Taxpayers slugged $220k for controversial Bureau of Meteorology rebrand

The Bureau of Meteorology has eased up on its rebrand demands, conceding people can refer to the agency “any way they wish”.

The Bureau of Meteorology has backtracked on its controversial $220,000 brand “refresh”, conceding the Australian public and the media can refer to the agency “any way they wish”.

On Tuesday, the agency issued a bizarre request declaring it no longer wanted to be called the BoM.

But a BoM spokesman on Thursday said: “The community is welcome to refer to the Bureau in any way they wish, including referring to us as the ‘BoM’.”

“It is up to individual media outlets to determine their style guidelines,” the spokesman said.

The backdown came two days after the agency asked media outlets to update their editorial style and came less than 24 hours after it was revealed the refresh cost more than $220,000.

It had earlier been reported that this rebrand set the BoM back $70,000, however Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s office has confirmed the total cost came in at $220,296.

Era-Co, which describes itself as an “experience consultancy”, were paid $118,000 to work on the “visual style, brand position and logo” and to conduct research.

Tanya Plibersek in the BoM’s Space Weather Forecasting Centre. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

PR firm The C Word Communications Agency won the $70,000 contract to provide “communication and implementation planning support”.

And $32,000 was spent on implementing the refresh, which included developing “pull-up banners to support community engagement and media engagement for each state and territory” and “design support”.

Ms Plibersek said she had urgently asked for information about all the costs and contracts entered into under the previous government in relation to this rebrand.

“The Bureau of Meteorology, the BOM - Australians will make up their own minds about what they call it,” she said.

“What matters is accurate and timely weather information for communities, particularly during severe weather like we’re experiencing right now.

“That’s where my focus is. People are hurting.”

BoM stands by bizarre rebranding

The Bureau of Meteorology is standing by its bizarre request to no longer be called the BoM.

The request, which caused a social media storm, was issued in a statement on Tuesday and was seemingly prompted by the flood crisis devastating the country’s southeast.

But in a second statement, the BoM stood firm on its request and said the costly “refresh” had not diverted resources dedicated to understanding and communicating the weather.

“Until now, our name and visual identity were expressed differently across content and channels,” the statement read.

“Feedback from a wide range of customers, partners, stakeholders and staff has been that this variability can sometimes impact negatively on the effectiveness of our messaging.

“Using our full name reflects the way in which the organisation is named in the Meteorology Act 1955.

“The refresh in our visual identity has not in any way diverted resources that are dedicated to understanding and communicating the weather, nor has it impacted in any way on the timely and accurate delivery of our forecasts and warnings.”

Earlier, the BoM said the “ever-increasing number of severe weather events” meant it was crucial that its insights, wisdom, data and information were shared, understood and acted upon.

“To support this need, the Bureau of Meteorology asks that media outlets update editorial style to ensure references to the organisation are by its full name, the Bureau of Meteorology or the Bureau for short, and not BoM or the Weather Bureau,” the statement said.

Now is not the time for style guide changes, BOM.

— Tyler Maher (@tylermaher5) October 18, 2022

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology no longer wants to be referred to as "the BoM" #vicfloodspic.twitter.com/yHTgSu8Dtx

— Anthony Lucas (@AnthonyLucas30) October 18, 2022

But soon after the alert was issued on Tuesday morning, it emerged that the BoM had contracted a communications firm to help drive a rebrand, which included the name change and adopting new social media handles.

The contract with The C Word Communications Agency was worth $69,000 and ran from September 2021 to January 2022, according to the Australian Government’s procurement information system, AusTender.

The former “chief communicator” at The C Word Communications Agency – who worked for the firm from April 2008 to Dec 2021 – now works for the BoM, according to his LinkedIn profile.

His profile states he was employed by the organisation in November 2021 as a senior manager in “communications delivery” and still holds that role.

the weather bureau: do not call us the BOM

also the weather bureau: pic.twitter.com/8GZrDC2Iju

— casey briggs (@CaseyBriggs) October 17, 2022

I still call it "Safeway" so honestly the BOM stands no chance with me

— anna spargo-ryan (@annaspargoryan) October 18, 2022

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the rebrand began under the previous government, for reasons “I don’t quite understand”.

“During this time of severe weather and flood disaster, I’m not focused on the name of the agency,” Ms Plibersek said.

“I am focused on making sure the Bureau of Meteorology is providing the most accurate and timely information to communities affected by floods.”

The BoM alert told media outlets that when referring to the organisation, they should write Bureau of Meteorology in the first instance and the Bureau subsequently.

“Please update your style guides accordingly,” it said.

The BoM finished by stating that to support its change, it would update its Twitter handle to the @TheBureau_Au and its state handles to @TheBureau_VIC, @TheBureau_NSW and so on.

However, within minutes of issuing its alert, individuals were quick to snatch these handles and prevent the BoM from claiming them as its own.

The person who created a Twitter account with the handle @TheBureau_WA took aim at the BoM in its first post.

“We know half the country is under water, and that we should be preparing for all the cyclones that’ll hit WA this year, but rest assured our top priority is that you stop calling us “the BoM”,” the post read.

“BoM picked the wrong day to try and inflict its will on the Australian people,” another Twitter user said.

As of Tuesday, the organisation still referred to itself as BoM on its app logo and in its web address, which is currently bom.gov.au.

Originally published as Taxpayers slugged $220k for controversial Bureau of Meteorology rebrand