Brady Bunch or Family Feud Australia?
‘We’re all in this together’ is being questioned
OUR INDIVIDUAL INSTINCTS ARE POTENTIALLY WINNING OUT
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, ‘we’re all in this together’ has been echoed across the globe, hoping to encourage a sense of unity in the uncertainty
In the Australian context, the ‘We’re All In This Together’ mantra can be positively comical considering things like panic buying loo roll, and bitterly painful for those who have been locked out of final farewells when the borders have slammed shut
Our federated states have not exactly been a picture of unity. With feuding sparking a great deal of controversy, some commentators have urged us to remember what it means to be Australians and commit to it
CLOSED BORDERS HAVE CHALLENGED OUR SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS
In response to internal border closures the Australian Prime Minister urged around this time last year:
“The very point of Federation was not to have them (internal borders)…We must be Australians first and we must not allow this crisis, this pandemic, to force us to retreat into provincialism.”
Source: Sky News
Many cases have shown that greater flexibility and compassion has been needed with respect to border arrangements
However, allowing states to navigate this crisis in a way that represents the interests of their own constituents may give ‘Separate Together’ new meaning
But our ‘interstate tribes’ offer kinship, belonging, connection & sharing
LOCAL COMMUNITIES ARE AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF IDENTITY
Localised identities, interests and empathies have long existed in Australia, and it may be only natural that they develop over time, taking on greater character and meaning for people
The kind of inward looking that can arise from an inability to travel may also make even our hyperlocal particularities more pronounced to us – whether that be the differences between people North and South of the river/harbour, or between urban and rural – let alone state-based differences
The term ‘tribalism’ is often used in political and cultural commentary to point to an ‘us against them’ mentality, devoid of the positives of tribalism – like kinship, belonging, connection and sharing
THE BIRTH (OR CONTINUATION) OF TRIBALISM
Some of the ties that bring us together as a nation may be more deeply felt with respect to our more immediate communities, like social and cultural ties, and this may be truer now that we are spending so much more time within our very local communities
While we often wield stereotypes about this state or that as a playful dig, on a deeper level the local provides yet another avenue or layer in our lives to experience feelings of belonging and kinship beyond the macro (e.g., national) and more personal (e.g., familial or religious)
As we know, there are many ways of being Australian, and we perhaps need not eschew even a strong sense of provinciality in order to preserve national unity and identity
Countering dominant narratives of individualism, empathy is on the rise
OUR SENSE OF EMPATHY HAS INCREASED THROUGH COVID
We have well taken notice of the divisions we see in the country, but our senses of togetherness and compassion for one another have been a more neglected topic in this pandemic
According to an ongoing study by Edith Cowan University, Australians are demonstrating ‘high levels’ of empathy during this pandemic. Researchers commented:
“Our findings run counter to the images we have seen in the media in recent weeks of Australians flouting social distancing rules and panic buying… They are the exception rather than the rule”
Source: The Conversation
AN UNDERCURRENT OF EMPATHY TO BUYING AND VISITING LOCAL
One consumer trend that only strengthened during the coronavirus pandemic is visiting and buying local, with consumers wanting to support businesses in their communities during this difficult period
Small Business Australia have further encouraged this by partnering with Australia Post, NAB, Telstra, News Corp Australia, Snap, and Pexa in a ‘Keep well buy local’ campaign, that provides signage, expense savings and other resources to local businesses
Buying local fulfils not only the rational need, but an emotional need as well
Local gaining momentum
1. LOCAL CREATES EMPATHY
The Coronavirus pandemic and ensuing conversation about state identity and engagement has highlighted the way in which Australians can draw significant personal meaning at the local level
Where you can touch, feel and engage with one another facilitates a higher level of empathy
2. BRANDS CAN LEVERAGE LOCAL
With a likely continuation of a separated but federated Australia beyond coronavirus, we will continue to look for hope in our own backyard
What businesses and brands can take away from this is that, like national identity, local identities can too be forged and evoked with great emotion and pride
3. UNDERSTAND THE LOCAL DNA
Where localised services or campaigns are possible, it is worth understanding local feeling and engaging. This is particularly relevant for national and international brands
4. EMERGING HYPERLOCAL MARKETING
This is where products/services are tailored or targeted to a specific location, rather than marketing generically across locations
This can occur online (e.g., recommending a local branch of a brand when a consumer googles it) and offline (e.g., billboards that reference location names and aspects of the local culture)
5. LOCAL PARTNERSHIP / SPONSORSHIP
Brands can donate money, merchandise or other resources to a local charity
Apart from the obviously worthy social benefits, studies have also shown that brands who are charitable are viewed more favorably
Some successful brands engaging at the local level
Domain
Coca-Cola
Domain used hyperlocal marketing in 2020 in outdoor ads that offer pertinent facts about a local area. For example, “Hey South Yarra, In spring we saw 146% more potential home buyers than the year before. Time to sell?” According to media and marketing commentators Mumbrella, the campaign targeted over 60 suburbs
Coca Cola’s 2020 Summer campaign is a strong example of hyperlocal marketing, using localised content on billboards,
buses, and at point of sale around Australia. The ads featured town names,
e.g., ‘Refreshingly Coffs Harbour’. Each
ad featured images that are meaningful
for local areas – like a gold miner for
Kalgoorlie, and a surfer for Port Macquarie
Coles
Saputo Dairy Australia
Coles sponsor the Collingwood Football Club Foundation, which helps fight homelessness and support disadvantaged people in the Melbourne area. Coles also partner with many local hospitals around Australia, as well as National charitable services like the Red Cross
As well as donating to national services such as Foodbank Australia, Saputo have also sponsored many local community
sporting clubs and organisations, such as
the Cobram Community Soccer Complex,
and community initiatives like the
Warnambool City Council Wayfinding
Project
