GovComms: The Future of Government Communication – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What does it take to navigate a decades-long career in government communications while navigating ethics, changing media landscapes, and building lasting influence?

In this special two-part episode of GovComms, David Pembroke sits down with Michael Player, a communications veteran with nearly five decades experience. From his very first job to his long stint with NZ Police, Michael shares the highs and lows of working in public sector communications.

Join us as Michael reflects on the ethical backbone of the profession, revealing how great communicators must speak truth to power, even when it's uncomfortable. Michael’s journey is full of wisdom for both introverts and extroverts alike, proving that in a people-first profession, it’s the quiet listeners who often make the biggest impact.

This episode is packed with insights on how to navigate the shifting tides of today’s media landscape, where misinformation abounds, and how to maintain influence in an ever-evolving field. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, Michael’s career lessons on leadership, ethics, and crisis management will inspire you to step up, take initiative, and become a true communications leader.

·     Importance of initiative and building rapport

·     Ethical responsibility and speaking truth to power

·     The three A’s: accessibility, affordability, ability

·     Being a good listener

·     The evolving media landscape and digital platforms

·     Career advice: patience and continuous learning

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How can digital communications spark real-world change and drive social impact? In this episode of GovComms, David Pembroke speaks with Nicholas Bruneau, a global leader in digital advocacy and purpose-led marketing. Together, they explore how Nicholas’ AGILE Framework for social impact communications inspires organisations to leverage digital tools, tell compelling stories, and mobilise communities. Through real-world examples like the “Raise Your Hand” campaign, which raised over $4 billion for global education, Nicholas reveals how digital strategies can inspire lasting movements and revolutionise public sector communications.

·     Digital communications for social impact through advocacy.

·     AGILE Framework empowering public sector organisations.

·     "Raise Your Hand" campaign

·     Storytelling and digital tools to drive community engagement

·     Post-pandemic shifts and growing risk aversion in digital strategy

·     Data-driven strategies for greater communication impact

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In this episode of GovComms, we are joined by Strath Gordon, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at the Australian Olympic Committee.

With the 2024 Paris Olympics starting in July, Strath shares insights into the planning involved in preparing for the Olympic games, including the introduction of 460 Australian athletes to the public and the coordination required to manage media coverage for the event. He emphasises the importance of storytelling in sports communication, and discusses the AOC’s plans for effective on-ground media communication in Paris to ensure all athletes receive appropriate coverage and support.

Reflecting on the Tokyo Olympics, Strath highlights the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, from the postponement of the games to maintaining constant communication with athletes to keep their spirits high. He touches on the lessons learned during this period, such as the critical role of effective communication and the necessity of leveraging technology to stay connected with stakeholders.

Strath outlines how the AOC adapts to the rise of streaming services and digital media by providing content that enhances the viewing experience across various platforms. Additionally, the conversation highlights the AOC's community engagement efforts, such as the Olympics Unleashed Program, which aims to inspire young Australians by connecting them with Olympians.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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