More importantly, what ethical considerations should be applied when using data and algorithms to target consumers?
Algorithms are already being used to help determine who’s approved for a loan, who is the best candidate for a job and which criminal is least likely to reoffend. But, how reliable are they… and what ethical considerations should be applied when using data and algorithms to target consumers?
Machine vs human – who is the winner?
In 2015, a study at MIT suggested that an algorithm could predict someone’s behaviour faster and more reliably than humans can. The Data Science Machine, created by a master’s student in computer science, was able to derive predictive models from raw data automatically – without human involvement.
It’s fairly common for machines to analyse data, but humans are typically required to choose which data points are relevant for analysis. In three competitions with human teams, the machine made more accurate predictions than 615 of 906 human teams. And while humans worked on their predictive algorithms for months, the machine took two to 12 hours to produce each of its competition entries.
Fear not, this so-called fourth industrial revolution – where advances in computers, and artificial intelligence bioengineering are converging to change the way our world works – doesn’t spell the end for humans. It does, however, present an enormous opportunity for brands, marketers and communications professionals to more accurately understand consumers. Machines can be incredibly helpful, not to mention accurate, in analysing large amounts of data to inform decision-making with data.
Goodbye market research, hello Facebook
Historically, marketers and communicators have spent hours eavesdropping on research groups and pouring over market analysis in order to predict how humans will think and respond to a brand, product or service. With thanks to the emergence – and now domination – of social media networks, a whole new world of focus groups has materialised.
The way people talk on social media can be very different to how they talk in person. This means that the learnings from traditional focus groups often contrast greatly with what’s found from social media monitoring. Imagine, the power of combining these intelligent machines with a market research group of two billion-plus Facebook users. Not only does this present the opportunity for to analyse consumer insights on scale, it also allows for insights to be measured in real-time. In an increasingly digital age where attention spans are short and audiences are fickle, the ability to be nimble with marketing and communications has never been more important.
Listening to what works
Take for example, the work of make-up brand, Maybelline. When it launched its Hyper Sharp Liner in Hong Kong in July 2011, the product quickly became the brand’s No.1 liner. By 2013, the cosmetics market in Hong Kong had become increasingly competitive, with the emergence of new players with comparable products as well as competition from many other international cosmetics brands.
With the emergence of new players with comparable products as well as competition from many other international cosmetics brands, Maybelline decided to relaunch the Hyper Sharp Liner with a one-month integrated campaign that aimed to leverage off the increasing use of social media by the product’s target audience (15- to 25-year-old females).
By gauging the changes in the amount of buzz in social media about the Hyper Sharp Liner before and after the relaunch, Maybelline sought to understand how effective their strategy was. All the while, they mapped this against competitors’ buzz shares, measuring brand awareness and product perception for Maybelline and its competitors across major forums, blogs, social network Services, microblogs, and video and review sites.
This research was used to refine Maybelline’s strategy, and through the one-month communication campaign, Maybelline achieved a projected sell out of units. The a of the Hyper Sharp Liner, and also a significant increase against the average number of unit sold in 2012. With the use of social media evolving at an increasing pace, this strategy verified social media channels significantly contributed to the transiting consumers from online to offline.
The ethical tightrope
The recent Facebook fallout highlights the scale of the moral dilemma today’s marketers must navigate – how much should we know about our consumers, and what role should ‘chief’ information, marketing and data officers play in ethical practices? While the field of big data is relatively new, the historic definition of ethical marketing should still apply: as a whole, brands should not engage in practices that result in negative or unsatisfying customer experiences.
This is something that is widely accepted and reinforced by peak bodies such as the Australian Marketing Institute. Whether a customer is left with a feeling of discomfort following a unsolicited telemarketing call, a door-to-door salesman or Facebook sharing data with a third party, the responsibility should fall with the company executives giving the directive – generally speaking, within the marketing and communications departments. The Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal is an important reminder of our obligation to consumers, and that with the power that data affords, comes greater responsibility.
Data or bust
It is now hard to imagine a marketing and communications industry that doesn’t rely on data to inform strategy, new product development and campaigns. Much of what took place in marketing and communications, even as recently as a decade or so back, was based on assumption. We *think* that this product would be of interest to this audience, so we *figured* the best way to tell them about it would be mostly via a TV ad campaign.
But data is now essential for any smart and savvy marketer or communicator, and presents the opportunity to communicate with consumers with a level of insight that has never been more accurate or accessible.
While human behaviour is still not completely predictable, one thing that is for sure: the continued collection and analysis of data will certainly make us more predictable.
While affording brands enormous opportunity, this unprecedented access to consumer data must come with a movement of responsibility that will ensure the predictability of consumers is melded with ethical marketing practices.
Andrea Walsh is CIO at Isentia. She is an experienced technology and digital solutions leader, and has led led large (100-plus) IT and digital teams in delivering high profile, multi-million dollar business outcome solutions across the Asia Pacific region. She is a supporter of FITT (Females in IT and Telecommunications), a not-for-profit network which aims to inspire women to achieve their career aspirations and potential at all levels and disciplines within ICT.
Loren is an experienced marketing professional who translates data and insights using Isentia solutions into trends and research, bringing clients closer to the benefits of audience intelligence. Loren thrives on introducing the groundbreaking ways in which data and insights can help a brand or organisation, enabling them to exceed their strategic objectives and goals.
If there’s one topic Australians never tire of debating, it’s housing. Whether it’s at the pub, around the dinner table, or dominating headlines, property prices, rent hikes and the “can I ever afford a home?” questions are constant fixtures of the national conversation.
But let’s be honest—rising house prices aren’t new. What is changing is how the conversation is evolving, who’s shaping it, and which narratives are starting to stick.
Using Lumina’s Stories and Perspectives, we analysed 19 stories and over 50 perspectives across a 30-day period from 15 March to 14 April 2026 to understand what’s actually driving the housing narrative in Australia right now—and why it matters.
Which are the stories shaping conversation and who's driving it?
▸Housing Supply and Affordability Divide — Analysts and economists link supply shortages directly to soaring prices. Cities that built more homes saw far less price growth.
Key drivers: Gerard Burg (Cotality), Peter Tulip (Centre for Independent Studies), Australian Associated Press
▸Tax Reform Debates Heat Up Ahead of Budget — 14 competing perspectives. Advocates say reforms are essential for fairness; the property industry warns they’ll push rents up 30%.
Key drivers: Anthony Albanese, Jim Chalmers, Angus Taylor, Housing Industry Association, Saul Eslake
▸Grattan Institute Connects Housing to Democratic Trust — A major report argues that the housing crisis is eroding public confidence in democracy itself.
Key drivers: Aruna Sathanapally, Grattan Institute
Australians make housing supply the biggest story
This perspective was 100% of the coverage of this story and generated 85 media items, making it the most widely covered story of the entire period. The main insight is the public drawing a direct line between housing supply levels and property prices across Australia’s capital cities.
Perth and Brisbane, where home construction has lagged well behind population growth since the pandemic, have seen property values surge massively. Meanwhile, Victoria — which built a proportionally higher number of new homes — saw less growth, compared to the national average.
It ran everywhere from PerthNow to regional papers across NSW and Victoria. The fact that the Australian Associated Press syndicated the data meant it hit dozens of outlets simultaneously.
The key drivers are property analysts Gerard Burg from Cotality and Peter Tulip from the Centre for Independent Studies. Both are pushing the same message. If you want to fix affordability, you have to fix supply. Their proposed solution is liberalising zoning laws, particularly in NSW and Victoria, to allow more homes to be built faster.
Why does this matter for communicators?
This story had the widest media footprint of the entire period, reaching outlets from The West Australian to regional mastheads across the country. If your organisation operates in housing, property, or urban planning, the “supply-equals-affordability” narrative is now firmly established in public discourse, and therefore, your messaging needs to account for it. Audiences know of the supply argument before, and with experts aligned on the issue, it’s harder for policymakers to dismiss it easily.
It’s also worth noting how the analysis around who the key drivers are adds a layer traditional media monitoring might miss. The AAP’s role as the primary distribution channel meant this story reached dozens of the bigger mastheads like PerthNow and The West Australian and hyperlocal outlets like the Cobram Courier and Benalla Ensign, simultaneously. For communicators, this distribution pattern indicates that a story has penetrated both metropolitan and regional audiences, making it impossible to dismiss as just a capital-city concern.
Tax reform rebates are the most contested story of the month
The housing tax reform debate was the most contested generating 14 distinct perspectives across 23 media items becoming by far the most multi-sided story of the month. However, the top three perspectives were the most interesting to look at considering how disputed the opinions of either side are and sit at the highest level in the government.
At the centre of it is the Albanese Government’s consideration of reducing the capital gains tax discount and limiting negative gearing ahead of the May budget. The country is essentially split down the middle on this one.
Perspective 1: This made up for 34.8% of the story coverage. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, and housing advocacy group Everybody’s Home are arguing that the current system unfairly benefits wealthy investors while locking out first-home buyers. Economist Saul Eslake backs this view. Together, they account for about a third of the story’s total coverage.
Perspective 2: This had an equal share in coverage at 34.8% of the story. Opposition figures Angus Taylor, the Housing Industry Association, and Victorian Libertarian Party Leader David Limbrick are warning that scrapping these tax incentives will scare off investors, shrink rental supply, and push rents up by as much as 30%. They command an equal share of the conversation (Herald Sun).
What’s interesting is what sits beneath these two dominant perspectives. A third angle that was 17.4% of the story coverage was driven by Chalmers and Greens Senator Nick McKim, frames the whole debate as a question of intergenerational fairness. And then there are the young “rentvestors” who rent where they live but own an investment property elsewhere. They’re worried about getting caught in the crossfire of changes that weren’t designed with them in mind (Australian Financial Review).
Trust is eroding in the Australian democracy — and housing is the problem
The Grattan Institute released a report warning that trust in Australian democracy is under pressure, and housing is one of the reasons why. This soon became the second biggest story, generating 58 media items.
Led by Grattan CEO Aruna Sathanapally, the report argues that persistent inequality, including the housing affordability gap, is eroding the social contract between citizens and government. The report explicitly names the housing crisis as one of the major unresolved challenges fuelling public disillusionment. Sathanapally is the key driver of this story, commanding over 93% of its coverage. Her influence matters because she’s reframing housing as something bigger than an economic problem. She’s positioning it as a threat to democratic stability. That’s a powerful narrative shift, and one that gives housing advocates a new way to make their case.
For anyone in public affairs or government communications, this connection between housing and democratic trust is worth watching. It’s the kind of framing that can reshape how policymakers prioritise the issue.
Know which side of the debate your audience sits on: The tax reform story alone has 14 perspectives. If you’re crafting messaging around housing policy, understand which perspective your stakeholders identify with and who they consider a credible voice. A one-size-fits all approach might not work.
Follow the key drivers, not just the headlines: The unexpected pairing of Greens Senator Nick McKim with Treasurer Chalmers on intergenerational fairness suggests this issue is cutting across traditional party lines in ways that could reshape coalition dynamics. Meanwhile, the "rentvestor" audience represents a politically orphaned group that neither side of the debate is referencing or considering, making them a potential swing audience whose concerns could quietly shape how any reform actually lands.
Watch the emerging narratives: One Nation’s growing support, the “rentvestor” demographic, and the connection between housing and democratic trust are all stories that could become dominant in the months ahead.
What does this tell us about the Australian housing conversation?
It’s not a new crisis anymore. It’s a nationally entrenched issue that is now being addressed by the public by way of debates along with policymakers and experts at the highest government level. These debates are on solutions, trade-offs and fairness. The conversation is much more sophisticated where audiences are not just talking about “prices being too high”, but discussing supply, investments, short term relief vs long term reform. What’s also essential is to look at the key drivers or the key voices driving the top narratives. From economists to policymakers to advocacy groups, the voices gaining traction are influencing how the issue is understood and what solutions feel viable. Understanding not just what’s being said, but who is driving the conversation and why it’s resonating, is becoming critical for organisations looking to engage credibly. That’s where Lumina’s Stories and Perspectives comes in, helping you move beyond headlines to uncover the narratives and voices shaping the issues that matter most.
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Blog
What’s really driving Australia’s housing conversation right now?
Explore how housing in Australia has become a nationally entrenched issue where audiences participate in shaping conversation as much as the policymakers.
The media landscape is accelerating. In an era where influence is ephemeral and every angle demands instant comprehension, PR and communications professionals require more than generic technology—they need intelligence engineered for their specific challenges.
Isentia is proud to introduce Lumina, a groundbreaking suite of intelligent AI tools. Lumina has been trained from the ground up on the complex workflows and realities of modern communications and public affairs. It is explicitly designed to shift professionals from passive media monitoring back into the role of strategic leaders and pacesetters.
“The PR, Comms and Public Affairs sectors have been experimenting with AI, but most tools have not been built with their real challenges in mind.” said Joanna Arnold, CEO of Pulsar Group.
“Lumina is different; it is the first intelligence suite designed around how narratives actually form today, combining human credibility signals with machine-level analysis. It helps teams understand how stories evolve, filter out noise and respond with context and confidence to crises and opportunities.”
Setting a new standard for PR intelligence
Lumina is centered on empowering, not replacing, the human element of communications strategy. This suite is purpose-built to help PR, Comms, and Public Affairs professionals significantly improve productivity, enhance message clarity, and facilitate early risk detection.
Lumina enables communicators to:
Understand & Interpret: Move beyond basic alerts to strategically map the trajectory and spread of narrative evolution.
Focus & Personalise: Achieve the clarity necessary to execute strategic action before critical moments pass.
We are launching the Lumina suite by making our first module immediately available: Stories & Perspectives.
In the current fragmented, multi-channel media environment, communications professionals need to be able to instantly perceive not just how a story is growing, but also how it is being perceived across different stakeholder groups.
Stories & Perspectives organizes raw media mentions into clustered, cohesive Stories, and the Perspectives that exist within each, reflecting distinct media, audience, and public affairs angles. This unique functionality allows users to:
Rise above the noise: Instantly identify which high-level topics are gaining momentum or fading from attention.
Get to the detail, fast: Uncover the influential voices, niche communities, and specific channels actively shaping the narrative.
Catch the pivot point: Precisely identify the moment a story shifts—from a strategic opportunity to a reputation risk—or when a new key opinion former begins guiding the conversation.
"Media isn’t a stream of mentions," said Kyle Lindsay, Head of Product at Pulsar Group. "But rather a living system of stories shaped by competing perspectives. When you can see those structures clearly, you gain the ability to understand issues as they form, anticipate how they’ll evolve, and act with precision. That’s what we mean when we talk about AI built for communicators, and that's what an off-the-shelf LLM can't give you."
The Lumina Roadmap: AI tools for the future of comms
The launch of Stories & Perspectives is the first release of many. Over the upcoming months, we will systematically roll out the full Lumina roadmap, introducing a comprehensive set of AI tools engineered to handle every phase of the communications lifecycle.
The full Lumina suite will soon incorporate:
Curated media summaries: AI-driven daily summaries customized specifically to the priorities of senior leadership, highlighting only the most relevant stories.
Reputation analysis: Advanced measurement tracking how critical themes like ethics, innovation, and leadership are statistically shaping corporate perception.
Press release & media relations assistant: Tools designed to accelerate content creation and craft hyper-focused, personalized pitches that reach the precise contacts faster.
Predictive intelligence layer: Technology engineered to track and anticipate story momentum and strategic change before the window of opportunity closes.
Intelligent agents: Background agents continuously scanning all media channels for emerging key spokespeople and previously undetected reputation risks.
Enhanced audio, broadcast & crisis detection: Complete, real-time oversight of all channels—including audio and broadcast—enabling rapid context building and optimal crisis response delivery.
Want to harness the power of Lumina AI for your PR, Comms, or Public Affairs team? .
Complete the form below to register your interest.
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Blog
Announcing Lumina: The purpose-built AI suite for PR, Comms, and Public Affairs
An intelligent suite of AI tools trained on the language, workflows, and realities of modern public relations and communications.
