Service Spotlight: Media Famils

The Aruga team put in 110 per cent effort and left it all on the field to score an epic pre-match victory ahead of the NRL’s 2023 Magic Round in Brisbane. In partnership with Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA), Aruga curated a footy-friendly famil that profiled the city as one of Australia’s premier sports destinations with a reserve bench stacked full of food and beverage venues, experiences, attractions and accommodation offerings.

Working with NRL, we assembled an A-Grade team of journalists from SPORTbible, Only Sports and News Corp’s Escape to share the city’s magic ahead of the Magic Round. As well as attending a home game, we had them ‘try’ out the city’s best pre-game bars and restaurants, tackle adventure tours and city sights and call time out in luxe accommodation. The full-time score? Brisbane emerged the clear winner in sports fans’ eyes ????

READ MORE: How to have a perfect 48 hours in Brisbane for the NRL’s Magic Round

Planning a media famil that visited some of Outback Queensland’s most iconic destinations filled us with FOMO. So much so, we packed our bags and swags to hit the road and host our carefully selected journalists on the media trip of a lifetime.

We worked with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) to spotlight some of the state’s greatest – and wildest – regional events and the unique destinations that host them. We accompanied our media guests to the Julia Creek Dirt & Dust Festival then took them on a regional road trip for an access all areas pass to some of the highlights on TEQ’s Queensland Destination Events Program.

Think days spent touring quintessentially Queensland venues, meeting event organisers, snooping new accommodation and sampling country cuisine while previewing major events including the Festival of Outback Opera, Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival and Outback River Lights Festival ????

READ MORE: The top 12 emerging cultural experiences in Australia

When a city has as many exciting venues, innovative chefs and delicious dishes as Brisbane, anything less than a smorgasbord of coverage leaves us hungry for more. Aruga partnered with BEDA to elevate the humble food review and menu-planned a feast of a famil for one of Australia’s pre-eminent food writers.

We cooked up an unforgettable dining experience for Australian Financial Review Food Editor Jill Dupleix, working with major restaurants and renowned chefs to arrange meals, meetings, venue tours and behind-the-scenes access. Aruga ensured bold newcomers were profiled alongside established favourites to position Brisbane as Australia’s hottest dining destination.

The resulting coverage included an AFR Life & Leisure magazine cover and double-page spread spruiking the city’s culinary creds and spotlighting the 11 restaurants shaping Brisbane. *chef’s kiss* ????

READ MORE: Brisbane is turning heads

Brisbane Festival lights up the city for 23 days and nights each September but to maximise interstate interest, Aruga needed to find a way to pique media attention and secure early coverage. The solution: arts-focused famils that highlighted the city as a dazzling cultural destination while previewing the Festival.

Aruga’s famil program targeted top-tier national media outlets to reach the high-value traveller (HVT) market and drive interstate visitation to Brisbane’s major events and cultural attractions. Resulting coverage in The Weekend Australian Magazine highlighted the likes of Queensland Museum, Gallery of Modern Art and Museum of Brisbane – as well as nearby accommodation and dining venues – before promoting a slate of upcoming events, including Brisbane Festival.

A famil firmly centred on Brisbane Festival yielded thoughtful coverage in The Guardian Australia that spoke as much to the evolution of the Festival and the city as it did to the opening weekend program. ????

READ MORE: Spotlighting Brisbane’s world-class wonders

Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) might be compact in size but when it comes to unique attractions and experiences, it punches well above its weight. Working to a limited budget, Aruga worked with BEDA and local operators to craft five distinct famils that delivered excellent bang for buck.

We tapped into the insider knowledge of our close network of local operators to refine each famil itinerary so it showed a different side of Minjerribah. From the island’s fascinating Indigenous history and natural attractions to its arts and cultural scene, no two media features were the same. The five customised famil itineraries also presented an excellent opportunity to spotlight more than 20 unique and new tourism operators spanning yoga retreats and glamping to waterfront dining and kayaking adventures ????️

READ MORE: Day-dreaming of a day trip to paradise

HIGHLIGHT: Tailored famil itineraries secured quality coverage across the key travel and lifestyle publications of News Corp’s Qweekend and Escape, The Australian Travel + Luxury, Good Food and a four-page feature in Qantas Magazine (read here and here).

Do you think your brand would benefit from a famil? Or are you a journalist looking to get on our VIP famil invite list? Hit us up here.