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Primary Celebrates Two Pria Golden Target Awards

Primary celebrates two PRIA Golden Target awards

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In the past two years, Primary has been awarded seven prestigious Golden Target Awards.

The two 2022 awards are:

GOLD in the Public Affairs and Advocacy Campaign category; and

SILVER in the Research / Data-Driven Campaign category.

Primary was also a finalist in four other submissions including:

  • Digital, Social and/or Content campaign
  • Government Sponsored campaign
  • Crisis and Issues management
  • Public Affairs and Advocacy campaign

Primary Comms Group CEO, Chris Hall, said “We are very grateful to work with outstanding clients. We repay their trust by developing great campaigns and this year we were very grateful to receive two Golden Target awards for the Equaliser campaign for Football Australia.”

Football Australia approached Primary in the lead up to the Federal Election to help obtain election commitments that would advance the game. We needed a creative way to cut through the election noise.

Football Australia’s objective is to deliver 50/50 participation parity by 2027.  With the Women’s World Cup being held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 they were already expecting a 400,000 plus surge in female participation.

The problem is only 35% of facilities are female friendly.

The problem became the opportunity.

Primary conceived and implemented the Equaliser campaign to specifically target election commitments which would deliver an equaliser for female footballers via facility upgrades.

Our strategy was to take this well-known football term and use it to draw attention to the need for investment in Female Friendly Facilities.

The goal of the Equaliser campaign is for all football facilities to be equal, promoting equivalent opportunities of access for both males and females.

This overarching strategic thought guided every part of the campaign from the creative, tactics and execution.

Underpinning our strategy was a new accreditation system whereby Football Australia would begin   accrediting facilities right across Australia every six months.

Facilities that meet criteria are supplied a digital and physical accreditation badge, to show that they meet the required level. To meet the minimum standard a facility must have cubicle toilets, cubicle changing stations and cubicle showers.

This was communicated to every MP and candidate, so they knew which facilities needed an Equaliser in order to meet accreditation. This provided a deadline and a focus for which facilities they needed to upgrade in their local communities.

The campaign was developed by Primary Communication assisted in creative assets by Primary Create.

We were grateful to be joined on the night of the awards by Football Australia’s Chris Rawlinson who flew in from Brisbane.

Check out the Equaliser campaign website.

Truth is, the abuse never stopped

Truth is, the abuse never stopped

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The report, written by Barnardos Australia in collaboration with the University of Sydney and Urbis, presents findings on the long-term effects of domestic and family violence (DFV) on children, their support needs and help-seeking behaviours.

Children are often the voiceless victims of DFV. The research reveals new evidence and the devastating and long-lasting impact of DFV on children, as told directly from adult victim survivors who experienced DFV in their childhood or youth.

The research survey was conducted from 2 November to 20 December 2021 when participants aged 18 and over submitted a response. Urbis undertook statistical analysis of the data collected.

“Although this report may be a difficult read in parts,3 we hope that readers will be able to glimpse (if only momentarily) the world that these particular DFV victim survivors inhabited as children, and in so doing, clarify their understanding of the critical support needs of children experiencing DFV,” the report said.

Primary was proud to support Barnardos with the launch and has worked to help advocate for policy change that prioritises the voice of the children, often perceived and treated as by standers by the system.

As we gear towards a State election in 2023, there are some issues that surpass politics, and we must as a community and society stand behind and support them.

To read the full report, please click here.

 

Primary raises over $2,000 for STEPtember

Primary raises over $2,000 for STEPtember

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STEPtember not only gave us an opportunity to support a worthy cause, but it was also a fun and inclusive virtual event that helped nudge all those involved into a renewed fitness regime. You set your own goals, but because the daily average was 10,000, there were a lot of steps made throughout the month.

Every 20 hours, an Australian child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The Primary team was glad to assist in any way it could by taking on this challenge and raising money to support life-changing research, treatment, and services to help individuals with cerebral palsy live their best lives.

A big thank you to all the friends, colleagues and clients who donated to the cause.

Primary helps launch Australia’s first national, searchable registry of Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians

Primary helps launch Australia’s first national, searchable registry of Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians

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connect·ed, launched at the end of June, is Australia’s first searchable, accessible, national directory of Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians, and was developed in response to consultation with people with lived experience of an eating disorder, their supports and health professionals.

Primary worked with ANZAED to ensure our campaign truly reflected the voices of lived experience and the challenges they experienced in seeking referrals or treatments for eating disorders.  Thanks to their generous support, we were able to support ANZAED in the lead up to the launch to create a powerful launch video and develop a media campaign focused on lived experience.

The Sydney Morning Herald featured the launch as an exclusive and coverage continued with a syndicated national weekend story on Australian Associated Press (AAP).  During the launch, key health media outlets featured the credentials, and peak bodies incorporated the connect·ed site and its messaging in social media.

The in-person and live-streamed event brought together health professionals, people with lived experience and their supports – ensuring national eating disorder peak bodies and key stakeholders in regional areas could attend and contribute either online or in person during the event. The launch video sent a powerful message about the need for a better way for people seeking treatment for eating disorders to find appropriate care at the right time.

Since applications for the Credential opened to clinicians in November 2021, over 850 mental health professionals and dietitians across public and private settings have been recognised as Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinicians. The launch of the public-facing, searchable platform on connect·ed, brought that Credential to the public for the first time in a milestone for those seeking treatments for eating disorders in Australia.

It was a milestone Primary was thrilled to be involved with. Since the launch, ANZAED has been overwhelmed by the positive response from clinicians seeking to become credentialed, with over 1300 applications received so far and more being received every week.

IT-Wire Interviews Tech Team Lead

IT-Wire Interviews Tech Team Lead

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PR Agency IT and mental health and wellness

IT-Wire delivers a great introduction about the work Primary does and the experience Elaine brings to the business:

“Primary Comms Group is a great example of an integrated, engaged, technologically savvy and team offering a wide range of products and services catering for businesses needing PR, community and stakeholder engagement services, and creative advertising and branded content, with Primary Communication partner Elaine Banoub joining iTWire TV to take us adventures in PR, the Group, life lessons and more interesting moments, please read on!”

You can read the full article here and watched the recorded interview below:

Event flexibility is here to stay

Event flexibility is here to stay

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In person events are returning in force, yet online events are here to stay.

For example, Primary’s Tech Team recently managed Zebra Technologies successful 2.5-hour, online event, for 250 Zebra and employees. This involved live engagement via social media and online presentations. This approach was extremely effective, ensuring cost-effectiveness. Post event feedback also showed high engagement with positive feedback.

Online events have the advantage that no physical location is needed, and if organised well, more people can participate, especially when they are unable to travel. Convenience is the major factor. However, ineffective online events can lose on personal engagement as people can just sit back and be quiet online.

As life returns to normal, many events are going hybrid, where a meeting or event will have its physical aspect for those attending, and an online methodology that lets other people engage via visual links and other methods.

Fortunately, Primary can help you find your path no matter how you want to structure your event. The key is being clear on event objectives, budget, and ROI, before choosing the event format that’s right for the job. You can keep it simple and effective or go for the bells and whistles of break-out rooms, merchandise, online games, live questions with video, and more.

So, if you’re thinking about holding an event to promote your brand, always brainstorm fully first and listen to the advice!

Sharon Kelly is a Senior Account Manager with Primary Communication

How to make an outreach program

How to make an outreach program that lasts forever

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And they have continued to deliver quality teaching as 2022 saw students return to the classroom and some semblance of normality.

Primary has been working with teachers for over 18 years –developing, managing, and growing Electricity Safety Week (ESW) each year on behalf of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy in NSW and Energy Queensland across QLD.

The program is designed in collaboration with education stakeholders and teachers, with the aim of helping primary school-aged students learn about how electricity works and how to stay safe around electrical equipment.

This year over 98% of primary schools across QLD and 96% across NSW received a free resource pack with a K-6 Lesson book, student prizes, a simple circuit kit and posters to help provide hands on resources to raise awareness of the hazards associated with electricity.

There are many unique aspects to developing and maintaining high engagement for a program such as Electricity Safety Week each year.

The key is to continue to consult and engage with the teaching community. More than that, for a program of such scale to withstand the test of time (and a pandemic), here are some tips we have picked up on the way:

  1. Change is hardly ever a bad thing – challenges and roadblocks often result in innovation and improvement; the old adage is true – necessity (with a sprinkle of creativity) is the mother of invention.
  2. Evaluation is not essential, it is critical – ongoing research and feedback from stakeholders and your target audiences will inform how the program can improve, helping you build on solid foundations, year on year. Our annual teacher surveys are a goldmine, helping refine objectives, and approach.
  3. Flexibility desirable – the ability to consider what may be potentially required and building in contingency plans, means that regardless of the curveballs, the approach is supported with a methodology safety net. Quick thinking in 2020 and 2021 saw the volunteer school visits, a very loved part of ESW, move to an online format.


We are looking forward to continuing to work with the teaching community for the rest of this year, in 2023 and beyond. The Australian education landscape is changing and with curriculum reform on the horizon, there is so much to be excited about!

It is also important to recognise those working behind the scenes in various education and curriculum authorities, who are involved in developing resources, training and other support measures for schools.

Also, a reminder from your friendly PR, communication and creative agency, don’t forget it’s World Teachers Day on 28 October. If you know a teacher or if you are one, take the opportunity to celebrate the hard work and dedication of all teachers including student teachers, teacher aides and retired educators.

The photos show what students learned through the ESW campaign.

Mary-Anne Boustany is Senior Account Director with Primary Communication and together with Paris Fittler, Account Executive, ran this year’s Electricity Safety Week program.

Award wins are brand positive

Award wins are brand positive

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The Business Award for Digital Transformation recognises organisations that have successfully implemented initiatives that demonstrate excellence in digital transformation. The win means that TIBCO are now automatically nominated for the international award in recognition of their unique work with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team.

Winning awards are always positive brand promotion for any organisation; however, the award process often means combining strategy and excellent writing skills, to position you for a successful award application.

The TIBCO Australian Business Award application was 16 pages long and the criteria very specific. With this final outcome however, it was worth the time and effort!

The Primary Comms Tech Team was really happy to be part of the nomination process and would like to congratulate the TIBCO team again for this positive recognition and promotion of the TIBCO brand through the Australian Business network.

Find out more about the Australian Business Award for TIBCO here.

Elaine Banoub, Primary Communication Partner and Tech Team Lead

Football’s #EQUALISER campaign

Football’s #EQUALISER campaign

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#EQUALISER was the name given to a successful six-week Federal Election specific campaign by Football Australia, aimed squarely at securing local level funding commitments from both major parties for Female Friendly Facilities, of which this sports-mad country of ours is in dire need.

It has been made all the more pressing by the fact that we are on the cusp of hosting (along with our Kiwi cousins) the biggest event anywhere in the world in 2023 – the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Football Australia’s report on the lack of Female Friendly Facilities raised the issue.

However, identifying a problem is often the easiest part, effectively just the first half of a long battle – providing a solution, that is what really counts most in this game.

And make no mistake, football came into this campaign with a kit bag bursting at the seams with strong arguments and big numbers.

  • More than two million participate in the beautiful game of football across Australia
  • Within the next five years, there’ll be an expected increase of 400,000 in participation and half of all those playing football in this country will be female

But here’s the kicker – less than 35% of football facilities in this country are female-friendly or gender-neutral.

No matter where they turned, that’s a problem staring policymakers squarely in the face.

Like any good manager or coach, football needed to create an easily understood but fertile narrative.

Early engagement, it cannot be stressed enough, is just as vital.

Teamwork too – absolutely pivotal to success.

Once you have your messaging right and your strategy in place, it’s crucial that everyone knows their role and plays to their strengths – you don’t see goalkeepers doing dance routines like The Wiggles now, do you? (Ok, there’s always an exception to any rule).

But the numbers which caused politicians, knee-deep in an election cycle remember, to sit bolt upright off the bench, pull up their socks, and take notice were the following:

  • More than 6000 people responded to a survey, of those, 65% said that commitments to spending on football facilities in their region, or at their club, would influence their vote.
  • When asked if football received its fair share of government funding compared to other sports, only 8% of respondents said yes.
  • And finally, it was revealed that the Australian football community has a social media following of over SIX MILLION.

And now you are in the game because, yes politics, just like football, is a numbers game (seats versus goals). In short, get more than your opponent, and you will savour the sweet taste of victory.

Just like on the pitch the success of the campaign can be measured by the scoreboard. Election commitments for the #Equaliser campaign tallied over $18 million!

By Frank Coletta

Frank is Primary’s Senior Counsel, Strategic Media & Government Relations, with extensive and trusted networks across media, government, sport, and social affairs.

Building stronger relationships

Building stronger relationships with local communities

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The first round of community consultation was a great success, leading to fewer than six objections allowing the project a smooth path through the State Significant Development process and avoiding the Independent Planning Commission.

Four years on with the Freight Hub up in full operations Primary Engage was asked to come back and consult with the neighbouring community regarding noise attenuation.

This time the Primary team was set the task of identifying the owners of 17 properties that qualified for noise attenuation.

After some sleuthing behind the computer, many phone calls and even doorknocking the owners were identified and communicated with.

Each house was scheduled in for a visit from the noise experts and measurements were taken.

This is all part of Pacific National’s commitment to being a good neighbour and working with the community.

Primary Engage was pleased to help Pacific National navigate through the community engagement process.

By Chris Hall, Chief Executive Officer