Carat South Australia and Merkle Partner with SA Tourism Commission

The agency will be responsible for media planning, buying and strategy for the tourism commission which has a commitment to growing the state’s visitor economy to $12.8 billion by 2030.

The appointment follows the announcement of the Adelaide-based agency’s retention of its position on the SA government’s master media panel.

Adele Gibb, Carat SA managing director, said, “Here at Carat we are so proud of the wonderful state we live in, and we are so pleased to be able to play a crucial role in elevating South Australia’s tourism regions to help the Commission hit its 2030 commitment.

“The South Australian Tourism Commission is one of the most exciting accounts in Adelaide, and we privileged to work alongside their amazing team to highlight what our state has to offer.”

Alongside the appointment of Carat, dentsu’s customer experience company, Merkle, will be heading up the programmatic buying for the account, helping SATC to drive media efficiency and effectiveness to optimise spend and grab moments of attention across digital channels.

Steve Yurisich, Merkle ANZ CEO, said, “South Australia is a phenomenal place to explore, from wineries and beaches to the red sand up in the Flinders Ranges. It’s incredibly exciting to be pairing the skills from our Merkle team with the media strength of Carat to deliver more meaningful, personalised, data-driven experiences for people wanting to visit the state.”

Erik de Roos, South Australian Tourism Commission executive director of marketing, said, “We’re delighted to be working with Carat South Australia again on our 2023-24 domestic marketing campaign. We were impressed during the procurement process by Carat’s strategic thinking and how they would implement their strategy to ensure that we achieve both our brand and performance media objectives to drive outcomes for our state’s tourism industry.”

Carat SA has worked with the South Australian Tourism Commission since May 2021, with the appointment demonstrating the agency’s strong tourism and travel credentials.