Nov 23/25

Greetings from the Great Ocean Road, Australia 

“I laugh every time I see that sign!”

Can’t read the full email – click here for the online version.

Today we finished what may be Australia’s most iconic section of highway. It is known as the Great Ocean Road. Here’s a brief description of this iconic piece of blacktop.

The Great Ocean Road, a stunning stretch of coastline in Australia, is like nature’s dramatic roller coaster, winding along the southeastern shores of Victoria. It spans about 243 kilometers (151 miles) from Torquay—surfing capital of Australia—to Allansford, just east of Warrnambool.

As you drive this breathtaking highway, prepare to be mesmerized by sheer cliffs, lush rainforests, and winding roads kissed by the salty breezes of the Southern Ocean. One of its most iconic landmarks, the Twelve Apostles, stands majestically against the waves, limestone stacks that emerge from the sea like nature’s own sculptures. The sunsets here can be otherworldly, turning the sky into a palette of fiery oranges and soft pinks.

The Great Ocean Road was built as a tribute to the soldiers who fought and died in World War I, creating a vital link between isolated coastal towns. Construction kicked off in 1919 and took over 13 years, officially opening in 1932. The goal was twofold: to honor the fallen and to enhance access to the breathtaking scenery of Victoria’s coastline.

Using little more than pickaxes, shovels, and rudimentary machinery, the men—many of them returned servicemen—labored tirelessly against nature’s raw elements. They hacked through dense forests, navigated cliffs, and bridged gorges, transforming rugged terrain into a stunning highway.

Can you imagine? These hardy souls braving rain, wind, and the ocean’s roar, carving a road out of limestone and basalt! With no modern heavy machinery, each section was meticulously hand-built, making it a labor of love and community pride that continues to draw travelers today. 

This isn’t just a road; it’s a living testament to courage, perseverance, and the beauty of the Australian landscape!

Torquay, where this road officially starts, is an Australian surfing mecca – with it’s famous Bells Beach and the founding stores of two renowned brands, Billabong and Rip Curl. 

At the western end lies the small city of Warrnambool, which has high-end hotels and a natural hot-springs spa. In between, lie numerous beaches, cliff views and villages, too numerous to write about at length. You’ll have to drive the road to see what I mean. 

There is, however, one common element that I couldn’t fail to see and must mention.

Someone, early on, had an ear and a mind for marketing.

Why do I say that?

Let’s start with the name of the road. Originally, it was called the Southern Coastal Road. At the end of the Great War, the governments of Australia didn’t have much money. They weren’t about to pony up for the construction of a road that would connect tiny coastal towns of little economic importance.

What happened instead, was the creation of a Trust – funded primarily via private donations, which would be paid back via tolls to use it. 

Selling anything is tough. Selling a road – from which you may or may not receive any kind of compensation – tougher yet.

What was needed was a name that would conjure up the imagination of a nation. Something grand. Something great.

Thus came about the name; “Great Ocean Road”.

Other name changes along the coast followed suit – once the economic engine of tourism was visualized. Here are two big ones that caught my eye.

• Swampy Creek –> Anglesea
• Sow and Piglets -> the 12 Apostles

The latter is for these large limestone formations or “stacks” that stand short distances from the shore – sentinels of towering rock. Except that there were never 12 originally, only 9 and now there are just 8.

Other locations and businesses have got into the act. 

There’s the tiny hamlet of Lavers Hill which coined the slogan: “where the forest meets the sea”. The fact that you can’t even see the ocean from this community is secondary to the marketing idea.

Back closer to Melbourne, on the Mornington Peninsula there is a town called Dromana, which uses the slogan; “Where the mountain meets the sea”. Which is why my sister, who lives near the area laughs every time she passes the town’s signage, since the “mountain” is small hill of only 300 odd meters in elevation.

Close by this town, there is another called “Safety Beach”. I gather this was an attempt to forget the name of the bay, which is called “Shark Bay”. Too completely different ideas – don’t you think!

Lastly, a group of businesses combined their resources to come up the name, “12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail”. This is used as an attempt to siphon some of the traffic that visits the coastal area that contains the “12 Apostles” and get them to take a circular drive into the interior and sample their wares of cheeses, chocolates, and whiskey.

We took this route, so it obviously works.

During our lunch stop, I ordered a local beer. Besides the good taste, I particularly liked their slogan; “Where thirst follows surf”.

The key lesson for you is this. Names matter. They are the headlines that either grab your attention or do not. Often just the change of the headline will increase response to a promotion by 100 to 1000%! No other change to the marketing copy. Just the headline. 

Think about that. One small change and you double or even ten times your traffic. No increase in spending. Nothing else required.

Ah, but how to come up with the right name? 

That requires much thinking, strategically and tactically. Plus the use of running competing promotions with different headlines, to test and measure which one pulls better. With every winner, we will attempt to write another to see if it can do better. 

There are some shortcuts to this method. 

One of them is to study and understand how to craft and write persuasive marketing copy. The least expensive and most effective way to do that, in my opinion, is via my Do-It-Yourself Business Academy, which you can access for as little as a special cup of joe per day.

Until next week, 

Stay healthy and focus on profit! 

 - Hugh 
The “Profit Accelerator” Expert

P.S: Tiny, consistent wins—1–2% changes—can compound into 50–100% more profit in a year. Our team built a tool to unlock those gains. If you’re curious about how this can transform your coaching business, click here to explore further.

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