Worldcom Confidence Index Report: Australia

Phillips Group’s international partnership, Worldcom Public Relations Group, commissioned the Confidence Index report which identifies the level of confidence Australian Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) have on major global topics and agendas.

The research revealed employee engagement, customer satisfaction and opinion formers are priority topics for leaders and the war for talent will continue to dominate Australian business leaders’ agendas as business dynamics change and technology evolves.

Key findings for Australia include:

Employee engagement is the most talked about topic

In the current economic environment where businesses are implementing efficiencies at every level, maximising business performance demands a change in thinking in how organisations engage their employees.

Upskilling and reskilling, retaining talent, employee benefits, economic migration and attracting talent are five employee related topics are discussed more in Australia than they were globally. Of these, upskilling, reskilling and retaining talent are the most discussed, with leaders expressing concern with their ability to do so.

To address these concerns, the report reveals Australian business leaders are following a three pronged approach to improve their employee engagement.

Leaders are investing in upskilling and reskilling employees by linking personal development to the organisation’s purpose, so that employees can see how their own development adds value to the organisation; increasing employee benefits and prioritising creating strong employee development programs to retain talent. Underpinning these specific initiatives is an increased focus on employee engagement.

Customer experience is a high priority

Without its customers, a business cannot exist and this is why delivering a great customer experience (CX) has become a top strategic objective for Australian companies. Leaders understand that in today’s technology driven world, customer expectations are higher than ever.

As data collection becomes more sophisticated and people accept it as the norm, they expect brands to reflect this in their CX journey.

Leaders must put the time, research and energy into developing and monitoring their CX journey. However, above all else, brands must play to customer emotions, feelings and relationships to stand out.

As a leader, you need to ensure that your brand is showing your customers you understand them and their problems, and use this as an opportunity to ask to learn more to customise interactions.

CX is an area that must constantly be reviewed, adapted and prioritised within a business and this priority is reflected in the Confidence Index from Australian leaders.

Opinion formers are the top audience for leader’s attention however they are concerned with their ability to reach them

Just as there is an expectation that customers will have a positive and personalised CX journey, there is an expectation that business leaders and organisations will give back to the community and create social value alongside financial value. Business leaders have recognised that working with key opinion formers is a way they can demonstrate this social value.

Opinion formers have established authority in a given area, market, or industry and they have become the number one audience for leader’s attention. Leaders recognise the importance and impact a successful relationship with the right opinion former can have on their brand however they are concerned with their ability to reach and influence this group.

As people turn to online for advice, it is important for brands to partner with the right experts in their fields who can build trust and credibility, to help drive awareness and sales.

It is also important to understand the different types of opinion formers (e.g. social media influencers, opinion leaders, journalists, bloggers etc) to gain the greatest value from any engagement or marketing effort.

Advanced Symbolics Inc.
For the Confidence Index, Worldcom commissioned Advanced Symbolics Inc. (ASI), a research company that uses artificial intelligence (AI), to create a fully representative understanding of what audiences are saying. The Artificial Intelligence provides an unrivalled view of trending topics and leaders’ confidence and concern in addressing them.

About Worldcom Public Relations Group

Phillips Group is a founding partner of the world’s leading partnership of independently owned public relations firms Worldcom Public Relations Group, with 143 offices employing over 2,000 staff in 115 cities across six continents. In total, Worldcom partners reported a combined revenue of US$288 million (2018) from 3,034 clients.

Visit Worldcom Public Relations Group for the Global report.