images Joe Shemesh

30 October 2007

Tarkine Brand Development

Background & purpose

The Tarkine Brand Development Project is one of a number of projects that form the overall Tarkine Tourism Experience Framework managed by Cradle Coast Authority. Other projects that together will make up the Framework include: the Tarkine Tourism Master Plan; Tarkine Research Report: Market and Customer Analysis; Latent Demand Quantification; and Tarkine Investment Plan. The purpose of the Tarkine Brand Development Project has been to develop a consolidated local view of the current brand strengths of the Tarkine. This internal view will be a key input to future determination of a Tarkine Brand strategy, once market research and a market and customer analysis is completed including a latent demand study and priority development strategies are identified. It is noted that the Tarkine Brand, as outlined in this document, will be subject to consideration of the needs and aspirations of market segments yet to be defined for targeting as part of Tarkine strategic marketing.

Current situation
Media coverage that occurred as part of the long-running Tarkine environmental campaign has contributed to a likely level of brand equity interstate, as evidenced by a range of key word associations reported in research focus groups in 2006. Word associations included: unique, remote, intriguing, authentic wilderness, significant contrast, an area of significance . However, this level of brand equity is currently unlikely to have sufficient traction in the tourism market to trigger an increase in visits to the region.

Any marketing of the Tarkine to date has been limited to activities conducted by a handful of active tourism operators. The Tarkine will require a much more comprehensive and significant marketing effort to build awareness and interest as a tourism destination. This will need to be underpinnned by visitor experiences that incorporate commercial products relevant to target market segments. Preliminary research found that existing data on the Tarkine was extremely limited and that a baseline visitor model with key assumptions on future trends, as well as a latent demand forecast, were necessary to arrive at sound market conclusions. At the same time, the regions visitor market is in a major transition with the decline of its predominantly touring market and a shift towards shorter stay single destination visitors. For clarification of Brand positioning and key messages to occur, it will be necessary to undertake segmentation analysis to identify key segments to be targeted. There is potential also for concept testing to determine the actual appeals of the Tarkine to identified segments.
The Tarkine already represents a destinational concept that comprises an envelope with no content at least in the visitors mind, prior to experiencing the destination. This is a huge potential canvas that can be painted but it would require the Tarkine to move from a concept to a tangible experience. Tarkine Research Report, September 2007.

Local perspective
Two workshops were held at Burnie on 5 June 2006 and Waratah on 28 August 2007. Participants included stakeholders, tourism operators, partners and community members.

Two workshops one held prior to commencement of this project and a second conducted as part of the project resulted in a strongly-held, shared view that the strengths of the Tarkine involved a combination of its striking natural values and the human story. A detailed Discussion Paper, produced in September 2007, provided a full analysis of outcomes of the two workshops using Brand Benefit Pyramid methodology. The local perspective on the Brand was summarised as: The Tarkine has many faces diverse, wild places that powerfully affect, inspire and change people, from original Aboriginal inhabitants to people today. Its combination of globally-significant temperate rainforest, dramatic wilderness, rare and threatened species and richlylayered history is awe-inspiring and enlivening for the senses and spirit. Its contradictions and surprising layers of nature and culture are thrilling. All of this makes it a rare gem in the world.

Brand model
ESSENCE Powerful connections with wild places PERSONALITY Haunting spirit, wise, ageless, enigmatic, commands respect and awe, inspires, powerful, has a wide range of expression (gentleness to fury), engages on its own terms CORE VALUES Wildness, power and resilience of human story, mysterious BENEFITS

The Tarkine Brand model encompasses perspectives arising from direct encounters of the Tarkine on the part of those who have experienced it. It will need to be reviewed in light of future work to define and determine key market segments and what features of the Tarkine appeal to them, and therefore what perceptions/positioning are most likely to influence the consumer holiday decisionmaking process. Positioning = the corner of the consumers mind you aim to occupy.

Awe-inspiring, enlivening, thrilling, awakening, surprise FLAGSHIP ATTRIBUTES Globally-significant temperate rainforest Aboriginal and European heritage Dramatic, diverse places (wild rivers, rugged coastline, mountains, expansive views) Accessible wilderness Rare and threatened species

Issues
The current Tarkine visitor experience is largely focused on wilderness and forests. Visitor engagement at present occurs through a limited range of tourism products, including guided walks, vehicle-based tours and river cruises. Accommodation within the Tarkine is limited in diversity and capacity, from campgrounds to 3-star.

The Tarkine Brand Development Project has now been placed on hold, pending outcomes of a further research project consisting of trend modelling and a latent demand study, as identified in the preliminary Tarkine Research Report. Current Tarkine Brand issues are summarised as: Brand equity exists but is unlikely to trigger increased visits. The Tarkine experience must be clarified recent research has indicated that nature must become the canvas on which we build the offerings of Tasmania ( Lighthouse Report One, Tourism Tasmania). What will be the focus be for development of the visitor experience in and how will that relate to existing Tarkine values? The Brand model as it stands is more suited to the touring market, which is in decline. What is the aspirational Brand model that will encompass a potential Tarkine experience that appeals to the growth sectors of the market? Brand positioning to be determined once key market segments clearly defined and concept testing provides greater understanding of Tarkine appeals to priority segments. For example, strength of wild beaches vs green rainforest. Whats the offer to priority market segments?

Next steps
The next steps in finalising the Tarkine Brand development process include: Refining Tarkine Brand model and clarifying positioning and the offer messages to priority market segments Developing and adopting Brand application & tools, including visual identity, style guide, photography brief Developing the Brand strategy Developing the approach and resources to guide presentation of the Tarkine e.g. interpretive themes and stories aligned to brand & experiences Marketing strategy