House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time South Australian Brand SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRAND Ms THOMPSON House of Assembly Reynell SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRAND Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:11): My question is also to the Premier. Can the Premier advise the house how South Australia's new brand is progressing since its launch last month? Mr Venning House of Assembly Mr Venning: Of course he can, he gave it to you. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order. The Premier. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier Minister for State Development Minister for the Public Sector Minister for the Arts The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:11): I thank the honourable member for her question and I am delighted to report that more than 170 South Australian businesses and organisations have already expressed an interest in using South Australia's new brand to market themselves at home and abroad. Of these, 82 businesses and organisations, big and small, have officially registered to use the brand, and 16 are already using the brand in various ways. I am told that Douglas Park Organics, one of South Australia's clean and green food producers, has placed the brand on their orange juice label. Some are using the brand on their websites, in brochures and emails, while other businesses are currently developing designs. The Adelaide Convention Centre has used the brand in a magazine advertisement, it is developing a billboard, and the brand will feature on the newest brochure of KI Outdoor Action. I am also pleased to join with the South Australian Wine Industry Association, the member for Schubert will be pleased to know, as they become the first major industry to adopt and use the state brand through their push to make us known as the wine capital of Australia. These are exactly the ways we wanted the state brand to be used. It is designed to bring to mind the qualities of South Australia, a place that is creative, industrious, innovative and, most of all, open to the world. The new brand is also displayed prominently in several locations at Adelaide Airport and on the SA Power Networks LED screen at the junction of Greenhill Road and ANZAC Highway. State government agencies are also adapting the brand for use across various parts of government, and I was very pleased to feature it on the front page of the economic statement. We have also taken the brand abroad, launching it last week in London to 235 expats, British businesses with South Australian ties and a couple of Aussie icons came along, Barry Humphries and Kathy Lette. I am told the guests loved the new brand and saw its potential in selling South Australia and our story to the world. I know that some people have taken some time to warm to the brand, and we expected that, but we do believe in its importance for the state's future economic development. As I outlined in the economic statement and as the previous answer indicated, increasingly we are going to have to look beyond our borders for the opportunities that present themselves for South Australia. That means encouraging the people, the ideas, the resources, the visitors and the students to be part of the South Australian story. First, to create that preference for people to choose you, they have to be aware of you, and the key thing to create awareness is to create a strong brand, and that is what we are doing.