The history of Australia Day
It could be surprising to learn that Australia Day has only been officially celebrated on January 26 for just over three decades, even though it has been 252 years since Captain James Cook first raised the Union Jack to signal the beginning of the Australian colony in August 1770. In that context, the 34 years since January 26 was named the official date of Australia Day celebrations in 1988 represents a very short period of time. The first Australia Day celebration was held on July 30 in 1915 to raise money for the war effort. In 1916, it was changed to July
Interviewing online: the future of recruitment?
Even in the most positive jobs market in memory, attending a job interview can be a daunting experience. You enter an unfamiliar environment, unclear about what you might be asked, who you’ll be facing or how long you might be there. You need to prepare for a grilling in case there’s little time between questions for reflection. It’s a high-stress environment, where every mistake or slip-up counts, with performance anxiety getting in the way of what you really have to offer. Is there a better way? Well, the pandemic suggests that might be the case. Reinventing the interview process Back in 2018, LinkedIn looked at
As WA prepares to reopen, what can we expect from Omicron?
Remember the days where Australia’s COVID-19 cases hovered between the 1,000 to 2,000 mark? You should because that was a few weeks ago. How long ago that now seems. At the time of writing, Australia had just reached a record, nearing 100,000 positive COVID-19 test results recorded nationally in 24 hours. But even that figure is merely an estimate, with thousands being turned away as testing clinics reach capacity each day within just a few hours of opening. By the time you’re reading this, it’s not an exaggeration to assume that figure has probably doubled. In fact, we have gone from almost nothing six
A year in the making
Cannings Purple had a big year in 2021; helping hundreds of clients achieve their strategic goals, welcoming many new members to our team, and even gaining international recognition at the 2021 Asia-Pacific SABRE awards. Tune in as a few of our team members reflect on their favourite projects from the last 12 months. Getting WA to the moon Our incoming Director of Corporate Affairs, Carina Tan-Van Baren, found it difficult to narrow it down to one project, but as a bit of a space-nerd, she couldn’t help but settle on working with Curtin University’s Space Science and Technology Centre to send WA's first
How a fake death gave a real brand a heart attack
And just like that, the fake world causes a brand crisis in the real world and maybe another small step into the Metaverse. On December 9, the first episodes of Sex and the City reboot “And Just Like That…” were released on HBO, and ranked as HBO Max’s best debut day of any series. The show was another in a series of reboots of much-loved TV programs that have come back to life … often with mixed results. Still, the incredible ratings were great news for HBO but unfortunate for popular high-end indoor exercise bike company, Peloton. What does a fitness company have to
Branding for the rest of us: B2C vs B2B
Almost all the branding talks, books and experts cover business-to-consumer (B2C) branding. It’s sometimes difficult to look at the preferred examples from brands like Apple, Google, Hertz, Nike and the like – and work out how to apply the ideas and principles from a global consumer audience into a business-to-business (B2B) company. What makes B2C branding different? So, aside from the enormous budget, the scale of their advertising and access to the world’s leading design and advertising agencies – what makes B2C brands different from B2B brands? Branding is about an experience, and I would argue that what makes one brand different from the
The Royal Flying Doctor Service announces two new aeromedical helicopters to its fleet
This has never been seen before in its 93-year-long history, and is an opportunity only made possible by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). These helicopters have been specifically designed to adjust their purpose depending on the mission - such as search and rescue, firefighting, medical evacuations, or even police and federal roles, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service WA (RFDS WA) now finds itself in possession of two of them. The RFDS WA can proudly introduce two new EC-145 helicopters to their collection, allowing them to further the level of care available for their patients in critical conditions. In addition to this,
Getting your communications right this Christmas
For most companies, Christmas can feel like the final sprint to a well-deserved break. But don’t be fooled into thinking your communications can take a holiday over Christmas – clear and frequent communication over the break can lead to some jolly results in the new year. We called upon a few of our experts to share their top tips and tricks for handling the lead up to the festive season, and to discuss how you and your team can maximise your engagement over the break. Spreading Christmas C.H.E.E.R Digital Account Manager, Cameron Wong says the secret to successful Christmas content being clear in your messaging and communicating often with your audience. “The Christmas period is all about spreading C.H.E.E.R – Clear messaging, Helpful
Poll position: Will Prime Minister Bill Shorten win a second term?
After defeating Scott Morrison in the 2019 election, Bill Shorten has had a lot on his plate with bushfires and pandemics but now, buoyed by Hillary Clinton’s second term win last November, his focus is shifting to the upcoming election. During the campaign he can be expected to point to a relatively strong local economy in the face of the pandemic. Hopefully, for the Labor party, this will be enough to help older voters forget their rage at the scrapping of franking credits last June. But, rather than sound economic management, Mr Shorten can thank strong pre-pandemic global trade and the strength
Rebranding pitfalls and how to avoid them
Branding and rebranding is often thought of as a sale-driving or marketing objective. But it’s so much more than that. Branding is communication, and communication is about people. Rebrand inside out Creating a new logo and visual identity can attract attention and create interest but unless you have a clear reason why you’re rebranding, your brand won’t feel authentic or cohesive. For example, when someone around you changes abruptly without telling you why – it feels jarring, and can build distrust: “I thought I knew this brand! Now I’m not sure”. A new name alone is definitely not going to help Facebook fix its
Changes to Cannings Purple Board and Executive Team
We recently announced some important changes to our Board and executive team. National Director Karen Brown, who has been with Cannings Purple for more than seven years and is set to retire at the end of this year, has accepted the role of Board Chair with effect from 1 February 2022, when our co-founder and current Chair, Warrick Hazeldine, will step down. With a growing portfolio of directorships and his private equity advisory service requiring more of his attention, Warrick has decided to step away from the demands of chairing the State’s largest communications firm. “Now is the right time for me to
Rethinking the Workplace
Australia is undergoing a social and economic experiment that will rival the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. After more than 18 months of measures designed to curb and crush the virus, some states have conceded it is nigh on impossible to suppress the virulent Delta strain — and that ‘living with the virus’ is the path forward. For WA, watching this unfold east of the rabbit-proof fence, with no restrictions or masks, and little fear, there are lessons to be learned: not only about what could happen if the virus re-enters the State, but about how businesses, government and institutions
What does life after 80 mean for the health sector?
Last month, the WA Government confirmed it will have one of the broadest vaccine mandates in the country, covering an estimated million workers and building on earlier requirements for all health, hotel quarantine, aged care and port workers to be vaccinated. The new measures identify two groups of employees and industries that will need to be vaccinated to ensure critical services can be delivered. The first group — high risk occupations — includes healthcare workers, emergency services personnel, mine site workers and pharmacists, dentists and meat workers, among others, who now have a range of deadlines for double vaccination, all by January 1
We are in good hands if the latest generation of journalists is a guide
I had been a fledgling reporter at the Kalgoorlie Miner for little more than a month when, in October 1994, a local man hitchhiked to Perth, stormed into police HQ in East Perth and held a senior police officer hostage for seven hours. The man, who was armed with two guns, was later shot dead by police after refusing to drop his weapons. It was a shocking, front-page story. It was also my first big story and I still remember the buzz of seeing my reports – focused on insights gleaned from the man’s friends and neighbours in Kalgoorlie-Boulder to complement reporting
Beyond PowerPoint: what are your presentation options?
There is more to an impressive presentation than PowerPoint transitions, writes Art Director, Adam Elovalis. PowerPoint still seems to be the go-to platform for many businesses when creating presentations, pitch decks, even desktop publishing materials. The software was fantastic in its heyday. It was successful because its interface was simple to use, and it was relatively easy to create simple boardroom presentations. There also wasn’t much competition. But after almost 30 years as market leader, demand for more complex presentations has opened the door to other players: Keynote Advantages: Keynote is PowerPoint’s slick, younger brother. It has dynamic templates and themes and its interface is
Three reasons why you need to engage communities as well as politicians
Navigating your path through government engagement on any project can be a daunting task. Between departments and agencies, ministers, policy advisers, public servants, industry groups and lobbyists, there are plenty of reasons why you might feel lost. While the Government Relations team at Cannings Purple is here to guide you through these engagements, it is important not to forget about engaging with the community. Here are three reasons why: Politicians expect it: When we meet with politicians to talk about clients’ project/issues, there’s one question we are inevitably asked: “have you spoken to the community?” If the answer is “yes” and you
Life After 80: A Guide To Post-COVID Australia
The WA Government has confirmed it will have one of the broadest vaccine mandates in the country, covering an estimated million workers and building on earlier requirements for all health, hotel quarantine, aged care and port workers to be vaccinated. The new measures identify two groups of employees and industries that will need to be vaccinated to ensure critical services can be delivered. The first group — high risk occupations — includes healthcare workers, emergency services personnel, mine site workers and pharmacists, dentists and meat workers, among others, who now have a range of deadlines for double vaccination, all by January 1 next year. The second group — critical occupations — with a double-vax deadline
Cannings Purple recognised as an Employer of Choice for the second year running
We’re proud to once again be recognised as an Employer of Choice in The Australian Business Awards. Although we’ve won a host of awards over the years, both regionally and internationally, we are particularly delighted with this one – which speaks to our focus and commitment to our people. Now in its sixteenth year, The Australian Business Award for Employer of Choice recognises organisations that develop workplaces that maximise the full potential of their workforce through established policies and practices which demonstrate effective employee recruitment and engagement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has presented one of the most significant business challenges ever faced by organisations across Australia. It created a critical need for leading organisations
Who reads the news anyway? Actually, you should
There’s nothing like a social media slam to give business leaders a wake-up. It might be a cranky customer who has hopped on Facebook in the wee hours, adding angry-face emojis to their diatribe. It might be criticism of your staff on Twitter by an upset ‘egg’ with three followers and a disdain for punctuation. Something about the immediacy and human face of social media means that comment, and the scattered retweets or likes that follow, can cut to the heart of a business. But while social media monitoring is vital, if you are not also watching traditional media sources, you are seeing only a small part of the picture. Traditional media like newspapers, magazines, online
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
State Budget 2021 – 2022: The numbers that matter
Still riding high following March’s election landslide, Premier Mark McGowan today handed down his first Budget in his dual role as the State’s Treasurer. While most of the country remains in lockdown, and Western Australia may be locked to them, we’re anything but down. The surplus is in a word, up, and all economic indicators have improved since the 20-21 Budget. In handing down the Budget, Premier McGowan took the opportunity to remind us, that ours is not only the strongest economy in Australia, but one of the strongest in the world. With this Budget, he outlined his plans to reinvest some of the windfalls of the past year in the State’s future services and infrastructure. An ironclad result WA reported a massive surplus of $5.6 billion in 2020-21, $4.4 billion more than forecast in the previous Budget. Everyone knows money doesn’t grow on trees, but as every Western Australian does know, it is dug out
On RUOK day, check on your Stakeholder Engagement team
I’ve worked in retail and raised toddlers (and teenagers) so I am familiar with being yelled at and insulted. But for many, the negativity that can come with stakeholder engagement can be terribly stressful - and if left unchecked, can lead to long-term mental health problems. Conversely, working in stakeholder engagement can also be enormously rewarding – practitioners are privileged to be able to communicate and develop meaningful relationships with key stakeholder groups on behalf of clients and in doing so, develop a deeper understanding themselves. One of the goals of developing these relationships is to manage and minimise conflict – but unfortunately this means conflict is invariably part of the job. As facilitators who bring groups
WA’s rocket to infinity…and beyond
With the recent launch of Western Australia’s first homegrown satellite, WA researchers are making space more affordable and accessible for the little guy. As Australia looks to diversify and future-proof our economy, reducing reliance on traditional sectors like agriculture and resources, our eyes are increasingly turning upwards, to the stars. Once the domain of dreamers, visionaries and distant superpowers with deep pockets, the space sector is emerging as a significant new generator of jobs, investment and commercial opportunities. But we’re not the only ones to recognise this potential. In fact, we’re a little late to the party. Governments around the world have dedicated $82.5
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