Week 3

WEEK 3 BLOG QUESTION

In 2009 CumminsNitro, a Brisbane-based advertising agency won multiple awards across the international media landscape for their ground-breaking campaign for Tourism Queensland: Best Job in the World. The campaign was unique in the way it harnessed traditional media advertising (positions vacant advertising) and linked this with various kinds of social media interactivity. Through inviting video applications the campaign utilised what Bruns calls “produsage” and others have called “crowdsourcing”. It also made sophisticated use of the viral connectivity that can result from online social networking. Then, once the social media success became newsworthy, the campaign also benefitted from the traditional current affairs media attention, amplifying the overall impact and effect. This campaign continues to attract attention through a blog maintained by the successful applicant.

Visit the links provided and discuss in your tutorial group or online. Write a review analysing the types of interactivity that the campaign engaged.

Once again use screen captures and your own words to document and interpret what you see. Note that if you do copy statements from a web site these must be in quotation marks and the source URL referenced.

With screen captures, make sure you note the URL where you sourced the image and, the date viewed, as part of your caption.

The best job in the world seemed to have promoted Australia in ways that other countries can only dream about. We have the beautiful oceans and landscapes that are so enticing and welcoming, that who could NOT want the best job in the world, in a country that is so incredibly beautiful? In my opinion, it was the perfect strategy to promote Australian and Queensland tourism, while also rewarding one successful person with a fulfilling 6-month position as caretaker to the islands, based at Hamilton Island. 

Bright and engaging blog by Ben Southall - An innovative way to promote Tourism Queensland

I think that the blog of the successful applicant, who won the ‘best job in the world’ (Ben Southall), is very bright, colorful and inviting (www.bestjobben.com). The interactivity on his page is minimal (user-to-documents) but the content is so engaging that he doesn’t need to employ much interactivity to make his blog successful. However, the interactivity incorporated on his blog includes things such as weather widgets – which is quite appropriate to have on a website promoting beautiful sunny weather. If someone was reading his blog and wanting to visit Hamilton Island, then the weather widget is very handy for the reader to keep track of the usually bright sunny Queensland weather. Other use of interactivity on the blog, is a search option, and many links including: an ‘about’ page – telling readers how it all started with the best job in the world and what Ben has done since then; Other links include photos, videos, activities, Tourism Queensland,  links to all of Ben’s sponsors and many more interesting marvels. These are all ways of drawing in the reader and making them want to visit Queensland/Australia. Such simple interactivity and information can be so powerful. The phrase “less is more” really comes to mind for me when visiting this website. It is not bombarded with information everywhere and you can choose material you wish to read about.

To read about Ben’s wonderful adventures since he moved over here is not only invigorating, but it is also a brilliant way to promote Australian tourism. With each blog entry he tells his readers about his latest accomplishments and explorations of our beautiful country. The pictures he posts are magnificent and entice his readers to want to come to Australia.

I’m not entirely sure how or when Ben started the blog (i.e. if he started it while working as the island caretaker or whether he started it after he completed his 6-month contract) but I do think it is a clever and successful way for Tourism Queensland to engage potential tourism. I think even though the campaign for the world’s best job is over, the reminiscence of it still lives on in Ben’s blog and so too does the attraction of Queensland.