Where the bloody hell is Victoria's viral marketing?

Fri, 12 March 2010 0 Comments

For Tourism Marketing, the battle ground is on the internet with blogs and user generated review sites giving far better information that the mainstream media because it accepts freebies.So what's the latest secret weapon from Tourism Victoria?

It's a so-called viral campaign by a 21 year-old blogger PixelMitch, who has attracted some 46,000 views on Youtube in his short lifetime there.The video, which has universally been dubbed as lame, started the day with 1,000 or so views and now thanks to the attention of the local ABC has now broken the 2,000 barrier.

Victoria Tourism chief Greg Hywood dubbed the paid for content (ad?) as user generated content, revealing that he is out of his depth when discussing social media. John Fain on the ABC dismissed the ad as like something from on Channel Nine 20 years ago. I agree.

My five minute audit of Victoria's online strategy gives it a four out of ten, a fail.None of the key social properties - Youtube, Twitter or Facebook - are linked to on the front page of either the Visit Victoria Site or Tourism Victoria site. The site tend post press releases (excellent user generated content) as word files that aren't seen but Google as opposed to web content that would drive traffic to the site.The point is that if you are entering the social space you need to make each element work together rather than sit out there somewhere on the web alone. And press releases should be visible by the social media set in addition to traditional media simultaneously.I have given Victoria extra marks for bringing a handful of food bloggers interstate for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (and 'A' list San Francisco-based blogger Chezpim after a little prodding by your truly) although this was done first by Sydney last year.

I also found a viral ad for Tourism Victoria from last year with a grand total of 11 views.

This was only a five minute audit. There again, this stuff should be easy to find.

That's a big "Where the bloody hell are you"?