How to make your website more accessible
1 in 6 Australians have a disability. The figure, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, means that approximately 4.4 million Aussies, or 18% of the population, benefit from accessible design and thinking. One area that is often overlooked is the accessibility of digital platforms, including websites. For people with auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical or visual needs, a badly designed website can be a real barrier to engaging with the world. To assist people with disabilities navigate websites, technologies such as screen readers to vocalise the text on each page are used, as well as speech recognition software that converts speech into text. This means
Cannings Purple takes home gold at the 2021 SABRE Awards
Cannings Purple have been announced a winner in the Asia-Pacific SABRE Awards for the work we’ve done with Hyzon Motors, a global supplier of hydrogen-fuel- cell-powered commercial vehicles. Established by leading international public relations expert, Paul Holmes, the Asia-Pacific SABRE Awards recognise superior achievement in brand, reputation and engagement. The award judges said they would be recognising bold, creative and brave communications, things which have been the hallmark of our work with Hyzon Motors. In August 2020, Hyzon Motors hired Cannings Purple in anticipation of speeding up the deployment of its vehicles around the world and preparing for a major transformation – a listing on the NASDAQ. Cannings Purple built the Hyzon Motors story and brand, helping commercialise almost two decades of hydrogen technology development
High Court rules media companies responsible for comments on their Facebook pages
The High Court has dismissed an appeal by some of Australia's biggest media outlets - including the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian, concluding that they are legally responsible as 'publishers' for third parties' comments on their facebook pages. This comes after a four-year battle between media outlets and Dylan Voller, a Northern Territory youth detainee whose experience in the Don Dale youth detention centre led to a 2016 royal commission. The case may involve some of Australia's biggest media organisations, but the consequences reach far beyond Australia's newsrooms. If you're the admin of your local community Facebook page; the local netball
Key takeaways from the latest Notifiable Data Breach Scheme stats
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) recently released its Notifiable Data Breaches Report for the period from January to June 2021. The Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme was established in February 2018 to improve consumer protection and drive better security standards for protecting personal information. Just 446 data breaches were notified to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under notifiable data breach (NDB) laws between January and June, a 16% decrease compared to the previous reporting period. With a reduced number of malicious data attacks and data breaches compared to the previous 6-month reporting period, the numbers are looking positive. Health sector
The State of Local Social Report 2021
Social media might connect you with the world, but it works best when it is local. Whether it is keeping you in touch with your neighbourhood, a way to find or promote local events or just a place to share a favourite café or walk in the park, social channels have become the public noticeboards and community groups of generations past. But they are also the first place people turn for fast-moving issues and changing information, making them an important channel for agencies needing to speak to and mobilise a local community. It’s because of these trends that local governments have moved into social media in a big way — with varying degrees of success. At Cannings Purple, we are always looking
Cyber criminals have targeted the property sector – but are gearing up for the rest of us
A new scam has triggered alarm bells for the property industry, but all businesses should heed the warning, writes Fran Lawrence. The property sector is the latest to come under fire from organised cyber criminals, with a new warning that real estate agents could be at heightened risk. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has urged the industry to be on guard after detecting a growing trend of cyber criminals trying to compromise corporate emails — what is known a business email compromise (BEC) scam. Under the scam, criminals impersonate parties in a property transaction — such as a real estate agent, conveyancer or party to
Why a cyber attack crisis requires a different comms response
Most crises centre around a distinct or discrete event. An accident. A fatality. A failure of critical infrastructure. And although the details of the issue may not be immediately apparent, there is usually clarity around what has happened, or at least, the immediate impact of what has happened. In most cases then, managing a crisis, particularly the communications aspect, centres on what has happened, what is known, what happens next. It is stressful, and it can put severe pressure on teams, but usually the interest and engagement about the issue tends to die down after a day or two. There’s reputation rebuilding, and
Showing to tell – visual storytelling and The Gibb Challenge
Show don’t tell is often cited as the ‘golden rule’ of writing. Whether using active voice over passive, expressing emotion through action, or practicing economical writing, a good writer employs a carefully honed bag of tricks to help you ‘see’ what you read. When creating visual content, the medium changes. Images, footage and sound replace words as the message’s primary courier. In essence, it is all show. The challenge becomes – how to tell the story. Some quick facts: 6 out of 10 people would rather watch online videos than television. Mobile video consumption rises by 100% every year. By 2022, online videos
What makes a good designer in 2021?
It’s not enough to be a graphic designer who only knows print or digital design anymore. In fact, you could say even the term ‘graphic designer’ is obsolete. A designer must know all the disciplines of design, from print and digital, to video and animation – and all of these to a high level if they want to thrive in the creative industry. Traditional print design is still relevant as the fundamental basis of a designer’s knowledge and skill, even if it’s something they may not use anymore. There is no room for error in print; you can’t just undo or
A cash free society – making sense of GovCoin
Splitting the bill isn’t what it used to be. Not so long ago, the end of a dinner out with friends would be a cue to scramble for an ATM, dig deep for notes and coins, and write an IOU to settle the evening’s expenses. Now it is more likely one person will pay the bill and the rest will send their share through an online banking transaction that might land with the payer in a few days. And it’s not just restaurants. Australians are well versed with electronic money, with most people familiar with online banking, e-commerce and tap-and-go – and thanks to COVID-19, many of us don’t carry any physical cash at all. So what if we did away
What skills are needed to work in Public Relations in 2021?
For an industry that has been around for roughly a century, defining “public relations” can be tricky, especially in a rapidly changing digital climate and amid evolving practices in the industry. Cannings Purple’s People and Culture Manager, Bri Kent says that as an industry, there’s more to do in how we talk about our industry, especially when it comes to attracting the next generation. "We really need to work on communicating what the industry looks like," Bri said. After all, a career in public relations is usually nothing like Sex and the City where Samantha, Carrie and the gang strut from New
Why your business needs to start the conversation about digital accessibility today
Never have we had so much knowledge available at our fingertips. The web provides unprecedented access to information, goods and services and a virtual platform for networking and socialising with others. However, many digital platforms are developed with accessibility barriers, making them difficult and frustrating for people with disabilities and impairments to use. If you communicate with customers, you need to know about web accessibility. It is beneficial for your customers, and in turn, your organisation to remove barriers to access that may exist within your digital products and public facing platforms. The most common disabilities and impairments that can impact a
Gen Z: the young and daring consumers with a conscience
Traditionally, brands have stayed neutral when it comes to politics and social issues. It’s generally been felt that taking sides risks alienating a large proportion of a customer base. But in today’s increasingly polarised climate, staying neutral can actually be riskier. As consumers look for ways to support the world’s most pressing issues, including the present threat of climate change, and fighting social and racial injustice, many see their wallets as a way to do so. Social analysts, McCrindle, found that this approach was particularly prevalent among Gen Z consumers who want to know exactly where brands stand on complex issues before investing. COVID-19
Amplify your content with content stacking
The benefits of content marketing are well documented. It enables brands to break through the noise and connect with their target audience by providing information and experience that adds value. Developing quality content is time consuming, therefore it makes sense to get the greatest mileage possible from your content investment. What is content stacking? At its heart, content stacking is about taking a chunky piece of content like a blog post, video, interview or presentation and splitting this down into snackable, bite-size pieces of information. For example, an original long-form video you spent time and effort producing is well suited to Youtube, but with some
Cannings Purple Help Hyzon Take Hydrogen To The World
Perth in Western Australia might not be the first place you’d expect to be the home of a global communications campaign for a hydrogen fuel cell business based in America. But Cannings Purple has always done things differently, and Hyzon Motors recognised that when it selected us in a competitive process as its global communications provider. In August 2020, Hyzon Motors, a US- headquartered global supplier of hydrogen fuel cell-powered commercial vehicles, hired Cannings Purple in anticipation of speeding up the deployment of its vehicles around the world and preparing for a major transformation – a listing on the NASDAQ. Cannings Purple built the Hyzon Motors story and brand, helping
Is Australia’s COVID vaccine messaging off?
The most popular overseas COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have included comedy skits, well-liked celebrities, and catchy music, all using creative out-of-the-box thinking to encourage their citizens to get the jab. New Zealand, U.K and Singapore get creative In New Zealand, their positive ‘Ka Kite, COVID’ campaign became an online favourite. It’s warm and funny, and incorporates the Maori language, declaring ‘Ka kite, COVID’, meaning ‘see you, COVID’ in the Maori language. This ad clearly targets different audiences and promotes the message that "vaccination is for the community not just the individual". In the U.K, Sir Elton John and Sir Michael Caine help the NHS promote COVID jabs in a humorous 90-second ad. Singapore’s quirky ‘Get Your Shot, Steady Pom Pi Pi’ is something else entirely. A disco-themed
Is email marketing dead?
Is it difficult to ‘do’ email marketing? No. Is it difficult to ‘do email marketing well’? No, but you need to put the fundamentals in place and stick with them. Don't set and forget There are myriad email service providers like Mailchimp, Active Campaign, Campaign Monitor and Send Grid that are intuitive and can have you on your way to sending your first email campaign within an hour. So often we see a set and forget, spray and pray, un-targeted email marketing approach that achieves little and is likely doing more damage for your brand than it is achieving your goals. And this is really
Did you know your employees are your influencers?
One of the biggest and latest trends in social media marketing is influencer marketing. With more than 4.14 billion active social media users, it has emerged as one of the most effective ways for your brand to reach new audiences. What is influencer marketing? The technique involves engaging with an influencer - an online persona with a large and active following - who promotes your product or service to their audience. The method effectively shines a light on who you are and what you do. To put it into perspective, influencer marketing is estimated to have grown a market size of $9.7 billion
4 ways to better brand recognition
What is brand recognition? Brand recognition is exactly what you might expect. It’s how your stakeholders and members of the public 'recognise' your brand. Beyond the name of your business, a good brand recognition strategy involves the development of colour schemes, logos, visual elements and tone of voice that people can attribute to your brand. Prioritising how a story is told increases the likelyhood of positive brand recognition for an organisation. Actively telling your story By actively telling the story of your company and the people working there, and sharing its values, you are influencing how people view your business. A professionally written news story, a
The technology driving the mining, resources and defence industries in WA
The usual hi-vis and red dust was swapped for robotics, artificial intelligence and automation at yesterday’s Resources Technology Showcase. The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre came alive as the world’s biggest resources companies showcased the incredible technology driving the mining, resources and defence industries in WA. Innovation plays a critical role in these industries as a tool to enhance productivity, to meet increasing environmental and health concerns, and to heighten safety. Technology helping to mitigate risk and ensure safety Addressing safety concerns has been a major driver for innovation. Focus has been put on removing workers from dangerous activities through the automation of processes and the use of autonomous and remote-controlled equipment. On display at the Resources Technology Showcase was the Australian Defence Force’s new bomb-disposal robot designed by THALES. Australian
Has Apple killed email?
There were a series of privacy upgrades and changes to Apple operating systems announced at last week’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, changing the way millions of people’s data will be used. When the keynote started, a good chunk of time was given to showcase subtle software upgrades. For many, boredom started to set in until the first mention of “privacy” woke everyone up. One of the many privacy updates announced by Apple was a new feature called Mail Privacy Protection, which restricts email services and senders from collecting information about its users. In its official announcement, Apple says: “In the Mail app, Mail Privacy Protection stops senders from using invisible pixels to collect information about the user. The new feature helps users prevent senders
I don’t need a videographer; I’ve got a smartphone…
The technology that is packed into our phones is quite mind boggling. Even the camera on most phones is now of such quality that it can compete with some professional cameras. And if that’s the case, why would you need a videographer or a video camera? This comes down to what you are shooting and what you want your video to do. Where agencies add value At Cannings Purple, we position ourselves as a strategic communications provider – the operative word being strategic. Agencies can add value through their technical proficiency with professional video recording equipment. But most of the success of a video comes
Zuckerberg takes a swipe at Apple’s fees
In a Facebook post shared on Monday, and just moments before Apple CEO, Tim Cook took the stage at his company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg announced that it won’t take a cut of revenue from creators who make money on its platforms until 2023. What this means is that Facebook will not take a cut of any revenue generated by paid online events, fan subscriptions, badges or its upcoming independent news product. Zuckerberg also promised that when Facebook does start collecting a cut of revenue from creators, it will be less than the 30% that Apple takes. A never-ending dispute Facebook’s promise to take
It’s arrived: Apple’s biggest privacy changes
Following the release of Apple’s iPhone iOS 14.5, and its new privacy feature, App Tracking Transparency, all developers must now ask permission before tracking users across apps and services. Until now, Facebook and other apps have been able to mine data from iPhones if users had not changed their settings to prevent it, which very few people did. This new feature requires users to give explicit permission to an app to share their location data and activities with advertisers. Without this permission, it will be harder for companies like Facebook and other app developers to track users’ activity, and that restriction in data will likely impact their advertising effectiveness. "We think that some number of
Could AI Generated Models Be The Future?
Beautiful, diverse and ready to show up in your next ad campaign, Generated.Photos holds a collection of more than two million human faces, free for download. Oh, and none of them are real. These faces have been generated by artificial intelligence. The site allows you to narrow your search of the massive database by “head pose”, “eye colour”, “hair length”, “emotion”, “sex” and “age”, to name a few. Generated.Photos says its faces could be useful for clients needing to jazz up promotional materials and promises clients they can “increase diversity” and “reduce bias” by including “many different ethnic backgrounds in your projects.” Generative adversarial
Cannings Purple Launches New Website
We are very excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website, www.canningspurple.com.au. To discuss our new website and the process behind the strategy, design and copywriting, a few members of the team share their opinions.
How Spotify uses data to tell a story
Big data can feel scary. Data collection is seen as a giant absorbent sponge, soaking up any and all information from consumers. At least, that’s the sentiment shared by 70% of Australians. Yet without the power of data, life would not be the same. Take Spotify. The popular audio streaming and media service provider celebrates its data and uses it to tell stories about its subscribers. Spotify not only relies on data to make its user experience better, but it is also the source of its marketing campaigns that users find hilarious and relatable. Spotify Wrapped With more than 345 million users, Spotify annually causes a social media frenzy with its ‘Wrapped’ feature, a window into the listening habits of its users. Spotify provides subscribers with a detailed summary of their music history over the year, top artists, favourite genres,
How I grew my LinkedIn network by 50% in six weeks
One of the things I do a lot of is training and coaching people who want to improve their use of LinkedIn. The professional social media network has about 700 million registered users, and can be a fantastic place to learn, build genuine relationships, and extend your network. But it’s also a misunderstood platform, and many people aren’t sure what they should be using it for, what they should post, or how to write for the platform. (If this sounds like you, feel free to get in touch with me). The more I have used LinkedIn, the more I realise it’s essentially a
Purple Conversations: Cameron Wong
Cameron Wong is a key part of Cannings Purple’s digital team, helping clients choose the right tools and interpret data to hone their digital strategies. A self-confessed marketing nerd, Cameron has a background working for non-profits and sporting organisations in Western Australia and a leading global technology conference producer in London.
Why media intelligence is important, and how to make it work for you
For business, Media Intelligence can be an invaluable tool, especially when used the right way. Unlike the common perception, Media Intelligence is more than just a regurgitation of every time you or your brand is mentioned. In fact, there are five very important ways following your news can improve your business and client outcomes.