Essential Media Communications

Essential Media Communications is an Australian professional-services firm operating across public relations, political campaigning, social research and opinion polling. Founded in 1997 by Tony Douglas, the company began with the Australian Education Union as its first client. Its work has subsequently connected communications strategy with public-policy advocacy, electoral campaigning and research into Australian social and political attitudes. The company is particularly associated with the Essential Report, a recurring survey of political and social issues. The report began in 2004 as a regular polling product and was initially published in partnership with Crikey. It later developed a publishing relationship with Guardian Australia, where the report has been made available without charge and where Essential executive director Peter Lewis has also contributed commentary. The report covers topics such as voting intentions, public opinion and social issues, and provides question wording and demographic breakdowns through its associated online publication. Essential has described its methodology and its compliance with Australian Polling Council Quality Mark standards. Its polling is conducted online; voting-intention questions are asked twice to reduce the effect of undecided respondents, with remaining undecided answers excluded from the reported voting-intention figures. Beyond polling, Essential has worked on public-interest and political campaigns. Its cited work includes the ACTU's Your Rights at Work campaign before the 2007 Australian federal election, the Australian Greens' national advertising campaign for the 2010 federal election, and Every Australian Counts, a grassroots effort supporting creation of Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme. The firm has also been associated with Adam Goodes' anti-racism initiative Racism. It Stops With Me and campaigns led by Rosie Batty addressing family violence. Essential was also part of the research team for the Labor Party's successful 2022 federal election campaign. The company's positioning combines research-led communications with advocacy and campaign execution. Rather than operating solely as a conventional corporate public-relations agency, Essential has been publicly identified with campaigns involving unions, political parties, community organisations, public-policy reform and social causes. Its polling and research activities give it a role in interpreting public sentiment, while its communications work applies that insight to media, advertising, stakeholder engagement and grassroots mobilisation. Essential Media Communications is co-owned by executive director Peter Lewis and managing director Peter Stahel. Publicly available reference material identifies Australia as its principal operating market and does not indicate a stock-market listing or a parent corporation. Its public profile is therefore based chiefly on its research publications, campaign involvement and Australian political and social-policy work rather than on a broad international consumer brand presence.

Essential Media Communications was established in Australia in 1997 by Tony Douglas. The Australian Education Union was its first client, providing an early indication of the company's orientation toward organisational communications, public affairs and policy-related work rather than consumer advertising alone. Over time, the firm developed a practice spanning public relations, research, political communication and campaigns intended to influence public debate or support institutional change. A major turning point came in 2004, when Essential introduced the Essential Report. The publication was designed as a regular poll of topical political and social questions in Australia. It was first produced in association with Crikey and later became connected with Guardian Australia, which publishes the report on a fortnightly basis. Essential also makes supporting methodological information available, including question wording and demographic results. The company's published approach states that its polling is conducted online and that voting-intention questions are asked twice to address the effect of respondents initially identifying as undecided. Remaining undecided respondents are removed from the reported voting-intention results. Essential has also published information concerning methodology and compliance with Australian Polling Council Quality Mark standards. The firm became publicly associated with several prominent Australian advocacy and political campaigns. Before the 2007 federal election, it worked on the ACTU's Your Rights at Work campaign, which opposed industrial-relations changes and was part of the broader political contest that preceded the election of a Labor government. For the 2010 federal election, Essential worked on the Australian Greens' national advertising campaign. These engagements demonstrated the company's role in campaign research, messaging and communications for political organisations. Essential also participated in campaigns with wider social-policy objectives. Every Australian Counts was a grassroots campaign supporting the establishment of the National Disability Insurance Scheme; the campaign began in 2011 and sought to build public and political support for a national disability-insurance framework. The company was also associated with Adam Goodes' anti-racism campaign, Racism. It Stops With Me, and with campaigns led by Rosie Batty addressing family violence. These examples expanded the public profile of Essential's work beyond electoral politics into community mobilisation, anti-discrimination advocacy and social reform. By the 2022 federal election, Essential was part of the research team for Labor's winning campaign. The company's continuing profile has rested on the combination of public-opinion research and campaign communications. Peter Lewis is identified as executive director and a regular Guardian Australia columnist, while Peter Stahel is identified as managing director; the two are described as co-owners. Essential remains an Australian-focused private professional-services business, with no publicly identified stock listing or parent company in the available reference material.

1. 2022Research role in Labor's federal election campaign

   Essential formed part of the research team for Labor's successful 2022 Australian federal election campaign.

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2. 2011Every Australian Counts campaign begins

   Essential was associated with the grassroots Every Australian Counts campaign supporting creation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

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3. 2010Australian Greens national campaign

   Essential worked on the Australian Greens' national advertising campaign for the federal election.

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4. 2007Your Rights at Work campaign

   The company worked on the ACTU's Your Rights at Work campaign ahead of the Australian federal election.

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5. 2004Essential Report introduced

   Essential launched its recurring political and social opinion-polling publication, initially in partnership with Crikey.

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6. 1997Company founded

   Tony Douglas founded Essential Media Communications in Australia. The Australian Education Union became its first client.

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Research-led Australian communications and public-affairs consultancy serving political, union, nonprofit and social-policy campaigns.

• The Essential ReportOpinion polling and political research2004

  The Essential Report is a recurring survey of Australian political and social attitudes. It examines topical questions, including voting intentions and broader public-policy issues, and is published fortnightly through Guardian Australia. Supporting material includes survey-question wording and demographic breakdowns. Essential publishes methodological information and describes an online polling process in which voting-intention questions are asked twice and remaining undecided responses are excluded from the reported figures.

• Public-interest and political campaignsPublic relations and advocacy

  Essential develops communications and campaign work for political parties, unions, community groups and social-policy causes. Its publicly cited assignments include electoral advertising, grassroots mobilisation, public-affairs strategy and advocacy around industrial relations, disability insurance, racism and family violence. The work combines research, messaging and media or stakeholder engagement rather than representing a single packaged consumer product.

• 2022Labor federal election research campaign

  Australia

  Essential formed part of the research team supporting Labor's campaign for the 2022 Australian federal election.

  Outcome. Labor won the 2022 federal election; the available source does not isolate Essential's contribution from that of the wider campaign team.

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• 2011Every Australian Counts

  Australia

  Essential was involved in the grassroots Every Australian Counts campaign advocating for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.

  Outcome. The campaign supported the creation of Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme.

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• 2010Australian Greens national advertising campaign

  Australia

  Essential worked on the Australian Greens' national advertising campaign for the 2010 federal election.

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• 2007Your Rights at Work

  Australia

  Essential worked on the ACTU campaign opposing industrial-relations changes and building public support around workplace rights before the 2007 federal election.

  Outcome. The campaign preceded Labor's victory at the 2007 federal election; the available reference does not attribute the electoral result solely to the campaign.

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• Racism. It Stops With Me

  Australia

  Essential was associated with Adam Goodes' anti-racism campaign, which used public communication and advocacy to challenge racism in Australian society.

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• Rosie Batty family-violence campaigns

  Australia

  The company worked on campaigns led by Rosie Batty addressing family violence and promoting public awareness of the issue.

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• 2004Launch of the Essential ReportProduct launch

  Essential identified a role for recurring, publicly accessible research on Australian political and social opinion.

  What changed. The company introduced the Essential Report and initially published it in partnership with Crikey.

  Aftermath. The report later established a publishing relationship with Guardian Australia and became a central part of Essential's public identity.

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• Expansion from communications into integrated research and advocacyStrategy

  The company's work developed beyond conventional public relations into opinion polling, political research, public affairs and grassroots campaigning.

  What changed. Essential combined communications services with recurring polling and campaign work for unions, political parties and social-policy organisations.

  Aftermath. The firm became publicly known for both its Essential Report polling and its involvement in Australian political and social-advocacy campaigns.

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• 2022Essential Media contributes to research for Labor's 2022 federal election campaign

  Essential Media Communications was identified as part of the research team involved in Labor's successful campaign at the 2022 Australian federal election.

  Campaign
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• 2004Essential Media Communications launches the Essential Report

  The company introduced the Essential Report as a recurring survey of Australian political and social opinion. It was initially published in partnership with Crikey before later being associated with Guardian Australia.

  Product launch
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1. Essential Media Communications
2. Essential Media Communications official website
3. The Essential Report