Fire and Rescue NSW

Suffering from a lack of community & stakeholder understanding.

Expertise Areas

Brand Research & Diagnostics
Corporate Purpose & Purpose Led Transformation
Culture Change & Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
Putting Purpose into Practice (PPiP)®
Brand Idea, Identity & Naming
Communications Strategy & Implementation

Project Partners

Brand Idea: Ben Smith & Luke Hawkins

Awards

2022 Australian Business Awards
- ABA100® Winner for Brand Management
2021 Transform Awards ANZ
- GOLD: “Best brand development project to reflect a changed mission, values or positioning”
- SILVER: “Best brand evolution”

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) needed to be known as far more than property-based protectors — they needed a perception shift that would educate the public, unite their diverse workforce, and better serve the community.

Suffering from a lack of community & stakeholder understanding

FRNSW is one of the world’s largest urban fire and rescue services and is the busiest in Australia. However, the awareness and perceived value of the services FRNSW delivered to the community did not match the reality of important work they did 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Externally, there was a misunderstanding among the public and stakeholders about the role and purpose of FRNSW, while internally, staff had low engagement and no common purpose.

FRNSW had become much more than its traditional ‘fire service’ roots — it was about fire, rescue, hazmat, terrorist & emergency response, prevention & education, and so much more.

They deserved to be known for all the work they do.

Sparking a new aligned spirit

We conducted extensive research with the NSW community and staff, as well as stakeholder and Union consultation, and workshops across FRNSW to collaboratively define it’s ideal brand beliefs, spirit, strategy, and purpose.

A misinformed public perception, and a clear lack of common purpose, provided FRNSW the opportunity to re-evaluate how best they could serve the NSW community today and into the future. FRNSW desperately needed internal and external stakeholders to understand what they do, why they do it, and what they are working on for the future.

Achieving Union endorsement of the strategy, as communicated in the Fire Brigade Employees Union SITREP newsletter, was a vital step in the process. Firefighters agreed the perception of FRNSW and its members by the public, media and government was important and they had a desire to be known as the modern fire and rescue agency they had become.

Becoming known for protecting the irreplaceable

Brand Council provided the spark needed to develop and share the brand purpose, values, key messaging, Plus Plan format, team and stakeholder engagement, and communications materials.

The result? Improved representation of FRNSW in the media helping build the awareness and value that FRNSW provides the NSW community around the clock. A diverse workforce engaged and brought together under a common purpose in a real and tangible way, a strengthened position and public awareness among external audiences, to move FRNSW into the future.

Related Work

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Commissioner Paul Baxter | Fire and Rescue NSW

"Over many years, Brand Council have led three brand strategy projects for Redkite. What has been consistent throughout is a highly effective approach to brand strategy and a level of care and passion that you don’t often see. Trudi has become part of the fabric of our organisation and a trusted adviser. She puts her heart into making the Redkite brand what it needs to be so that no family faces their child’s cancer alone."

Monique Keighery | Chief Executive Officer, Redkite

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Pat Houlihan | Chairman and CEO DuluxGroup, Chairman MCRI

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Daniel Musson | CEO and C-suite client at BOQ, IAG & AIM

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