Relevance under pressure: culture, credibility and the new rules of PR revealed at CommsCon 2026
CommsCon has added two new sessions to its 2026 program, bringing together senior B2B communications professionals and exclusive research into the state of Australian journalism and the media landscape.
Sally Davies, general manager of solo and embedded finance at MYOB, will co-present a case study on the launch of MYOB's new product, Solo.
New sessions for March’s CommsCon conference will focus on how strategic communications teams can build relevance in business audiences, strengthen media relationships, and adapt to structural change across newsrooms, platforms and public trust.
Australian accounting software firm MYOB will challenge the assumption that B2B brands sit outside mainstream cultural relevance during an exclusive case study session.
This session will examine how business brands can use culture to drive earned impact and audience attention.
Lia Pacquola, general manager of strategic communications at MYOB, and Sally Davies, general manager of solo and embedded finance at MYOB, will present a case study on the launch of MYOB’s new product, Solo.
Over two years, MYOB undertook deep audience research into Australia’s 1.6 million sole operators, with the communications function embedded from the earliest stages of product development.
The session will examine how PR worked alongside product to identify cultural truths around sustainable self-employment, using culture-led storytelling and partnerships to surface problems customers had not yet articulated.
As the product evolved, the communications strategy evolved in parallel, informed by audience insight rather than category norms.
Pacquola and Davies will unpack how earned strategy can sit at the centre of B2B brand-building, the benefits of working in a development squad framework, and how closer collaboration between product and communications teams can deliver more effective outcomes.
The session will also include an audience engagement element, with a pre-session survey capturing delegates’ pressures, priorities and working realities, shaping the discussion in real time.
What journalists think of themselves, AI – and you
The second session centres on the 2026 Medianet Media Landscape Report, released exclusively at CommsCon, which offers a snapshot of how Australian journalists see their profession, the role of AI, and their relationships with PR and comms professionals.
Presented by Amrita Sidhu, managing director of Medianet, the session will draw on research from interviews with hundreds of journalists, and Medianet’s latest findings on AI adoption and the state of corporate affairs.
Amrita Sidhu, managing director of Medianet will also be speaking at CommsCon 2026
Sidhu will examine the pressures facing journalists today — from workload and burnout to employment instability — alongside their perceptions of PR, outreach quality and the changing role of AI in journalism.
The session explores how these dynamics are reshaping newsrooms, influencing coverage decisions and shifting expectations of communicators.
Key findings will cover journalists’ views on AI, the fragmentation of media employment and social platforms, the rise of influencer-led journalism and the growing strain on public trust in news.
Session attendees will gain practical guidance for building stronger media relationships and adapting media strategy for 2026.
Together, the sessions reflect CommsCon’s focus on evidence-led communication, cultural relevance and the realities facing both sides of the media relationship at a time of rapid change.
Plus don’t forget, final entries for the Mumbrella CommsCon Awards close this Friday (12 December). These awards are your chance to make 2026 the most career-defining yet with the 26 categories set to spotlight standout talent and campaigns across a range of verticals, from business to consumer, government to pro-bono, and awards the best agencies and internal communications teams of all sizes.
