The NSW Ombudsman plays a vital role in upholding fairness across government services, serving people in vulnerable situations and from diverse, often marginalised backgrounds. To better connect with this wide-ranging audience –including the public, agency staff, potential employees, and the media –the organisation required a clear communications framework that could cut through complexity. Focus Creative was tasked to build a strategic foundation that guided more accessible, human-centred communications across every channel.

• Marketing and communications strategy

• Research and insights

• Project and production management

• Brand identity and concept design

We started with insight: mapping each key audience group and identifying their distinct motivators, emotional states and levels of familiarity with the Ombudsman’s role. From those insights, we built a layered communications framework – anchored in simplicity and empathy – that addressed the specific needs of each group. This included message architecture, tone guidance and audience segmentation tools to guide content development. Working in close partnership with the internal team, we ensured the framework could flex across digital, social and service touchpoints. The result? A practical roadmap to more inclusive engagement, without diluting legal or procedural rigour.

The framework is now being rolled out with strong early feedback from stakeholders. It is already shaping internal content and campaign development and is set to become a foundational guide for future communications. By grounding the plan in audience insight and practical application, we’ve helped the NSW Ombudsman communicate with greater clarity, empathy, and authority – ensuring their mission of fairness is better understood and more widely felt.