MUMBAI: ESPNcricinfo, the global leader of digital content on cricket, will be joining hands with Tourism Australia for a media content partnership on ‘Undiscover Australia’, that aims to showcase glimpses of the country beyond the on-field action at its iconic cricket stadiums
This amazing cricket travelogue will be showcased across ESPNcricinfo platforms during India’s cricket tour to Australia from 21st November 2018 to 18th January 2019. It will be an integral part of ESPNcricinfo’s popular Pre & Post match show called ‘Matchday’. Apart from this, a detailed long-form content created around each of the Australian city will also be showcased natively across the ESPN network.
To increase its reach further, a strong off-platform strategy has been planned around ESPNcricinfo’s social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), curated videos on YouTube channel and ESPNcricinfo’s other content syndication partners. The content series is expected to reach over 20 million fans across ESPNcricinfo and its off platform extensions.
The content series aligns with Tourism Australia’s recently launched campaign that seeks to showcase some of Australia’s unexpected tourism experiences to potential travellers by challenging existing perceptions and stereotypes about the destination. Bringing it to life is ESPNcricinfo presenter and popular actor, Shibani Dandekar, who visited the five Australian states that are hosting matches including Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland to explore undiscovered gems of holiday experiences.
In addition to her travel exploits, the series also features interactions with Australian cricketing talents – Shaun Tait, Brad Hogg, Brad Hodge, Ed Cowan and Andy Bichel who in addition to talking all things cricket, showcase their hometowns and Australia as a holiday destination to their Indian fans and followers.
Tourism Australia MD John O’Sullivan said: “Tourism Australia is keen to gain a greater share of the Indian outbound travel segment and attract more High Value travellers to Australia by best leveraging the growing influence of the digital medium, especially through effective content partnerships that best showcase the diverse range of Australian experiences. Our renewed marketing focus is on fewer but bigger, bolder and more impactful campaigns and the partnership with ESPNcricinfo is in sync with this strategy.”
ESPN India head of TV initiatives Jasdeep Pannu said: “ESPN appreciates the power of video content which is accelerating at a tremendous rate. Over the last few years, digital video and the platforms they are consumed on have redefined the media landscape. The power now lies with the consumer in terms of choice of content at hand and time of consumption. It’s an exciting time for content creation – with multiple formats and new viewing behaviour opening new avenues of coverage and entertainment – in sport and elsewhere. At ESPN, creating value-rich content for our sports fans is central to our values. At the same time, staying ahead of the curve in conceptualising properties that are relevant to consumers helps us learn, unlearn and relearn what works best for the sports fans of today – and it keeps our fans engaged at multiple levels with our app, site and content.”
Arrivals from India to Australia grew by 19.6 per cent for the year ended August 2018 with an influx of 342,000 visitors for the year, making India the 8th largest inbound market for Australia.
