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The rising cost of living is not just an issue in Australia but a global concern that affects countless individuals, with people facing the daunting challenge of affording basic necessities while striving to maintain a decent standard of living. It’s a topic that can touch a nerve for many, but it’s also a dynamic conversation that drives the media, public opinion, and individual experiences. 

What’s driving the cost of living concerns?

A range of factors are driving the cost of living in Australia, with some having more of an impact than others. Using data from our sister company, Pulsar, inflation (as the overarching issue) is gaining the most media coverage as the price of goods and services continues to increase over time.

The chart also shows the rise in energy costs, interest rates, and housing prices (rent and mortgage prices) as other main drivers for cost of living concerns. As energy prices continue to increase, households are feeling the pinch as their expenses soar. And when it comes to housing, whether it's the skyrocketing rent or the burden of increasing mortgage payments, many individuals and families are finding it increasingly challenging to secure affordable accommodation.

Let’s take a closer look at these topics.

Feeling the pinch

The cost of living crisis goes beyond numbers; it’s intertwined with the housing market and interest rates. Escalating housing costs, fueled by rising prices and interest rates, can put immense strain on household budgets, leading to financial stress and widening economic inequality.

But the conversation doesn't stop there. The story behind the data is clear: the cost of living is an issue that affects us all, and the media plays a crucial role in shaping and amplifying the conversation. Google searches and social media activity reflect people’s ongoing concern about the weight of living expenses, especially around RBA announcements. Anxiety emerges as a dominant theme, with a staggering 93% of media coverage highlighting the keyword.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows living costs have reached an all-time high. Over the past 12 months, all living cost indices have risen between 7.1 percent and 9.6 percent for all households, compared to a 7 percent annual increase in inflation.

The difference largely stems from living cost indices taking into account mortgage interest charges. Housing and interest rates have been the largest contributors to the rise in the cost of living, with home owners feeling the pinch from rising mortgage payments and renters feeling the brunt of it. According to the RBA, the average mortgage size in Australia has increased by 38% in the past decade. According to Pulsar data, unsurprisingly, 84% of Australians are left feeling sad about the cost of living. 

Influential figures shaping the conversation

Data from the Pulsar Platform gives a visual snapshot of how several Australian and foreign individuals and groups are influencing the conversation, including politicians, economists, consumer advocacy groups, and business owners.

Unsurprisingly, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) holds significant influence when it comes to shaping the cost of living conversation in Australia’s political landscape. As the governing body in Australian Parliament, their policies and initiatives subjectively bear the everyday Australian in mind, aiming to tackle the affordability challenges that many face. The ALP resonates with citizens worried about rising living costs due to its focus on income inequality, social justice, and fair economic policies. But are they doing enough?

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, along with other influential ALP members including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen, and Mick de Brenni, are leading the conversation in an effort to alleviate living expenses and promote income growth. Despite their desire to achieve these outcomes, the public outcry on Twitter shows the frustration Australians are feeling. The Prime Minister and Treasurer are in the firing line, with the public urging more action on the cost of living crisis.

How media intelligence can help you navigate the cost of living

Advocacy efforts can be significantly enhanced through the use of social listening and media monitoring. These tools allow you to effectively navigate the dynamic narratives surrounding the cost of living. By tailoring your advocacy approach, you can foster a more equitable and sustainable solution that brings positive change to communities and influences public opinion.

Additionally, by staying well-informed about the ongoing public discourse and trending discussions related to the cost of living, you can develop compelling communication strategies that effectively inform and engage your stakeholders.

Curious about how media intelligence can enhance your communication strategies to connect with your audience? Request a demo here, and our expert team will reach out to help you develop your communication strategies.

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Organisations today face the challenge of balancing business goals and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities amidst growing sustainability awareness and social media misinformation.

PR and communications professionals are instrumental in this process, developing and executing effective communication strategies for ESG initiatives. They also play a pivotal role in ensuring ESG communications are authentic, transparent, and in line with organisational values and actions.

Who’s driving the ESG conversation?

Using media intelligence, you can learn who is driving the ESG conversation, allowing you to better understand the motivations, perspectives, and influences that should shape ESG initiatives and strategies.

Drawing on Isentia data, ESG coverage volume increased every month in 2023, reaching a peak of 22,700 in May and gradually decreasing in June and July. The increase in May coverage is a result of the government announcing several ESG initiatives in an energy-focused Federal Budget.

Stakeholder’s growing interest in sustainability and responsible business practices has led to increased focus on reporting, analysing, and discussing ESG topics in the media. These topics include renewable energies, shareholder engagement, and social impact.

The below chart shows the fluctuations in conversations across traditional and social media between June 1 - July 31 2023. The data shows that ESG-related conversations are driven by the media, which has a substantial impact on shaping public opinion. Futhermore, this suggests that traditional media is more effective at reaching a wider audience and generating greater coverage for ESG-related topics compared to social media. It also helps in making more informed decisions about media strategy and resource allocation.

Why authenticity and transparency matter

With ESG becoming a corporate imperative, there is an intensifying need for organisations to be authentic and transparent with their ESG communications. The need to do this is to:

• Build trust and credibility: Openly sharing information about ESG practices and performance makes organisations more trustworthy and reliable to stakeholders and can generate positive media attention.

• Meet stakeholder expectations: Organisations that show their commitment to responsible practices align better with stakeholder expectations and strengthen relationships.

• Enhance brand reputation: Responsible, ethical, and sustainable organisations attract customers, investors, and talent while enhancing brand reputation.

• Mitigate risks: By openly acknowledging challenges and sharing progress, organisations can effectively manage risks and maintain a positive reputation. However, if an organization overstates its sustainability accomplishments with misleading information, wording, or fabricated data, it can lead to a decline in public opinion. This can lead to public scrutiny, a damaged reputation, and a negative impact on financial performance.

The state of ESG reporting

ESG reporting is becoming more prevalent among organisations, and the push for greater transparency and accountability is widespread. While the level of disclosure may vary across industries, regions, and organisations, the overall trend is towards more transparency.
This increase in reporting is expected to continue as sustainability and responsible investing gain more prominence. According to the 2022 Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) reporting trends report, 140 ASX200 companies have shown the highest levels of ESG disclosure, a rise of over 10% compared to 2020.

The chart data shows that more people are searching for ESG reports online compared to mentions of ESG reports in the media. This suggests that there is an increasing public demand to access organisational sustainability reports, ESG disclosures, and public commitments to responsible practices.

The ESG landscape

The ESG movement is gaining momentum, indicating a shift towards a more holistic and responsible approach to business and investment. This shift is influenced by ethical, financial, and regulatory factors and can be further understood through media intelligence. Additionally, by utilising media intelligence, you can identify the influences and emerging conversations surrounding these factors in traditional media.

With an added layer of social data from our sister company, Pulsar, you can gain a deeper understanding of the impact of your communications and identify the key influencers and factors shaping the ESG narrative. The chart below illustrates the connections between different narratives through keyword associations.

Prominent keyword groupings such as financial markets, superannuation funds, greenwashing, and business and investors suggest these topics are interconnected with the general public. These conversations play a role in shaping their decisions and opinions.

Sustainability and climate change are crucial topics for Australians, with strong community support for transitioning to a net-zero economy and addressing climate-related issues.
Consumers are also showing a growing interest in sustainable finance and reducing their carbon footprint. While the chart below shows that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is currently the least trending topics, organisation’s are increasingly being urged to address gender disparities, promote equal opportunities, and foster inclusive workplaces that value diversity.

In the spotlight: Superannuation and Financial Services

Australian super funds are embracing ESG investing as enthusiastically as their corporate equivalents, recognising the potential for long-term sustainable performance.

ASIC, the superannuation industry regulator, focuses on tackling greenwashing, the misrepresentation of environmental, sustainable, or ethical attributes in financial products. As Australians grow more concerned about their super fund investments, ASIC emphasises the need for funds to substantiate their ethical claims with evidence.

The boundaries of ESG are subjective, allowing super funds to decide which investments they consider ethical and whether they engage with or divest from socially or environmentally harmful companies. Emphasising socially responsible investments and adopting a broad definition of ESG can enhance the superannuation industry’s reputation and individual performance.

From the below chart, Mercer Super holds the largest share of voice among Australian superannuation companies, with over 50 percent. ASIC has accused the organisation of greenwashing its investments by misleading members about the exclusion of carbon-intensive fossil fuel companies. Unsurprisingly, these allegations have gathered significant media coverage and attention in the industry.

Embracing ESG measurement

Communicators shape ESG narratives, aligning them with corporate purpose and finding the perfect balance between aspiration and impact.

Using media intelligence for ESG success: gain insights into stakeholder concerns, competition, reputation management, and communication strategies for effective outcomes. By leveraging media intelligence, you can make informed decisions and enhance your organisation’s sustainability initiatives.

To discover how media intelligence can assist your organisation in measuring its ESG efforts, simply fill out the form below.

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The beans favoured by Aussies and Kiwis' taste buds and wallets are Woolworths and Coles brands, but not far behind is Lazzio, an Aldi-owned brand, where shoppers are making even more savings, and Nespresso. Nespresso's compact and convenient products are an ideal alternative to cafe-style machines, and the brand utilises sustainability marketing initiatives. But big supermarkets like Coles are making an even more significant impact on buyer trends by providing a reason for them to spend more and stay longer like Coles Express' cafes enabling consumers to drink coffee under the guise of doing their regular grocery shop.  

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Understanding the big-picture narrative requires a comprehensive view of the news and social media landscape. The integration of using Isentia and Pulsar platforms allows us to democratise audience intelligence enabling organisations of all sizes to access and leverage data-driven insights for informed decision-making and achieving their goals.

Discover what audience intelligence can do for your marketing and communications today.

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The circular economy of Australia’s soft plastics recycling system

You’ve probably heard of REDcycle by now - the initiative started by a passionate mum, providing Australian’s with the opportunity to recycle their soft plastics. Its operation helped reduce the amount of landfill in Australia and its sudden halt in operation sent the community into a frenzy.

The pause in the popular REDcycle program presented an opportunity to rethink the model for soft plastics recycling in Australia and find end markets for recycled package content. It also prompted Australians to rethink the way they consume products, rather than just the way they recycle them.

Social media conversations show Australians continue to encourage retailers and large corporations to use their influential power to create impactful change. These conversations are heightened where regression (or progression) is made towards sustainability.

Soft plastic recycling to the kerb

The collection of coverage

As people learned the news about REDcycle, there was heightened concern about how soft plastics were going to be recycled. With over 12,000 mainstream media items about REDcycle or soft plastic recycling, it supports the idea that Australia’s broken plastic recycling system is distressing for many and more needs to be done. 

The halt in operation brought on more concern for the environment and ignited feelings of anger and distrust after thousands of tonnes of plastic had been stockpiled instead of being recycled.

Media coverage across different channels (social media, search, broadcast and print) shows spikes of coverage on the same days (9 November, 7 February, 27 February) but at varying levels;

• 9 November - REDcycle announced it would pause its operations indefinitely. This shock announcement caused an influx of conversations on social media platforms which then caused people to search ‘where to recycle soft plastics’.
• 7 February -  additional stockpiles of plastic were discovered in warehouses. People felt disappointed and let down by REDcycle.
• 23 February - supermarket giants announced they would take responsibility for the 12,400 tonnes of soft plastic stored by REDcycle in warehouses around the country, ahead of REDcycle declaring their insolvency. This announcement gained more chatter across social media in comparison to other channels. 

Conversations on Twitter represent social media as the preferred option for users in comparison to broadcast, print and search.

Closing the loop

As political leaders have the power to influence their supporters on sustainability development, sustainability advocates are pushing Australian leaders to accelerate plastic waste regulations. 

Conversations on Reddit rapidly grew on 9 November - the day the REDcycle program paused. Overall sentiment was anger and sadness with many expressing their feelings of disappointment after learning their donated soft plastics were not ending up where promised. Others felt frustrated or angry towards large organisations who were not holding up their end of the deal, especially after taking the time to correctly separate their recyclable waste. 

At 40%, political enthusiasts far outweigh any other active community on social media and forums. Their ‘passion’ for Australia can be overshadowed, as they share their beliefs towards the government - ranging from incompetence to over governing. Generation Z are true digital natives and make up 22% of active online communities. This cohort is motivated to make more sustainable choices, if it means it will benefit the environment for the long term.

Supermarkets to the rescue

The REDcycle program illustrated the complexity of soft plastics recycling and the need to build robust systems to close the loop on this common household waste. For years there have been stockpiling issues, dumping, toxic fires and lax regulations, making it challenging to operate.

Australia’s largest supermarkets continue to work towards reducing unnecessary plastics in their stores, and support the development of circular economies through the use of recycled material. 

Supermarket chains have moved quickly to find an alternative solution, teaming up with the National Plastics Recycling Scheme (NPRS) with financing from the Federal Government and top food and grocery producers to establish the Roadmap to Restart Taskforce.

23 February 2023, supermarket giants announced the return of soft plastics recycling by late 2023, despite the lack of recyclers. This announcement generated 6 x the amount of ‘supermarket’ Twitter mentions compared to 1 Nov 2022.

Although it’s a promising development, announcements like these are what drive the conversations and force change. This rings true as sustainability advocates push for more substantial action to address soft plastic waste in Australia.

Large organisations are being challenged to rethink how they package their products and how they can be more sustainable, what about the government?

A RED hot go

Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, has been vocal in her response to the soft plastics recycling crisis. Initially, the program's failure was met with calls for urgent action with Ms Plibersek weighing in on the news, saying it was “really concerning” and put the pressure on major supermarkets to come up with an alternative recycling program.

Although it is acknowledged that the government plays a role, it has been made clear the responsibility also lies with manufacturers and packagers.

State and Federal Ministers are actively sharing their opinions and policies online in an effort to make change faster and positively influence their audience. Victorian Premier, Dan Andrews and the Victorian Government are leading the way, banning the selling and supply of single-use plastics in the state.

Commonwealth, State and Territory governments have jointly invested considerable funds into developing local capabilities to recover the challenging recycling stream and have committed to turning around Australia’s lack of progress on its recycling targets, setting new targets for 2025.

Adding another interesting layer of insights on social media from our sister company Pulsar, is that reddit is playing a major role in disseminating sentiment surrounding the REDcycle program. The below chart shows the most recurring keywords grouped by channel. The larger the tile, the more times the topic has appeared in that channel. Conversations involving scientists were notable and finding a solution to plastic pollution was a key narrative.

The way forward

Conversations through online forums show Australians deeply care about sustainability, stating that ‘unless it can be recycled, it shouldn’t be produced.’

Social media platforms are especially fueled by sustainability advocates who need to share a broader awareness of recycling initiatives and earn potential audiences - conversations are widespread and emotions are elevated. Whereas broadcast and print channels are sharing the facts and the need to know information, directing audiences to use the information they have and to search where they can take their soft plastics. In addition to sustainability advocates, everyday Australians are learning how to pivot, seeking out support and ideas from fellow supporters on Twitter and other social media platforms.

If organisations can work together and policymakers can set clear legislative frameworks, it’s possible to implement necessary changes in both manufacturer and consumer behaviour to create a thriving circular plastics economy. 

The pause of REDcycle is certainly on its way to being a good thing for the environment.

If you would like to learn more about discovering how media intelligence can lead to insights across environmental issues or the active communities leading the conversations using audience intelligence, get in touch with us today.

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