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
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
Are we seeing the return of regional Australia?
A few weeks ago, the first-of-three State of Origin Rugby League games took place in Townsville, a city of just over 175,000 people in North Queensland. Until that game, Townsville was famous for its James Cook University, its large armed forces base, its close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, the spectacular Magnetic Island and of course, the North Queensland Cowboys Rugby League team. I am biased – I went to University there and can claim it was some of the best years of my life! Until a few weeks ago, the State of Origin – a series which has been
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
Cannings Purple partners with Royal Flying Doctor Service WA
We are excited to announce our partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service Western Australia (RFDSWA). As part of the partnership, Cannings Purple will provide strategic communications support to RFDSWA, a critical service which ensures all Western Australians who live, work or travel throughout the state have access to healthcare and life-saving emergency aeromedical services. Cannings Purple Director of Design and Digital, Jamie Wilkinson said that it was an honour to help tell the important stories which come out of the great work of RFDSWA. "What's truly humbling about this relationship from my perspective is the opportunity to tell the stories of the people behind the
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
Streamlining Bill to cut resources red tape
The resource sector is set to have a significant bureaucratic burden lifted, as the Western Australian Government shapes reforms to the Mining Act 1978 (WA) to streamline its approvals processes. The Streamlining (Mining Amendment) Bill 2021 (WA) (Bill) was initiated to cut red tape and encourage economic activity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only does the draft legislation aim to save the need for reams of documentation, it also seeks to: Provide a system for instantaneous approvals for ‘low impact’ mechanised ground disturbance activity; Create greater clarity for tenement holders and government officials regarding the relevant approvals and conditions
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
Could WA lead the way to a brighter energy future?
We all know how Western Australia has become one of the safest places to live and best performing economies in the world because of our competent handling of the pandemic and being able to keep our resources production going. But we now have the chance to move from being predominantly a mining and resource state – at the mercy of volatile commodity prices – to becoming an advanced manufacturing centre, and even key decision makers in government are seeing this as our once in a generation opportunity. Yes, the way we have managed the pandemic is certainly a plus when global manufacturing
The importance of respectful engagement
“It was the first time I felt respected” – the words of a 60-year-old Aboriginal man who had spent many years living on the streets of Perth. He made the comment after he and other residents at a transitional accommodation centre in Perth had the opportunity to have a yarn with Premier Mark McGowan following an announcement of additional funding for homelessness at the start of the election campaign last year. Aboriginal people make up about 40 per cent of the street homeless population, so as the organiser of an event for this transitional accommodation centre, I wanted to ensure that some
National Reconciliation Week: More Than A Word
This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, “More than a word. Reconciliation takes action” challenges us to take more courageous action that will deliver real impact. This is a challenge individuals and businesses should enthusiastically embrace. There is a lot to do Australia’s First Nations People have lived on, cared for and formed a deep connection to the lands that make up Australia for at least 50,000 years. 233 years ago, the dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their lands began. In the years following, thousands of First Nations people were massacred, thousands more were subjected to slavery and forced labour,