Changing lives from the back of a dunny door: Insights from Peter McLean

Preparation is everything. The advice I’d give my younger self is: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Always take the time to truly understand your subject matter. Being well-prepared not only boosts your confidence but also positions you to handle any curveballs with ease. 

The key has always been teamwork. Success is rarely an individual effort; you're only as strong as your weakest link. Supporting one another, rolling up your sleeves, and stepping in wherever you're needed creates an environment of trust where everyone thrives. Collaboration and adaptability are what drive growth, both personally and as a team. 

For over two years, our team have been part of a fortnightly professional development program, encompassing emotional intelligence, leadership and how to harness artificial intelligence to drive innovation and efficiency. Our Head of Training definitely challenges us and has introduced us to new ways of approaching our work; I’ve found the whole program really beneficial. 

I’m grateful to work in a business which puts its people first. COVID brought massive challenges to the sustainability of so many small businesses across the world. Our leadership team kept on top of the latest science and public health advice and took extensive measures to protect our team from the virus. We made - and delivered on - a commitment that not a single member of our team would lose their job, providing our staff with financial certainty during a time of unprecedented change. 

Federal, state and territory governments put their faith in our bathroom messaging channel to deliver critical COVID-19 public health messages to local communities across the country. The ability to directly engage audiences through Quick Response (QR) codes, and deliver tailored public health messages in different languages to match local diversity demographics was critical. There was zero room for error or delays when it came to updating government program creatives, as the health advice was evolving so rapidly. Looking back, it was an amazing experience to be part of - though I hope we never see a pandemic like that again in my lifetime. 

Our staff group were recently privileged to hear from an Organ and Tissue Authority ambassador about the impact of the DonateLife organ donation program we’ve run throughout our national bathroom network in shopping centres, pubs, airports and education facilities for the last couple of years. It was important for our operations and broader team to hear first-hand that their work had directly contributed to converting over 11,000 Australians to register as an organ donor. The fact they heard this directly from a woman whose own life was saved by an organ transplant was even more powerful. 

I’d be lying if I said the responsibility of delivering critical public health programs never keeps me awake at night. It’s a privilege to be entrusted to deliver these messages, which can make such a difference to the health of people in our community - messages about bushfire preparation, seeking help for depression and anxiety or, obviously, the COVID information programs. 

You’re right though, working in bathroom advertising does have its humorous moments. I never thought I’d end up being known to my mates as the “Dunny Door Poster Guy”. Clients often ask me how long people actually spend in a public bathroom. The answer may surprise you: research shows average dwell time in male public bathrooms is 136 seconds, increasing to 166 seconds for women. When you realise that most ads on social media don’t reach the 2.5 seconds audience attention threshold necessary for the human brain to compute and memorise a message, that makes the bathroom environment a unique environment for advertising. 

That’s like asking me to name my favourite child. Meaningful messaging has been in Convenience Advertising’s DNA since we were established 40 years ago to deliver life-saving health messages to high risk groups during the global HIV crisis in the 80s. I’ve been lucky to work with some brilliant brains from the government and public health sector. I love seeing how focus testing with the affected audience can really optimise an existing message for the bathroom environment; you can’t beat user-centred design. 
 
If I had to pick one issue where I think we’ve been able to make a real difference it would be the road safety programs with the Traffic Accident Commission (TAC). The opportunity to deliver a gender-specific drink driving message in a person’s natural line of sight on the back of a toilet cubicle door for over 2 minutes, at the critical moment before they order that extra drink or get behind the wheel… that’s a unique and powerful messaging opportunity. In marketing-speak we’re reaching that audience at the loci of risk and engagement. In lay person’s terms, it’s all about putting the right message, in front of the right audience, at the right time. If you do that, you’re giving your program every chance of success.