Changing Your Customer’s Opinions
The former managing director for Facebook Australia & New Zealand has some very strong opinions about how social media and modern communication technology is changing the way people form their opinions.
The question is are you up to speed with how your customers form opinions about your brand?
Stephen Scheeler, the former managing director of Facebook Australia and New Zealand, points out that “we have entered an era where technology in good and not so good ways is impacting how humans do lots of different things and one is how they form opinions."
Stephen has concerns about how rapidly technology has transformed the way people build and change their opinions. He feels strongly that the accelerated changes are so great that even an insider with his experience cannot fully understand what is happening.
And although he is specifically referring to the way social media may have influenced the recent Australian elections, these concerns hold true for understanding your consumers and how they form opinions about your brand. What does this mean for your organisation?
The first thing to realise is that you can’t leave your head in the sand. The advertising world is rapidly changing and you need to get onboard with that. If you think that your advertising approach from even 5 years ago is up to date then you need to revisit the way you market your brand.
Targeted advertising is taking a larger share of audience than ever before so you need to know who your audience is in much greater segmentation detail than ever before. You can no longer assume the average grocery buyer is a mum with two children for example.
You also need to know how your consumer interacts and communicates with their community. As Ariadne Vromen, professor of political sociology at the University of Sydney, points out, social media “can be used to shore up your base, delivering messages to them as you know other forms of traditional advertising aren’t working”.
Ariadne adds that it isn’t only the young but older people who are using Facebook to verify opinions and establish trust in products and organisations. Social media is a powerful tool that has transformed the way your customers modify their opinions and you need to ensure you’re using it appropriately for your customer base.
Finally, you, as a business owner, need to invest more in your data collection and analysis tools. Build an expert marketing team and create an holistic approach to your advertising that talks to your consumers where and when they’re listening.
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
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9.8% Yes! New Year, New Me
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22% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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68.1% Nah - not for me
By-election for Otara-Papatoetoe area
Just to let everyone know that we have another by-election happening, and here is the reason why. Below are details and dates, so keep an eye on your letter boxes.
The Manukau Court’s Ruling
The Manukau District Court determined that the Papatoetoe subdivision result of the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board election was invalid, ruling that the outcome had been “materially affected” by voting irregularities. Judge Richard McIlraith found that the scale and nature of the irregularities met the legal threshold required to void an election under New Zealand’s local electoral laws.
In his decision, Judge McIlraith stated that the evidence presented — including reports of stolen voting papers, fraudulent use of ballots, and other procedural irregularities — was sufficient to conclude that the integrity of the election had been compromised. The court noted that at least 79 voting papers were identified as having been cast without the rightful voter’s knowledge during a judicially supervised examination of ballot boxes.
While the judge acknowledged that the election had been administered “properly and in accordance with all requirements” by Independent Election Services and the electoral officer, he concluded that the fraudulent activity originated outside the official process and nonetheless impacted the final result to a degree that required the election to be voided.
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered that a new election must be held, with Auckland Council confirming that the fresh poll must be completed by 9 April 2026
Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
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85.2% Same!
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14.8% Would have liked to try something different
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