KINGSTON Council will spend upwards of $200,000 on establishing new social media accounts as part of a new marketing campaign. Council launched “This Is Kingston” last week. The advertising campaign is designed to promote the municipality to potential tourists and investors. The Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube pages went live last week – originally approved plans also included the creation of a TikTok.
The new “This Is Kingston” social media accounts are the centerpiece of the campaign. Council has approved spending $150,000 in the 2023/2024 financial year on the campaign, and has set aside $115,000 in the 2024/2025 financial year to continue it. The money will also cover branding, graphic design, videography, photography services, and paid digital advertising and editorial.
Kingston mayor Jenna Davey-Burns said the campaign focuses on three points – “coast, culture, and nature”.
“The southside vibe is definitely where it’s at. We have so many hidden gems and hip local traders loved by our community making us the place to be. This is Kingston encourages everyone to discover the unexpected,” she said. “We want to shine a light on the unique attractions that make our city so special. From our beautiful beaches to our bustling markets and underground art scene, Kingston has something for everyone. This campaign is all about sharing what we know and love with the wider Melbourne community and beyond.”
Kingston councillor Cameron Howe said the “multi-channel marketing” campaign would “showcase the long, skinny city by the bay’s 13 kilometres of diverse coastline, employment centres and industrial pockets, which make the City of Kingston truly Melbourne’s southern lifestyle capital for residents, tourists and investors that will see and hear about more than the Kingston coast on social media and in advertising.”
Kingston Council CEO Peter Bean said that the project’s budget was approved at a meeting last December. “A project update – including approved project budget and indicative timings – was provided at the December 2023 council meeting to keep the community informed about the progress being made behind the scenes,” he said. “At the time we had estimated a May launch but preferred to launch leading into spring rather than at the start of winter to maximise promotion of outdoor locations.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 7 August 2024