Initiative
Initiative Australia unlocks business growth for the world’s most ambitious brands. We believe in the power of media to reshape our industry and orchestrate a brand’s entire consumer experience. We do this through a process called Fame & Flow™. Initiative Australia builds Fame & Flow™ for brands like Amazon, LEGO, Bunnings, IAG, Industry Super Funds, WA Tourism and Sanitarium, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. In May 2023, Initiative Australia was recognised on the global stage and was named as Global Media Agency of the Year by Campaign in recognition of the agency’s culture and its outstanding work across its client portfolio.
- Website initiative.com
- Company Size 101-500
- Primary Location Sydney
- Categories Advertising and Creative Agency, Digital Advertising Agency, Media Agency
Overview
Initiative Australia has annihilated records for +3 years in terms of momentum, recognition, industry contribution and cultivating a world leading culture.
That said, we believe when you’re leading the industry you have a responsibility to change it. From activating automation, funding fertility, to creating now iconic campaigns, Initiative Australia has redefined work-life in media.
And when it comes to our culture, we reset expectations about what life can be like working in media across the entire employee experience, by implementing market-leading initiatives for pre-industry recruitment, progression while at Initiative, and for life beyond.
Now, that takes Initiative.
Company Values
A business that invests in people’s lives, not just their careers? That takes Initiative.
We are Initiative by name, initiative by nature. We invest in programs that give people the control to become industry leaders, agitators, and provocateurs.
Our employee promise is where you come to accelerate your growth and do the best work of your career, and as a result the Initiative community is amongst the most diverse and talented in the industry. We champion what makes each person unique, while creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and can be their authentic selves. Led by our four key values, or I’s of Initiative:
- Individ(you)ality: You bring your genuine and unique self to and into work, everyday.
- Instinct: You’re tuned in and armed with intelligence; you have a bias for action sh*t happens when you’re around.
- Imagination: Your ability to imagine and bring to life the ideas, solutions, and the future of Initiative, makes us THE creative media agency in the world.
- Impact!: You care deeply about the impact you have on our clients, their customers, our community, the media landscape, and our world at large.
Culture
At Initiative, we understand that true commitment to your people takes sacrifice, which is why we have put our money where our mouth is to tangibly invest in our people’s happiness.
Investing in Choice
To walk the talk on inclusive investment, we launched an industry redefining people program that invested in life benefits, over corporate ones. The Choice Charter™ is a formal bill of rights for our people, backed by industry-leading funding, flexibility, and formal policies to empower choice without sacrifice, such as funding fertility with up to $7,500 grants for services including IVF and egg freezing, paid-leave entitlements for parental loss to allow for necessary recovery, extended primary carer maternity cover leave, and so much more.
Last year we doubled down, raising the overall program investment, added in period and menopause leave, and expanded the program beyond females to all genders.
Investing in Connection & Culture
In 2023, we turned what most agencies do as a ‘conference’ into a full-blown Coachella style festival, bringing together over 200 staff across our Sydney, Melbourne and Perth offices to unite and connect for a fun and engaging three days at the picturesque Glenworth Valley on the NSW Central Coast. In true INI-style we went above and beyond setting up glamping tents to sleep under the stars, breathwork and ice baths, morning yoga and mindfulness bushwalks, all alongside inspirational fireside chats with diverse external speakers, culminating in a party complete with bonfire and drone show!
Investing in Flex
We consolidated our position as the markets most-flexible agency, introducing Unlimited Leave (yes, unlimited!), to complement our monthly Mental Fitness days. 100% of employees have their own personalised flexibility plan, and the opportunity to work remotely anywhere in our global network.
No one likes working on their birthday, that’s why you don’t have to. If your birthday falls on a workday, we don’t want to see you in the office or online, go enjoy you!
Investment in Change
Whether it’s our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), LGBTQIA+, gender inclusion, or diversity in all its forms, we have committees, policies, and programs for everyone.
Six credentialed micro-boards have been established to empower people to accelerate inclusion. Led by over 45 Initiative citizens across three markets, these micro-boards deliberate on new inclusive policies, programs and practices to increase inclusion; from LGBTQIA+ Pride, Environmental Sustainability, Wellness, to DE&I representation.
Investing in Growth
Each year four of our team are selected to travel to another international office to learn and be inspired, and then talk to their experience. It’s called our Emily in Paris program.
This is alongside Campfire™, a selective and exclusive three-day camp, taking high performing staff to a memory-making location for an immersive three-day pitch simulation, building executive leadership and experience.
Benefits
Joining Initiative means you’ll have access to all of the benefits on offer to the staff of the IPG Mediabrands group. As well as the benefits below, we offer:
Internal Mobility: Mediabrands supports career progression. We continuously offer opportunities for you to explore career development across different agencies and geographies in our domestic and global network.
Period Policy: For those women or people whose symptoms become unmanageable while working, Mediabrands offers 6 days of paid leave, in addition to existing sick leave entitlements.
Birthday Leave: No one likes working on their birthday, that’s why you don’t have to. If your birthday falls on a workday, we don’t want to see you in the office or online, go enjoy yourself!
Orion Deals: We want our people (and their families) to have access to the best rewards in town, including discount movie tickets, Foxtel deals and 10-20% off retailers and more!
Leave+: Access to paid leave once you have exhausted your annual leave balance. It does not replace your annual leave days, it is an addition to it for when you really need it.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Whether its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), LGBTQ+, gender inclusion, or diversity in all its forms, we have committees, policies, and programs for everyone.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Flexibility is super important for all our people,that’s why we have a hybrid working model both in and out of the office. We also have 4pm Fridays!
Professional Development
Our internal and industry programs are designed to ensure your success at every stage.
Health & Wellness
Free counselling support services, personality quizzes, assistance in crisis, proactive wellbeing, anytime tips and a wellbeing learning product.
Recognition
The true sign of thriving culture is thriving talent, and Initiative proudly boasts the deepest stable of stars who consistently win the most prestigious individual local and global award accolades.
Initiative has proudly built a reputation of delivering powerful culture-defining work. In a year and climate where caution reigned supreme, Initiative produced its most impactful and effective work yet.
