'Feel The Power' - A Million Dollars Wasted

Wayne Berry - Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism

Media Statement - 29 October 1999

A recent survey of businesses should finally put an end to expenditure on the discredited 'Feel the Power' slogan Labor's Shadow Tourism Minister Wayne Berry said today.

Mr Berry was commenting on a report delivered to Government in July which was released to him today.

"When the 'Feel the Power' campaign first launched in 1997, the ACT Government was 'mounting a powerful new marketing campaign to promote Canberra's outstanding strengths in business, tourism, sport, education and the arts' according to the Chief Minister.

"Why is it that only business was surveyed about the campaign when it was intended to advertise much wider strengths, and why didn't the survey gauge reactions specifically in relation to the 'Feel the Power' campaign

"The best test that the Government could have possibly come up with was a survey confined to business which could only say the slogan would be successful 'if lightly embedded in business sector marketing material'.

Hardly a ringing endorsement of the 'Feel the Power' slogan - and the tourism, sport, education and arts sectors were not even asked. Perhaps a negative response was too predictable.

"Indeed even business found the high cost 60 second commercials a failure.

"Kate Carnell launched the slogan as a 'powerful campaign to promote Canberra' but it has failed to impress anyone, including business.

"This is another Kate Carnell financial disaster to add to the attempt to sell Actew, Bruce Stadium, the Kingston Acton land swap and the Floriade fee - and how much did the survey cost?" Mr Berry concluded.