Building Brand Australia Program

In 2010, the Australian Government committed A$20 million over four years to the Building Brand Australia Program, recognising that there are tangible advantages to having a strong and well-rounded country reputation and that our global reputation is not consistent with the reality of contemporary Australia. The program responds to the needs and opportunity to more effectively communicate the skills and contributions of contemporary Australia to a global audience.

The broad objective of the Building Brand Australia Program, expressed through the brand ‘Australia Unlimited’ is to enrich Australia’s global reputation by achieving enhanced awareness of contemporary Australian credentials in business, science, education, technology, creativity and not-for-profit activity.

Given that country reputations are developed over many years, Australia already enjoys a positive reputation and country perception data is sensitive only to the most significant events, we do not expect to see substantive changes from year to year on the basis of a new logo or marketing campaign.

Instead the Building Brand Australia Program aims to contribute to the enrichment of Australia’s reputation with an influential audience comprising global citizens (influential, well-educated international audiences with an interest in new ideas and world affairs), expats (successful Australians living and working offshore) and our domestic brand partners (individuals and organisations with an interest and role in promoting Australia internationally).

Global research undertaken following the commencement of the program has highlighted the need for a market-specific approach. This, taken together with consideration of those markets which are most significant to Australia from an economic, geopolitical and cultural perspective, means the program will focus its activity in: the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Korea, China, Brazil, India and Indonesia.

Values

The brand values enable the program to fulfil its vision by informing and guiding the behaviours of people involved; ensuring all organisational strategies, policies and communications align and support the intentions of the program.

The brand values for Australia Unlimited capture the breadth and depth of capabilities that the program encompasses. They are:

• Ambitious


• Confident


• Engaged


• Creative

Strategy

In 2011-12, the program moves from brand development to brand engagement and brand activation strategies.

The Building Brand Australia Brand Engagement Program seeks to identify brand partners from across government, peak bodies, the not-for-profit sector and the corporate sector who can use the brand to enhance their international work, and by so doing can positively contribute to the achievement of Building Brand Australia objectives.

Brand activation strategies include the development of content and content platforms (i-pad application, website, Australia magazine) and channels (social media, international PR) that will bring the brand to life, giving voice to Australian success and promoting it to the world.

Both offer substantial opportunities for industry and government to work together and with the program so that we can all benefit from a better international understanding of contemporary Australia.