Developing and delivering a national communications strategy to strengthen public support for Australia's national broadcaster through advocacy, media engagement, digital campaigns and compelling storytelling.
ABC Friends National is Australia's leading independent advocacy organisation supporting the ABC. Waters Strategic Communications developed and delivered a national communications strategy that transformed the organisation's public profile, tripled membership and increased its Facebook community from 15,000 to more than 64,000 followers.
Working with volunteers, branch committees and community leaders across Australia, Waters developed integrated communications campaigns combining media relations, video production, digital communications and public advocacy to strengthen public support for the ABC.
Our role:
- Developed the national communications strategy.
- Led integrated communications campaigns.
- Managed media engagement and publicity.
- Produced and directed campaign videos.
- Developed digital and social media strategies.
- Created campaign messaging and communications materials.
- Supported national advocacy and membership growth.
- Worked with volunteers and stakeholders across Australia.
Results:
- Tripled national membership.
- Increased Facebook following from 15,000 to more than 64,000.
- Significantly increased the organisation's national profile.
- Produced high-performing video and digital content.
- Strengthened ABC Friends' position
To launch ABC Friends National during the 2016 Federal Election, Waters Strategic Communications designed and executed a national media strategy that transformed an advocacy campaign into one of the country's biggest political media stories.
Our role:
- Developed the national media strategy.
- Positioned the campaign for maximum news impact.
- Secured an exclusive first publication with The Sydney Morning Herald.
- Managed national media distribution following publication.
- Coordinated media engagement to maximise reach across Australian news organisations.
Results:
- Front-page Sydney Morning Herald coverage during the Federal Election campaign.
- More than 200,000 online views on the first day with 1,000,000 in total.
- Story and campaign video syndicated across major Australian media outlets.
- National profile of ABC Friends significantly increased.
- Demonstrated the organisation's capacity to influence the national political debate.
Building a national advocacy content engine
Waters Strategic Communications created and managed a continuous content engine that generated a steady stream of shareable campaign material supporting Australia's national broadcaster. Combining video production, digital storytelling and rapid-response communications, the campaign ensured supporters always had compelling content to engage with and share.
Our role:
- Developed the campaign's content strategy.
- Planned an ongoing pipeline of campaign stories.
-Produced and commissioned digital content.
- Managed video production and distribution.
- Created social media assets and campaign messaging.
- Integrated content with media and advocacy campaigns.
Results:
- Continuous stream of campaign content throughout the campaign.
- Increased supporter engagement across digital platforms.
- Reinforced campaign messages through regular storytelling.
- Strengthened public participation and advocacy.
- Supported significant growth in the organisation's national profile.
When Waters Strategic Communications began working with ABC Friends, the organisation operated as a loose federation of independent state groups with differing priorities and communications approaches. Working closely with state committees and volunteers across Australia, Waters helped build stronger collaboration, establish a unified national voice and create coordinated communications that amplified the organisation's influence.
Our role:
- Worked with volunteer committees across Australia.
- Built consensus around national communications priorities.
- Developed messaging that could be adopted nationally.
- Coordinated campaigns across multiple state organisations.
- Supported national advocacy and strategic planning.
- Strengthened communication between national and state bodies.
Results:
- Helped establish a stronger national organisation.
- Created a more consistent public voice.
- Improved collaboration across state branches.
- Enabled coordinated national advocacy campaigns.
- Increased organisational effectiveness and public influence.
Waters Strategic Communications transformed traditional public meetings into professionally produced live experiences. By combining keynote speakers with broadcast-quality video, dynamic staging and carefully planned event production, these events became major public occasions that attracted large audiences, generated media attention and strengthened support for Australia's national broadcaster.
Our role:
- Developed the creative concept for major public events.
- Produced broadcast-quality video segments for use throughout each event.
- Integrated multimedia content into live presentations and panel discussions.
- Managed event communications and promotion.
- Coordinated high-profile speakers and stakeholder participation.
- Delivered a consistent audience experience across multiple cities.
Results:
- Delivered packed public events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
- Melbourne Town Hall reached capacity, with queues extending around the corner as people waited to enter.
- Helped attract nationally recognised journalists, broadcasters and public figures as speakers and participants.
- Elevated community meetings into engaging, television-style productions.
- Described by respected broadcaster Kerry O'Brien as "the best produced public event I have ever seen."
Looking to build influence through strategic communications, compelling content and community engagement? We'd love to talk.
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