Victorian Government Advertising Plan 2023–24

About the 2023–24 advertising plan

In developing the advertising plan for 2023–24, each advertising campaign proposed by Victorian Government departments and agencies was carefully considered and assessed.

The government's 2023-24 advertising plan included a significant investment in interstate and international advertising to promote Victoria as tourism destination, and recruitment campaigns promoting roles in the education, healthcare and community services sectors.

As in previous years,the plan also included campaigns raising awareness of disruptions and service changes caused by major road and rail infrastructure projects, and campaigns promoting fire and water safety during summer, road safety and safety in the workplace, and supporting the TAFE sector.

The government considered these activities critical to delivering its strategic priorities for Victoria, while representing an effective investment of public money.

Each individual campaign included in the government's annual plan underwent a detailed review process before being approved to commence, to ensure the level of advertising expenditure planned for the campaign was prudent and represented the minimum amount required to achive the campaign's strategic objectives.

Adjusting the annual advertising plan

Government advertising priorities may chnage throughout the year in response to changing circumstances or emerging issues (such as natural disasters or public health emergencies). Therefore, some advertising included within the government's annual advertising plan may not take place as planned, while additional advertising may be required that was not anticipated in the advertising plan.

Advertising necessary to alert the community to unexpected emergencies (such as severe heat warnings or floods) is considered on a case-by-case basis and in not included in the annual advertising plan.

Reporting on government advertising expenditure

Each year, the Victorian Government publishes a report on total government advertising expenditure for the previous financial year, and a report summarising. significant advertising campaigns undertaken during the year. These reports can be found online at www.vic.gov.au/advertising-plans-and-spend.

Departments and agencies also report details of any advertising campaigns with media advertising costs of $100,000 or more, within their respective annual reports.

Non-campaign advertising

This advertising plan summarises Victorian Government advertising campaigns undertaken in 2023-24. As detailed above, 'campaign' advertising is generally intended to communicate a particular message or change people's behavior over time - for example, TAC road safety campaigns.

The Victorian Government also undertakes a range of 'non-campaign' advertising, which compromises 'functional' advertising (such as requests for tender, notifications about community consultations and road closure notices) and recruitment advertising for specific roles.

While campaign advertising accounts for the majority of government advertising expenditure, the government also has measures in place to ensure non-campaign advertising is undertaken in a cost-effective manner.

For example, since July 2022, government bodies have been able to post some functional public notices on the Victorian Public Notices website, rather than use paid advertising in print newspapers.

Advertising standards in legislation

In September 2017, the government passed legislation to strengthen governance of communication and advertising undertaken by public sector bodies, by introducing Part 5A to the Public Administration Act 2004.

Part 5A includes measures to restrict government television advertising to five purposes or 'priority areas'. No other government television advertising is permitted under the Act. As detailed within this report, all government advertising campaigns in 2023-24 contributed to one of these five communication 'priority areas'.

In 2018, the government also introduced Regulations under Part 5A of the Act to further strengthen governance of public sector communication and advertising. The Act and the public Administration (Public Sector Communication Standards) Regulations 2018 can be viewed online at www.legislation.vic.gov.au.

Further guidance for departments and agencies is provided at www.vic.gov.au/victorian-government-communication-requirements.