essential media communications - 2014 year in review

The year in review

www.essentialmedia.com.au

2


Contact us:

Directors Elizabeth Lukin

Peter Lewis

Tony Douglas

International Gemma Swart

Research team Andrew Bunn

Kate Whelan

Dawn Hoffman

Communications team Adrian Dodd

Alana Mew

Amy Gordon

Carla Drakeford

Elisa Fernandes

Holly Crocket

Jackie Woods

Jane Garcia

Jemma Williams

Kate Bell

Olivia Greentree

Liz Willis

Digital and production Stuart Gillies

Allan Soutaris

Kim Brebach

Kimberley Harlow

Oliver Woodley

Finance and admin Alison Jackson

Caroline Lochland

Denise Jaffrey

Jade Adams

Rachel Rees

Siobhan Lyttle

The EMC team

Melbourne (03) 9929 9999

Sydney (02) 8280 9100

3EMC 2014 - The year in review

A message from the EMC Directors“When you change the government you change

the nation,” Paul Keating warned on the eve of

the 1996 federal election. On this criteria 2014,

the first full year of the Abbott era, should have

summoned a different set of challenges and

issues for EMC and our clients.

But what has been remarkable about the past

year has really been the lack of any remarkable

shift in the national agenda.

The things we campaigned for through the

Rudd-Gillard years – addressing climate

change, supporting the disadvantaged,

standing up to corporate power and taking a

global viewpoint – are still the same issues. The

emphasis may have shifted but the imperative

of mobilising people to drive change remains

central.

Constant too are the inexorable changes

in technology and the media environment

that challenge us to reimagine how we

communicate and campaign, deploying

the latest tools and navigating a changing

landscape.

That’s the EMC story in 2014 – driving the

issues that matter in new and exciting ways

– busting through the cynicism and inertia to

give our clients and their members the tools to

make a difference.

Whether fighting for the reef, making the

case for renewables, standing up to the Big

Banks or creating a new disability system,

the EMC approach has prevailed: cut-through

strategy driving campaigns that win and make

organisations stronger.

EMC Directors: Peter Lewis, Tony Douglas and Elizabeth Lukin

4 www.essentialmedia.com.au

2014 By the numbers

4 EMC 2014 - The year in review

Our weekly Essential poll continues to be one of the nation’s most influential, charting the national mood and driving the political discussion.

A must-read amongst the political elite and our growing list of subscribers the Essential Report has charted the decline in the Abbott Government’s political stocks from around Easter.

The unpopular – and as yet unresolved – Federal budget has been the flashpoint for disillusionment, with uni fee deregulation, the $7 doctor co-payment and rise in pension age all given the thumbs down by voters.

Mishandling of the budget has risked the Coalition losing its strong brand advantage as the best managers of the economy.

But the decline for Abbott started with a seemingly innocuous, albeit indulgent symbolic play: his move to reinstate knights and dames.

Our poll shows this was the moment when the election baseline disappeared, a warning that Abbott like many leaders before him had misunderstood a vote against an unpopular government for endorsement of his own political agenda.

The knights and dames saga was not the only ideological misstep – from Brandis’s bigots to Pyne’s war on students to Turnbull’s ABC cuts – the new government has worn its prejudices on its sleeve. The electorate has been left unconvinced that this is a government for middle Australia.

A stronger performance internationally, especially the response to the downing of MH17 stabilised support mid-year, but a disastrous G20 ensured the PM received no reflected glory from the presence of the world’s most powerful leaders.

Of course it’s early days and one-term governments are a historical curiosity, but this is the shortest honeymoon in recent Australian political history.

Drumming up debate During the course of the year Peter Lewis and Jackie Woods built a national political debate around the findings of the weekly report with a popular column on the ABC’s Drum website.The Essential Report was also featured regularly on Sky’s Monday agenda, ABC’s Insiders and most of the national newspapers.

5EMC 2014 - The year in review 5

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

2-Jan-14 21-Feb-14 12-Apr-14 1-Jun-14 21-Jul-14 9-Sep-14 29-Oct-14

Labor Liberal/NatTwo party preferred 2014

How we saw the world:

Budget Fail - 8% say the budget would be

good for them personally

Drop in climate scepticism - 76% say

extreme weather events are likely to be linked

to climate change

Someone else – 18% of voters see Tony

Abbott as the best person to lead the Liberal

party, compared with 31% for Malcolm

Turnbull and 19% ‘someone else’

Fear of terrorism - 57% say fear of local act

of terrorism has increased

Go back? - 41% of voters said the Australian

economy was heading in the wrong direction

Politics of PUP - 26% say Palmer United

Party holding balance of power is good for

democracy


Fight for the Reef

- yes we can!

When US President Barack Obama placed the health of the Great

Barrier Reef at the centre of the global debate on climate change he

was giving voice to one of EMC’s most successful campaigns.

The Fight for the Reef campaign has mobilised more than 200,000

supporters, from tourist operators to shareholders, to oppose the

industrialisation of the reef.

The flashpoints were plans to dredge waters around Abbot Point to

allow for a financially unviable expansion of coal port facilities that

would see millions of tonnes transported through the reef.

Deploying a range of ground-breaking campaign techniques from

crowd-funding legal actions to building a team of super-supporters

who will go that extra mile to save the reef.

The highlight moment for 2014 was the heroic back-flip of local LNP

MP George Christensen to publicly renounce his support of reef

dredging after a deluge of criticism – not just from activists but from

the industries that rely on the reef’s well-being.

This has been the centrepiece of EMC’s strategy – building a broad

alliance that sees the economy and environment not as alternatives

but as interdependent.

Meanwhile, the business model for Abbot Point is floundering and the

Indian developers are now seeking government support to see the

project through.

Regardless of the outcome of Abbot Point, this will be just one

skirmish in the broader Fight for the Reef.

Visit the site: www.fightforthereef.org.au


With the demise of carbon pricing, the focus of the climate change debate in

2014 shifted to the Renewable Energy Target.

EMC worked with a broad alliance of industry and consumer groups

including the Solar Council and Solar Citizens to push back on Abbott

Government plans to wind back the RET.

While the PM had managed to harness the

forces of denial against a market mechanism,

his plans to downgrade the renewable

energy industry met stiff public and political

resistance with thousands of Australians

taking to the streets to argue for a solar

future.

The campaign also galvanised a Labor

Opposition which had been considering a

RET compromise, ensuring renewables will

be a touchstone political issue through 2015.

#rallyforrenewables

For

Saving the RET


Climate change: Turning up the heatOne year on from its launch as an independent, publically funded

organisation, EMC helped position the Climate Council as the go-to

authoritative source of climate science analysis.

EMC launched a range of reports for the Climate Council on topics

as diverse as the US-China joint agreement on climate change to

Australia’s ageing electricity infrastructure.

One of the most successful launches included a boat ride for media

around Sydney Harbour with Australia’s leading climate scientists

showing which areas would be inundated if current warming trends

continue unabated.

Climate Council activities were covered by every major media outlet

in Australia and received significant international coverage from

publications in the UK, China, India, Canada and the USA – building

pressure on governments worldwide to act on climate change.

Scientists talk climate change on Sydney Harbour

8 www.essentialmedia.com.au8 www.essentialmedia.com.au

Busting the banks


COBA: Banking on a better systemWhen the new Abbott Government announced an inquiry into the

Financial System, the Big Four prepared to reap the benefits of a pro-

business regime.

The last thing they expected was to have the blow-torch applied on

‘too big to fail;’ a situation where taxpayers fund the Big Four to the

tune of $2 billion a year through a guarantee they’d be bailed out by

the government in a crisis.

Enter the Customer-Owned Banking Association, supported by

EMC, with a sharp public awareness campaign aimed at getting the

guarantee into the national political debate.

Our TVCs highlighted the billions of dollars in subsidies that are given

to Australia’s big four banks, supported by the Australian taxpayer.

EMC delivered a series of TV ads, which was backed up with a digital

information hub and free media campaign to build public awareness

of the subsidy and give the sector the tools to engage their customers.

Before long, Inquiry Chair David Murray was fielding questions on the

guarantee from senior gallery journalists on national TV.

The campaign ran across TV, print, and online and helped redefine

the debate over the Inquiry – ensuring the core issue of the bank

guarantee was addressed – much the chagrin of the Big Four.

Spectacular animated graphics for COBA TVC.

On the jobEMC is working with Cbus Super - the construction and building

industry super fund - to bring to life member investment in

construction projects.

The engagement plan is the result of an EMC strategy to bring to life

the virtuous cycle between investment in the industry and industry

super.

The pilot project is the massive 42-story development at 1 William St

in Brisbane. The project involves building pride within the workforce

in the great work they do.

EMC runs a blog, Built By Us, with regular pictures and updates on

the site, produces workplace posters featuring a monthly winner of a

$100 Bunnings voucher and facts and stats about the project.

We’ll also produce a picture book at the end of the project as a

momento of the workers’ time on what will be one of Brisbane’s

most important buildings - the new riverside government building.


Supporting

communitiesNDS: Transforming a campaign into a communityOnce you have achieved a campaign objective,

what comes next?

In 2014 EMC grappled with this challenge with

the National Disability Service, building on the

successful Every Australian Counts campaign

to start working on the transition to the NDIS.

The challenge for the campaign for 2014 was

to continue the momentum created by the

150,000 plus campaign supporters; to make

sure the NDIS is delivered on time and on

budget.

Speaking with Every Australian Counts

supporters, we discovered that many outside

the trial were hopeful yet apprehensive about

the NDIS, unsure how it would work or if it

would deliver on its promise for a better life.

The new campaign still applies the pressure

when it is needed but also provides a one-

stop-shop for information, tips and real

experiences about the NDIS so those who are

still waiting can get a better sense of what to

expect when it comes to them.

The new site explains how the NDIS is working,

warts and all. It showcases real stories from

the trial sites and features opinions from

disability sector leaders and bloggers. And it

will still pack a punch on the campaign front to

get the best NDIS possible.

www.everyaustraliancounts.org.au

The new website is a one-stop-shop for information about the NDIS


Closing the awareness gapAlthough small gains are being made to close the gap in the life

expectancy of Aboriginal people, the issue remains a national

shame – and one that EMC is working to keep at the top of the

national agenda.

In the last twelve months, EMC assisted the peak body, the National

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, to launch a

landmark report into the economic benefits of their sector at the

National Press Club, resulting in a 5% increase in their funding.

We produced a kit for individual services to invite their new MP to

visit their service and delivered widespread national and Indigenous

media coverage on a range of Aboriginal health issues.

EMC also continues to work with NACCHO to communicate with

their members, create a monthly e-news bulletin, and launch a

member poll.

Science takes the capitalScientists are not known for their activism but when the new Federal

Government failed to appoint a dedicated Science Minister and

followed up with cuts to vital science programs, it ramped up the

urgency at this year’s Science Meets Parliament.

EMC provided on ground support as 200 scientists fronted

parliamentarians in 90 separate meetings in the halls of power in

Canberra.

They argued that the constant flow of ideas from science is critical to

the innovation and technology needed to ensure Australia remains

an advanced, prosperous first-world economy.

Hands off the pensionWhile the orthodoxy is that the net is for young

‘uns, EMC worked with the Council of the

Aging to mobilise pensioners around the 2014 Federal Budget.

We asked older people to email the Senators in their state to tell

them how worried they were about any changes to their pension.

We also secured blanket national media coverage for the launch

of the campaign and at key times when additional pressure was

required.

The result? The government has held off bringing the legislation

containing the changes to the Senate given the disquiet now felt by

many Senators on the issue.

PENSIONTHEHANDS

OFF


CampaigningBringing young workers to the frontHaving built up a list of 50,000 supporters for 100% Pay at 18+, the SDA was grappling

with how to turn the data into faces that maintain momentum in what is a long and

incremental campaign.

EMC’s solution? A national search for the Young Workmate of the Year.

The campaign called for people to nominate a workmate who is under 25, gives 100% at work,

supports their workmates and generally makes their workplace a better place.

The result was overwhelming, with over 360 nominations from across the country received. The

public were then asked to vote for who they thought deserved the inaugural Young Workmate of

the Year – around 20,000 votes were cast - and winners from each branch were announced.

The awards, which the SDA is now looking at running annually, have helped cement the SDA as

the voice of younger workers.

The engagement in the Young Workmate

of the Year Awards exceeded all

expectations. The awards have

driven large amounts of traffic to

the campaign website, including

thousands of new visitors.

www.essentialmedia.com.au12


Voting for schools EMC worked with the Australian Education Union to put schools front and centre in the

Victorian State election.

Our objective was to make education the top election issue by pushing candidates to pledge

to put education 1st.

A mix of on the ground, online, free media, advertising and email actions were used to push

the campaign out, resulting in a massive 12,000 supporters across the state.

The AEU won this campaign. Labor not only announced a policy of $1.3 billion spend across

schools, TAFE and preschools and even headlined their announcement with the AEU’s slogan

‘Giving every child every chance’.

The Liberals retaliated by re-announcing old money, and still refusing to locate Gonski school

money in the budget.

As for the voters, more than ever before parents were thinking of their kids when they voted

on November 29.

Fighting for TAFE Over the past 6 years TAFE4ALL has fought many battles. 2014 was the year for TAFE to win.

On the ground co-ordination, digital media action, the TAFE4ALL pledge and newsletter

updates kept over 10,000 supporters up to date and engaged in the push to save TAFE once

and for all.

The result? The week before the state election ABC’s Vote Compass revealed that 80% of

Victorians said that they wanted an increase in TAFE funding. That figured included two thirds

of likely Coalition voters.

Protecting preschoolsEMC worked with the AEU to transform a grassroots Facebook group into a winning industrial

campaign.

As soon as the website launched, hundreds of supporters sent emails to the Minister and the

employers to demand a resolution to the long-running dispute.


Bringing FIFO into the spotlightHow do you draw attention to an issue when it

is happening in remote Australia, hundreds of

kilometers from the nearest media outlet?

When EMC worked with the CFMEU to bring

the plight of Fly In Fly Out workers to life, we

realised we would need to be the ones putting

the story together.

EMC conducted a poll of remote mine workers

to find out how they felt about the FIFO life and

backed this up with a written report based on

site visits that EMC undertook with CFMEU

organisers.

The research report and camp audit

EMC produced have provided valuable

insights into the little understood world of

commuting mineworkers and remote mining

communities.

The efforts have delivered way more than a

media release and a photo opportunity.

Campaigning


QLD doctors fight contracts In late 2013, the Queensland Government was attempting to push the state’s Senior Medical Officers onto individual contracts.

Expecting to crash through, Premier Newman was in for a shock when the doctors teamed up with EMC to run a public campaign to maintain doctors’ independence.

Member and public research confirmed that doctors would walk away from the system and, if they did, the public would back them over the government.

These insights informed a fully-fledged political battle where one third of the state’s specialists signed resignation letters.

Boxed into a corner, the Government lashed out, but EMC’s paid media and earned media strategies helped keep the public on side and the government on the back foot.

Eventually the government sued for peace, offering concessions that would allow doctors to maintain their professional integrity while dealing with patients.

2014 ITUC Global PollFor the third year running, EMC worked

with the ITUC to coordinate and report on

the annual ITUC Global Poll.

Covering 14 countries (including Australia),

the poll represents the attitudes of 3.7

billion people, or an estimated 53% of the

of the world’s population.

The poll provided an anchor for the ITUC’s

global campaigning efforts, providing

proof of its key international agenda for

L20 – that the world

deserves a pay rise.

15

When more than 1600 global union

leaders gathered in Berlin for the ITUC

biannual global congress, EMC worked

with Sharan Burrow to pull the show

together.

EMC’s global guru Gemma

Swart managed a 12-member

communications team that reimagined

conference communications, turning

the congress into its own content hub.

Claire O’Rourke from EMC’s digital

team was responsible for social media,

managing an impressive twitter wall

and live-tweeting key Congress debates

and speeches.

Sydney Director Peter Lewis anchored

a series of lunch-time panels involving

global union leaders in the issues of the

day, live-streamed from the conference

centre and archived on the Equal Times

website.

EMC 2014 - The year in review

Organising

the world


What’s next?

Telling our own storiesAs the influence of traditional media wanes with declining audiences and failing business

models, EMC is working with organisations that are going direct to their members.

On one level it’s back to the future; many groups have published niche content

to members, the difference is that this is now becoming a primary source of

information.

But with new technologies and distribution networks, the opportunity to reach out in

new and creative ways is transforming internal communications.

Working Life – EMC has developed ‘Clock On’ a sharp wrap of the morning

news delivered daily for the ACTU’s news site.

The Expresses – Our member blogs for the NSW RTBU’s Bus and Loco

divisions has transformed their member communications, providing members with a

page to call home.

Media Quarterly – With Media Super we have piloted a new quarterly

magazine-style online video to bring the broader media industry issues to life. Hosted

by Tracy Spicer the format aims to provide industry analysis in an engaging format.


essential media communications - 2014 year in review

Documents