What it means to think big and support The Big Issue.
From being founded in 1982 by advertising pioneer Neville Jeffress, Isentia has grown beyond the shores of Sydney and has established itself as a leader in Media Intelligence with a strong reputation for smart tech and smart people across Asia Pacific.
With over 1,200 staff in 12 locations, it’s no surprise that the ‘big picture’ isn’t often spoken about at a local level. However, with the rise of homelessness across Australia, and in particular Sydney where Isentia’s Headquarters can be found – the topic is never too far from the mind of CEO, John Croll who this Monday stands beside Michael, a vendor of The Big Issue, to help sell for the cause.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Big Issue, it’s a fortnightly, independent magazine that’s sold on the streets by homeless, marginalised or disadvantaged people. Vendors buy copies for $3.50 and sell them to the public for $7, earning a meaningful income.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back and make a real difference in someone’s life. With our proud heritage in media and our journey from small beginnings to one of the largest media intelligence companies in the world, helping to sell The Big Issue felt like a natural fit and an honour. The team do so much to build a community environment that Vendors can grow from – so if you’re in the neighbourhood, come and grab a copy.”
Monday 5th February will see John and Michael selling Edition #554 – a celebration of Vendors and interviews with filmmakers, writers and musicians alike. If you’re interested in learning more about the cause or to see where you can buy a copy visit https://www.thebigissue.org.au/
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.
Every stakeholder relationship is different, and managing them effectively takes more than a one-size-fits-all approach.
From campaign planning to long-term engagement, having the right tools and strategy in place can make the difference between missed connections and meaningful impact.
This guide covers:
Identifying and understanding your key stakeholders
Mapping and modelling for influence and engagement
Equipping your team to maintain and grow strategic relationships
Across the communications landscape, teams are being asked to do more with less, while staying aligned, responsive and compliant in the face of complex and often shifting stakeholder demands. In that environment, how we track, report and manage our relationships really matters.
In too many organisations, relationship management is still built around tools designed for customer sales. CRM systems, built for structured pipelines and linear user journeys, have long been the default for managing contact databases. They work well for sales and customer service functions. But for communications professionals managing journalists, political offices, internal leaders and external advocates, these tools often fall short.
Stakeholder relationships don’t follow a straight line. They change depending on context, shaped by policy shifts, public sentiment, media narratives or crisis response. A stakeholder may be supportive one week and critical the next. They often hold more than one role, and their influence doesn’t fit neatly into a funnel or metric.
Managing these relationships requires more than contact management. It requires context. The ability to see not just who you spoke to, but why, and what happened next. Communications teams need shared visibility across issues and departments. As reporting expectations grow, that information must be searchable, secure and aligned with wider organisational goals.
What’s often missing is infrastructure. Without the right systems, strategic relationship management becomes fragmented or reactive. Sometimes it becomes invisible altogether.
This is where Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM) enters the conversation. Not as a new acronym, but as a different way of thinking about influence.
At Isentia, we’ve seen how a purpose-built SRM platform can help communications teams navigate complexity more confidently. Ours offers a secure, centralised space to log and track every interaction, whether it’s a media enquiry, a ministerial meeting, or a community update, and link it to your team’s broader communications activity.
The aim isn’t to automate relationships. It’s to make them easier to manage, measure and maintain. It’s about creating internal coordination before the external message goes out.
Because in today’s communications environment, stakeholder engagement is not just a support function. It is a strategic capability.
Across the communications landscape, teams are being asked to do more with less, while staying aligned, responsive and compliant in the face of complex and often shifting stakeholder demands. In that environment, how we track, report and manage our relationships really matters. In too many organisations, relationship management is still built around tools designed for […]
