26 October 2012

Human Brochure

| bohemian
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This Human Brochure event splashed across the front page of the Canberra Times this morning is largely annoying. Interstate so-called “social network/media savvy people” are being paid (sorry, invited) to come to Canberra for specially organised activities and tweet about our wonderful city. What do you think they are going to say? That Canberra is a crap place?

Meanwhile, we couldn’t get the appropriate attention from the media to highlight on unemployment issues, proper healthcare, housing issues, politics (you only need to read the Canberra Time to know what a load of self-serving rubbish some political opinions were), passable public transports, lack of promotion on local creative talents and other humanitarian plights.

If it wasn’t for the work of some local people who still love this place (and not being paid to tweet), this city would’ve lost half the local talents.

And so, people are paid to say good words about Canberra. What a brilliant idea. One can hardly go wrong in a capital city that hotly debates plastic bags, Summernats and whatever else that they can find their idle twiddling thumbs to do.

Welcome to Canberra.

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Masquara said :

Did Silo pay to get on the blog? Or did an ACT Government employee take pity on them?

Well, if you’re going to be given food poisoning, why not be poisoned by a ‘classy’ establishment rather than a downmarket one.

Maybe Silo are sponsoring a ward at TCH?

Did Silo pay to get on the blog? Or did an ACT Government employee take pity on them?

GardeningGirl8:42 pm 27 Oct 12

I know viral marketing’s been around for a while, but for Canberra this is different to the various attempts to make a catchy tv ad.
I’ve been looking at the website. Funny, I’ve never gotten canapes when visiting the War Memorial. Is this really going to seem relevant to and influence average people or will the VIP weekend be filed away with all the other lotteries most people don’t win?

joingler said :

To be fair, most people who come to Canberra come and see the Parliamentary Triangle and the War Memorial and that’s it.

Exactly…before we moved here we didn’t really know much after hours of research, there are oodles of things you just can’t get perspective on from reading or looking at photo’s.
This is a great way for Canberra to sell itself and yes, so it’s paying for accommodation…so friggin’ what? How much does this City already pay out in expenses for people who don’t really want to be here and only have negative things to say when they go home?
I’m following a student from England (already here, they haven’t flown him over) on Twitter.
Perhaps he’s getting a few nights free hotel but he seems very impressed with Canberra and he’s not a freeloading pro, just your average person who seems to have come with the peculiar idea that Canberra has a bad rep…..not surprising when even some of the natives here whinge like there’s no tomorrow. I’ve never known such a lot of people complaining about absolutely nothing, this place is like paradise compared to most of the planet, it’s loaded with money, sunny, clean, sociable, virtually crime free…it’s the easiest place I’ve ever lived.
Be positive people, things could be an awful lot worse. You could be that poor bloody student who’s got to go back to England one day but wishing he could stay here.

poetix said :

This is not innovative. This is sad. Next they’ll discover flash mobs. Or ticker tape parades. Or T-shirts with ‘funny slogans’.

Like a T-shirt saying “I’m with stupid” but with the arrow pointing the wrong way?

This is not innovative. This is sad. Next they’ll discover flash mobs. Or ticker tape parades. Or T-shirts with ‘funny slogans’.

GardeningGirl said :

1. It’s good to see someone being innovative about our tourist industry.

Good maybe – but certainly not innovative. This marketing technique has been in use for many years.

GardeningGirl11:29 am 27 Oct 12

1. It’s good to see someone being innovative about our tourist industry.

2. It makes sense to counter the “I’ve heard from other people (not necessarily from personal experience!) that Canberra is boring and not worth visiting” with encouraging people to hear the opposite from other people (with actual personal experience).

3. But, I don’t know . . .

Among other first impressions, why doesn’t it use the word Canberra? Is it like the tv ads that tell you for weeks that something great is coming without giving any specifics? I can never remember what any of those publicity campaigns turn out to be about. Don’t be too clever and hide the actual thing your advertising too well!

Btw what’s with the Canberrans visiting? I noticed one on the Facebook page and I think one of the news articles said there are a few? Why?
http://www.facebook.com/VisitCanberra/app_215460361913090

I think it is probably a very clever idea although it does have risks. +ve or -ve feedback could have exponential consequences. It will be interesting to see how they monitor and manage negative comments.

c_c™ said :

What good is it if they talk and nobody hears?

You’re right, it’s no use at all. Probably their Facebook friends and blog or Twitter followers will suddenly drop them, and then when they come back their friends and workmates will put their hands over their ears whenever they mention their holiday and chant “lalala there nothing to do in Canberra, nothing…”

Madam Cholet7:39 am 27 Oct 12

Social media is where marketing is at right now. As lame as it sounds, it’s not a bad idea. Just think about how you tell someone if you like or dislike something – and then they might quote your experience to someone else….and so it goes on.

Love it or hate it, Canberra needs to improve its tourist numbers. Being paid to do it is immaterial if people like what they hear. Most large organizations flogging a consumer product will advertise on tv and pay to have that ad made and broadcast. Same thing, this just has a more visible human element.

bohemian said :

Twitter can be a great tool if used messages other than, ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘I play with my dog today’.

I am now expecting an influx of visitors and settlers to Canberra (250 paid participants x average of 20,000 followers) over the next six months to give the locals some much needed employment or retail boost. Canberra is going to take over the world.

Which is about 99.99% of twitter content…

Twitter can be a great tool if used messages other than, ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘I play with my dog today’.

I am now expecting an influx of visitors and settlers to Canberra (250 paid participants x average of 20,000 followers) over the next six months to give the locals some much needed employment or retail boost. Canberra is going to take over the world.

To be fair, most people who come to Canberra come and see the Parliamentary Triangle and the War Memorial and that’s it.

But how many people out there know of the fantastic walks in the Brindabellas or up Majura & Ainslie. Or the amazing rides up and down Stromlo. What about the fantastic tour of the AIS? Plenty of decent eateries in Dickson.

That being said, it has to be made sure that they don’t go up Mt Ainslie on a Friday night (unless they are 17 and looking for some fun), go anywhere near Gungahlin (unless they enjoy concrete jungles) or have to use ACTION for anything outside the inter town route. And lets hope they don’t have kids cos apart from Questacon and the Kambah playground, there aint much for the littlies at all.

It’s an interesting concept I’ll be very interested to see how it works. I have a friend in Ireland who heard about the promotion so that’s a good start.

Pork Hunt said :

bundah said :

Twitter is for twats!

The RAAF once leased a De Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft. It was known as the “Twotter”.

Gives a whole new meaning to flying V.

Mwa ha ha ha – I heard that most of the responses came from middle-aged single ladies like Robyn Archer. Not what ANY tourism authority is after.

Kath said :

Actually I think it’s quite a good idea, as far as tourist promotions go, to give a whole bunch of people a free organised holiday and encourage them to talk about it.

What good is it if they talk and nobody hears?

bundah said :

Twitter is for twats!

The RAAF once leased a De Havilland Canada Twin Otter aircraft. It was known as the “Twotter”.

Actually I think it’s quite a good idea, as far as tourist promotions go, to give a whole bunch of people a free organised holiday and encourage them to talk about it. As long as nothing sucks in the trip, anyway. As for it being on the front page of the CT, it doesn’t take much to get on that.

Twitter is for twats!

It’s a nice junket if you can get it. Someone asked Canberra tourism if they still get accommodation if they’re a local, to which Canberra tourism cheerfully replied yes.

Hopeless waste of money.

The concept of Twitter makes me nauseous…

The orgy of self-congratulation on Twitter has already reached nauseating heights.

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