Following the success of this year's Regional Marketing Project, a G21 Regional Marketing Alliance has been established to explore other opportunities for low cost/high value collaboration.

The significance of this is that the RMA partners include a wide variety of government and non-government partners who can see the benefits of working together to promote the Geelong region. The RMA partners include the five G21 Councils, Deakin University, Gordon Institute of TAFE, Barwon Health, the Committee for Geelong, the Chamber of Commerce, the GP Association of Geelong, the Transport Accident Commission, Central Geelong Marketing, Target Australia, Geelong Otway Tourism, Shell Geelong Refinery, V/line and Victorian Regional Channels Authority. The Geelong Advertiser have also expressed their interest in joining the RMA and more organisations are anticipated to follow.

Regional marketing is used to:

• Attract and retain professional and skilled workers to the Geelong region.
• Attract business investment in existing and desired areas of competitive advantage in the Geelong region.
• Support the transition of the manufacturing industry in the Geelong region.
• Counter inaccurate negative perceptions of central Geelong by promoting it as a vibrant regional service centre and major Australian city.

The RMA will identify and deliver campaigns that align the external perceptions of the Geelong region with its current attributes and vision for the future. As demonstrated by last year's campaign, the RMA makes more effective use of marketing dollars by delivering collaborative co-ordinated campaigns where mutual benefits can be demonstrated.

The group celebrated the conclusion of this year's project with the online and print publication of "A Guide to Marketing the Geelong Region" and the completion of a three year business plan for the ongoing development of the RMA. Click on the links below to see components of the 2008/09 Regional Marketing campaign - a G21 Priority Project.

Click here to browse "A Guide to Marketing the Geelong Region".

Click here to see the new Geelong Region television commercial.

Click to see The Age "The Best Place to Live" Edition 1 - Learn, Edition 2 - Work, Edition 3 - Live, Edition 4 - Invest.