Colin Wood

Great roundtable this morning on the shifting energy media landscape. See below for key takeaways from Alice Humphreys

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If you work in #marketingcomms or #advertising please watch this excellent webinar 'End Ageism in Advertising' featuring a brilliant panel, Jane Caro AM , Ashton Applewhite, Robert Tickner and Robert Fitzgerald AM. So many hard-hitting truths that made me pause and reflect. From Ashton ... "Where are the older people? If you do see us, you get the impression that the only things we’re up to are relaxing, grandparenting and falling apart." From Jane ... "One of the questions I get asked is, but if somebody’s selling cars, don’t they want it to be aspirational? Listen to the bias in that question. In other words, getting older is the opposite of aspirational?" From Robert Fitzgerald ... "Ageism is the only ism that is acceptable in Australia. Racism and sexism as entrenched as they are in individuals and communities, we would say they are unacceptable. This is not true with ageism. There's a tacit acceptance that ageism is ok." Link to webinar here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gj3Fj3cE #ageism #olderpeople #marketing #media #communications #inclusion #respect

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The Silent (and Unnecessary) Exit Today, I read a report from The Experience Advocacy Taskforce (EAT) and Advertising Industry Careers (AIC), highlighting a worrying, but unsurprising trend in Australia’s advertising and communications sector: a significant exodus of professionals over the age of 40. Shockingly, over 51% of these exits occur between the ages of 45-54. While many experienced professionals, like myself and Katrina Brangwin, have chosen to leave large agencies for other reasons, not everyone pushed out by ageism has the same opportunity to carve out a new path. This represents a deliberate loss of seasoned talent, reinforcing a bias that favours younger generations in the workplace and work that is informed by younger teams. We all know diversity is better for teams and better for the work. I posted about ageism a few months ago and was overwhelmed with responses from people sharing their stories and their dismay. Greg Graham of EAT warns that ageism is creating a silent talent drain that’s sapping the industry of invaluable experience. To stay competitive, and frankly relevant, the industry must prioritise the retention of seasoned professionals and eliminate bias. Age is an asset, not a barrier. #AgeismAwareness #TalentRetention #AdvertisingIndustry #AgeIsAnAsset #WorkforceExperience #TalentDrain #IndustryInsights #InclusiveHiring

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So disappointed in the short sighted decision by Hawke's Bay Regional Council to cut its funding support of tourism. I appreciate that all councils are having to make cuts but i just don't think you read the room. You're getting more money from most rate payers by switching from land to capital rating and you have decided to grab more money from many of us for some form of public transport (that if you don't live in an urban environment you don't benefit from) and you have (in my opinion) a bloated organisation with too many people. All you have done is push tourism funding back to our other local councils - who will then decide to go it alone and do their own tourism activity or perhaps combine but with less funding to achieve any meaningful outcomes. So ... the rate payer will have to pay anyway... If councils decide to go it alone and do their own tourism marketing they will be effectively competing against each other, there will be duplication and confusion in what organisation is the 'go to' for international and national event operators looking for advice and support when they want to bring an event to the region. We all benefit from tourism and we like to showcase the place we love. We need with urgency a round table of councils, tourism operators, accommodation providers, hospo, Napier Port and HB Airport to work out how we can continue to operate a regional tourism entity. Both the airport and the port gain significant revenue due to tourism - so they need to look at having some skin in the game. Napier Port announced in its annual report that $9.1m in revenue from 89 cruise ship visits while the airport also gets significant income from more people on planes. #comeonthebay

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This is the dullest election campaign for as long as I can remember. Two rather boring party leaders touring the country and trying to speak to an electorate which simply isn’t interested. The Tories are issuing new policies literally by the minute. Has nobody told them that in politics less is more? What is required is a small number of major policy announcements which catch the public’s attention. The Tories are trying to run a ‘presidential’ campaign focused on Rishi Sunak. Why? All the polls show he is deeply unpopular, even amongst Tory voters. Bizarre. Labour’s campaign is little better. To be outplayed by Diane Abbott takes some doing but Starmer blinked first. This is starting to look like Angela Rayner’s party. This campaign is being defined by four little words : Time for a change. It is a simple but compelling message and the Tories don’t know how to deal with it. The campaigning styles of Starmer and Sunak are very different. Sunak is frenetic. Starmer looks bored most of the time. Then again, nothing really matters. Starmer is much more focussed on imposing his mates into safe or winnable seats. Very smart politics … Sir Ed Davey is generally regarded as dull. Yet, hats off to him for a series of self deprecating stunts which have generated lots of generally positive media coverage. He is like an ageing but enthusiastic contestant in ‘Its a Knockout’. Can he sustain the stunts for the whole campaign or will be end up in A&E?🥴 Expect no change in the campaign for the next few weeks. The electorate have got better things to do … Oh for the days when the Tories were advised by Tim Bell and Gordon Reece and Labour were advised by Philip Gould. Political grown ups who could change political fortunes …

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Some old adages stand simply because they're true. When I think about public risk, vulnerability, and crisis all day, it's hard to reconcile that even after the PR crisis failures across the past six months, we're not all remembering that "a stitch in time saves nine." Real talk? The general public is stretched and strained in the current environment, and their appetite for poor performance is low. What you could get away with in the public sphere, even 12 months ago, is vastly different to now. In matters of reputation, public risk, and crisis communications, the key is preparation. *Crisis media training is different to any other media training *Murder Boards/Worst Case Scenario planning is hard but good work - there is nothing better than this work to feel and be really prepared for the hard scenarios. * Have a trusted advisor who tells the truth and isn't a "Yes" person. Better to face the hard questions from a friendly first. Thanks so much to Adam Lang, Neil Griffiths and Lauren McNamara for having me on Mumbrellacast yesterday to discuss two of my great loves: politics and crisis communications. https://lnkd.in/eNZHc9SF

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I want to shine a light on an exceptional human operating in New Zealand's sustainability space. Recently, Andrea Thompson, Founder & CEO of Catapult, hosted a brilliant Masterclass for Climate Leaders Coalition on how to influence behaviour change for climate action. At Wright Communications (New Zealand), we turned it into an internal training session, watching together in our boardroom to reflect on strategies we can apply to our work with clients. Two standout strategies that resonated with our team were: 1️⃣ Influencing Behaviour Use biospheric values to tap into people’s care for nature. Highlight widespread support for valuing nature as part of climate action. Make sustainable actions easy with nudges like placing recycling bins in kitchens to increase landfill diversion or using default options like vegetarian meals and zero-waste catering. Alter choice architecture to encourage positive behaviours, such as double-sided printing or black-and-white documents as defaults. 2️⃣ Storytelling Show how behaviour change can drive attitude shifts through action-based narratives. Highlight “positive deviants”—people who are leading the way in sustainability—in a way that feels accessible and inspiring to others. Leverage habit contagion to foster ripple effects, where one good habit leads to others. Andrea’s insights on combining psychology and storytelling to influence climate-positive behaviours were actionable and empowering. We’re excited to implement these strategies to support our clients’ sustainability journeys.

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I re-subscribed to New Zealand Geographic today. I'm enjoying their campaign of honesty in saying they're struggling and need our subscriptions. Having worked in the magazine industry, I salute dropping the usual smoke-and-mirrors of pretending 50 bazillion people buy your magazine. It reframes the magazine as squarely for readers first and advertisers second. Another brave move is surveying their readership and publishing the results. As a plain language writer and editor, though, one result gave me pause. It seems to show more than a third of readers would like the magazine to use more complex language. I've seen publications crash and burn because they asked this question and didn't understand what the results really show. Side note: The term "reading level" is outdated when talking about communication between adults. It implies those who don't understand us are at a lower level, when if fact we simply failed to communicate clearly. The bigger problem is, asking readers what they think of our "reading level" is like asking cyclists who confidently ride in heavy traffic what they think of protected cycleways. Most will understand why safer cycling infrastructure is important, but a significant number will say there's no need for it. Asking people what level of writing clarity they prefer links to an even deeper foible. Our society thinks, wrongly, that the complexity of language you prefer is a measure of your intelligence. This leads many to say -- in public and in anonymous surveys -- they'd prefer harder-to-read material, when they probably wouldn't read it, let alone enjoy it. So this survey result probably tells us 34.9% like to tell themselves they're intelligent by society's definition. And that's totally fine. We all need positive reinforcement. Back to the cycleway analogy to understand how to measure if you're choosing the right language. We know safer cycling infrastructure is a good thing not because we've asked cyclists what they prefer, but because when we install it, (a) nearly everyone who currently rides a bike uses it, and (b) many more people start riding bikes. Similarly, the right language expands your readership without alienating existing readers. Applying this to NZ Geographic, they could try publishing some web articles in complex academic language, and see how that goes. Will those articles get more shares and see more people read to the end? I doubt it. In the real world, 34.9% of people will tick the box they've been told means, "I'm intelligent", but few have the energy to chew through pages of writing that, for all its complexity, delivers no more information than simpler language. And that's the thing. To communicate in plain language is never "dumbing down". On the contrary, saying what you mean, in a way most people can understand, is as sharp and courageous as it gets. And that's exactly how NZ Geographic reads to me.

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Carbon Zero Initiative has put a huge amount of effort into this upcoming report. Here is a sneak peak of the first paragraph - The Future of Energy in Tasmania report charts the pathway to a Tasmanian economy running entirely without fossil fuels - a carbon zero economy, the first of its kind in the world. The report sets out the opportunities this will unlock from investment in new energy infrastructure, reduction in carbon emissions, and the amount of new renewable energy required to make it happen. In order to model these opportunities, the authors used the Australian Energy Market Operator’s forecasts for Tasmania, and added planned fuel switching away from industrial coal and gas to renewable energy. The report details the huge scale of this opportunity for Tasmania, including analysis of new energy infrastructure, investment and jobs created to phase out fossil fuels from energy, heavy industry, transport, commercial and residential sectors. See the post below for launch details:

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Local Councillors play a crucial role in helping communities transition to clean energy. The recent NSW local council election offers valuable insights into voter sentiment on renewables. So, what can we learn? Solutions from Climate Australia analyzed the numbers: - Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone: Anti-renewable candidates struggled, securing just 1 council seat in Kiama, while pro-renewable candidates dominated across Wollongong, Shellharbour, and Kiama councils. - Hunter Renewable Energy Zone: Despite heavy anti-wind farm campaigning, no anti-renewable candidates secured enough votes for a quota. Pro-renewable candidates, on the other hand, won across councils such as Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. The takeaway: Communities are increasingly backing leaders who champion clean energy, signalling a growing appetite for renewable solutions at the local level. https://lnkd.in/grkSyyig Barry Traill #RenewableEnergy #Consumerenergyresources #ClimateAction #LocalLeadership #NSWElections #EnergyTransition #CommunityPower #DataDriven

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The lack of proper #fauna and #flora studies and inadequate #community #engagement has led to massive opposition against large-scale renewable projects (83% are against these projects in the Have YourSay survey: https://lnkd.in/gp_SCbzC). It should not come as a surprise because altering the #environment and #lifestyle of communities and #FirstNations peoples, and interfering with #nature inevitably triggers backlash. When projects of such magnitude are proposed without thorough consideration of their impact on local #ecosystems and without involving the affected communities in decision-making processes, it disrupts established ways of life. It raises valid concerns about #environmental degradation and loss of #cultural #heritage. This resistance reflects an instinct to protect the #environment and #traditions, especially when they feel their interests and voices are not adequately represented or respected in the planning and implementation of these projects. To address these challenges, The Community Engagement Review led by Andrew Dyer made recommendations including establishing independent rating schemes for #developers, implementing clearer project zoning, and prioritizing genuine community benefit sharing and communication programs, underscoring the crucial role of building trust and integrating community engagement efforts into project development. Coalition for Conservation Inc. Australian Wildlife Conservancy UN Biodiversity The Biodiversity and Climate Change Network (BCCN). United Nations Steven Nowakowski Animals Australia Bush Heritage Australia Landcare Australia American Conservation Coalition Nature Conservation Council NSW Ben Goldsmith

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Yet more evidence that governments around Australia need to be more ambitious about shifting freight (and people) on rail if we are to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. "Governments would also need to reduce passenger travel by 10 per cent and freight travel by 5 per cent by 2040, while 15 per cent of freight on articulated trucks and 5 per cent on rigid trucks would shift to rail too." With the Commonwealth, NSW, Victorian and Queensland governments all currently reviewing freight strategies, the time is now to address the challenges constraining the efficiency and productivity of rail freight so we can capitalise on the short-term decarbonisation opportunity presented by a shift from road to rail. https://lnkd.in/gdiu7f7A

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BUILDING COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE AND ENGAGEMENT ON HYDROGEN—COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA SPECIALIST SERVICES The South Australian Government, through the Office of Hydrogen Power SA (OHPSA) is seeking specialist communication, media and engagement organisations to collaborate with a cross-jurisdictional group to collate hydrogen information from across Australia for the Building Community Knowledge and Engagement on Hydrogen project. The collation of existing materials and the development of additional resources aims to foster social license for renewable hydrogen infrastructure developments. The key targets are traditional owners, landholders and communities. THE COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT The successful provider will develop a comprehensive resource package (or toolbox) that will be accessible to all jurisdictions. It will serve as a shared resource with agreed uniform messaging to educate the community about hydrogen and its positive impacts, with an emphasis on safety. The successful provider will engage with identified stakeholders to consolidate existing communication and engagement resources from Commonwealth, state and territory governments. The task will include: ☁ identifying information gaps and opportunities ☁ providing strategic advice on the creation of a communication and engagement toolbox ☁ developing an agreed communication and engagement toolbox for use by all jurisdictions. PHASE—INFORMATION GAP ANALYSIS Funding was agreed for the delivery of Phase 1, with all Australian jurisdictions contributing. Phase 1 was led by Tasmania. It identified that there is low awareness and familiarity with hydrogen in the Australia population. Thus education is necessary to ensure the community becomes engaged. They also found that Australians are interested in learning more about hydrogen production. It is also clear from the research that once people are provided with detailed information about hydrogen, interest in hydrogen increases. Increased positive attitude to hydrogen is seen across all community segments, with the highest increase in segments with the lowest hydrogen knowledge levels. ABOUT OHPSA OHPSA aims to leverage South Australia's renewable energy resources to foster the growth of the hydrogen industry. The objective is to establish a globally competitive export offer and maintain the state's leadership in the clean energy transition, ensuring the safe and sustainable generation of energy and low-carbon products for the future. The Commonwealth Government agreed that South Australia through OHPSA would project manage phases 2 and 3. TENDER DETAILS The tender is due Wednesday 25 September 2024 at 5:00pm (ACST). If you need help with your proposal, Madrigal Communications has been successful in renewable project tenders and marketing communications tenders. #madrigal #renewables #infrastructure

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One of my favourite media people in Australia, Casey Beros (if you don't already know her, check her out!), chatted with my PR client Nick Engerer on her NEXT OF KIN podcast. Two great minds with a passion for health! Casey describes the episode below, which you can jump into here https://lnkd.in/gk55XGmz Cast your mind forward, right to the end of your life. Are you: A. Riddled with disease, dependent on minimum wage workers at the local care facility (which you’ve paid for with your house, super and pension) eating Deb mashed potato out of a tray… or; B. Gorgeously wrinkled, surrounded by loving kids and grandkids you can still lift on your shoulders and hitting Nando’s with your mates from Mahjong. If you chose option A, you’re in luck. That’s the way most of us will go. But if you’re in camp B - you’ll want to tune into today’s episode of Next Of Kin. In it, biohacker and longevity strategist Nick Engerer and I discuss how to increase not just our lifespan but our healthspan (read: more yay, less tray), and the fact that we’re spending a whole lot of our hard-earned cash on staying healthy and well. In fact, Forbes reckons the global health and wellness market is estimated to grow to a staggering US$13 trillion by 2031. So my question is, with a booming wellness market… why aren’t we more well? Most people go straight to spending money to make changes. You’ve got the right motivation - you want to be healthier, you want to live longer, you want to make a change - great! But that change is not made by purchasing something. That’s the biggest mistake people make. Nick Engerer So if, like me, you want to age as gracefully as an elderly ballerina - with skin that looks perpetually pulled into a bun and enough upper body strength to haul your own suitcase on your frequent travels - you’re in for a treat. Oh, and all those skincare products you keep After Pay-ing? You might wanna rethink those.

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Are NZ journalists and PR professional feeling ready for AI? It’s a mixed bag. Over the last four months I’ve been asking leaders and practitioners in journalism and PR about the impact of AI. The report that’s come out of this, Getting Past Tomorrow, shows transformation is underway but people in both sectors are evenly divided on whether they feel ready for AI. Key findings are: ·     Both sectors will need new ways to show value or hold audiences– for PR this could finally be the end of the billable hour! ·      AI gains are real, but so are serious challenges to business models ·      Slow-movers risk losing business and talent. My huge thanks to everyone who  shared their expertise and perspectives. A link to the full report is in the comments.

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It has been a big few days for my team. Spreading the word about the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)'s Integrated System Plan, and how it is viable road map for Australia's energy transition. The animation below captures this powerful message. #isp #energytransition #netzero Andrew Heasley, Catie Low, Perrin Brown, Charlotte Hilling, Belinda Sandilands, Courtney Lynch, Jonathon Geddes

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🌍 You can't host a Climate Week without showcasing Climate Tech... 🌍 From next Monday (!!!) - Climate Action Week Sydney in partnership with Greenhouse and over a dozen leading investors, founders, accelerators and climate support organisations are putting on 18 (mostly free) events focussed on climate tech. These Climate Tech events cover a breadth of topics from deeptech commercialision, scaling hardtech research, investor discussions, climate tech showcases for company directors, to marketing case studies, and networking events. The program is highly relevant for existing founders, policymakers, researchers, corporate sustainability leads, company directors, and anyone interested in getting more involved in Sydney's climate tech ecosystem. Some of the climate tech events I will be checking out: 🎉 Official Opening Program on May 13th features Investible Climate Tech Partners Virescent Ventures Novalith Sicona Battery Technologies New Energy Nexus Main Sequence Greenhouse and many many more... 🚀 Scaling Climate Tech Showcase: Accelerating commercialization, internationalization, and scale. Featuring Claire Mula Greenhouse University of Technology Sydney 🌱 ClimateTech Scaleup Showcase for Directors: Presented by Always Carbon Greenhouse James Stewart 🌏 Action Dialogue: Taking Australian climate tech to Southeast Asia. Hosted by Padang & Co Derrick Chiang Adam Lyle 💡 Success Stories: Showcasing startups addressing industry challenges. Presented by KPMG High Growth Ventures Kylie Little ☀️ Raise and Shine! A Climate Tech Global Growth Breakfast Meet-Up: Organized by Climate Salad Mick Liubinskas Olivia Utharntharm 🔍 PANEL & ROUND TABLE with Climate Tech Founders: How can we help bring your vision to life? Featuring Emile Rastoll, Terra.do Refilled ArcSense ⚡ NSW Power-to-X Technology Showcase: Powerfuels including Hydrogen Network. Presented by NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub Thomas Gao 🌱 Foundation Building of a ClimateTech Start-up: Hosted at @fishburners Dr Leila Alem 🤝 Climate Tech Co-Founder Speed Networking: Presented by EnergyLab Startmate Samantha J. Wood Kaya Moore Looking forward to seeing some of you there! #ClimateAction #ClimateTech #Sustainability #Innovation #ClimateChange #TechForGood

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Did Costello resign, or was he pushed? Best practice is that Nine's Board acted. It is not a passive role.   If that’s the case, from a communications POV, there are two more immediate proactive steps that will impact the reputation of the Board to staff, shareholders and others.   1. Catherine West, the new chair, can broadly flag her (the Board's) philosophy and the company’s pending cultural change. She can either make a headline announcement or the Board can act by engineering further changes, or both.   Saying/doing nothing is not a good option.   2. If the Board decides to continue with more change, to act, then CEO Mike Sneesby is a target. If the Board wants to continue clearing the house, any other ‘dinosaurs’ can go.   Then, of course, there’s a review of the $1m payout to Darren Wick.   This is simply best practice communications, measured by ‘Does it meet the communities’ expectations?’   3. A presentation? Catherine West’s option, ideally from a comms POV, is to talk to staff; the more interactive, the better. It will go public, leaked or otherwise, so it reaches shareholders, etc. It doesn’t have to be detailed. An investigation is underway, and it’s usually fairly easy for an insider to predict many of its findings. Getting ahead of the investigation’s findings with the obvious creates trust. It will be stabilising for staff particularly (it's also a chance to flag Nine's financial challenges). She can identify certain cultural principles that are essential: a broad commitment to cultural inclusiveness, no harassment, a complaints mechanism, cultural training, etc. She must be honest. A commitment to a degree of transparency is also an essential; how that's engineered can be managed later.   Some of these principles are already Nine Board policy: “The Board sets and monitors progress against measurable objectives to track our performance in engaging, retaining and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture”, is the Environmental, Social and Governance Policy – https://lnkd.in/gZ7iM6zk.   The other ‘rule’ in this headland conversation is not to commit to detail. CEOs and Chairs have long learned the hard way to avoid making early commitments that they can’t keep. That’s not an absence of transparency; it's common sense.

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