GovComms: The Future of Government Communication

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to the Associate Director of Media and Government Relations at Sydney Trains, Vanessa Grimm. The two discuss Sydney Trains’ approach toward handing COVID-19, as well as an exciting new venture from Sydney Trains. Before her career in communications, Vanessa had decades of experience working in the highest levels of the news media. She spent thirteen years as a journalist working in the news teams at Sky News, Nine News Sydney, and the ABC. She was also the inaugural Executive Producer for Sky News’ flagship political program Agenda. Vanessa discusses Inside Central Station, an upcoming television series about the work of Sydney Trains and its staff. Two years in the making, Inside Central Station will shine a light on the untold stories inside one of Australia’s largest and most complex government organisations. The series will examine the unique and exciting daily experiences of many of the 11,000 staff members at Sydney Trains. Vanessa also explores the topic of how Sydney Trains navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, what platforms they used to interact with train users, which channels worked best and how Sydney Trains changed their strategy after the March lockdown. Vanessa gives insights into how Sydney Trains celebrated their workforce, and how they celebrated pride in Sydney Trains at the difficult times during the pandemic. Vanessa comments on how Sydney Trains got used to encouraging people to not use their services. She explains why government agencies, of every stripe, need to become content creators by finding compelling and engaging stories within their organization. Discussed in this episode: Sydney Trains’ upcoming television series, Inside Central Station. How Sydney Trains managed to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. What worked and what didn’t in the effort to promote social distancing on Sydney’s trains. How and why organisations can look internally for engaging stories that can be used in communications campaigns that have an impact. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks to Merryn McKinnon, a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the ANU. Merryn is one of Australia’s experts on helping scientists and policy makers communicate science issues with clarity and impact. She regularly appears on ABC Radio to discuss scientific issues, and she recently hosted the Science Communication Panel at the 2020 GovComms Festival. In 2017, Merryn published an academic paper about the history of vaccination campaigns and how government have executed vaccination campaigns in the past. With the COVID-19 vaccine around the corner, Merryn has come on to the GovComms Podcast to discuss the challenges and opportunities the government faces in convincing the public to get vaccinated. Merryn and David address the debate around whether focusing on emotion is more effective than focusing on scientific fact. Trust in experts and scientists has risen in 2020, but is appealing to people’s empathy and humanity more effective in changing behaviour? Who should be the government’s prime audience when it comes to their communications about the vaccine? Merryn also explains the role that trust in government plays in contributing to effective vaccination campaigns. She also explains how government and politicians can regain trust so that the public will feel more comfortable taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Merryn also discusses the anti-vaccination sentiment that is prominent on social media. She explains why people call themselves anti-vaxxers, and how government needs to communicate with these people. Discussed in this episode: How governments should talk about the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine. The movement of anti-vaxxers, and how government should communicate with people who are reluctant to take the vaccine. Trust in government, experts and scientists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke and Jordie Kilby discuss the Pacific Region – a dynamic and diverse region that includes countries like Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Somoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. Jordie is a communications consultant based in Fiji, but working across the entire Pacific region. Jordie began his career at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation working first in Local Radio in Canberra before a stint as a presenter and senior producer for Triple J. More recently, Jordie was a Communications Team Leader at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji. Jordie discusses how the Pacific has handled COVID-19, the challenges associated with government communication in many pacific countries and what mediums work best in countries like Fiji. Jordie and David discuss the Pacific’s under-reported measles outbreak in 2019, and how it might have assisted their preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic. Jordie also discusses what he thinks are the similarities and differences between the Pacific and Australia, whilst also revealing how the Pacific views Australia from a diplomatic perspective. Jordie explains what Pacific nations like Fiji could teach his home country of Australia, the biggest and most influential country in the region. Jordie makes the point that the biggest lesson in communication that Australia could learn from the Pacific is the power of storytelling and listening. Discussed in this episode: What it is like to be a government communicator in the Pacific region. What people in the Pacific understand about listening that Australians do not. The importance of storytelling to communications in the Pacific. How many Pacific countries handled COVID-19, and how some managed to remain COVID-free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke and Kellie Riordan looks at podcasts from an entirely new lens. Tune in to listen to a podcast … about podcasts. With the help of Australia’s leading podcast expert, we explore the history of podcasts, as well as their future. Kellie is Australia’s leading podcast strategist, and the creative lead behind many of Australia's biggest podcasts including Conversations, Ladies We Need To Talk, and Unravel True Crime. She was also the founding Commissioning Editor of ABC Audio Studios. Kellie recently founded her own independent audio and podcast consultancy, Deadset Studios. In this episode of GovComms, Kellie reveals why she left the ABC to create Deadset Studios. Kellie leads us through the three phases of podcasting throughout history, explaining why 2020 sparked the third phase. She predicts where the podcasting profession will be five years from now, as well as the trends that will eventually take over the podcasting world. Kellie explains what makes a good podcast, how to build a podcast audience, what makes podcasts different from radio and television, what the best platforms are to host your podcast and what skills you need to be a good podcast host. Kellie also gives tips on how to avoid ‘pod fade’, a common trend when people get excited about their podcast, only to lose interest after only a few episodes. Discussed in this episode: The past, present and future of podcasts and the podcasting industry. The career of Kellie Riordan, and how she became Australia’s leading podcast guru. How to create and sustain a successful podcast in 2020. The three phases in the history of podcasting, including the third phase which began in 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode on GovComms, Amy Arbery shows us the significance of behavioural science and psychology in the policy cycle. With the enormous behavioural changes that have occurred in the COVID-19 period, Amy explains how large an influence this area can have. contentgroup CEO, David Pembroke, sits down in the studio and learns what a behavioural science team has to offer. Amy has a wealth of experience in the public sector providing expert advice and analysis in understanding, designing, and implementing behavioural change interventions. She currently is the Director of the Behavioural Analysis Team at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment. Amy leads us through some of the projects she has undertaken recently and the steps her team took to provide practical solutions. This discussion is indicative of how these teams are necessary in building further capability across a department. By giving these areas more sway, Amy tells us that we can understand what drives the people at the heart of the policy thereby delivering better results Discussed in this episode: The three superpowers in government: Strategical communications, stakeholder engagement and behavioural science The EAST (Easy, Accessible, Simple, Timely) Framework Human centred design COVID-19 as a catalyst for behavioural change Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of GovComms, we revisit a conversation from a few weeks ago with Rebecca Richter, the Head of the Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Contentgroup CEO David Pembroke and Rebecca explore best practice when it comes to communicating dense and technical information. They also go on to discuss how best to add value as a communications team in a larger organization. Rebecca has a wealth of experience operating as a communications executive across both the public and private sectors. In addition to her current role, she has worked at the Australian Sport Commission as the director of Strategic Communications, and as media and communications advisor to Australia’s Chief Scientist. Discussed in this episode: How to effectively communicate technical information Increasing engagement through social media and bite sized content Focusing content creation to your audience Broadcast to Narrowcast and how to adapt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week of GovComms, contentgroup CEO David Pembroke speaks with Georgia Wright, the Director of Attention+Influence, a PR agency which is part of the CHE Proximity. In this episode we get a new perspective on working through the pandemic and how we can make the best out of a bad situation. In this time of rapid change, Georgia reveals her secrets to maintaining and achieving long-term success. Georgia has a wealth of Communications experience working with the biggest brands and organizations in sectors including Consumer Goods, Tech, Travel & Tourism, Luxury & Beauty and Consumer Entertainment. She is also a member of Women in PR, a membership body for senior women in the communications industry. In her current role as Director of Attention+Influence, she aims to combine public relations, influence, social media, and content as areas of specialization in order to offer clients an excellent communications experience. This is part of CHE (Clemenger Harvie Edge) Proximity. Discussed in this episode: How the pandemic has altered the workplace The importance of transparency Adapting campaign in the COVID era How to deal with a blocked news cycle Tips for long-term success Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on GovComms, we speak with Professor Selena Bartlett who is a Research Capacity Building Professor in the School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health at the Queensland University of Technology. Contentgroup CEO David Pembroke learns everything you need to know about the brain and how to train the brain from Professor Bartlett. In addition to her aforementioned role, Professor Bartlett is a Group Leader in Translational Neuroscience and has been awarded the Lawrie Austin Award for her contributions to Neuroscience by the Australian Neuroscience Society in 2019. Professor Bartlett is also the CEO and Founder of MiGFiT Inc, a start-up company spun out her research lab that is focused on brain training for resilience, fitness and to reduce addiction and obesity. She has won the Outstanding Achievement Award and the Biotech Research Award and was an Ambassador for the Women in Technology organisation. Professor Bartlett recently launched three books to raise awareness about the brain health and to make neuroscience neuroplasticity actionable. Additionally, she has presented a TEDx talk about the brain fitness and neuroplasticity revolution underway focused on neuroplasticity for brain health. Discussed in this episode: The evolution of the brain and how it affects us now How you can train your brain Prevention vs Treatment to improve mental health Mental health in the workplace Doomscrolling Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Govcomms, we interview Michelle Chant who is the Managing Director of the Change Collective, a consultancy group that deliver business transformation and service delivery within government and private organisations. Contentgroup CEO David Pembroke and Michelle discuss the nature of change and how it is fast becoming the new norm. Michelle is highly experienced in the field having worked as an Organisational Change Manager with Services Australia, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. In these positions, Michelle was influential in implementing significant change programs after identifying the blockers and drivers of change. She is passionate about change, using the power of ‘story telling’ to improve stakeholder buy in, and encouraging people to embrace change by putting the user at the centre of everything they do. Discussed in this episode: Government response to the pandemic Change as the new norm The importance of having communications come in on the ground floor Empathy Interventions you can implement as a change manager Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on GovComms, we talk with Professor Sora Park, the Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Communication at the Faculty of Arts & Design at the University of Canberra. Professor Sora Park chats with contentgroup CEO David Pembroke about the rapidly changing media market during and post the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of effectively communicating throughout. Sora was the former Director of the News & Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra and the Chair of Media Industry Studies Interest Group, International Communication Association (ICA). She is currently the President of Australian and New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA).  She has extensive experience in policy research and consultancy regarding digital media in South Korea. In the private sector, she has had various consultancy experiences for major internet and media companies such as KBS, NHN Corp and MBC. She also has lots of education experience, teaching at Hanyang University and Kwangwoon University. Discussed in this episode: Trends in the consumption of Government media and content The impact of citizens being able to access content direct from Government Current issues in the media market such as anti-trust regulation and misinformation The future of media companies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.