Quiet "yes" to marketing officer

Ruapehu Bulletin, 10 September 1991, Page 6

Quiet "yes" to marketing officer

"If Taumarunui doesn't want a marketing manager, we'll have him (her)." That was the opinion of Ruapehu South Business Association chairperson Sue Allomes on the issue of appointing a Ruapehu District Mar-

keting manager. The Bulletin spoke to a sample of commercial operators in Raetihi and Ohakune and found the majority were tacitly in favour of the appointment, in principle provided clear guidelines were set down.

Mrs Allomes said Ihe recent Ski Ruapehu promotion highlighted what could be done with a co-ordinated marketing approach. She said that project continues to provide huge benefits and that it was thanks to the generosity of Turoa Ski Resort and Ruapehu Alpine Lifts who put up the seed money to start the campaign. "But we can't expect them to do that on a 12 month basis," said Mrs Allomes. She said the district would benefit in the summer too, from a co-ordinated marketing campaign. "$3.1 billion of our foreign exchange comes from tourism and New Zealand is expecting one million visitors next year, but without a coordinated marketing approach they won't even know the Ruapehu District exists." Mrs Allomes cited the example of the Taupo District who had recently employed a marketing manager. She

said he had generated eriough extra business for the area to easily cover his salary "If we're going to get someone they have to be good - there's no use getting a pen pusher who would do nothing," she said. "We're all one-man businesses and we can't spend the time organising more than our owii promotions." A responsibility of a marketing manager could be to gather data on visitor demographics, said Mrs Allomes. She said at present the New Zealand Tourist Department figures on visitors to the southem Ruapehu were mixed in with Wanganui' s which meant it was difficult to use them to any effect. An Ohakune retailer we spoke to said he agreed with the idea of a marketing manager, but that he did not like being legislated to pay for it. He said providing clear objectives were set down and that they were adhered to, he would support the idea. He said the council should put out more information on the appointment. "I can't condemn the idea because I don't know enough about it. But I can't support it yet for the same reason." Two Raetihi retailcrs we spoke to tacitly supported the idea, but had

reservations about the lack of information on the subject from the council. "But they should have come to us first, not af-

ter the decision was made," said one. They felt if the person employed was enthusiastic there could be a lot of benefit "but it

depends so much on who gets the job". "But why can't one of those men of incredibly high salaries do the job?" said one.