Creative and PR agencies appointed for 2021 Census

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) announced today it has partnered with creative and public relations agencies to help inform people about the 2021 Census and inspire participation.

BMF Australia has been appointed to develop Census advertising, while Horizon Communication Group will assist with public relations.

Specialist agency 33 Creative will work with ABS to deliver culturally appropriate communication and advertising for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and Etcom will work in the area of culturally and linguistically diverse people.

ABS Census Executive Director and national spokesperson Andrew Henderson said that the Census is Australia’s largest statistical collection, and it’s crucial for everyone to take part.

“To get an accurate picture of the make-up of our country and its people, we need everyone in Australia to participate in the Census. It’s a challenge that we are well placed to meet.

“We are pleased to welcome our campaign partners BMF Australia, Horizon Communication Group, 33 Creative and Etcom to the Census team.

“Together with our campaign partners, we’ll be showing that participation in the Census has a real benefit to individuals, local communities, governments, businesses and researchers,” Mr Henderson said.

The campaign will complement the work of 30,000 Census staff from communities right around Australia to help ensure everyone is included.

The Census is a snapshot of who we are and tells the story of how we are changing. It is one of the largest and most important statistical collections undertaken by the ABS.

Tuesday 10 August 2021.

People will be able to complete the Census online, on their mobile device, or on paper. There will be a number of options available for people who need assistance to complete their Census form including help from Census field staff, and phone and online help.

For the first time in Australia’s Census history, there will be a window of time to complete the Census, rather than a single night. This will make it easier for people to fill in their form at a time that best suits them.

The ABS will also introduce new questions in the 2021 Census – the first changes to questions collected in the Census since 2006. The new questions are on long-term health conditions, such as arthritis and diabetes, and on defence force participation.

Census data tells us about the economic, social and cultural make up of Australia. It is used to inform many things, from planning schools, health care, roads and business, to local services for individuals, families and communities.

We are currently conducting a large-scale test. The test is used to make sure the Census is easy for people to complete, our processes work, and that the Census form captures the right information.

In November 2020 we will publish a report which outlines the final topics to be included in the 2021 Census and our plans for how and when we will release the data collected.

Learn about how community organisations use Census data through our ‘Your Census Counts’ videos.