Investing regional advertising back into creating local content is crucial to ensuring a lively media landscape. Brian Gallagher, Chair of Boomtown, explores why this reciprocity is necessary, and how Boomtown is celebrating it.
It’s been five years since Boomtown, the collective marketing body representing the 9.8 million people residing in regional Australia, launched onto the domestic media landscape.
When Boomtown was conceived, our mission was to highlight the value of regional audiences to national advertisers. Historically, regional advertising was considered a ‘nice-to-have’ – a variable component, often cut from schedules when savings were needed.
After five years of consistent campaigning, I’m pleased to report that Boomtown advertising is at its highest level in recent years. Additionally, we’ve had the opportunity to educate many brands and media buyers about the power of regional media and the value of investing in Boomtown to achieve real outcomes and ROI.
In celebrating our commercial achievements, it’s important to remember why driving regional advertising is so critical: the continued investment in producing the news, information, sport and entertainment content our communities need and want.
This outcome is one of the most important reasons why investing in local media is vital. Sure, we often talk about regional advertising’s ability to deliver ROI, boost engagement and brand awareness, and drive revenue, but it’s local media’s ability to directly support the Australian community that makes it such a valuable investment – both in dollars spent regionally and in community engagement.
This investment is highly impactful – and not to be underestimated. There is a critical relationship between communities, advertisers and regional media that goes far beyond the commercial value. Boomtown plays a vital role in making our communities stronger, giving them a voice, providing a point of connection, and showcasing high-quality local stories.
And in a world where the globalisation of content is increasingly on the rise, local Australian stories continue to be closely guarded and highly valued. Many media companies are bound by Government regulations requiring them to produce and distribute a minimum level of local content across news, general entertainment, drama, children’s programming and major sports. And while these rules are vital to safeguarding local Australian voices and stories, this content can only be produced via regional advertising being invested back into creating local content. It’s a relationship built on reciprocity – and one we’re continuing to promote and celebrate.
Boomtown also plays an important role in acting as a ‘trusted voice’ for the community, heroing transparency and providing reliable, trusted information to regional communities. This commitment to trust and integrity is an essential part of regional media, particularly in light of impending changes to Australia’s privacy laws to protect consumer rights.
As Australian brands face tighter consumer data protections, advertisers are now looking at deeper targeting strategies to reach audiences. And these strategies will need to be sound – in Australia alone, more than $200 million has been notched up in advertising fraud, from bot fraud, app fraud, hijacked devices and ‘Made for advertising’ sites. There is a need for data efficacy and transparency and local advertising is well-placed to deliver. Audience targeting capabilities from local media owners will match and even exceed their competitors, while remaining brand and consumer safe, as well as data protection compliant.
The Australian media market is one of the most advanced in the world, and the eighth largest in terms of media investment. On a per capita spend basis, we have one of the most advanced advertising economies in the world, serviced by a media sector that is second to none. And at its heart? Localism. The people, the stories, and the content that celebrates the uniquely Australian voice – and the brands and media organisations that directly engage with this vital audience.
