THE POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL MARKETING IN PNG

For the sake of doing business with partners from overseas it would be wise for any company in the country to start its digital marketing campaign. The real potential of digital marketing lies in industries that need customers coming from overseas. The most vital sustainable industry for the future after Papua New Guinea’s extractive industry stops contributing to the country’s GDP is the tourism sector. The Papua New Guinea tourism authority must think of a way to ensure their digital campaign reaches out to the target audience.

 There is no simple answer to get tourists into Papua New Guinea against a backdrop of negative news about the country, but the authority can start by making use of all platforms available to it. Instead of advertising within PNG, the authority can look at pushing its campaign overseas to Western worlds and also toward wealthy Asian countries. Japan and Australia will always remember the World War 2 history shared with Papua New Guinea. It’s really simple, just a few short videos or high quality pictures of war relics and the kokoda trail will get tourists excited.

Villagers in PNG getting registered on a portable IDBox to get involved with E-Commerce
pic:APEC

The campaign can also include a short interview with PNG’s Police Commissioner and Prime Minister assuring tourists that the country is safe and willing to host friends. APEC is already a stepping-stone. The Maserati’s would have won over money hearts.  But, putting aside the jokes, it would make a huge difference to use digital marketing to drive advertising overseas instead of in PNG, because lets face it, 600,000 people on Facebook isn’t a market for tourism, when the authority could target hundreds and millions of people in the Western world who want to see jungles, the wildlife, surf waves and dive in pristine reefs.  

The digital campaign would be cheap to conduct. For about US$200 a month, targeted audiences would be aware of the experiences waiting for them. There is no need for expensive television or newspaper advertising in local newspapers, because social media platforms will play a pivotal role in getting the message out there, driving traffic to a resort, hotel or tourist guide travel website for them to make reservations, purchase airline tickets and organise other vital services. The prospectus of the tourism industry is huge, but again, the management of the authority needs to be changed and those in charge need to be laid off the job, because quite frankly, they lack the creativity. No offence, this is after all a blog post and not an academic write up.