RIO TINTO: INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP

In the past decade, we have interviewed over 800 employees in mining. Of those interviews, proudly more than 50% were for our work in the Indigenous space. This has included having conversations with Traditional Owners and Indigenous Community Elders about the things that matter to them most. This work has given us an unparalleled and deep understanding of the need for inclusivity and diversity for Indigenous People across all industries.

• Read the story.

  Rio Tinto made a commitment to increase Indigenous leadership within the organisation in order to improve strategic decision-making, change culture, help unlock the business value of relationships with Traditional Owners and help chart the future direction of the business.

  After such a significant incident in 2020 their biggest challenge was how to authentically regain trust and at the same time attract, retain and grow Indigenous talent within the organisation.

  Research

  We worked hard to collect the dots before we tried to connect them. We spent countless hours interviewing both Indigenous and non-Indigenous employees to understand their felt experience within the organisation.

  We knew from this research that we needed to do some truth telling and acknowledge the pain people were feeling in the business through story telling post Juukan Gorge. We also knew we needed to do a better job of telling the stories of the incredible Indigenous leaders within the business who believed the company had what it takes to achieve success and drive change from the inside out.

  Brand Development

  We created a brand for Indigenous Leadership within Rio Tinto that empowered the mission and set high expectations for all involved; acting as a badge of pride to drive forward the social change and business transformation the team is committed to achieving.

  Our handcrafted logo was designed by Indigenous artist Lynicce Church, from the Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi tribes. The meaning is embedded into the design and acts as more than a mark - it is by nature a symbol of change for the business.

  Finally, each of the colours in our final palette represent core elements of country; Pilbara red for the richness of the earth and the depth of the work being done to change, black for commitment, bright blue for the sky and endless opportunities, green for the colour of trees and growth and sun yellow to symbolise energy.

  We Feel & We're Changing Content

  Strategy: Rio Tinto employees had not had a chance to talk openly about how they felt after the Juukan Gorge disaster in 2020. From our research, we knew that in order to build a new future with bright Indigenous minds and empowered employees we needed to deal with the now, be vulnerable and show how "we feel" as real people of Rio Tinto. We did this through a series of short stories and one long form video that humanised the response to Juukan Gorge and gave hope for the future. Getting senior leaders who were involved in the delivery to tell the story of what has been done (and is being done) would also be the most powerful way to showcase progress.

  The We Feel & We're Changing videos were played at the 2021 AGM in London and were widely received as a hallmark for success when it comes to authentic storytelling within the business.

  Cultural Connection Content

  We partners with the Cultural Connection team to create all the video content to go within their online training platform; aimed at increasing cultural education and capability within the organisation.

  Heritage Awareness Team

  The Heritage Team came to us with a challenge to turn their online education content into a video series. We partnered with them to deliver a series of 10 videos that are now being used to educate new starters (as well as the wider business) on what, when, how, why and where cultural heritage awareness comes into play within the organisation.

  Weipa Seeds

  This project celebrates the partnership Rio has with Indigenous Traditional Owners and Community to rehabilitate the land on which the business operates.

  Two-Way Mentoring

  An incredible initiative that partners Rio Tinto leaders with rising Indigenous employees, offering both the mentor and mentee the opportunity a learning opportunity. This was delivered as a content series featuring the mentors and their mentees discussing the value exchange of the program.

The Indigenous Leadership logo was created by Indigenous artist Lynnice Church from the Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi Tribes.

• The “I” represents a person and the beginning of their leadership journey.

• The circle represents our collective culture as Indigenous people and the importance of coming together to listen, learn and share. This process of sharing builds individual, community and organisational leadership skills, knowledge and experience.

• The “S” represents the continuation of the leadership journey where individuals take their learnings and implement them at work and in the community. It acknowledges that each person's journey is different and unique, but an effective leader is able to create a shared vision and bring people along the journey with them.

DIVERGER

ASX listed company Easton Investments acquired a suite of businesses and soon realised their expansion plans under the Easton name, brand and branding no longer made sense.

• Read the story.

  Brand Workshops

  We conducted a series of research and individual brand workshops with key leaders across the five businesses within Easton Investments. Our goal was to uncover what made each entity unique while identifying the common threads that connected them all.

  From these workshops, we distilled the unifying DNA elements and highlighted what made each business in the portfolio distinctive. These insights would be the foundation for their future positioning.

  As we progressed, it became evident that aligning Easton Investments' new strategic direction and vision required a fresh name and brand. This would not only reflect their current beliefs and vision for success but also create a cohesive identity across their portfolio.

  By having the right people involved in our workshops, we ensured that the decision to rename and rebrand was met with strong support and enthusiasm.

  Naming

  Through a meticulous process involving naming workshops, master lists, IP checks, and testing, Diverger was chosen as the new name. A new name can significantly impact a business when it aligns with the company’s identity, future direction, and desired market position—or it can be just superficial change. The success ratio depends on how well internal alignment matches the new name and how effectively the brand’s story is communicated externally.

  Naming a business is a science, and we employ a specific formula to create a shortlist of names and score them, allowing businesses to understand what will work—not just what they prefer.

  Branding

  To complement the new Diverger name, we needed a brand identity that embodied its meaning: divergent thinking, visualizing the big picture, and organizing smaller details into a cohesive whole. This had to be expressed through design, language, and the conduct of the people within the business.

  We also redefined the brand architecture, aligning all other brands within the portfolio to demonstrate their collective strength. We subtly unified the portfolio by incorporating the D navigation logo across all brands.

  Website

  When ASX investors first hear about a tax and advisory group shaking up the industry, where do they go? The web. And how quickly do they judge the business’s quality based on its online presence? Instantly.

  Diverger needed a website that communicated their new vision and innovative approach to the industry. They also wanted to tell their brand story more effectively, ensuring that it was presented with simplicity and elegance.

  We designed a website that fulfilled these needs, providing key messaging and carefully curated brand images to bring Diverger’s vision to life visually.

“When we reformed the board, management and growth strategy for Easton Investments, it was critical to re-launch the company to the market with a refreshed identity that stood out from the pack. Our partnership with Emerger was critical to this process and creating the new Diverger name and brand identity has really allowed us to stand out from our peers and carve a new message to the market. I was pleased to hear from a competitor recently that they had completed a competitor brand review and concluded ours was the best brand positioning in the market. ”

— Nathon Jacobsen; Managing Director