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
Meeting the press – how to get the most from the media
There are few more stressful experiences than standing before a packed media scrum. Karen Brown Cannings Purple's National Director explains why prior preparation is the key to a successful media engagement. Think – breathe. Think – breathe. Think – breathe. Listen to the question. Listen carefully. Speak slowly. Speak clearly. Speak in complete sentences. Don’t say anything stupid! Cameras rolling…… Hot lights glowing, assertive journalists firing questions. The stakes are high. Your answers are on the record and will be the subject of intense and immediate scrutiny. You have a limited time to deliver critical information or a clear message and your efforts will be judged by your
The value of community sponsorships
When it comes to assessing whether your community sponsorship is valuable, it is time to talk about intangible benefits. Yes, your logo will be getting seen. Yes, your name is on the sign. But what about the less visible benefits of your investment? Studies into the impact of intangible benefits of sponsoring sports, arts, community events or local facilities find a conundrum: either companies overestimate the value of the intangible benefits of their sponsorship — or they don’t count the benefits at all. There is also the risk that the intangible benefits — the opportunity to host your top corporate peers in a footy
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
Should design agencies be more transparent about their work?
Are some design agencies living solely on the reputation of their past work, or are they who they say they are? If you go to any agency's website and view their portfolio, you will see a blast of their creativity with an array of their best, cutting-edge designs. We have to ask, how many of these are still their clients? At the end of the day, an agency's client list is a big part of choosing an agency for your business. We rarely see endorsements alongside work, so how do we know they had happy clients? After all, we can only take
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
Brand activism: The positives and pitfalls of taking a stance
Meaningful brand activism is no longer a nice-to-have, it is a must-have. The Year That Shall Not Be Named set this in stone as some brands were celebrated for making a difference while others floundered. One of the most pivotal events was the tragic death of George Floyd, a cataclysmic event that prompted weeks of protests and civil unrest across the United States. It started a long overdue conversation about police brutality and racial injustice around the world, including in Australia. It sparked discussions around dinner tables, on the floor of parliament, and in office lunchrooms. 2020 marked the end of staying silent. No comment
A digital approach to stakeholder engagement
Over the past decade, the way we communicate has changed to adapt to the advancements of technology and the digital era. Previously, stakeholder practitioners relied on traditional methods of hard copy collateral and face-to-face meetings; however, with the introduction of digital methods, practitioners are encouraged to consider innovation in their engagement. Timeliness A digital approach to stakeholder engagement opens the opportunity of multi-channel and cross-channel methods. With artificial intelligence (AI) systems, stakeholders' digital interactions and activities can be tracked to determine stakeholder's preferences and predictive behaviours. The analytics provided by AI can assist in personalising concise communications aligned to the individual and grouped stakeholder.
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
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
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
Gold medal highlights: Diggers & Dealers
Cannings Purple’s Investor Relations team have returned from Kalgoorlie, bringing with them the gold-medal highlights from the last three days. This week, Kalgoorlie's Goldfields Arts Centre hosted more than 2,400 registered delegates for Diggers & Dealers 2021. The turnout was among the highest in Diggers & Dealers’ 30-year history. The pandemic may have kept most of the east coast and international visitors away, but the Sandgropers made up for it in sheer numbers and enthusiasm. Diggers & Dealers Chair, Jim Walker shares his thoughts on the success of the event. An upbeat @diggersndealers chair Jim Walker at the halfway mark of this year’s event. pic.twitter.com/D2dpsAQlJi —
Diggers & Dealers: What’s making the headlines
At the same time as gold, silver and bronze medals are being dished out in Tokyo, there is an equally tight race to the highlights podium at the Goldfields Arts Centre. Western Australia’s mining industry is thriving, and 2,500 of the industry’s most influential have come to Kalgoorlie for this year’s Diggers and Dealers expo. | @nat_forrest pic.twitter.com/OsWrJQPJo4 — 10 News First Perth (@10NewsFirstPER) August 2, 2021 Back to its traditional calendar slot in the first week of August – last year’s October date was a COVID-19 forced postponement – Diggers & Dealers gets underway against a backdrop of a re-energised battery minerals sector,
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
DonateLife Week
This week is the 10th annual DonateLife week, a national public awareness initiative to encourage all Australians to register as organ and tissue donors. Cannings Purple Account Director, Ray Jordan writes about his personal experiences with organ donation. DonateLife Week triggers so many mixed emotions and memories for me. Organ donation is not exactly a top-of-mind subject for most people, unless you are one of those in desperate need of a transplant or working in the hospital system where you see people every day struggling when their bodies have failed them. My first encounter was more than 40 years ago when I met
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