How do you showcase a profession’s credibility?

Challenge

As the peak body for human resources in Australia, the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) represents more than 17,500 members navigating leading businesses through a volatile workplace period. Rapid shifts in AI adoption, productivity pressures and high-impact legislative change placed HR at the centre of organisational decision-making.

Stronger credibility in mainstream business and economic media would enable HR leaders’ inclusion in boardroom conversations at a time when workforce strategy was fundamental to organisational performance.

Our approach

Mahlab implemented a proactive, data-led media relations program designed to establish AHRI as the definitive authority on Australia’s workforce and workplace trends.

Building a sustained source of authority

• We shifted AHRI from reactive commentary to a structured program anchored in proprietary research.
• Four Quarterly Work Outlook Reports and two themed research reports produced by AHRI provided consistent, evidence-based insight into the forces shaping Australian workplaces.

Leading with evidence

• Each report was grounded in survey data from HR professionals, ensuring credibility and relevance.
  
• Insights were framed through a business lens, connecting workforce issues to productivity, performance and economic impact.

Reaching senior decision-makers

• We prioritised Tier one business and national media to ensure AHRI insights reached executive and board-level audiences.
  
• AHRI CEO Sarah McCann-Bartlett was positioned as the primary spokesperson to deliver a consistent and authoritative voice.‍

Designing for clarity and reach

• Multimedia press kits, including radio grabs and data summaries, were developed to support uptake across broadcast, print and digital outlets.
• This ensured complex workforce issues were communicated clearly and accessibly without diluting their significance.