For 20 years Essential has worked
 with organisations to promote positive 
social change.

  • 2018
  • We launch Everybody’s Home, a campaign uniting the housing, homelessness & community sectors calling on our leaders to fix a broken system
  • We partner with Energy Consumers Australia, producing evidence-based Consumer Sentiment Surveys and digital product PowerCall
  • Energy Consumers Australia
  • 2017
  • We establish our Innovation Team, investing behind our best ideas to push our fields forward
  • In 2017, the Innovation team produced an election starter kit for organisations wishing to conduct rapid action campaigns for elections. 2018 projects include digital transformation and data visualisation
  • Goodstart Early Learning
  • We secure bipartisan commitment for increased family payments with Goodstart Early Learning
  • 2016
  • We help Goodstart Early Learning build a community of parents with the Smart Start campaign. We secure bipartisan commitment for increased family payments.
  • The Luke Batty Foundation
  • We work with Australian of the Year Rosie Batty to establish Never Alone
  • From 2015-2018, we work with Rosie Batty to deliver changes to Family Violence laws across Australia
  • Queensland’s first ever Minister for the Great Barrier Reef is appointed
  • Fight for the Reef
  • 2015
  • The Fight for the Reef campaign stops the building and expansion of ports along the Reef
  • We work with Australian Marine Conservation Society & WWF and this campaign plays a major role in the defeat of the Newman Government.
  • 2013
  • Adam Goodes launches campaign Racism, It Stops With Me, an advocacy campaign backed by Essential's human rights research.
  • Essential works with Adam Goodes on the research and messaging for Racism, It Stops With Me which includes conducting social research for Human Rights ROC
  • Fight for the Murray
  • Working with SA Premier Jay Weatherill we fought for the Murray – with success!
  • 2012
  • The Fight for the Murray campaign delivers an agreement for 3,200 gigalitres a year to flow across the SA border, protecting 17 of the 18 key environmental assets in the Murray River system in SA
  • The Every Australian Counts community launches & becomes the campaign we know today
  • Every Australian Counts
  • 2011
  • Every Australian Counts is one of Essential’s longstanding and most active campaign communities
  • Having worked with the campaign’s community from 2008, we begin running the Every Australian Counts campaign which secures bipartisan support for The National Disability Insurance Scheme.
  • 2010
  • We run the Greens Federal Election Campaign – they set a record & also achieve a Senator in every state for the first time
  • The Greens Federal Election Campaign
  • We grow again, establishing our Digital team
  • Save Our Marine Life
  • 2008
  • We create the campaign with Save Our Marine Life that leads to 12 new protected National Marine Parks
  • The Save Our Marine Life campaign runs from 2008 – 2012 and we continue movement building to reach a 100,000+ supporter list
  • Your Rights At Work
  • Your Rights At Work plays a primary role in Labor winning the 2007 Federal election
  • 2007
  • We campaign with ACTU with Your Rights at Work to remove Workchoices laws. This campaign was important in Labor securing the Federal Election.
  • The Australians for Affordable Housing campaign delivers $6B in funding for new social housing
  • Australians for Affordable Housing
  • We launch the first Essential Report – public polling on social issues affecting Australia
  • 165,000 hectares of Tasmanian Native Forests receive protection
  • The Wilderness Society
  • 2004
  • We work with the with the Wilderness Society on a campaign to protect Tasmanian forests
  • The campaign delivers protection for 165,000 hectares of native forests in Tasmanian National Parks.
  • Peter Lewis is appointed Company Director and the Sydney office is established
  • 2003
  • 2001
  • We campaign to secure passage of the bill to declare 5 new Marine National Parks in Victoria
  • 2000
  • We campaign for the environment, winning passage of the bill to declare Box-Ironbark National Parks in Victoria
  • We grow, establishing our Market Research Team
  • 1999
  • Bracks Government is elected on a platform of 1000 extra police and $0.5B of investment in schools
  • The campaign delivers a big outcome for two of our clients, The Police Association and The Australian Education Union.
  • The Police Association
  • The Australian Education Union
  • We work with the ACTU on a campaign on the Dock’s dispute with the Patrick Corporation & the Federal Government
  • 1998
  • 1997
  • Essential Media Communications is formed, our first client is the Australian Education Union