Kia ora and welcome to our monthly update of some of the diverse initiatives Anthem has been up to lately – from climate action and reputation leadership to payment security and Parris Goebel’s digital dance moves – we’ve had it all going on!
In August, Anthem was proud to launch our Fair Enough? research series. In collaboration with public opinion research company Talbot Mills, we asked the question: Is it fair for property to be built on, bought or sold in areas that are known to be adversely affected by climate change? Amidst wild weather events across the country, our research showed that Kiwis’ opinions are hardening, revealing a stark reminder for organisations involved in the property ecosystem that what they say and do will define their reputations.
Spark launched its Spark 5G Street Museum, an augmented reality experience that showcases the power of 5G by bringing to life the unseen stories of iconic Kiwi creatives. Available to access at five centres across Aotearoa, we encourage you to head down to your nearest location and experience the augmented reality experiences for yourself!
Anthem was honoured to attend the Institute of Directors’ Chapter Zero August event “Now or never: the role of the director in the climate crisis”. The event saw Hon Grant Robertson, Dr Rod Carr, and Dame Therese Walsh, Chapter Zero NZ Steering Committee Chair, discuss the roadmap directors should take to make climate a boardroom priority.
Dame Therese also joined Air New Zealand CEO, Greg Foran, in a conversation with NZ Herald’s Grant Bradley to share how Air New Zealand’s Board has made climate change a business priority. The article emphasises how crucial the relationship between an organisation’s Board and executive team is in delivering meaningful reductions.
International student Jessica Chiang featured in The Spinoff to share her and BioFab’s innovative and sustainable alternative to polystyrene packaging. Made from New Zealand mushroom species, the biodegradable alternative signals an exciting and sustainable future for packaging.
Also in August, Visa launched its Future of Security Roadmap 2022-23, outlining its plan to protect New Zealand businesses and consumers from payment fraudsters and emerging digital commerce threats.
Read on to learn more about what Anthem and our clients have been up to!
Ngā mihi nui Best wishes from the Anthem team
REPUTATIONS WILL BE WON OR LOST BY TRANSPARENCY OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
In our new research series Fair Enough?, we partnered with public opinion research company Talbot Mills to ask the question: Is it fair for property to be built on, bought or sold in areas that are known to be adversely affected by climate change? With wild weather events like the devastating Tasman-Nelson flooding becoming a growing concern, our new research shows Kiwis’ opinions are hardening against those who build or buy climate-risk property. As communications specialists, we know that how an organisation chooses to communicate its emissions reduction and climate change adaptation actions will have an impact on their public perception, reputation, and trustworthiness. To help you digest the research and its implications for a myriad of organisations involved in climate action – we’ve compiled our key takeaways below.
- Stuff’s Ged Cann spoke with our Managing Director Carolyn Kerr about what Kiwis think is fair in relation to property and climate change, and the impact this will have on organisational reputation and trust
- The Spinoff’s Anna Rawhiti-Connell explores what our research reveals about who can afford to care about adapting to climate change
- In our new Fair Enough? podcast, we gathered three industry leaders to discuss insights from the research and how to collaborate on climate adaptation
- For the data-lovers out there, check out the full findings of our research in our blog.
SPARK SHOWCASES THE POWER OF 5G WITH NEW STREET MUSEUM
Combining the power of 5G and AR, Spark launched the new Spark 5G Street Museum last month. A co-created series of Spark 5G-powered augmented reality experiences, the virtual exhibition brings to life the unseen stories of iconic Kiwi creatives: Parris Goebel, Benee, David Dallas, Teeks, and Askew One. The exhibition is now live across centres in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, where users can explore new forms of storytelling through the Spark 5G Street Museum app. Anthem was thrilled to be part of the launch and to help Spark share the power of 5G through richer content experiences. Securing coverage across broadcast and print media on the day of launch, we were proud to see Spark’s 5G Street Museum across One News, Newshub, and New Zealand Herald, alongside a range of other media.
CHAPTER ZERO NZ SHARES THE ROLE OF DIRECTORS IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE CRISIS
As the official communications partner of Chapter Zero NZ, Anthem was honoured to attend the Institute of Directors in New Zealand’s August event “Now or never: the role of the director in the climate crisis”. The event saw Hon Grant Robertson, Dr Rod Carr, and Dame Therese Walsh discuss the roadmap directors should take to make climate a boardroom priority. Hon Grant Robertson urged directors to move from intention to action, to measure what their companies do (looking at short and medium-term targets), and to move more quickly than regulation requires. Chair of the Climate Change Commission Dr Rod Carr challenged the audience to understand the whole of their supply chain including the emissions associated with goods and services, the lens applied to process and deliver consumer goods, and cautioned directors against the risks of ignorance or inaction. Read more about Hon Grant Robertson and Dr Rod Carr’s thoughts here and here. All panellists agreed that a low carbon economy is good for the environment, but it is also good for people, business, and New Zealand as a whole.
Sharing a sustainability story relies on substance. Without companies knowing their emissions profile, what they are measuring, and stated short, medium and long-term targets, they are at risk of losing favour with consumers, trust from investors, credit from the bank, and prosecution by regulators.
HOW CEOS AND BOARDS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ACT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
The New Zealand business community needs to set ambitious carbon reduction targets to help tackle the climate crisis. The relationship between an organisation’s Board and executive team plays a crucial role in delivering meaningful reductions.
NZ Herald’s Grant Bradley sat down with Dame Therese Walsh (Air New Zealand Chair and Chapter Zero NZ Steering Committee Chair) and Greg Foran (Air NZ CEO) to share an inside perspective on how Air NZ’s Board and executive team have made climate change a business priority.
Follow the link to read the full article. If you don’t have a Premium NZ Herald prescription, check out this video with key takeaways from the interview.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TURNING FUNGI INTO SUSTAINABLE MUSHROOM PACKAGING
Jessica Chiang, an international student at the University of Auckland, is on a quest to turn New Zealand fungi species into packaging, in answer to New Zealand’s plastic packaging crisis. Working with Education New Zealand to share stories of international students doing outstanding things in New Zealand, Anthem was delighted to help Jess share her valuable work.
As Chief Science Officer of BioFab, Jessica spends her days creating a second-generation sustainable alternative to expanded polystyrene – a substance that takes up almost one third of waste field volume and does not degrade for hundreds of years. Especially bad in the ocean, expanded polystyrene attracts toxic materials that are eaten by fish and impact our food supply.
The Spinoff’s Reweti Kohere sat down with Jessica to uncover how she is using native fungi to create alternatives to plastic packaging and discover how else they can improve our lives.
VISA HELPS PROTECT THE SECURITY OF NZ’S DIGITAL COMMERCE ECOSYSTEM
In August, Visa launched its Future of Security Roadmap 2022-23, a comprehensive document outlining the steps the organisation will be taking in collaboration with its partners to continue to secure digital commerce in New Zealand. As Kiwis’ digital habits increasingly change, Visa acknowledges the need to stay at the top of its game to stop fraudsters and their new methods of attack.
The latest Security Roadmap outlines the steps Visa will be taking across six key areas to secure Kiwi’s digital payments: driving adoption of secure technologies, securing digital first payment experiences, ensuring ecosystem resilience, preventing enumeration attacks, enhancing the cybersecurity posture of ecosystem participants, and preventing New Zealand consumers and businesses from becoming victims of scams.
That’s our wrap for the month! Stay tuned on our socials for more exciting client announcements…
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