Marketing / Public Relations The launch of the Community Services and Business Development The TV campaign began new website, combining Divisions, reinvigoration of STEPS in early June in three regional all divisions of the organisation Training, areas and featuring a strong and a growing geographical base for Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and emphasis on success stories, – Employment meant a greater need Townsville. Radio and newspaper was under development. to communicate with the advertising featured in Alice An employer breakfast on the organisation’s broadening customer Springs and Bowen respectively. Sunshine Coast featuring Brisbane base. The campaign’s launch coincided Broncos coach Wayne Bennett as Improving relationships with employers with the release of a research guest speaker was being planned. existing and new customers was – – report compiled from surveys An employer’s breakfast was seen as a priority. conducted by employment staff held in Caloundra earlier in the throughout all branches. To achieve this improvement, year, and Responses from just over 300 STEPS launched a full-time all divisions and branches of STEPS employers were analysed, with marketing and public relations attended numerous expos and events. recommendations for improving department at the start of 2008. Through attending these and relationships tabled. The priority was, and continues to networking, many employment be, developing Two strong central themes are consultants continue to build strong an integrated, being promoted as the key to strategic partnerships with approach to marketing and marketing STEPS and its services: disability, community and industry communications Story-telling communicating groups. – a continuum from branding to – success stories from across the sales support. The key to increasing and organisation through various improving business through Researching the needs of media to relevant stakeholders; marketing and public relations will stakeholders as a basis for Association developing be through a – developing a strategic marketing professional, synergistic approach to plan is another priority, as is relationships with people of corporate communications, that is, establishing a set of reliable and like- mind in our communities, all staff contributing to the accurate tools to measure the and promoting marketing and promotion of effectiveness of marketing relationships. STEPS. strategies against business goals. Employer engagement became a central theme through the These two themes were evident in coordination and production of new several key marketing and public television commercials featuring relations initiatives under employer testimonials. development in 2008.
Marketing / Public Relations The launch of the Community Services and Business Development Divisions, reinvigoration of STEPS Training, and a growing geographical base for Employment meant a greater need to communicate with the organisation’s broadening customer base. Improving relationships with employers – existing and new customers – was seen as a priority. To achieve this improvement, STEPS launched a full-time marketing and public relations department at the start of 2008. The priority was, and continues to be, developing an integrated, approach to marketing and communications – a continuum from branding to sales support. Researching the needs of stakeholders as a basis for developing a strategic marketing plan is another priority, as is establishing a set of reliable and accurate tools to measure the effectiveness of marketing strategies against business goals. The TV campaign began in early June in three regional areas – Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Townsville. Radio and newspaper advertising featured in Alice Springs and Bowen respectively. The campaign’s launch coincided with the release of a research report compiled from surveys conducted by employment staff throughout all branches. Responses from just over 300 employers were analysed, with recommendations for improving relationships tabled. Two strong central themes are being promoted as the key to marketing STEPS and its services: Story-telling – communicating success stories from across the organisation through various media to relevant stakeholders; Association – developing professional, synergistic relationships with people of like- mind in our communities, and promoting relationships. new website, combining all divisions of the organisation and featuring a strong emphasis on success stories, was under development. An employer breakfast on the Sunshine Coast featuring Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett as guest speaker was being planned. An employer’s breakfast was held in Caloundra earlier in the year, and all divisions and branches of STEPS attended numerous expos and events. Through attending these and networking, many employment consultants continue to build strong strategic partnerships with disability, community and industry groups. The key to increasing and improving business through marketing and public relations will be through a approach to corporate communications, that is, all staff contributing to the marketing and promotion of STEPS. Employer engagement became a central theme through the coordination and production of new television commercials featuring employer testimonials. These two themes were evident in several key marketing and public relations initiatives under development in 2008.
STEPS-Group-Australia-Annual-Review-2007-2008.docx