Respect by Soodox

/ amandaspopcoms

About Respect by Soodox

Australian health and wellness brand Soodox planned to launch the Respect by Soodox range, a healthier approach to period products. Soodox founder Shida Kebriti noted that PFAS, also commonly known as forever chemicals, existed in many mainstream period products including tampons, pads, and undies, causing unavoidable harm to consumers and the environment.

Respect by Soodox comprised five products – Organic Cotton Tampons, Organic Cotton Pads, Organic Cotton Undies, Period Wash, and a Heat Pack. The tampons, pads, and undies were made with certified organic cotton – free of forever chemicals. 

Our Approach

Soodox engaged Popcom to assist with product creative and a PR strategy to launch the Respect by Soodox range to market, communicating the message that healthy, PFAS-free period products benefit the environment and the bodies of the people using them. The project was broken into four parts:

Research:

We conducted desktop research into the feminine hygiene market in Australia.

We tested the products with a population sample size of 30 women who received non-branded products to try and give us feedback on including the period wash, tampons, period undies and pads. Each participant received a pack with some basic information about the products and were asked to fill in a questionnaire via QR code to form.

From these insights we were able to make informed decisions about what the consumer finds important from a brand.

Design:

POPCOM engaged Lightbulb design and also senior advertising consultant Don Morris AO to assist with the design process. It was essential for the product to stand out we planned for multiple products to sit alongside each other on the pharmacy shelf.

We were also responsible for all of the packaging copy.

Launch:

Once the product was ready to go live, we built a comprehensive media plan including and advertising schedule and a launch party, inviting key media contacts and pharmacy owners to meet the Respect by Soodox range. Our launch plan included:

  • Advertising schedule and paid media plan

  • PR plan

  • Launch party

  • Media schedule and media outreach

  • Media placement (earned and paid, digital and print)

  • Social media design and coordination (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook)

Post Launch:

After the official launch of Respect by Soodox, we continue to support the brand through ongoing PR and marketing communications including:

  • Social media ongoing (check it out here!)

  • Monthly blog writing for website

  • EDM and newsletter design and coordination.

Results

  • Exclusive interview with The Daily Mail

  • Retail and Trade press coverage including Pharmacy Daily, Retail Pharmacy and in house pharmacy publications

  • Coverage in targeted female publications and online forums 

  • Product now stocked in Pharmacies nationally

Highlights

The TikTok interviews conducted on the night of the launch party by content creator Hattie Oates – check them out here

Your gender pay gap is about to be public information

/ amandaspopcoms

Companies with more than 100 employees are required to report their gender pay gap annually to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). With the passing of the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023, the gender pay gap information from all organisations will be public information starting in 2024.

In addition to the publication of gender pay gap numbers, from 1 April 2024, employers will also be required to report on:

  • employee age (year of birth)

  • primary workplace location

  • CEO, head of business and casual manager remuneration.

The inclusion of CEO remuneration will make a lot of companies nervous. 78% of CEOs in Australia are male. The number reported includes superannuation and bonuses. There is generally a significant pay disparity and level of pressure between the individual responsible for running an organisation and the junior ranks, such as graduates, who often are primarily a female cohort (WGEA reports that 60.4% of graduates identify as female). 

 

Further to this, if you have more than 500 employees, you are required to have policies or strategies for six equality indicators:

GEI 1: Gender composition of the workforce.

GEI 2: Gender composition of governing bodies.

GEI 3: Equal remuneration between women and men.

GEI 4: Availability and utility of employment terms, flexible working arrangements and support for family and caring responsibilities.

GEI 5: Consultation with employees on gender equality in the workplace. 

GEI 6: Sexual harassment, harassment on the ground of sex or discrimination. 

 

Addressing the gender pay gap in Australia is crucial, and it simply has not been happening quickly enough. We are ranked 43rd in the world in the Global Gender Gap Report. For context, New Zealand is 4th, South Africa 20th, UK 22nd and the USA 27th. Australia sits below nations including Mozambique, Belarus, and Guyana.

Publication of gender pay gap information has been mandatory in the UK since 2017/2018; consequently, their numbers have improved. But as we begin to navigate the publication of data, I can foresee a lot of organisations needing help to maintain a positive public image and employee morale while they work on getting the balance right. 

 

In a vibrant cancel culture and a trend of ‘calling-out’, not everyone’s number will reflect an organisation’s measures, goals and aspirations. These numbers don’t represent apples for apples. It is an average of all your female-identifying employees’ salaries and all your male-identifying employees’ salaries – from CEO/Principal to the lowest ranks.  

 

WGEA do understand this. Their goal is not to alienate or punish; they seek gender equality, and there is an opportunity to provide an explanation for numbers and outline a plan of action. 

 

“We understand that external or internal factors influence the results of an employer’s gender pay gap. So, while the gender pay gap is a proxy for gender equality, it may not provide a complete picture of an organisation’s commitment to it.” FAQ WGEA Legislative Reforms PDF

 

What can be done from a public relations perspective? I consider public reporting a positive public relations opportunity. If your numbers don’t look good, and I assume many won’t, particularly in female-dominant industries like law and banking where many participants are associate level and choose not to return to the workforce post-children, you’ve got a great improvement story opportunity. Illustrating closing the gender pay gap in Australia is a good news story.

 

If you have not stated your equal opportunity goals and don’t have a policy in place to improve the number of women at a senior level, now is a good time to give this some serious consideration. 

 

To improve your public perception of gender wage gap, I suggest the following steps to be encompassed in a formal policy/statement:

One: Transparency and Acknowledgment

  • Be transparent about the issue. Acknowledge the gender pay gap openly and communicate your commitment to addressing it.

  • Clearly state your company’s values and commitment to equality.

Two: Communication Strategy

  • Develop a clear communication strategy to address the gender pay gap issue, including press releases and social media announcements.

  • Use language that shows empathy, responsibility, and a commitment to change.

Three: Highlight Action Steps and Policy Changes

  • Clearly outline the steps your company is taking to address the gender pay gap. This might include conducting a thorough pay equity analysis and implementing new policies.

  • Demonstrate a commitment to change by implementing policies that promote pay equity. Take look at your current hiring practices, promote diversity and inclusion, and offering mentorship or training programs.

 

Four: Employee Involvement

  • Involve employees in the process. Consider forming a gender pay gap task force or seeking input through surveys to understand concerns and gather ideas for improvement.

 

Five: Leadership Statements and positive stories 

  • Have company leaders, including the CEO, make public statements about the commitment to closing the gender pay gap. This reinforces the message from the top and shows a unified front. This language should mirror what you saying in your WGEA explanation. 

  • Highlight positive stories within the company related to gender equality. Showcase women in leadership roles, successful diversity initiatives, and other positive aspects of your company culture.

 

Six: Regular Updates

  • Seeing is doing. Provide regular updates on the progress your company is making in closing the gender pay gap. This demonstrates ongoing commitment and transparency.

  • Reporting is annual; you want to make sure that there is an improvement each year and potentially, this will become a great news story.

 

Actions speak louder than words. The key is not only to communicate your commitment but to demonstrate it through tangible and sustained efforts to address the root causes of the gender pay gap within your organisation.

Developing a plan that includes a statement about where your gender gap number is now, and what your goals are to improve is an opportunity. If you need assistance with developing a formal PR response please reach out. We are experienced in the management of public relations and building trust and have been following the WGEA plans closely.

Other sources: AICD

POPCOM partners with Lord & Lion

/ amandaspopcoms

Pyrmont-based PR agency Popcom is proud to share its newest client partnership with Lord & Lion, a heritage brand of beautiful, luxury spices, that brings the authentic flair of Indian and Sri Lankan flavours into Australia homes.

Lord & Lion was founded by Eresha De Zoysa, a Sydney local and fourth-generation spice merchant whose family has been in the tea and spice business in Sri Lanka for over 120 years.

Lord & Lion’s product range of delicious spices are individually sourced and carefully harvested from fields where De Zoysa’s neighbours and loved ones have worked for generations, reflecting the heritage of local communities in India and Sri Lanka.

Popcom is known for creative and strategic communications and public relations, as well as their deep commercial knowledge – understanding how to yield results to improve business, and plans to elevate Lord & Lion’s brand presence in the Australian market. POPCOM founder and director Amanda Lacey said that she can’t wait to broadcast the “incredible” Lord & Lion story.

“It’s easy to be a compelling storyteller when you are passionate about the brand, and the Popcom team have had Lord & Lion in our pantries for years,” Lacey said.

“We are long-time supporters of Eresha and her brand, and we are very excited to amplify Lord & Lion’s brand presence to where it really deserves to be; right at the top.”

For more information about Lord & Lion, visit https://www.lordandlion.com

For media enquires please contact Lindsay Cumming on lindsay@popcom.com.au

About Popcom

Popcom is a Sydney-based boutique PR and marketing communications firm specialising in

SME. We provide clients with both the strategic vision and tactical execution required to

raise their profile. To know more reach out to Amanda@popcom.com.au

Nothing stays lost – resQR

/ amandaspopcoms

resQR

resQR is an Australian brand with a mission to help people find what’s been lost. They developed a range of small, adhesive stickers and tags that feature a QR code, which can be applied to valuable items. When the items are found, the QR code can be scanned to facilitate their safe return, with resQR users able to offer a monetary reward which finders can choose to donate to charity.

The mandatory check-in process during the Covid-19 pandemic meant that the majority of the population learned how to activate a QR code using their phone. For users, the products are easy to apply to their favourite items, and for finders, the products are easily scanned to get in touch and return them. 

Our Approach

resQR engaged POPCOM to increase market awareness around the products’ features and benefits. We developed a PR outreach campaign that included a chance for everyday people to use and trial the products by becoming ‘finders’. 

This was implemented through the resQR Lost Key competition, where five sets of keys were dropped around different areas of Australia with a resQR tag attached.

Finding and scanning the code on the keys resulted in a $200 reward, which the finder could choose to be donated to charity.

Two sets of keys were scanned only hours after being ‘lost’, with the other three successfully returned within a fortnight.

We helped resQR receive high-quality media coverage, with a detailed feature Kidspot article focusing on a journalist’s first-hand experience of ‘losing’ a valuable item and her seamless experience in getting it returned.

We also facilitated an interview on Channel Seven’s Sunrise, where resQR founder Mat Graham was interviewed about the company’s purpose and journey.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Results

Media highlights include:

POPCOM Partners with Award-Winning Bullion Retailer Jaggards

/ amandaspopcoms

POPCOM, is proud to share their newest client partnership; Jaggards, an acclaimed Sydney-based bullion retailer. Jaggards was recently prestigiously awarded two accolades in the local business community, including the Outstanding Specialised Retail Business and Business of the Year awards in the City Suburbs area.

This year Jaggards celebrates their 60th anniversary, having built a stellar reputation in the bullion industry, offering a wide range of investment-grade precious metals. Jaggards makes gold, silver, platinum and rare coins more accessible at competitive prices and has a vast stock availability and range.

POPCOM have a reputation for strategic, creative communications and public relations campaigns, and plan to elevate Jaggards’ brand presence. Amanda Lacey said that this partnership plans to build on the meaningful relationships Jaggards already possess and develop conversations with new audiences.

“It’s always a privilege when our team helps brands grow, especially when they are as accomplished and established as a company like Jaggards,” Lacey said.

“We are working closely with Jaggards and have developed a very achievable, interdependent campaign to help Jaggards intensify and louden their image, building upon the fantastic connections they have with their current customer base.”

For more information about Jaggards, visit https://www.jaggards.com.au/, and to learn more about POPCOM visit https://www.popcom.com.au/.

About POPCOM

POPCOM is a Sydney-based boutique PR and marketing communications firm specialising in SME. We provide clients with both the strategic vision and tactical execution required to raise their profile.

The Power of Connection: How Women Forge Relationships with Brands

/ amandaspopcoms

In today’s competitive marketplace, building a strong and loyal customer base is crucial for the success of any brand. While targeting a diverse audience is essential, it is important to acknowledge the unique connection that women have with brands. 

 

Harvard Business Review reported in 2009 that women accounted for $20 trillion in annual consumer expenditure, which made us a larger potential market expansion than China and India combined. Fast forward a decade 2020, and it is reported that women spending power is closer to $31 trillion. Nielsen predicts that in another five years (2028), women will control 75% of discretionary spending. That’s a lot of power. 

 

Women, as consumers, possess a remarkable ability to form deep and lasting bonds with the brands they choose to support; as management guru Tucker said, “women don’t buy brands, they join them.”

 

The question begs, how do we build connections with women consumers? It mostly comes down to creating campaigns driven by passion and authenticity; here are my quick thoughts on strategies that brands can employ to connect with female consumers on a profound level.

 

Understanding Emotional Intelligence:

One of the key factors in women’s connection with brands lies in their emotional intelligence. Women tend to make purchasing decisions based on how a brand makes them feel. They seek out brands that align with their values, resonate with their aspirations, and contribute to their overall well-being. By understanding the emotional landscape of women, brands can tailor their messaging, imagery, and storytelling to evoke the desired emotional response.

 

Authenticity and Trust:

Building trust is essential in any relationship, including the one between women and brands. Authenticity plays a vital role in fostering trust and loyalty. Women appreciate brands that are transparent, genuine, and consistent in their communications and actions. By being true to their values, delivering on promises, and actively engaging with their female consumers, brands can establish a sense of trust that strengthens the bond over time.

 

Representation and Inclusivity:

Women, more than ever, seek brands that embrace diversity and inclusivity. They want to see themselves represented in advertising, marketing campaigns, and product offerings.

Brands that prioritise inclusivity and showcase the diverse experiences, body types, ages, and backgrounds of women foster a strong connection with their audience.

By creating spaces that make women feel seen, heard, and valued, brands can cultivate an unwavering sense of belonging.

 

Empowerment and Purpose:

Empowerment is a driving force behind the connection women forge with brands. Women appreciate brands that inspire and uplift them, helping them overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Brands that align themselves with a larger purpose and advocate for social causes women care about demonstrate their commitment to making a positive impact. By supporting and championing women’s causes, brands can tap into a deep sense of purpose that resonates with their female consumers.

 

Engaging in Meaningful Conversations:

Building a strong connection with female consumers in the digital age goes beyond traditional advertising. Brands that actively engage in meaningful conversations with their audience, both online and offline, stand out from the crowd. By leveraging social media platforms, hosting events, and creating opportunities for women to share their stories and experiences, brands can foster a sense of community, sparking conversations and building lasting relationships. This is why social media has found itself firmly in the digital pr tool kit!

  

As I have said, women have an unparalleled ability to connect with brands on a deep and emotional level. A very good reason to have more women in senior management and board positions – this is another article all together.

 

By understanding the factors that drive this connection, brands can tailor their strategies to resonate with female consumers. Embracing authenticity, inclusivity, empowerment, and purpose, while actively engaging in meaningful conversations allows brands to build trust and loyalty with women. In a world where female consumers hold significant influence, establishing a genuine connection with them is not only good business but also a powerful way to foster lasting brand advocacy.

 

Amanda Lacey, Founder and Director POPCOM

Have you ever wondered – what actually is PR?

/ amandaspopcoms

The interpretation of what public relations’ core purpose and process is often gets confused. Is it advertising, journalism, both? Events and product launches? Something else? You’re not alone if you don’t know, and the misconception comes from the fact that PR works so intrinsically alongside other arms of communication such as advertising and journalism. 

PR is a strategic communication discipline that aims to build mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders through the use of multiple forms of media. 

The connection to those multiple forms of media is what makes PR special. To be a PR professional, you have to be an expert in social media, have great relationships with many journalists, and know how to communicate carefully and effectively.

What PR does for you 

The main goal of PR is to influence peoples’ opinion of an organisation. That can include proactively promoting the organisation through channels such as media releases, brand launches, social media campaigns, and collaborations with marketing efforts. 

It can also be reactive – managing issues, events, and crises that can negatively impact the organisation’s reputation.

Examples of PR 

Ever flick on the news and see an awesome new brand or product being reported on? Good chance that was the work of a hardworking PR professional, who has used their abilities to get coverage for their client.

The same goes for promotions in magazines, newspapers, and a plethora of other media channels. Last year, we got our clients in coverage in channels such as Sunrise, Women’s Weekly, SMH, ABC News, The Australian, and Kidspot.

Who needs PR?

PR can be beneficial for a wide range of entities including businesses, individuals, non-profits, and government agencies, tailored to align with their goals. Businesses can use PR for brand awareness and credibility. Governments and non-profit may use PR to communicate with and engage the public, build support for their initiatives and policies, and manage their reputation. Individuals such as politicians and celebrities might use PR to enhance their public image and communicate with the media.

Tip: Be proactive

One of the biggest issues with brand reputation highlighted by a 2007 HBR article is that most companies do an inadequate job of managing their reputations and the risks to their reputations. They tend to focus their energies on handling the threats to their reputations that have already surfaced.

POPCOM Founder and Director Amanda Lacey said that this is still the case today, where entities are only adopting risk management strategies when it is “too late”.

“When it comes to reactive PR, it is so important to have all the correct safeguards in place to be able to manage risks. Many individuals and organisations that I have acted for simply did not have the frameworks required to manage risks to their reputation, let alone full crises”, Lacey said.

“What organisations often don’t consider is that reputation risk often comes from within. I highly recommend utilising a PR practitioner in order to develop the foundations to mitigate risk. The earlier you can respond and take control of a situation, the better. If you don’t prepare and leave it too late, I guarantee you’ll regret it.”

Additionally, being proactive in PR means boldly creating opportunities to showcase what you can offer. Incorporating PR into your planning process is the best way to maximise your reputation and control your narrative.

PR is crucial in the modern day

In an age where information is transmitted faster than we could ever hope to control, PR is a key tactic to handle any good and bad circumstance that can (and will) arise. It gives you the capability to be the director of your story and image, and create and maintain important relationships with stakeholders. 

Want to know what we can do for you? Contact us on info@popcom.com.au

Refresh your content strategy in 2023

/ amandaspopcoms

Having a content strategy mapped out for 2023 is a great way to get marketing campaigns and big objectives aligned, and ready for success. This helps effective communication towards target audiences, builds brand awareness and image, and works to drive engagement and conversions.

Here are some key factors to consider when refreshing your content strategy for the new year:

Define goals and objectives

Knowing the ‘why’ sets the basis for the formation of a content strategy. By clearly defining goals and objectives, there is an underlying foundation that allows the flow of content to be ideated, synchronised, and generated. These defined goals and objectives could be generating leads, boosting brand awareness, increasing sales, and driving website traffic. With these in place, it is much easier to measure the success of your strategy and experiment with creative options to see what works best.

Find your audience

To create content that resonates with a certain group of people, content must be developed in a way that caters to them. Valuable content addresses their concerns, uses their language, and simply makes it possible for them to care about the content being distributed. Market research can be valuable here to understand the target market’s demographics, interests, behaviours, and pain points. Brands that succeed with their content find a way to connect with their audience and give them a reason to believe in their brand, messaging, and offering.

Quality content

It’s not easy to stand out from the crowd, especially in the modern day when there is a smaller window than ever to capture (and hold) people’s attention. Short-form content on Instagram and TikTok exemplifies the new way content is consumed, where users can switch off from things irrelevant to them and immediately move on to something they care about with the swipe of a thumb. Content is constantly being bombarded, so it is important that creativity is maximised to develop high-quality content that is informative, engaging, and visually appealing. Staying on top of what’s trendy across different channels enables content that resonates better with the target audience, and also make it easier to come up with new content. Utilising images, videos, infographics, and other easily consumable elements will maximise reach, and deliver messaging in a clear and concise manner. 

Consistency

Finding consistency in a content strategy is key to building trust and credibility with an audience. This includes a set tone of voice, the frequency of content, and the types of content being developed. This is helped along by the creation of a content calendar where each of these can be identified. From there, it is all about sticking to the schedule and consistently delivering valuable content.

SEO

In 2023, search engine optimisation (SEO) will continue to be an important factor in content strategy. Ensuring that commonly searched keywords and phrases are echoed within produced content, along with optimising content for on-page SEO by using tags, alt text, and meta descriptions helps the content rank higher in search results and drive more website traffic. 

Distribution

Once quality content is created, it is important that it isn’t wasted. Develop a plan for distributing and promoting content to reach the correct audience. There are endless ways to connect with people with new social media platforms rising every year, and email marketing and various other channels still being utilised.

Get started in 2023

A good content strategy in 2023 should have clear goals and objectives, be tailored to your target audience, consist of high-quality content, be consistent, optimied for SEO, and have a well-thought-out distribution plan. By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to create a content strategy that drives results and helps success happen.

You’re cancelled.

/ amandaspopcoms

Cancel culture. Remember when people used to say, “any press is good press” and “the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all”?

Those days are long gone! 

We are existing in a media world where employees and customers – happy and disgruntled, have a platform to share their experience, which may not necessarily align with your own perception.

As passionate communicators, we want our clients to post new, authentic content that inspires action. But if you find you are increasingly stressed about going a little off beat, here are some points on how to avoid being cancelled.

One: social media is fast, lightning fast.

Scandals aren’t made via the newspaper anymore, they are broadcast live over TikTok streams, Instagram stories, and Twitter feeds. Instantly. For the entire world to see.  

What can you do?

You need to increase your social listening. You must have your finger on the pulse of conversations not just on traditional news platforms, but on social media as well. Social listening will give you an understanding of how news and trends will be received and talked about. If you are ahead of the curve, you will be able to respond quickly.

 

Two: a company take-down from the inside

Former or current employees who don’t feel heard, will find their platform online. There are websites like Glassdoor where employees can rate their experiences, or they can leave negative Google reviews. You can be certain that they will take to social media.

In some instances, we are seeing former employees from five plus years ago joining action groups and receiving mass amounts of attention on social media.

What can you do?

 

Internal communications are as important as external communications, and it is a lot easier to manage the fallout of an unhappy stakeholder internally before they take to the media.

 

Internal policy for addressing concerns needs to be a top priority. Often, as previously referred to, disgruntled employees want to be heard and have had their concerns taken seriously. A formal process will give employees the comfort of knowing that they are being listened to and provides your company with the opportunity to learn potential areas of improvement through their feedback.

 

Additionally, all employees should attend diversity and inclusiveness training.

 

Three: beyond the veil of branding

There is no hiding behind statements about your Environment Social and Governance (ESG) policy, you need to be well advanced in your action by now.

Industry professionals are asking for transparency as no one wants the risk of being associated with a company who is unethical. If you are associated with an unethical service provider, the media will find out.

 

What can you do?

 

Be prepared with data about your company; the internal make up, boards, governance policies and leadership positions, that show you are investing in inclusive workplaces. If you have been making statements about female board participation for example, show that you are serious with the actions that have taken place to get there.

Carefully scrutinise suppliers and ask them for information about anything that could be sticky. For example, if your business uses offshore tech workers, you must be able to verify with 100% certainty that all ethical standards are complied with.

 

To keep content fresh, interesting, and entertaining, you are going to need to take risks, but it can be delicate game to avoid a PR disaster. Knowing that you have your bases covered before designing your media strategy will mitigate issues. You might even find some inspiring new content through the process.

Shining success at The Diamond Event

/ amandaspopcoms

After a long wait, The Diamond Event successfully took place, supporting the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF). POPCOM played a large role in supporting The Diamond Event, with Amanda Lacey, founder/director of POPCOM, working tirelessly as Deputy Chair of the event. 

Held at the Ivy Ballroom on Thursday, 1 September, The Diamond Event raised over $650,000 for SCHF. The money raised supports children’s critical care, state-of-the-art equipment, ground-breaking research, and the brightest medical minds through the Fellowship Program.

“After a number of postponements due to the pandemic, it was incredible to see this great event going ahead finally,” said Amanda Lacey, founder/director at POPCOM.

“We are thankful to everyone who attended to support this fantastic cause, and in admiration of the generous donations that were made on the night.”