'I wish the industry could have raised issues such as climate change': Tourism Australia's Nishant Kashikar

Campaign India's countdown to the end of the decade will feature leading names from the marketing and communications fraternity. We ask senior executives from the advertising, marketing and media fraternity about the last 10 years and the year to come.

 

Here's what Nishant Kashikar, country manager, Tourism Australia, had to say:

 

One piece of work created by a competitor in the last decade that you wish you had created/worked on?

 

Consumers today expect brands to take a stand on important social issues. Brands today must be human to the core to thrive in the consumer revolution. Hence, I’d have loved to be associated with brands that are trying to make a difference, making an effort to change perceptions or making an effort to bust some of the popular myths, through emotional story-telling. There’s been some great work done in the travel space. Airlines are constantly innovating and evolving how they position themselves in the minds of the consumers. It’s no longer the promise of luxury or tactical price-based campaigns; they are marketing emotions and the feeling of being at a particular destination. British Airways’ #FueledbyLove and Lufthansa’s #LifeChangingPlaces are some excellent campaigns done in this category. Outside travel, Aerial’s #sharetheload campaign is a great example of a social movement that aims to address the cultural tension of gender inequality.

 

If hindsight is 20/20, what is the one thing that you could have done differently in the last decade?

 

Tourism is all about strengthening strong people to people links. It has the potential to create a borderless world and make our planet a better place to live. As an industry, I wish we could have raised issues such as climate change, sustainability, over-tourism, etc. much earlier to negate and minimise its impact on our current and future generation.  

 

One skill that you would want to pick up in 2020 and why?

 

India is passing through a turbulent phase with softening consumer demand and GDP growth. The tourism sector is also witnessing some headwinds post the closure of Jet Airways’, Air India’s financial woes and some established tour operators winding up their operations. Having said that, with a young demography and an aspirational middle-class, no country in the world offers as much potential as India. Hence, it’s the perfect time to sharpen your axe (skill-set) and focus on the fundamentals of marketing, leveraging the ever-evolving digital landscape & technology, to strike an emotional bond with your consumer.

 

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