The city council is considering whether to remove the tagline ‘‘It’s Just Dunedin’’ from its $450,000 destination marketing campaign, in a push to attract more international tourists.
Dunedin Destination manager Sian Sutton said, in her report to the economic development committee, the tagline should be removed before international flights return to Dunedin Airport in June.
She also broached an update to the Dunedin gothic-style logo, launched in 2010 - while it was still strong, the council might want to ‘‘consider a refresh’’.
‘‘It’s Just Dunedin’’ had performed well since its launch in late 2023, however some local feedback suggested ‘‘concerns about a perceived self-deprecating tone’’, she said.
Committee members would recommend whether the council keep the tagline or remove ‘‘It’s Just’’ from the campaign logo.
An attached report by marketing agency Shotover Creative and Enterprise Dunedin said while the campaign was ‘‘extremely effective’’ domestically, it relied on an audience which understood the ironic slant on the national perception of the city.
‘‘An overseas audience is less likely to understand and appreciate the irony,’’ the report said.
It suggested retaining the tagline and using it to refer to Dunedin’s unique experiences.
This would ease local concern about the statement and resonate with international audiences, it said.
The percentage of New Zealanders considering a Dunedin trip increased by 1% since ‘‘It’s Just Dunedin’’ launched, despite a 6% decline in the overall tourism market, the report said.
Larnach Castle managing director Norcombe Barker said he would like to see the council embrace a more upbeat campaign for the city.
‘‘It’s got so much to offer with the wildlife and the heritage,’’ he said.
‘‘We’d like to see something more positive instead of self-deprecating, which we’ve done in the past.
The current campaign relied on Kiwi humour - he was concerned it did not translate well to international visitors.
‘‘It doesn’t do us any favours.’’
He would prefer the council use a new, positive tagline rather than the Dunedin logo alone.
Otago Peninsula Trust eco-tourism manager Hoani Langsbury said the tagline did not promote the city’s drawcards.
‘‘From the Royal Albatross [Centre] perspective, we really didn’t adopt the ‘It’s Just Dunedin’ campaign,’’ he said.
The economic development committee will consider the change at next week’s meeting.
