Douglas Wright has celebrated the 35th anniversary of his consultancy, Wrights Communication.
Wright, who founded the business in 1988, shared that one of the highlights of his career was the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) adopting a new constitution last week.
As a board member of the PRIA, he said the new constitution and new name for the association (Communication and Public Relations Australia – CPRA) will modernise the 74-year-old association in line with the progressive thinking of its members.
As a seasoned company director, entrepreneur, and governance expert, Wright has steered the consultancy with a clear focus on communication excellence. Under his leadership, the consultancy has provided counsel to a wide array of businesses and government entities, influencing communication strategies with impact, which he sees this as a vital role for the new CPRA.
Wright headed Ogilvy Public Relations in Australia before establishing his consultancy in Melbourne and later Sydney and London.
Reflecting on this milestone, Wright said: “Public relations and communication were in 1988 very much a subset of advertising. I knew editorial communication had a lot more power with consumers than advertising. PR had a lot more to offer, and if executed properly, people would be prepared to pay well for it. The obvious course of action was to go out and try it on my own.”
The company’s success lies in its ability to unearth the core issue, delving deeper through insightful questioning. This approach has not only defined Wrights’ strategic initiatives but also led to the nurturing of longstanding relationships with clients.
Over the years, Wrights Communication has been behind numerous landmark campaigns, including the launch of the Spring Racing Carnival in Victoria, pioneering online banking with ING Direct, and helping reinvigorate motorsport in Australia with the Shell Touring Car Championship (now V8 Supercars).
Looking ahead, Wright hopes to see the power of transparent communication counters disinformation.
“The truth has rarely been as under threat as it is now. It is so easy to misinform or just plain lie. The aspiration is for Wrights and firms like Wrights to gain respect as honest traders to fill the gaping hole that’s been vacated by some populist politicians, unethical and unskilled business people and sections of the media that make poor editorial decisions,” he said.
Wright remains a current board member of the PRIA (soon to be CPRA) and the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT) and has previously served on boards including Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre and St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research.
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Top image: Douglas Wright