Articles

The imperative of AI strategy: Navigating trust and value in the corporate landscape
By Paul Clifford, Adviser at Six O’Clock Advisory. “A third of executives are at risk of losing their jobs if they fail to learn about artificial intelligence and lead their companies to adopt it,” began a recent piece in the Australian Financial Review. The reporting reflected comments made at the publication’s inaugural AI Summit. Whether…

Federal Budget 2024-25
Relief, restraint and reform were three words frequently used by Treasurer Jim Chalmers as he handed down the 2024-25 Federal Budget this week. With this year’s Budget titled, “cost of living help and a future made in Australia”, the Albanese Government has made it clear it wants to be known for helping Australians through the…

Filling the void: Communication key to navigating employer gender pay gap reveal
By James Williams, Group Advisor at Six O’Clock Advisory. Employers feeling daunted by next month’s (first-time) publication of gender pay gap data would do well to recognise how effective communication can help them realise the opportunity that comes with this increased scrutiny. There is understandable apprehension among larger private sector employers over the prospect of…

Vale Kym Pfitzner
On behalf of everyone at Six O’Clock Advisory, past and present, we’re saddened at the passing of our friend and former Chair, Kym Pfitzner. Kym’s contribution to our firm was significant, as was his support and care for us all. To the Pfitzner family, and to the team at the Australian Red Cross which he led…

Federal Budget 2023-24
This was the second Labor Party Budget in less than a year and the messaging from Treasurer Jim Chalmers to the country was clear. It’s a budget focused on relieving cost of living pressures for family and showing that Labor knows how to manage the economy. With a potential surplus on the cards, The Albanese…

2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy discussion paper
The Albanese Government has taken another next step toward unveiling its Australian 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy, releasing a discussion paper presenting its ambition to become the world’s most cyber secure country by 2030. Published in the wake of a turning point year for cybersecurity that saw the majority of Australians’ personal information compromised, the paper…

Federal Budget 2022-23
In handing down the first Labor Party Budget in nearly a decade, the Albanese Government has sought to position itself as a considered and responsible financial manager while seeking to deliver on its election commitments and address cost of living pressures facing Australians. Six O’Clock Advisory’s Nathan Clarke discusses the Government’s approach to ‘selling’ and…

Time’s ripe for small caps to up the investor relations ante
In an environment of volatility and uncertainty, small caps can ill afford to undersell or miscommunicate their story. The question of ‘what keeps you up at night?’ tends to appear in the Q&A segment of almost every investor call for ASX-listed small cap companies. While the typical small cap CEO is quick to dismiss the…

Not all wins are created – or communicated – equal
The incoming federal government faces a unique communication challenge. More people voted for the opposition than they did Labor, and two-thirds of Australians voted for someone other than a government candidate. It’s another example that Australia’s voluntary voting preferential system means the least-worst option is a legitimate and practical path to electoral success. It also…

Hard to nail reputation risk? You can bank on it.
The fortunes of sectors like banking, financial and insurance services hinge on their ability to mitigate risk, in all its forms. Australian banks, for example, stand as a shining example of how a strong risk management culture can protect against events like the GFC of 2008 which resigned to history a raft of their international…

Federal Budget 2021-22
This year’s Federal Budget was especially important for the Morrison Government as it seeks to affirm (or re-affirm) its position with Australia’s voting public. Coined the ‘election’ budget – given the country’s looming federal poll (between 7 August 2021 to 1 July 2022) – communication strategy surrounding the nation’s forward estimates was critical. Simon Watson…

Six O’Clock Advisory makes key appointments following major client wins
Strategic communications firm Six O’Clock Advisory has welcomed a string of new starters following a period of growth. Simon Watson arrives from the Commonwealth Government where he was a media adviser to a senior cabinet minister. Having worked in the Victorian Parliament and California State Assembly before his Canberra stint, Simon takes on a client portfolio…