bland, cannot be used and as a brand represents an appalling investment for us as a community. Rubbish!
Four factors support my opinion this original premise was flawed; firstly because most new visitors would not care or need to know a region’s boundaries when doing their own research. To say it impacts significantly on incremental visitation is a furphy. And the claim that Mid Coast or Mid North Coast names exclude our hinterland and inland areas is spurious. Do the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast brands say ‘Hinterland?’ Tourism maps for all regions cover hinterlands.
Secondly, “Mid North Coast” in general terms would surely be known by most people driving north or south on the Pacific Highway, and anyone living between Forster and Tweed Heads would have at least Forster and Taree locations reinforced daily on NBN television weather reports or on other channels.
Thirdly, because our amalgamated tourist region is both large and diverse, a single tourism identity cannot kick in as a major initial source of new visitation until it has been going many years like the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
The corollary of that is the Mid Coast brand (which has probably strengthened Mid North Coast awareness) has only been going two years. It needed time to work. If you look at the graph for the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast destination brands, their brand awareness was miniature in early years and increased exponentially over 60 years. Short-term thinking invaded Australian culture around the turn of the this century, and is borne out by the replacement of NSW Premiers, Prime Ministers and Football coaches, with the pollies clearly winning the revolving door contest.
However justified in theory about the need for geographical markers, Barrington Coast is far too tenuous as a link to work in practice. I’d equate it to an organisation’s left brain accountant’s version rather than the right brain marketing manager’s.
Current MidCoast Mayor David West said: “It was important for the community to understand the new destination name was about appealing to new visitors to the area that will support the economy.”
A far more appealing destination name and tag line would be based on why visitors – a many of whom ultimately become residents and ratepayers – come to our region.
Stress is ever-increasing in the big smoke. We offer personalised escape through a relaxing holiday. What would work better? The Barrington Coast or something like The Escape Coast. Relaxation. Recreation. Rejuvenation.
By default, ‘Relaxation’ means different things to different people, ‘Recreation’ is all-encompassing and covers both active and passive activities, and ‘Rejuvenation’” is the sum total of Relaxation and Recreation.
This alternative captures feelings of people who want holidays and is a differentiator. Its five key words offer digital optimisation. Google “Escape” and it used by many holiday suppliers, but not as a regional destination name.
An opportunity lost.