Beyond the hashtag: How Tourism Australia builds true advocacy through influencers 

Think influencer marketing is all filters and fluff? Think again. 

In just over a decade, it’s become a global force – shaping consumer behaviour, building trust and driving purchases in ways traditional ads often can’t.

Once a playground for selfies and sponsored hashtags, the industry has matured in recent years. And today, the savviest brands are using it to drive serious results. 

Tourism Australia is one brand getting it right. We spoke with CMO Susan Coghill about its standout influencer strategy – and how it’s helping people around the world fall for Australia, one story at a time.

More than just #ads

Influencer marketing means teaming up with people who influence a specific audience – whether through social reach, cultural status, or subject-matter expertise – to promote your brand in a way that feels real and relatable.

These days, it can take all sorts of forms. It could be a micro-influencer on TikTok reviewing your product in a trending day-in-the-life video. A podcast host weaving your brand into a trusted weekly recommendation. Or a celebrity chef showcasing your ingredients in a signature recipe.

But the goal is ultimately the same: to tap into their credibility, storytelling power and social proof – creating connections that feel more personal, trustworthy and ultimately more likely to drive action. 

And it’s big business. The global influencer marketing industry is projected to be worth over $32.5 billion by the end of 2025. Gen Z, in particular, is driving this shift – with 44% saying they trust influencer recommendations more than traditional advertising.

Naturally, this boom has led to a certain degree of oversaturation. Branded content is everywhere. Much of it looks and sounds the same. 

So, how do you cut through?

According to Susan Coghill, Chief Marketing Officer at Tourism Australia, the key lies in emotion – and authenticity.

‘Every industry is feeling this saturation, and tourism is no exception,’ she explains. ‘For us, it’s about moving beyond the picture-perfect postcards and leaning into deeper storytelling.

‘Australia’s natural beauty speaks for itself. It’s the personal stories and authentic connections that truly cut through.’

And they’ve built a strategy to prove it.

Tourism Australia: A strategy built for real connection

At the heart of Tourism Australia’s approach is an advocacy program that favours substance over splash. 

‘We build meaningful, long-term partnerships with all our advocates,’ says Susan. ‘Our Friends of Australia program brings 170+ influential people together from around the world – from chefs and athletes to designers and tourism operators. 

‘They aren’t always what you’d call ‘travel influencers’. But they all share a genuine connection to Australia.’
When sourcing the talent, Tourism Australia rejects a one-size-fits-all approach. 

‘Although we’re a global brand, our advocacy work is very localised,’ says Susan. ‘We rely on our in-market teams to help identify credible, culturally relevant voices who connect with local audiences.

‘These creators offer more than just reach. They also produce content in their native language and speak to themes and trends that resonate where it counts.’

And while a passion for Australia is non-negotiable, other selection criteria include potential for longer-term partnership, relevance, reach and representation. 

With such a large pool of candidates to choose from, how does Susan and her team decide which advocate to use for which campaign?

‘It’s all about what we’re trying to achieve,’ says Susan. ‘If it’s content for our channels, compelling and attention-grabbing storytelling matters much more than follower and engagement numbers. But for bigger activations with earned potential, we’d prioritise talent with that broader influence and scale. 

‘We aim to be strategic about the opportunity for influential reach, collaborating with the right advocates to reach their networks in meaningful, sometimes intangible ways and increase the likelihood of long-term impact. That’s true advocacy.’

A formula for authentic advocacy 

So, what does this philosophy look like in practice? For Tourism Australia, it starts with a tried and tested framework. 

‘We have our winning formula for generating authentic advocacy: Experience + Storytelling + Passion + Influence,’ says Susan. ‘Remove any of these elements, and it loses its balance.

‘Without real experience, it’s inauthentic. Without creative storytelling, you lose connection. Without passion, it’s just a regular promotion. Without influence, there’s no impact or return.’

One campaign that brought this formula to life was Howzat for a holiday? – a cricket-fuelled extension of Tourism Australia’s Come and Say G’day initiative.

Launched just ahead of the first Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the campaign brought together Aussie skipper Pat Cummins and Tourism Australia’s animated ambassador, Ruby the Roo. Playing on the shared passion for cricket between Australia and India, it served up a fresh way to showcase the unforgettable holiday experiences Australia has to offer.

This was followed by a four-part Instagram series with David Warner, an Australian cricketer beloved in India, showcasing his favourite travel spots, which racked up over 70 million views. 

To build on this narrative, the team invited 15 high-profile Indian influencers from the Hindi film and TV industries to attend the Brisbane Test, then explore the country’s most iconic destinations. 

The result? More than 600 earned social posts, widespread media coverage and a memorable campaign that blended experience, storytelling, passion and influence in a way that truly resonated.

Integrating influence with traditional impact 

While influencer marketing has become a core part of Tourism Australia’s strategy, it’s not a replacement for traditional media. Rather, it complements it. 

‘Word of mouth and third-party advocacy is a powerful extension to traditional advertising, helping us reach new audiences,’ says Susan.
Influencer partnerships also offer speed and versatility that traditional formats can’t match.

‘We could never produce the volume of diverse, genuinely engaging content we need at scale,’ Susan adds. ‘Influencer marketing gives us a nimble, cost-effective approach with fast turnaround.’
Still, the team doesn’t view it as a standalone solution.

‘Influencer advocacy and traditional advertising are as important as each other for our marketing mix. The key is to make them work together or in parallel.’

Measuring what matters

When it comes to evaluation, Tourism Australia looks beyond surface-level stats. 

Formal measurement includes reach and engagement, earned media coverage, advertising value, audience demographics and platform performance – all tracked and used to inform future strategy.

But Susan is quick to point out that the real value lies in long-term impact.

‘Our advocacy program is about creating lasting, meaningful outcomes for the tourism industry,’ she says.

One example? A Southeast Asia campaign tailored for Muslim travellers, where Tourism Australia partnered with Malaysian and Indonesian influencers to spotlight Muslim-friendly dining and travel experiences across the country.

Or their partnership with Friend of Australia Dylan Alcott’s Shift 20 Initiative, which works to change the perception of people with disability through advertising.

‘We’ve been partnering with disability advocates to co-create authentic content that showcases accessible destinations and products,’ Susan explains. ‘This has allowed tourism operators to assess and adapt their tours, and reach new audiences.’ 

It’s initiatives like these that show the lasting value of authentic advocacy. 

Advice from the inside 

For marketers looking to step up their influencer strategy – or dive in for the first time – Susan shares two pieces of advice.

‘Distinctiveness matters more than ever,’ she says. ‘For destination marketing in particular, content can look and feel so similar. We focus on ensuring every story we tell feels unmistakably Australian.’

The lesson? Make every influencer touchpoint feel specific, culturally resonant and creatively distinct. And just as importantly, use every piece of content you create smartly.

‘Figure out how to extend the impact of your work – whether through earned media, paid boosts or even repurposing content across owned channels and other parts of the business.’

In a crowded landscape that’s always changing, successful influencer marketing is about more than being visible. It’s about telling stories people actually care about. And forging a strategy that goes far beyond the grid.
 

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