Talking Point: Living and breathing the Tassie brand

NICK HADDOW: We are an island of difference in a sea of sameness — and that quality is owned by the whole community

GOOD LIFE: Nick Haddow, left, enjoys Tasmanian produce on the Hobart waterfront. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

DESPITE having made the trip probably thousands of times, I still love the ferry ride to and from Bruny Island.

As far as commutes go, it’s not a bad one — watching the light play on the water, having a chat with one of the locals or just catching up on a few emails as we cut across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel … it’s still a favourite part of my day and a chance to breathe and reflect.

Whether I am on Bruny Island, down on our dairy farm in Glen Huon or working out of Hobart, I never take for granted how incredible this place is where we live and work.

Tasmania is a rare flower, and right now we are starting to bloom. It is no wonder that to Tasmanians, the world can’t get enough of our unique little island, and the need to protect what makes us special has never been greater.

Fittingly, history was made yesterday when Brand Tasmania began operating as a new statutory authority.

As well as being a first for Australia, Tasmania is only the second place in the world, after Iceland, to establish a “place” branding authority. The State Government should be applauded for bringing this groundbreaking, and vitally important initiative to life.

As a statutory authority, Brand Tasmania can turbo-charge our story.

Earlier this month, I was appointed the inaugural chair of the new Brand Tasmania authority, a job which I am very honoured and excited to have been chosen for. We have just also unveiled our new board.

Tasmania is an island of difference in a sea of sameness. Our difference is our greatest competitive advantages.

Understanding what our difference, our unique character, looks like is critical so that we can all work to strengthen it, recognise when it is being threatened, or use it to tell our story to promote our products and places.

Brand Tasmania has an important place in guiding debate around key relevant issues, we should be able to hold a mirror up and ask, “Is that decision in the best interests of our state’s reputation?”

Protecting our brand will no doubt mean there are some tough conversations in our future, but with the creation of Brand Tasmania, the State Government has made a clear statement about the importance it places on the cultural and economic value of upholding Tasmania’s unique qualities.

Tasmania’s brand is not owned by any one person or entity, it is not owned by the Government, and it is not owned by the board of Brand Tasmania.

It belongs to the Tasmanian community.

With increased resourcing and certainty of purpose, I want Brand Tasmania to contribute to building self-belief and confidence in the community, to drive sustainable growth and become the Tasmania we all want it to be.

However, first and foremost, the most important role of the new statutory authority must be continuity.

It is essential we build on the work, and legacy of the Brand Tasmania Council over the past two decades. It has been work driven by a passionate band of Tasmanians who have had stunning results with modest resources.

Brand Tasmania will continue to engage with our world-class producers, manufacturers and suppliers to champion this state in domestic and international markets.

As a small producer myself, I live and breathe our brand every single day. Like so many others, Tasmania’s reputation is my most potent marketing tool.

There is no doubt we have come so incredibly far by promoting our island to an increasingly attentive audience.

But it is also true that we have only just scratched the surface.

Tasmania still has so much more untapped potential, and the Brand Tasmania Authority is ready to play a vital role as we go forward in this exciting new chapter.

We are here to tell the story of Tasmania. It’s a story that started tens of thousands of years ago and today belongs to every man, woman and child lucky enough to call this unique little island on the edge of the world home. And it’s a story worth telling!

Nick Haddow is the inaugural chair of the Brand Tasmania Authority. He has been a board member of the Brand Tasmania Council since 2014. He is the founder and managing director of the Bruny Island Cheese & Beer Co.