In September 2008, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) commissioned Senate to conduct interviews of 10 chief executives of large businesses operating in New Zealand to better understand business attitudes towards “community-based initiatives”, particularly family violence programmes. The research project was important to help MSD (and other agencies) to:
- Identify the key drivers affecting businesses’ willingness (or not) for supporting anti-violence messages such as the “It’s not OK” campaign.
- Use the above knowledge to inform “the offer” to prospective business partners for MSD’s Many Voices campaign.
The research project followed a MSD and Families Commission workshop in August 2008 at which participants agreed that the main reasons for seeking partnerships with businesses were to:
- Tap into the credibility of businesses, and through their endorsement of the campaign, gain greater reach and impact for our messages.
- Work with companies that wish to be community leaders, to assist with their contributions to their communities and improve the workplace environment for employees.
This paper outlines the interview process, summarises key findings, and concludes with ideas and recommendations for future communications with prospective business partners for the Many Voices campaign.