Utopia mothballed: what we can learn from Quayside Toronto
It was the most ambitious of projects: a technology-fuelled design for urban living that would generate tens of billions of dollars and change the way cities were built. So what should we make of Quayside Toronto's failure to get off the ground?
Now is the time to start telling your good news story
It’s difficult to imagine another event that might present such a challenge for our health and economic systems as COVID-19 has. But there is an opportunity to tell another story - your story.
Making in-house support work post COVID-19
The big story of the past three months has been about disruption — it’s a story that every business, big or small, has shared.
Salvos calling – digital doorknock for annual appeal
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way West Australians go about everyday life. Much of this change relates to the increasingly digital flavour of our working lives. With so many offices closed, we’ve used programs like Microsoft Teams to conduct meetings and co-ordinate workflows, while communicating with (and being part of) webinar audiences that stretch across the world. But amid all the disruption, we’ve also seen examples of the best of humanity. Fremantle’s Left Bank pub, for instance, is retaining and paying staff under the Federal Government’s Job Keeper program but, with the venue shut, sending them out to
The 268 wins major international communications award
Cannings Purple has become the first communications consultancy based in WA to be recognised at the Gold Quill Awards.
Jenn Morris joins Cannings Purple
We’re excited to announce the addition of accomplished business leader Jenn Morris OAM to the Cannings Purple team.
How my internship taught me to communicate
Cannings Purple intern Brigitte Colbert explains how time spent at the consultancy taught her about the importance of genuine, two-way conversations.
How the Matagarup Bridge was built – with the community
Construction of Perth's latest piece of iconic infrastructure took place in plain sight - but what happened behind the scenes was just as important.
Promotions for emerging Cannings Purple talent
We’re pleased to announce promotions for two of Cannings Purple’s emerging talents – Sarah-Jane Dabarera and Emily Coates.
Cannings Purple up for global PR award
The winners of the global SABRE Awards will be announced in Washington next month.
Six talking points from the Asia Pacific IN2 Summit in Singapore
From fake news to corporate activism, the rise of podcasts and the decline of advertising - global PR experts gathered in Singapore to discuss the industry's hottest topics.
Cannings Purple wins major Asia Pacific award
Cannings Purple has been named the Corporate/Financial Consultancy of the Year at the Asia Pacific SABRE Awards in Singapore.
Cannings Purple a finalist for Asia Pacific Consultancy of the Year
For the fourth year in a row, Cannings Purple has been named a finalist at the prestigious SABRE Awards.
Why disability services sector boards need more diversity
There are concerns the lived experience of disability is not being adequately reflected at decision tables.
Workshops bring Disability Royal Commission a step closer
Now is the time for providers to start preparing for the prospect of appearing before the commission.
Why you should worry about the unhappy two per cent
Telstra chairman John Mullen touched on a variety of issues when he spoke at the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ Rottnest Forum recently – covering everything from the attainability and practicalities of work-life balance to the limitations of the minimum wage. But the subject that struck the biggest chord with me was the damage that can be done to a business’ reputation by a small percentage of unhappy customers or stakeholders. As Mullen highlighted, a business doesn’t have to deliberately do something wrong to create significant reputational issues. Equally, the potential damage from that wrongdoing has little to do with whether or
Why 5G could spell trouble for your crisis comms
The ongoing rollout of 5G networks around Australia won’t just make for much faster internet connections on our mobile devices – it is also set to pose an increasingly challenging test of the crisis communications capabilities of businesses and organisations. Speaking at a recent webinar on crisis communications hosted by media monitoring company Meltwater, international communications expert John Bailey said 5G capabilities would supercharge existing trends in our behaviour around disasters and noteworthy public incidents. Bailey, who has extensive experience working with airlines on crises responses, mapped out the evolution of social media around airline emergency situations in recent years. While the crash
Don’t get caught up in the language on social licence
The concept of social licence to operate has a lot of currency in the resources sector. Increasingly resource companies see their social licence to operate as a strategic issue for the board, central to their success, with loss of social licence a key business risk. Social licence is, however, a relatively new concept, and emerged just over 20 years ago. First used by Canadian mining executive James Cooney in discussion with World Bank officials, it was originally coined as a metaphor to argue that the trust and acceptance of society was just as important as a regulatory licence for resource operations. The concept
We have another royal commission, what happens now?
The royal commission into the abuse of people with disability will be the most expensive in this country’s history, with $527 million budgeted for an inquiry that is expected to run for three years. It will also be Australia’s seventh royal commission in six years, as commissions have become the ‘new normal’ when governments look to address significant issues in society. So, what do you need to know about the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, especially if you are a provider in the sector? What is the scope of the royal commission? Needless to say, with a three-year span, this commission’s scope is
Why we’re riding 700km across WA this week
In Western Australia last year 51 young people suicided – almost one death a week. Youth suicide is the biggest single killer of our nation’s young people. This is a hard fact to hear and an even harder one to comprehend. But this week the shocking reality of the rate of youth suicide in our community provides all the motivation required for our group of more than 170 cyclists to ride 700km in four and a half days. After six months of hard training and fund raising, riders in the annual Hawaiian Ride for Youth will today begin the long journey from Albany or Jurien Bay back to Perth. To have
New ASX principles stress values as well as value
An awful lot can happen in five years, which is how long it had been between drinks when the ASX recently released a fourth edition of its Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations. It’s very likely the document was due for updating anyway but the findings of the Royal Commission into the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry have only reinforced that need. The new ASX principles make it abundantly clear – just as Commissioner Kenneth Hayne has done in his Commission findings – that the pursuit of profit cannot be the sole motivation for listed companies’ business practices. Instead, in what is perhaps the
‘Old’ news, cyber attacks and shifting cultural plates – seven trends to watch
We live in an ever-changing communications landscape, where the next big trend can go from nowhere-to-be-seen to near ubiquitous in matter of days (or even hours). Against a recent backdrop in which public trust has been tested like never before (from Trump to banking horror stories and Australian cricket disgrace), our experts give their takes on the communication trends they expect to see coming into focus in the near future. Number crunching for the win One of the biggest opportunities – and challenges – for many businesses will be around how they use data and whether it can become a predictive tool for
Teaching, sharing and flexing: our CEO reflects on International Women’s Day
Today being International Women’s Day, you don’t need to be Nostradamus to predict that the media will be awash with statistics and stories around the theme of gender equality. Nor would you have to be clairvoyant to predict that the numbers will read pretty similar to last year. Here they are: A recent report by the Business Council of Australia, McKinsey & Company and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) highlighted the fact that women make up 42 per cent of employees but just 25 per cent of executives and only 10 per cent of CEOs in large, for-profit Australian companies. As
Simon Corrigan joins Cannings Purple
We’re delighted to announce the appointment of experienced adviser Simon Corrigan as a Director, further strengthening our market-leading Corporate Affairs team. Simon brings more than 15 years’ experience in corporate consulting, including four years at BHP - the last two years as the miner’s head of community and Indigenous affairs. He was previously government relations manager and then head of corporate affairs at BHP’s Olympic Dam operation, has held senior roles with Atlas Iron and CITIC Pacific Mining and has political experience as a campaign manager and chief-of-staff for state government ministers and federal MPs. Cannings Purple Managing Director Warrick Hazeldine said Simon’s
Cannings Purple welcomes Jordin Payne and David Mano
We are delighted to continue our growth in key market areas, with the appointments of engagement specialist and Senior Consultant Jordin Payne and Consultant David Mano. Jordin joins Cannings Purple’s Corporate Affairs team, having moved from Murdoch University, where she was an engagement and communications co-ordinator in the Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre and focussed on partnerships with the community, recruitment and event management. She is a proud Nimanburr woman and traditional owner from Broome Western Australia, with ancestral ties to Yarwuru, Djugan, Nyul Nyul and Bardi groups on the Mid Dampier Peninsula. David, meanwhile, returns to Cannings Purple’s Government Relations team, in which he
Building community: how creating the ‘third place’ can alleviate loneliness
Think of a residential estate and what does your mind turn to? Manicured lawns and new builds? Landscaped open space? Kids kicking a ball on gently curving roads? What about an opportunity to tackle one of society’s greatest social and health challenges? That’s the unlikely challenge that arises out of a growing body of research that finds badly-designed urban environments — anonymous high-rise living, for example, or so-called food deserts where all shops are a driving distance from homes — markedly increase loneliness. And loneliness is now considered an epidemic in Australia, as well as being as risky to our health as obesity. The issue is
They came…they saw…they debated (mostly) civilly
What do you get when you throw three passionate journalists into battle against three equally-motivated communications professionals, to argue about “spin doctoring?” That would be Thursday night’s International Association of Business Communicators WA Great Debate, held in front of a sell-out crowd at Brookfield Place. It was the IABC Western Australia’s first debate event since launching last year and judging by the turnout and the reception of the format, it won’t be the last. To recap, the topic was “Comms pros are just spin doctors” and the affirmative team consisted of the ABC’s Jessica Strutt and Kathryn Diss and The Australian’s Andrew Burrell,
Promotions for Tim Grey-Smith and Carina Tan-Van Baren
We are delighted to announce promotions for two of our key staff – with Tim Grey-Smith and Carina Tan-Van Baren moving to the role of Associate Director. Tim’s promotion reflects the outstanding outcomes he has delivered for clients since joining Cannings Purple’s Government Relations team in 2017. The Corporate Affairs team has also benefited greatly from Carina’s expertise in the health and aged care sectors. “Tim’s promotion reflects not only personal growth, but also growth in our business,” National Director Karen Brown said. “He has shown great commitment to achieving results for our clients – and with experience across the energy, resources, planning, property and
Karen Brown takes the Government Relations reins
We’re pleased to announce that Karen Brown has been appointed as acting head of our Government Relations team, while experienced adviser Michael Cairnduff has been promoted to the role of Director. Karen will combine her existing role as National Director with leading the Government Relations team. Michael, meanwhile, will move from the Investor Relations team to become Director of Government Relations. Current Director of Government Relations Astrid Serventy is leaving Cannings Purple in March for a new role in the corporate sector. “On the behalf of our board and management team I’d like to thank Astrid for her significant contributions to Cannings Purple and
Perth office market recovery firms as vacancies hit three-year low
The Property Council of Australia has released its latest Office Market Report – and it’s positive news for Perth’s CBD and its fringes. Cannings Purple Corporate Affairs Director and property expert Fran Lawrence, who moderated the expert panel for the report’s launch, analyses the key findings and snapshots and considers the outlook for 2019. Perth is coming back. That was the message from CBRE Senior Director Advisory & Transaction Services Andrew Denny in his keynote address at the launch of the PCA’s benchmark Office Market Report, which revealed Perth CBD office vacancy rates had dropped to their lowest point in more than