Council engaged Hughes to develop a communications strategy and campaign to help foster a mutually respectful relationship between the council and community by educating the public about AVT behaviour.

Objectives

The campaign aimed to:

• Educate the community that aggressive, violent or threatening behaviour towards council staff is unacceptable, thereby improving employee engagement and culture; and
• Increase reporting of AVT behaviours.

Our Approach

Hughes reviewed council survey results showing 57.7% of workers had experienced AVT behaviour – whether face-face, over the phone, via social media or other channels. More than 90 per cent of those who experienced AVT behaviour felt unsafe or very unsafe. 

Two workshops facilitated by Hughes extracted valuable insights into behaviours, catalysts, reporting and support processes, and the impact on employees. It became clear that ‘polite requests’ to treat employees with courtesy weren’t cutting through. 

To address this, Hughes created a digital-led campaign supported by impactful, human-centered creative. 

Target audiences included: 

• The City of West Torrens community: ratepayers, residents, businesses, community groups.
• The broader community: visitors of the council facilities and events, Local Government Association and other SA councils, State Government departments, Ministers and local MPs.
• Internal stakeholders: Mayor and elected Members, CEO and management team, council employees and volunteers.

Our strategy was built from the inside out, first garnering employee support and ensuring they helped shape the campaign. In preparation for any community backlash, the campaign harnessed the support from elected members. 

The creative approach was to humanise the issue, sharing relatable stories to engender empathy and connection. Campaign imagery featured individuals of diverse ages, genders and backgrounds paired with a strong campaign headline – It Reflects on You. Emotionally compelling supporting copy then reinforced the message. Static visuals were animated, creating a series of short videos with scripted voiceovers, extending narrative depth and emotional impact across digital channels.