Renovate or Rebuild was a collaborative project that set out to increase the uptake of sustainable homes in the Australian residential sector. The show took an innovative approach to embed behavioural and building science into an engaging, yet informative and impactful TV series, that promoted and normalised sustainable homes. Research estimates this project could save Australians $600 million on their energy bills and would cost less than $1.60 for every tonne of greenhouse gas abated.
Innovation Summary
Innovation Overview
The NSW Government is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The residential sector accounts for 26% of NSW total emissions and therefore is essential to address in the path to net zero. However, reducing emission in this sector is incredibly complex. This is due to the multi layered governance and legislative structures, diverse stakeholder groups with diverging interests and diffused home ownership models. It is also a contested space, where industry pressures government to reduce regulation and increase affordability. Sustainability adds another level of complexity. The technology required to build sustainable homes exists however, there is limited consumer awareness. This means there is a lack of market demand and product differentiation.
The NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change led an iterative and collaborative process to help overcome these issues. The ‘Growing the Market for Sustainable Homes Industry Roadmap’ was the first document of its kind in Australia to articulate a voluntary, industry-led strategy to support the adoption of sustainable housing. Its research demonstrated latent market demand across the nation for more sustainable homes. It’s economic modelling also estimated a mass media strategy tapping into this demand could deliver Australia half a billion dollars investment in the construction sector, the creation of 7,000 new jobs and savings of $600 million on Australians’ energy bills.
The resulting Mass Media Communications Strategy established a flagship TV show, 'Renovate or Rebuild'. Its purpose was to increase consumer awareness of the benefits of sustainable homes and drive consumer demand and sales, as well as renovations of existing homes. Taking a systems level approach to drive change, the communications framework had three interconnecting levels:
- Level 1: A mainstream TV show to create awareness, interest and desire with lead stories featuring sustainable homes
- Level 2: Social media and ‘edutainment’ content, which combines entertainment and education, to continue the call to action
- Level 3: An impact community of aligned businesses and community groups who could help facilitate direct participation and connection the behaviour solutions for viewers.
In 2019, a pilot project tested the communications framework. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) conducted a research study with a 30-minute lifestyle pilot on YouTube and a survey of over 1,000 consumers. This research confirmed that a TV show could change consumers’ attitude and behaviour towards more sustainable homes. The Office also developed sales training to support associated sustainable product suppliers and builders on how to sell the benefits of their products. This training was later offered to all project sponsors to help ensure consumer demand led to sales. Following the success of the pilot, the project IP was licensed to industry partners (Blue Tribe Co, Josh Byrne Associates and Northlight Productions) who created a television series and broadcast on national television in October 2021.
With over 3.24 million views, this top-rated show achieved its purpose in delivering sustainability messages to viewers across Australia. The CSIRO’s evaluation results confirm the approach was successful in promoting awareness of sustainable homes. Viewers were significantly more likely to consider having a ‘home energy star rating above the minimum standards for Australia’ as a ‘must have feature’ after the TV series was broadcast, compared to before watching (25.8% increase from the base rate). Viewers also reported being significantly more likely to seek information and/or express intentions to purchase and/or install products that were featured in the show compared to non-viewers. In particular:
- Obtaining quotes for solar panels (57% of viewers compared to 39% of non-viewers) and/or battery storage (37% of viewers compared to 23% of non-viewers);
- Intending to buy solar panels to generate electricity for current and/or future properties (63% of viewers compared to 43% of non-viewers);
- Purchasing or intending to purchase uPVC windows (47% of viewers compared to 22% of non-viewers); and
- Purchasing or intending to purchase insulation (53% of viewers compared to 28% of non-viewers);
A second series of Renovate or Rebuild is being independently led, with filming commencing in late 2022. Broadcast is planned for March 2023. This second series will extend into electrification of homes. In addition, project partners are in early stages of planning up to three more television shows that are based on this same methodology.
Innovation Description
What Makes Your Project Innovative?
In a world first, Renovate or Rebuild employed a science-based mass media communications strategy to radically change the way Australians think and feel about sustainable homes. It involved the creation of a lifestyle TV Show that integrated the latest research in behavioural science to accelerate the uptake of sustainable homes in Australia’s residential sector. It was rigorous in its design, scientific foundation and supported with stringent monitoring and evaluation.
In the past, Government would use marketing approaches to shift consumer awareness. This approach has limited impact and is expensive. The Office was able to develop deeper engagement with the community through this project by:
- Building broad stakeholder engagement to understand the barriers /opportunity
- Using research and an iterative process to test ideas and stage investment
- Engaging partners to commercialise the project for scale
- Clear project to transition leadership and financial responsibility
What is the current status of your innovation?
The evaluation was completed in October 2022. The CSIRO empirically evaluated the extent to which ‘Renovate or Rebuild’ was successful in enhancing the awareness and desire for sustainable homes and housing features. Filming for Renovate or Rebuild season two started recently, it is planned to be broadcast in mid-2023. The aim of the Mass Media Communication Strategy was to develop a suite of mainstream TV shows and integrated communications approaches to make sustainable homes mainstream. Renovate or Rebuild is the first show under this strategy. Project partners are in the process of designing three other television shows that adopt this same methodology to create impact.
Innovation Development
Collaborations & Partnerships
- NSW Government initiated the project, engaged broadly with industry, provided seed funding and legitimacy of the project
- Blue Tribe Co’s entrepreneurial and commercial skills brought freedom to innovate outside of government systems and to commercialise for scale
- Northlight Productions and Josh Byrne Associates provided media and television production expertise
- CSIRO provided subject matter expertise and research to inform, evaluate and demonstrate outcomes.
Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
- Citizens have more awareness and understanding of the benefits of net zero and carbon ready homes. They are empowered to build and renovate their home to be more energy efficient, which will save money and increase health.
- Companies in the residential supply chain have a new market to sell products and services.
- Government has created an enabling environment that will support future policies and programs to increase sustainable homes.
Innovation Reflections
Results, Outcomes & Impacts
Renovate or Rebuild delivered 8 episodes of a new Lifestyle TV Show that premiered on television in October 2021. Across the series it received over 3.2 million views, who received messaging about the benefits of sustainable homes. The CSIRO’s evaluation found viewers were significantly more likely to consider having a ‘home energy star rating’ above the minimum standards as a ‘must have feature. Viewers also reported being significantly more likely to seek information and/or express intentions to purchase products that were featured in the show compared to non-viewers
Research prior to the project estimated that accelerating Australia’s transition to sustainable housing using this mass media communication could:
- Deliver more than half a billion dollars of extra investment in the construction industry by 2030
- Create over 7,000 new jobs
- Result in two-thirds of new homes being built to a zero energy standard by 2040, and
- Save Australians $600 million on energy bills
Challenges and Failures
Renovate or Rebuild was a new TV show by inexperienced project partners. This made it challenging to find sponsors and a broadcast partner. This was overcome with a pilot on YouTube and partnering with business’ who were aligned to the mission.
Filming the show across five Australian states in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic meant the team coordinated, replanned and overcome obstacles when state boarders closed. They also face capacity restrictions as well as nervous industry partners concerned about their business due to the pandemic. The day the show premiered, the team were faced with global outages across key delivery platforms, Facebook and Instagram.
The robust research design with real world audiences had to be adapted consistently to meet deadlines and achieve statistically significant results. Several strategies were used to recruit participants, including prize draws, appealing to altruistic motives, message framing and using paid panel participants.
Conditions for Success
The collaborative partnership between government, research and industry made this project a success. Organisation were strongly aligned to the goal - to create a market for sustainable homes. Each also had strengths and barriers to participating in this project.
- Government was able to fund the project and provide credibility.
- Research organisaion provided the evidence to enable government participation and to built the case for the project to progress.
- Industry partners were agile and able to build the commercial aspect of the project.
All this enabled the innovation to be scaled outside of government.
Replication
This approach taken with Renovate or Rebuild is designed to be scalable. It provides a communication template that can be used by others to drive mainstream action to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This could include wildlife, health and nutrition and social television programs
The team are exploring opportunities to diffuse the learnings from the project through other media partners interested in creating social impact through television. Project partners are also exploring opportunities to develop three further television shows focused on sustainable housing. Within the Office, the lessons regarding the integration of behavioural techniques into narratives will be used to make government messaging more engaging and effective.
Lessons Learned
The Office of Energy and Climate Change has taken a systems and behaviour-change approach that has differentiated it from more traditional Government programs. It has focused on engaging and working with the residential housing market, seeking to understand, enable and mobilise market-based action through a range of consumer- (demand-side) and industry- (supply-side) focused initiatives.
More recently, the focus of the work has shifted to inform and influence policy and regulation at both a NSW and a national level. The team have encouraged and reinforced market-based action through the design and implementation of voluntary residential energy ratings and disclosure frameworks.
This demonstrates that taking a longer-term, market based approach to policy development can support pathways to achieve net zero emissions.
Anything Else?
Renovate or Rebuild was the inaugural winner of the Communication for Impact category at the Australian Banskia Awards in 2022.
Supporting Videos
Status:
- Evaluation - understanding whether the innovative initiative has delivered what was needed
- Diffusing Lessons - using what was learnt to inform other projects and understanding how the innovation can be applied in other ways
Innovation provided by:
Media:
Files:
- Renovate-or-Rebuild-Season One Final Report 8 Aug 22 This is the project report by Blue Tribe outlining the activities that contributed to season one.
- Renovate or Rebuild Pilot Final Report
Date Published:
18 January 2023