Singing the praises of Melbourne businesses we believe in is the KDPO raison d’etre – so imagine how we felt ringing the bell for Melbourne itself? In March this year, global media outlet Time Out announced its Best Cities List for 2026, and Melbourne topped the list for the first time. It was big news indeed, made all the better when Time Out Melbourne and Time Out’s head office in London engaged us to deliver the Australian rollout of the announcement.
We quickly devised a short, sharp media campaign to capitalise on the exciting news. Collaboration was key, so we worked closely with the Time Out team in Australia and with the head office in London to devise the campaign strategy. We pitched the announcement under embargo to priority outlets, coordinated a media call, distributed the release broadly to national media, and facilitated interviews with key spokespeople.
KDPO also liaised with key tourism and government stakeholders Visit Victoria, Tourism Australia, and City of Melbourne to leverage the news through their platforms and to engage with key leaders including the Lord Mayor and the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events.
Then it was time to party. KDPO client, restaurant Marmelo, proved the ideal venue for Time Out to host a lunch at the restaurant. Bringing together media and industry figures, the event saw the announcement of Melbourne’s top ranking followed by a wholehearted celebration of its global cultural standing.
The campaign showed what the nimble KDPO team can achieve at short notice. Our expertise in working efficiently with news media was a resounding success, garnering front page features in The Age and Herald Sun, nightly news stories on all the major TV networks, a thorough showing across breakfast TV and radio interviews alongside robust social media engagement. More than 280 pieces of media coverage were secured, with a potential audience reach in Australia of almost 100 million. Well done Melbourne, and KDPO.
