Coercive Control: Creative development and concept testing
Client:
Department of Communities and Justice
Project:
Coercive Control Development and Testing
Industry/sector:
Government
Date of execution:
2023-2025
Services:
Communication strategies, translations and community engagement
At a glance
Cultural Perspectives partnered with the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to develop and test a culturally-responsive public awareness campaign addressing coercive control in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities across NSW. The campaign supported the rollout of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Act 2022, and targeted large language communities with low English proficiency: Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic and Vietnamese.
With input from these communities, we developed an inclusive, linguistically accessible and trauma-aware campaign, underpinned by evidence and trust-building engagement.
Subject matter
Coercive control, abuse prevention, legal awareness and family violence.
Demonstrated expertise
Campaign strategy, concept testing, research, community consultation, translation and typesetting.
Project description
Objectives
To design and deliver a multilingual awareness campaign explaining coercive control to CALD communities in NSW, in the lead-up to the law’s enforcement. The campaign aimed to raise awareness, reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking behaviours through tailored messaging and culturally-safe content.
What Cultural Perspectives delivered
A fully developed CALD campaign strategy and asset suite, with community-tested creative concepts and inclusive messaging
Expert media planning advice for CALD channels in partnership with DCJ and master media agency OMD
Two initial creative concepts for testing, refined through community feedback
Consultation and testing sessions with each target language group
A final suite of translated creative assets, including:
- Social tiles
- Press ads
- WeChat and Weibo content
- Posters
- Radio scripts
- Social storiesAll materials provided to the media agency, with media instructions and delivery assets completed.
Key activities
Research and strategic development
Conducted an initial desktop review drawing on internal experience, external sources and market data from the RFQ
Worked in partnership with DCJ and OMD to design a multichannel media plan, spanning social media (Meta, Weibo, WeChat), radio, print and out-of-home placements.
Consultation and concept testing
Facilitated language- and gender-specific focus groups (60 minutes each), including briefing and wellbeing protocols
Provided pre- and post-session surveys to gather comparative insights
Ensured safe participation through trauma-informed facilitation and Full Stop Australia support
Analysed feedback to refine messages and creative assets for linguistic nuance and cultural sensitivity.
Creative and production
Wrote, translated and produced radio scripts in multiple formats for platform flexibility
Developed articles, posters and visual content, adapting tone and format per channel
Translated all assets through NAATI-certified translators, with a multi-step peer-review process to ensure quality and accessibility
Typeset all assets for final delivery across formats.
Key outcomes
The final creative concept was tested and validated across Arabic, Assyrian, Cantonese, Farsi, Filipino, Korean, Mandarin, Punjabi and Vietnamese communities. It reflected lived experiences, community feedback and accessibility principles.
Deliverables included a cross-platform campaign asset suite, translated in full and adapted for digital and print, with content ready for targeted distribution across CALD media and community channels. The outcome was a campaign that could resonate deeply, deliver clarity and help build trust among CALD audiences on the sensitive issue of coercive control.
IAP2 spectrum of public participation
Above: The Coercive Control creative development and concept testing fell within the consult phase of the IAP2 spectrum of public participation.
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