As Hayball approached its 40th year, the leadership team saw an opportunity to celebrate past achievements while conveying a vision for the future. The challenge lay in leveraging regional nuances and building on existing state-based relationships to strengthen the consistency of Hayball’s design approach. With a mission to establish enduring architecture that is socially and sustainably relevant, the practice aimed to stand out in the market, showcasing its unique differentiation.

Despite its clear vision to design for social value, Hayball’s siloed approach to its state studios saw the practice evolve and work in varied ways, resulting in inconsistency and unclear communication for the project’s portfolio and successes on a national scale. With key projects and bodies of research underway requiring amplification, Hayball appointed Communications Collective (CC) to help celebrate its successful 4 decades of architecture and design for both B2B and B2C audiences. 

Via a strategic communications strategy and program, CC sought to communicate Hayball’s leading position with a focus on 40 years of designing iconic projects in Australia, leading with the key message of Hayball being a pioneer designing for social value. Through an established set of key messages and brand positioning tactics, as well as careful curation of communications materials to promote the practice, CC aimed to establish national brand recognition, emphasising the practice’s commitment to social value, communities, and its leading role as a thought leader in sustainable architecture. Noting that anniversary milestones are not widely seen as newsworthy in the media, CC creatively orchestrated an approach that saw research and data lead communications messaging – with qualitative and quantitative information packaged to illustrate Hayball’s commitment to social value over 40 years. 

Through a strategic partnership with CC, Hayball emerged as the key architecture practice identifiable for designing for social value. Achieving cut-through, and consistent amplification of key messages surrounding Hayball’s commitment to social impact, communities and sustainable design, CC’s strategy involved a comprehensive communications approach, including media campaigns and familiarisation tactics, thought leadership articles and commentary in trend articles, hosted events and industry speaking engagements, and strategic brand positioning. Milestone campaigns for research partnerships and project milestones, as well as thought leadership articles strategically placed in key sectors such as education and multi-residential, were curated with CC working closely with a diverse range of Hayball’s stakeholders. Hayball’s presence was amplified through hosted and industry events, speaking engagements, marketing support, and liaison with project partners, where all communications centralised on Hayball existing as the voice on designing for social value. This comprehensive approach ensured a consistent and impactful communication of Hayball’s vision in the lead-up, to and post, its 40-year celebration event. 

The execution of CC’s communications program proved highly successful, with Hayball positioned as the architects with the most highly regarded reputation in designing for social value across Australia. The practice became widely recognised as the voice of social value within the industry, with strategic communications efforts resulting in over 38 media references in key publications like the Australian Financial Review, Domain, Architecture Australia, Indesignlive, and more. Hayball’s presence in industry events, including The Urban Developer’s Urbanity Conference and Architecture & Design’s Sustainability Summit, further solidified its national standing. The program not only created corporate brand awareness but also showcased key projects and Hayball’s ongoing positive impact withiin the Australian built environment. Hayball, guided by CC’s program, was also able to cultivate new networks across sectors and media, achieving long-term benefits for its business goals and future media coverage. CC was pivotal in creating a distinguished brand direction for Hayball, simultaneously elevating awareness in a competitive corporate environment, while showcasing impactful past, current and future projects.