Since 2017, Civic has acted as public affairs adviser of record for a major Federal Government owned not-for-profit organisation.

Operating in a contentious area of public policy, the client works with a national stakeholder network that includes all levels of government around Australia.

As an embedded public affairs adviser, Civic has advised on communications, stakeholder engagement and media relations during a period of extraordinary change and growth in the organisation and its work.

Civic provides communications risk management advice on major national communications campaigns and has developed and implemented national stakeholder engagement programs to support multi-million-dollar funding programs.

Working together with the client’s executive and board, Civic provides advice on all aspects of communications, from speechwriting and copywriting, to issues and reputation management, creative campaigns, government and stakeholder engagement and internal communications.

Australia’s first and only large-scale manufacturer of customised 3D printed medical and healthcare devices was founded in Melbourne in 2016. As an industry first-mover, the company faced the difficulties associated with navigating Australia’s complex regulatory environment.

Civic has provided media relations, industry engagement and regulatory affairs support to the company since its opening, regularly securing speaking engagements at industry events and appearances in industry and national media.

Our strategic engagement and communications advice and guidance helped the company secure regulatory approval for a range of devices, including a 3D-printed swab which was deployed as part of a COVID testing kit.

As the communications adviser supporting a state government’s long-term lease of a major infrastructure asset, Civic was tasked with developing a strategy to communicate with stakeholders, communities, producers, growers, importers and financial markets.

Research findings guided the crafting of a sophisticated campaign which included a visual identity and brand, narrative and key messages, a detailed stakeholder matrix, website, international and domestic brochures and fact sheets.

The successful leasing of the asset secured an amount more than 50 per cent greater than the anticipated price.

For more than 30 years, the council had been at the forefront of managing rapid population growth. Its road network and limited public transport options were at breaking point, affecting the community’s quality of life and limiting access to jobs, education and services.

With an evidence base that supported the need for road upgrades and a rail extension, Civic was retained to develop an advocacy campaign that called on major parties to commit to major infrastructure projects in the region in advance of the November 2018 state election.

Activated community members showed their support for the campaign to ministers, members of parliament and election candidates online, in person, through the media and at events.

As a result of the campaign, major roadworks were funded in the 2018 Victorian Budget, with commitments to more works announced during the election campaign. The Labor Party, Liberal Nationals and Greens all went to the 2018 election with a commitment to deliver on the council’s ask.

In 2020, Civic was engaged by the prime contractor in a consortium bidding for the design and construction of the largest road transport projects in Victoria’s history. The goal was to strengthen the Milan-based contractor’s brand and reputation in the Victorian market in support of the consortium’s bid.

Civic designed and delivered Building Value for Victoria, a campaign that focused on highlighting the contractor’s commitment to hyper-local content and procurement, corporate social responsibility and workplace safety.

Campaign activity also included media relations, digital and social media, advertising and video and podcast production. Advertising directed people to a purpose-built website that housed campaign content. Media coverage highlighted the contractor’s investment in Victorian infrastructure and the establishment of its Melbourne office.

In October 2021, the Victorian Government awarded the $11.1 billion primary package to the contractor’s consortium.

In 2017, Civic was engaged to launch a new cooperative research centre’s (CRC) brand and develop a program of public relations activity to generate exposure, attract suitable participants for co-funding and provide platforms for advocacy and education.

Over the next five years, Civic helped the CRC secure coverage of media announcements and profile its executives, provided spokesperson training and place industry thought leadership pieces.

By December 2021, the CRC had catalysed more than $230 million of investment in collaborative research projects across Australia, with the chief executive and leadership team regularly contributing to industry forums, trade publications, media interviews, and government discussion papers.

Civic continues to work with the CRC on the development and placement of regular project announcements and thought leadership content.

The Hayne Royal Commission into the Misconduct of the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry has had significant implications for superannuation funds, with many forced to change their governance and business models following legislative reform.

In 2019, a prominent industry fund engaged Civic to help protect and manage its reputation as it changed its fee structure, insurance offering and operations to ensure the fund’s compliance and future success. The changes resulted in significant short-to-medium-term issues for many members, including fee increases, insurance cancellation and disruption to online access to their accounts.

Since 2019, Civic has assisted the fund with proactive and reactive media engagement, thought leadership, website copywriting, member communications and annual and corporate reporting.

In early 2020, an NDIS registered disability support services provider detected a cyber intruder had accessed two of its email accounts and potentially launched a phishing attack targeting more than 2,000 case managers. The provider’s legal counsel called on Civic to provide communications and issues management advice.

Civic worked with legal counsel to develop a communications and stakeholder engagement strategy that included a notification and recovery plan that would ensure the National Disability Insurance Agency, as well as those whose privacy had been breached, were notified of the incident and kept informed of the investigation. Care was taken to ensure emails, scripts, statements and customer service FAQs were drafted in a way that met the client’s legal obligations, mitigated reputational risk and aligned with the client’s brand voice and communication style.

Once the notification process was complete, Civic was engaged on an ‘on-call’ basis to provide ongoing counsel and communications advice on the client’s recovery and positioning strategy.

As the Australian agency of record for the world’s largest defence technology company, Civic provides the full-spectrum of corporate communications support including strategic counsel, media relations and content creation.

Civic supports the client engage with their audiences through the development and ongoing implementation of a sustained, integrated communications programme. The client’s capabilities stretch from undersea to space, supported by a presence in every Australian state and territory, creating a complex stakeholder environment that requires a multifaceted communications approach.

At the forefront of our communications strategies to raise awareness of their innovative all-domain technologies and commitment to supporting Australia’s national interests are the company’s Australian leadership and world-class subject matter experts, as well as their key industry and research partners.

Civic advises a number of Australia’s leading private schools, helping them communicate more effectively and efficiently with their communities and supporting them through reputational challenges.

As a trusted advisor of school senior leadership teams and boards, Civic provides strategic counsel on positive positioning, identifying and managing emerging issues and coordinating communications across complex stakeholder groups.