I AM confused by the City of Fremantle Destination Development Strategic Plan 2023-2027, launched at the Maritime Museum last week. 

The marketing video that was shown will be cut to short 15 and 30 second clips to be shown during the news on 7News and on Ten’s Masterchef, so that is prime time – and expensive – exposure for Fremantle. 

But we were told the marketing campaign is only targeting the Perth region, not the international and interstate tourist markets. 

I assume the latter will be left to Perth-centric Tourism WA to promote Fremantle overseas.

I found it disappointing that the boring and uninspiring This Is Fremantle slogan will continued to be used. 

It always reminds me of when I arrive by train in our port city and the announcement “This is Fremantle: This train terminates here” comes through the public address system. 

By the way, Manly in NSW also uses the This Is Manly slogan.

Fremantle is unique, even the Destination Development Strategic Plan 2023-2027 mentions that, so why is the marketing not focussing on our city’s uniqueness?

Why is is not different from the marketing for so many cities around Australia? 

Why not have a slogan like Fun Fantastic Fremantle, or emulate a campaign I did the photography for in Esperance some 20 years ago Come Share Our Secrets! 

It was highly successful and significantly increased visitations and overnight stays there. 

The target markets were Perth and Kalgoorlie.

The latest marketing for the City of Perth is exceptional. 

Ballerinas on skateboards. Brilliant! 

There is a sense of adventure about it, and gives the impression that Perth invites people to dare to be different. 

Quirky, arty, fun

Oops, I thought Freo was supposed to be like that; quirky, arty, fun.

The Fremantle video clips of course also show a smoking ceremony and our Indigenous culture, but why bother when everyone in the Perth region knows all about Australia’s First Nations people? 

Why do international marketing for a local target? 

And let’s be clear, where is the Aboriginal experience in Fremantle, but for a couple of galleries showing Aboriginal art? 

There is the Manjaree trail at Bathers Beach, but one of the signs on top of Arthur’s Head, next to the Roundhouse, has been removed, so the trail is incomplete. 

The Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre is not open on weekends, so where can Freo visitors get an Aboriginal experience, that over 50 per cent of international visitors want?

The daily firing of the one o’clock cannon at the Roundhouse, WA’s oldest remaining public building, is unique to Fremantle, so why not feature that for the Perth region? 

It is very popular with young and old.

One of the laments we hear often, and is even mentioned in the Destination Development Strategic Plan document, is that Fremantle is a weekend destination, and near dormant the first three to four days of the week, but marketing our city in the Perth region is only going to get more people visiting on weekends, because most people work during the week and don’t have the time to come to Freo. 

How can we attract more people to our city early in the week? 

What can we offer that other places don’t have? 

How can we pull people away from boring, sterile shopping centres and entice them to wander around our wonderful city? 

Pictures of pubs and festivals are not going to achieve that.

For me the new marketing campaign lacks focus. 

It wants Fremantle to be everything for everyone, and kind of different but the same as every other city in Australia. 

That’s disappointing, but I welcome opposing opinions from Freo people, and experts in the tourism and marketing industries.

Roel Loopers
freoview.wordpress.com