Seven Learnings from the Last Year — 2024 Edition
Above: some of the Seven Patterns Team celebrating the year that was.
By Seven Patterns
Seven Word Summary: Built brands like never before, in 2024.
Seven Patterns is headquartered in Perth, yet 2024 was a year marked by ideas and influence stretching beyond Western Australian shores.
Our growing team continues to partner with growth-minded organisations, to create influence through communication – with global reach. This reaffirms our agility and adaptability in the face of rapidly changing political and economic environments.
As we prepare for the most wonderful time of the year, allow us to briefly summarise Seven Learnings from the Last Year:
Social media content drives voter behaviour. (The Increasing Influence of Social Media on Politics – by Paul Harrigan)
In short: We are seeing this firsthand – social media’s role in shaping opinion is undeniable, not just for political campaigns but for brands seeking influence.
User-generated content (UGC) and algorithms have become pivotal drivers across the various social media platforms.
Brands that harness UGC authentically and consistently are better positioned to create campaigns that resonate.
That’s why we partner with organisations to deliver best in class social media management – all about understanding the deeper currents that drive audience behaviour.
Engaging with the media is a way to communicate with a broad audience and to reach a wide range of stakeholders. (Who you gonna call… when the media calls? – by David Ikin)
In short: It is often said that public speaking is one of the greatest fears for many people. We could easily add another, not unrelated, phobia to the list: being interviewed by the media.
That’s why, we deliver media training – helping you to build confidence, learn to stay calm, stick to your message and maximise the opportunity.
Governments should focus on supporting Australian businesses to be competitive on the global stage. (2024/25 Budget Snapshot for Business – by Josh Brown).
In short: Election season is upon us, and Budget season was simply a sign of the times.
Both the Federal and WA State Budget have returned strong short-term positions on the back of WA’s booming iron ore royalties, but the main concern is the Federal Government’s large deficits in the near future.
With a key focus on cost-of-living relief for consumers and businesses, we believe a focus from here must be in supporting Australian businesses to be competitive on the global stage – and that’s exactly why we advocate on behalf of organisations, building purposeful connections between business and government.
There is one thing the future of every organisation depends on: communication. (One thing the future of every organisation depends on – by Nathan Keehan)
In short: Delivering on your vision and strategy is impossible without this single imperative: communication.
Every organisation communicates — not all do it effectively.
Former US President, Gerald R. Ford once said:
“Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”
Be it clients, teams, investors, government, the media, or other — your ability to engage and influence stakeholders depends on effective communication.
Communication is often external facing, so an important piece of the PR puzzle that is all too easy to overlook: internal communication. (Communicating with influence, internally – by David Ikin)
In short: This year, we emphasised the importance of internal communication to those with multiple internal teams and stakeholders.
Whether through face-to-face meetings or specialist digital platforms, we believe that keeping teams informed and aligned is integral to achieving intended outcomes.
Zero emissions in mining is lofty ambition, which depends on communication. (How realistic is the goal of zero emissions mining? – by Jake Harris)
In short: Progress can be achieved but the focus must be on balancing ambitious goals with a firm dose of reality.
This year, we explored the parallels between safety initiatives like ‘zero harm’ and decarbonisation targets, advocating for practical benchmarks over rigid absolutes.
Honest, integrated communication across communities can articulate lofty aspirations and goals into achievable, realistic milestones that ensure buy-in along the journey.
Today’s economy calls for communication that creates influence. (One thing the future of every organisation depends on – by Nathan Keehan)
In short: Effective communication remains a centrepiece for organisational success, both internally and externally. This year, we doubled down on efforts across mining, politics, and sport – to deliver creative and compelling communication that creates influence.
In 2025, we at Seven Patterns will continue building on core values of integrity, authenticity, reliability, authority, and creativity – helping organisations create influence, to continue growing amidst an ever-changing global landscape.
In doing so, we will continue to see people thrive, for the betterment of organisations, industries, and communities.
We believe this to be influence for good.