What government thinks of ‘company profits’

Daymark recently subscribed to GovConnex, a platform that enables us to monitor and research government activity on issues of relevance to our clients. So, with another company results and AGM season behind us, we thought it interesting to see what politicians think, say, and do when it comes to ‘company profits’. Using GovConnex we searched ‘company profits’ and found: Trends over time – Between 2010-2017, the term ‘company profits’ was rarely mentioned but from 2017 onwards it’s regularly mentioned in…

The importance of values – and the damage when they are not upheld

For the last month, I have been seconded into one of Daymark’s not-for-profit clients for two days a week. Working inside this leading social change organisation with its strong workplace culture has provided a salient reminder of the benefits not just of clear organisational values, but of living them out each day. Over the years, Daymark has helped many clients define their vision, mission and values. Often included in organisational profiles – both written and online – these statements send…

The crucial role of communication strategy in 2024

As we approach the year’s end and gear up for the planning season, it’s important to take stock and recognise the increasingly pivotal role communication strategy is playing in shaping an organisation’s future. Recent times, marked by critical infrastructure breakdowns, cyber-security vulnerabilities, and unforeseen challenges, emphasise the need for organisations, both large and small, to reassess their readiness to respond to issues that can quickly spiral into crises. In the spirit of proactive management, it’s timely to acknowledge the importance…

Year in review reveals additional priorities for Daymark clients

As reputation challenges continue to mount, nothing stands still with the issues and communications needs of our clients. Here we take a dive into the over 60 projects completed in the past year for clients to see what we can learn for you when it comes to building, managing, protecting or restoring reputation. The breadth of stakeholders is increasing We have engaged with hundreds of government and industry stakeholders on behalf of our clients in the past year. They have…

‘Are we right to go?’

This short statement sums up much of Dan Andrews’ communications skills. A line that signalled the start of yet another COVID-era press conference. As people in the communications game, it is worth reflecting on Dan Andrews as a professional, political communicator. The first point to make is that he threw out most of the old rule book on how to manage political messaging. He was effectively the first post-mainstream media Premier. He simply didn’t bother trying to chase the approval…

Robust CSR strategies more imperative than ever

Today the intersection between profit and purpose has well and truly taken centre stage, and the need for corporate sustainability and social responsibility strategies is an undeniable necessity. With the 2023 SDG Summit taking place in New York this week, marking the halfway point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is an opportune moment for businesses to reflect on their progress. The recent release of the federal government’s first national…

The Art of a Good Media Release

A good media release can make or break the coverage received, so it’s worth putting in the effort if you have positive news to share. At Daymark we often write media releases on behalf of clients, or review and edit first drafts. These are a few things we bear in mind to ensure media success: The Title and First Paragraph are Crucial News desks have always received more media alerts than they can cover, but with the ease of digital…

Just ask me…

Daymark is in the midst of stakeholder survey ‘reporting season’. Several of our clients have asked us to complete stakeholder sentiment surveys for them; some for the first time, others are on their fourth or more annual iterations. Our sentiment surveys generally involve one-to-one, face-to-face surveys based on an agreed set of questions with a combination of quantitative questions and qualitative as well. We encourage interviewees to be open and honest and we capture verbatim comments which are supplied to…

Deny everything: it may work but is it right?

At Daymark we pride ourselves on being across different approaches to managing reputational crises. One approach is gaining more prominence even though it comes with questionable outcomes. It’s an approach that can be best described as ‘deny, reject, refute’ everything, emphatically, even in the face of compelling and sometimes overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Without being specific, we have seen several examples here in Australia throughout 2023. In fact, this really is not a recent development – we have seen…

The power of tracking trends in an uncertain environment

In today’s rapidly changing business environment an organisation faces numerous challenges including an increasing lack of control over their operating environment. Whilst a degree of control once enabled stable forward planning, the goal posts now seem to be constantly shifting with the current state of uncertainty. Amidst this uncertainty however, there are opportunities. We have the choice to evaluate our environment and assess our capacity to influence it. Having confidence in understanding what can be influenced is a crucial step…