Reflect | May 2021 - May 2022
Reconciliation
Action Plan
Acknowledgement
AnalogFolk respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which our Australian office is based, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and extend our respect to all Elders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land as the oldest continuous culture on Earth.
Our
Business
AnalogFolk is a modern creative agency with a global network of offices in London, Amsterdam, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sydney. Our focus is on using digital to make the analog world better through our work across the areas of marketing, digital design & experiences, strategy & innovation and data intelligence.
Here in Australia, our office is in Surry Hills in Sydney, and we are very lucky to work in the beautiful land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We are privileged to have a client list of influential Australian and International businesses from across Australia, and we work with suppliers across film, audio, technology and photography.
We do not currently employ any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. We are making the first step to reconciliation, and employment opportunities for First Nations peoples is a priority for us as part of our
Reflect RAP.
Our RAP
In 2020, AnalogFolk won a global award for digital innovation, and in doing so achieved the original ambition we had hoped for when the company was founded 13 years before. This award win happened to coincide with a time where the world was going through massive changes and a period of reflection - COVID-19 had caused unprecedented changes to the way people live and work, and the Black Lives Matter movement had gained a huge amount of momentum and was prompting important conversations about racism.
So, we took this as an opportunity to reflect on how, in the next stage of our company’s journey, we can use our platform to push for a new north star focused on the positive impact we can have on society, and settled on a new global company ambition:
Our ambition at AnalogFolk is to be an impactful agency
of change for people, brands and society in pursuit of a better world.
Our RAP
In Australia, to achieve this vision it is absolutely essential that we commence our reconciliation journey, and acknowledge the rich histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, as well as the hardships they have faced and the strength they have shown during Australia’s dark history of colonisation. In taking this first step of creating our Reflect RAP, we hope for our whole business to learn more about the Traditional Owners of this Land, as well as take action towards reconciliation within our team and within our industry.
In creating our Reflect RAP, we carefully considered our sphere of influence to identify where we could make the most impactful change. As a creative agency that works with a number of partners in an industry that creates highly visible content that influences society, the key areas of influence for us are:
Our business
Educating our team in the rich cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and reviewing our employment and managing practices to ensure we are increasing opportunities for First Nations peoples
Our industry
The advertising industry has a long history in Australia that has not reflected the diversity of this country. In our reconciliation journey we plan to engage with the wider industry and influence change where we can to ensure the industry is more inclusive and tells the stories of the Traditional Owners of this Land
Our partners
We work with a number of partners including freelancers, production companies and partner agencies. As part of our Reflect RAP, we will look for ways to ensure we work with like-minded partners on their reconciliation journey, and put in place policies that ensure they are adhering to our standards
Our work
Through the content we create - including television commercials, radio advertising, social and digital content and other campaign materials - we are telling stories and influencing Australian society. This gives us the responsibility to ensure that through our work we are being respectful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and find opportunities to increase representation
Our RAP Champion at AnalogFolk is our Managing Director, Matt Robinson. This RAP is the very first step in our reconciliation journey, and we look forward to a year of learning and growth, followed by a continued action plan to reconciliation in the years ahead.
| Action | Deliverable | Timeline | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Establish and strengthen mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations. | Identify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations within our local area or sphere of influence. | June 2021 | Operations Director |
| Research best practice and principles that support partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations. | July 2021 | Operations Director | |
| 2. Build relationships through celebrating National Reconciliation Week (NRW). | Circulate Reconciliation Australia’s NRW resources and reconciliation materials to our staff. | May 2021 | Operations Director |
| RAP Working Group members to participate in an external NRW event. | May 27 - June 3, 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Encourage and support staff and senior leaders to participate in at least one external event to recognise and celebrate NRW. | May 27 - June 3, 2021 | Operations Director | |
| 3. Promote reconciliation through our sphere of influence. | Communicate our commitment to reconciliation to all staff. | June 2021 | Managing Director |
| Identify external stakeholders that our organisation can engage with on our reconciliation journey. | July 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Identify RAP and other like- minded organisations that we could approach to collaborate with on our reconciliation journey. | June 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Share our published RAP to our network of partners and clients and explain to them our commitment to reconciliation. | June 2021 | Managing Director | |
| 4. Promote positive race relations through anti-discrimination strategies. | Research best practice and policies in areas of race relations and anti-discrimination. | July 2021 | Operations Director |
| Conduct a review of HR policies and procedures to identify existing anti-discrimination provisions, and future needs. | August 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Run an all staff anti-racism training session, led by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consultant. | September 2021 | Operations Director |
| Action | Deliverable | Timeline | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Increase understanding, value and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge and rights through cultural learning. | Develop a business case for increasing understanding, value and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, knowledge and rights within our organisation. | August 2021 | Operations Director |
| Conduct a review of cultural learning needs within our organisation. | September 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Require each member of staff to complete the CORE cultural competency training supplied through AIATSIS. | October 2021 | Operations Director | |
| 6. Demonstrate respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by observing cultural protocols. | Develop an understanding of the local Traditional Owners or Custodians of the lands and waters within our organisation’s operational area. | June 2021 | Finance Director |
| Increase staff’s understanding of the purpose and significance behind cultural protocols, including Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome to Country protocols. | July 2021 | Finance Director | |
| Publicly acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land in writing on our company website and in standard company templates including our email newsletters. | July 2021 | Managing Director | |
| 7. Build respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories by celebrating NAIDOC Week. | Raise awareness and share information amongst our staff about the meaning of NAIDOC Week. | June 2021 | Operations Director |
| Introduce our staff to NAIDOC Week by promoting external events in our local area. | June 2021 | Operations Director | |
| All staff to participate in an external NAIDOC Week event. | 4-11 July, 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Action | Deliverable | Timeline | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. Improve employment outcomes by increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruitment, retention and professional development. | Develop a business case for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment within our organisation. | August 2021 | Operations Director |
| Build understanding of current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staffing to inform future employment and professional development opportunities. | September 2021 | Operations Director | |
| 9. Increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander supplier diversity to support improved economic and social outcomes. | Develop a business case for procurement from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses. | July 2021 | Finance Director |
| Investigate Supply Nation membership. | August, 2021 | Finance Director | |
| 10. Improve representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our advertising campaigns | Research existing industry guidelines and best practice examples for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent. | July 2021 | Operations Director |
| Seek out existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned and operated talent organisations. | July 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders to assist in the formulation of a revised talent casting policy. | August 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Formalise a new talent casting policy that increases visibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in advertising campaigns, and share this policy with clients and partners. | September 2021 | Operations Director |
| Action | Deliverable | Timeline | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. Establish and maintain an effective RAP Working Group (RWG) to drive governance of the RAP. | Form a RWG to govern RAP implementation. | June 2021 | Operations Director |
| Draft a Terms of Reference for the RWG. | June 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Establish Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation on the RWG. | June 2021 | Operations Director | |
| 12. Provide appropriate support for effective implementation of RAP commitments. | Define resource needs for RAP implementation. | June 2021 | Operations Director |
| Engage senior leaders in the delivery of RAP commitments. | June 2021 | Operations Director | |
| Define appropriate systems and capability to track, measure and report on RAP commitments. | June 2021 | Operations Director | |
| 13. Build accountability and transparency through reporting RAP achievements, challenges and learnings both internally and externally. | Complete and submit the annual RAP Impact Measurement Questionnaire to Reconciliation Australia. | September 2021 | Operations Director |
| 14. Continue our reconciliation journey by developing our next RAP. | Register via Reconciliation Australia’s website to begin developing our next RAP. | February 2022 | Operations Director |
Contact Details
Matt Robinson
Managing Director
02 9018 4144
matt.robinson@analogfolk.com