Content
Coast economy ‘can benefit’ post-Mardi Gras
A University of the Sunshine Coast academic researching ways of marketing to subcultures such as the gay crowd says the local tourism industry has more potential to benefit from Sydney’s annual Mardi Gras.
USC Advertising Lecturer Kelly Choong, who is in the middle of his PhD on the marketing topic, said a wide range of businesses could reap the rewards of revellers coming to the Sunshine Coast for peace and quiet after the party was over.
Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2011 is a fortnight of events finishing on Saturday 5 March with a parade and party that attract thousands of people.
Noosa’s community has organised a Mardi Gras Recovery Week from Sunday 6 March, including events at restaurants, resorts and beauty spots.
Mr Choong said the Sunshine Coast was popular because of its image as a healthy, holistic destination that was “less chaotic” than the Gold Coast.
He said the expansion of smart marketing could boost custom for more local businesses connected to the tourism industry, from day spas to cafes.
“People look for beautiful places to relax and rejuvenate after the party, and that’s already a great selling point of the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
However, Mr Choong said great care must be taken to ensure marketing and advertising messages “make everyone feel comfortable”.
“The messages must avoid alienating any mainstream tourists or locals while remaining effective in speaking directly to the targeted sector,” he said.
“There are new ways of doing this, especially through traditional mass media, and I’m developing these in my PhD on subcultural consumer behaviour.”
Mr Choong worked in commercial radio in Singapore before moving to Australia in 1998 and has taught at key universities across south-east Queensland for more than a decade.
– Julie Gatehouse