The Gold Coast, glistening on the Australian coast of Queensland, is much more than just a sun-kissed tourist haven. It's a pulsating metropolis with a diverse and thriving economy, boasting strength in various industries beyond the sand and surf.
Construction, a cornerstone of the city's development, contributes a substantial 18.9% to the Gold Coast's Gross Regional Product (GRP). Rental, hiring, and real estate services, vital to the city's infrastructure and growth, contribute another 14.78% to the GRP. And let's not forget the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, which adds a significant 13.88% to the economic mix.
With over 732,000 residents and a median household income of AUD 84,600, the Gold Coast is a force to be reckoned with in the global marketplace. The city's dynamism extends to its entrepreneurial spirit, boasting over 76,000 registered businesses. This vibrant business landscape presents both opportunities and challenges.
In today's consumer-centric world, where mindful spending takes precedence, businesses need to stand out from the crowd. Effective marketing strategies and impactful graphic design are crucial weapons in this competitive battle.
This is where Brandripe steps in. We understand the unique needs of Gold Coast businesses and provide the tools you need to create professional-looking marketing materials that resonate with local consumers, but first, we’ll offer you some ways that you can master the graphic design scene in the Gold Coast!
Key practices for graphic design in the Gold Coast
According to PopulationReview.com, the Gold Coast is home to a majority of young families (adult median age 37).
The majority of Gold Coast population consists of young families. Image: Freepik
With a young consumer base, it’s no wonder the Gold Coast consumers are:
Born and raised amidst the Gold Coast's golden beaches and abundance of natural attractions, young families have an innate appreciation for an active and outdoorsy lifestyle.
Their childhood experiences have instilled a deep connection with nature and a desire to explore the wonders of the world around them. Consequently, brands that effectively capture this lifestyle through their visual strategy and messaging are poised to capture a significant share of the Gold Coast's family-oriented consumer market.
The Gold Coast's family demographic seeks brands that resonate with their core values of health, wellness, environmental consciousness, and a deep connection to nature.
Brands that effectively convey these values through their visual storytelling can establish a strong emotional connection with families, fostering brand loyalty and driving purchasing decisions.
These visual strategies can be reflected in the following way;
Natural colours should be of importance when it comes to graphic design in the Gold Coast. Image: Freepik
Gold Coast consumers are renowned for their tech-savviness, readily embracing advancements in digital technology and utilising them seamlessly in their daily lives.
This tech-centric mindset significantly influences consumer behaviour and preferences, making them highly receptive to digital marketing strategies. Businesses must leverage technology to leave a lasting impression on key consumers.
To effectively capture the attention of tech-savvy Gold Coast consumers, businesses must consider the following in their graphic design strategy:
In a family-oriented city like Gold Coast, brands that demonstrate value and trustworthiness are given precedence in purchasing decisions. Families are often willing to pay a premium for products and services from brands they trust, knowing that they are getting quality and reliability.
This is especially true for products that are important for the health and safety of children. How do you translate these values visually? Here are some tips:
Why you should outsource graphic design in the Gold Coast
When it comes to graphic design, depending on the size of your business there are traditional ways to go about getting graphic design done such as in-house, freelancers or agencies. Small businesses tend to hire in-house for the following reasons:
When a business is just starting, there is still much to be done to synchronise various departments. Having a member in-house is believed to make communicating information easier and collaborating on creating graphic design outputs that meet the organisation’s goals.
However, this approach may not always be feasible, and novice designers may find it challenging to balance the demands of producing high-quality designs while simultaneously coordinating with other departments.
Another common perception of hiring in-house is getting a faster turnaround time as the in-house hire is focused on in-house deliverables. In comparison to hiring a freelancer or agency who may be splitting their focus with other projects which may lead to a longer turnaround time.
While it may be true for a business that has a stable growth rate, rapidly growing businesses may encounter slower turnaround times with an in-house designer due to workload overload and potential burnout. It is crucial to consider these factors before making a decision.
As a company scales, having an experienced in-house designer would make sense to be the guide for new design talents to scale the design team. Furthermore, a dedicated designer would have more time to learn about the business and create designs that are truly relevant to your business.
There is one drawback for businesses that go down this route, the loss of creativity. As a design gets too confined creatively within the organisation, this leaves the design output to lack the lustre that is needed to stand out from the competition.
Why do medium or large businesses consider outsourcing to freelancers or agencies?
There are three main reasons businesses consider outsourcing their graphic design tasks. Image: Freepik
Medium and large businesses often outsource to freelancers or agencies to access specialised skills, gain flexibility and reduce costs – but here’s a full breakdown:
Compared to hiring in-house, outsourcing means hiring from outside your organisation to meet your graphic design needs. The benefit is the access to talents with various industry experiences and can offer a fresh perspective based on their understanding of consumer buying behaviour.
There are a lot of costs that come with in-house hiring such as recruitment fees, training, salaries, benefits, equipment and more. With a freelancer or agency, the fees are more reasonable when there is an agreed scope of work and timelines (that are unchanged). There is a fine print to consider such as usage rights, administrative fees, etc that a good project manager should be able to look into.
When the design work is outsourced, this leaves more resources for the internal team to work on other tasks that are more valuable to the organisation. However, if the wrong freelancer or agency was selected, this could directly invert this benefit and do more harm than good.
Tired of the complexities of managing design projects? Let Brandripe simplify your life.
Clearly, there is a lot to think about. But in case you are out of time, we will save you the trouble and get straight into why you should choose Brandripe to handle all your design projects in the Gold Coast.
Our on-demand graphic design subscription offers all the benefits of having an in-house designer, freelancer, and agency at your fingertips, without the associated hassles.
We understand the challenges businesses face with unpredictable invoices and time-consuming project management. That's why our entire business model is made with you in mind.
Here's how Brandripe can help:
Ready to unlock the full potential of your brand? Join us for a quick 15-minute Demo Call and let us start helping your business shine brighter than the Gold Coast sun!
