Optimism and Social Change: how to design public communication that works

Optimism and Social Change: how to design public communication that works Presenter: Joni Avram, International consultant, educator, and founder of Cause & Effect, Canada Joni Avram is an international consultant, educator, and founder of Cause & Effect, a social impact consultancy that works at the intersection of behavioural science, social marketing, public engagement, and evaluation. Joni has more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and public relations, with a Master’s in Behavioural Science and a professional background spanning law, politics, social impact design, and education. Through Cause & Effect, she has helped more than 100 organisations move from good intentions to measurable social change, working with government, not-for-profit, and business sector leaders. She holds an Adjunct position in the School of Business, Ambrose University, Canada. She is also an experienced facilitator and instructor who delivers professional development in purpose-driven marketing, behaviour change, and social impact practice. Her work emphasises the design, execution, and evaluation of interventions that move beyond awareness to achieve sustainable behavioural and organisational outcomes. Joni is a UWA Institute of Advanced Studies Visiting Fellow, whose visit is supported by Dr Uwana Evers, UWA Business School; Prof Paul Flatau, Director, UWA Centre for Social Impact, Associate Professor Julie Saunders, UWA School of Population and Global Health and Dr Katarina Damjanov, UWA School of Social Sciences. She will give a keynote speech at the Asia Pacific Social Marketing Conference (APSMC) Compassion, Complexity, and Change: Navigating a Polycrisis World, which is being held at UWA on 21-23 October 2026.