Business Principles

We strive to make client work have a meaningful impact. This sets a foundation for trust on which a long-term relationship can be built. Our experience validates that if we exceed clients’ expectations, our commercial success follows.

The quality of our lives is governed by the quality of our communication. Summit is a home for skilful communicators. We believe in people who the aptitude to research in pursuit of truth, articulate bold ideas, and write persuasively to move minds.

Our strengths are our talent, relationships and reputation. If any of these are ever eroded, the last is the toughest to rebuild. We are committed to complying fully with the letter and spirit of the law, industry code of conduct and these guiding principles. Sustained success depends upon staunch loyalty to this standard.

We work with each client to identify a singular strong idea that can be executed through a minimal number of tactic(s) and promise the greatest potential. This minimises a client’s cost and risk. When opportunities emerge, we scale up. Regardless of the size of the client organisation, our policy is to execute their tactical work at the highest level of competence, but at the lower rate of internal cost. This means their bill for senior staff is kept to a minimum. This respectful long-range view to client relationships echoes our integrity and keeps our reputation intact.

Our purpose is to help Australia find its national ambition. We do this through the leaders we seek to work with. Our role is to operate a profitable enterprise that produces communications that have enduring value and spark catalytic growth. Remaining profitable is vital for our improvement, as it allows us to grow our assets and attract the best people. We continually seek new mechanisms that align the interests of our clients, partners and our team.

We derive deep satisfaction from creating work that is well regarded by its intended audience. We have a hardnosed resolve to achieve reach and depth in our communication campaigns. If we were pressed to make the decision, we’d choose to be the best in the business rather than the biggest by resources.

We transparently encourage potential recruits to orientate themselves with the PRIA’s Professional Qualifications Framework, as this, along with these principles, is a lens we use to identify and hire the best people for the job. We promote a hierarchy of equal opportunity, competence and integrity. In the media relations and communication business, we can only be the best firm, if we are a culture made up of the best people.

Curiosity drives great work. We ask questions rather than make assumptions. This commitment to research helps us construct an evidence base that gives every person involved in a client’s PR, communication and marketing unflinching confidence to move minds. Internally, we take a journalistic approach to client discussions, so they yield the depth and insight that can fuel a clear communication strategy and decreases performance risk.

We get passionate about the projects we take on. While traditional practices can be relied upon to achieve outcomes with a rhythmic predictability, we’re always willing to venture into the chaos of the unknown in such of innovative methods to solve problems. Some of our boldest and most enduring work is the by-product of imagination, determination – and a visionary client who was willing to meet us halfway.

We are proud to be an independent firm, we answer to our clients and ourselves. We invest in the personal growth and advancement of our people – this gives us courage in the work we do for clients and earns us the privilege of becoming their trusted and resilient partner. Our past engagements give our team benchmarks that can form the chassis of a client’s winning strategy.

We champion teamwork. While individual character and creativity are always encouraged, nothing trumps the result from a collaborative team. We have no space for individuals who place their personal vocation or hobbies ahead of the interests of the firm and its clients.

We respect the integrity of journalists and recognise their reputational position, both to their audience-base and their colleagues at the media organisation they represent. As such, clients are encouraged not to lean on these relationships as a rite-of-passage for coverage. Disseminating false or misleading information would be not only be reckless and improper – but unthinkable.

We relentlessly aim to anticipate the needs of our clients and to innovate new solutions and methods to meet those needs. We know that the world of media moves very rapidly and that complacency is one step away from elimination.

Truth and integrity are at the heart of our business. Each of us maintain principled and high professional standards in everything we do, both in our work for the firm and in our personal lives.