Tourism WA shifts media from Carat to OMD WA

Tourism WA, who yesterday took another funding hit, has moved their media planning and buying business from Carat (formerly Mitchells) to OMD WA. Both media buying organisations share the State Government Master Media Campaign contract.

Tourism WA’s Executive Director of Marketing Simon Burley said the agency was looking forward to partnering with OMD to deliver its media strategy and buying across all channels for its 13/14 domestic campaigns.

“We’ll have some great assets this year including  Experience Extraordinary, 1001 Extraordinary Experiences and the Perth campaign,” Burley said. “Our shared goal with OMD is to significantly raise Western Australia’s profile as a domestic holiday destination of choice.”

OMD WA managing director Adam Marshall (left), who is heading up to Asia to join Mindshare Singapore in September, said it was nice to go out on a big win: “We are delighted to have been appointed by TWA for their 13/14 domestic campaigns. The team at OMD WA has been blown away by the quality of the marketing work the client has already produced and we are excited about partnering with them for the next phase.”

Carat managing director Alan Matthews said: “Being a large WA Government department in terms of both spend and profile and one that significantly affects the state economy and all Western Australians, it is ‘best practice’ and proper due diligence to regularly have each of the CUA contractors pitch competitively on the business from time to time. That’s how Carat (formerly Mitchells) obtained the business in the first place. It keeps us (the CUA contractors) sharp and focused and of course it’s in Tourism WA’s best interest to maintain a comprehensive, informed perspective on the competitive set that is available to it through the dual contract scenario.

“Of course we’re disappointed to see the Branding component of the Tourism WA account move away after a four year relationship and some great work, but you’ve got to move on from that and currently we’re working hard on the balance of this important account. We’ll be back with all guns blazing next time around.”

Tourism WA’s 2009 creative agency appointment of Host Sydney is in it’s fifth year so will see a statutory review on the account mid 2014.