Services

Consulting | Workshops & training | Public speaking & seminars

Consulting services

  • Unfortunately, it’s now commonplace for organisations, individuals and communities to experience coordinated campaigns of harassment and false information.

    It’s hard to know what to do, and how to keep your people safe, when online (and offline) environments become hostile and polarised.

    We offer help in a storm. We’re used to responding quickly and rolling up our sleeves up alongside your team to provide clarity and advice in challenging situations.

  • We regularly review systems, policies and processes that inform organisations’ approaches to the changing online (and offline) landscape.

    Nicole has a particular focus on the wellbeing and procedures of front-facing and digital engagement teams, and she regularly collaborates with security and risk professionals to build more cohesive and robust whole-of-organisation approaches.

  • Undertaking strategic communications, campaigns, education and outreach can feel overwhelming or impossible in the current information environment.

    Our work is grounded in keeping your people safe, anchored in their values and purpose, and empowered to do what they do best.

    With experience and understanding, Anchordown can help you tackle upcoming challenges with confidence and clarity.

  • Nicole often works closely with leading researchers on false information and online harm.

    She is experienced in commissioning research and liaising between researchers and clients to provide organisations with in-depth analysis and landscape reporting relevant to their work.

    If you want a deeper understanding of your project or organisation’s unique risk environment, reach out to chat about our research services.

  • We have recently stood up a monitoring service which uses open-source intelligence tools to monitor alternative networks and forums for client-specific risks.

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  • "The workshop was engaging and relatable all the way through. The presenter really thought about the structure of the workshop, which allowed us to decompress some of the heavy topics along the way. She knew her topic incredibly well and did a great job facilitating conversations."

    - Workshop participant

  • "Often, after sitting in a workshop all day, you leave with a fried brain and a sore bum, but this one was different—it gave me energy! I felt great afterwards, not drained at all. It was an effective way to educate us while helping us identify strategic gaps and will help us strengthen our approach moving forward. Thank you so much for the opportunity. It was really great!"

    - Workshop participant

  • "I loved her. She clearly knew her topic and had a solid understanding of our work environment, which gave me confidence that she was guiding the conversation in the right direction. What I liked the most was how she created a safe space for participation. It encouraged my team to step out of their usual selves and engage more openly, which was so valuable."

    - Workshop participant

  • "I would give Nicole a 10/10. She was a fantastic speaker, had very good knowledge on the subject, and acknowledged all our perspectives. She also gave enough space to conversate and understand the topic through our experiences."

    - Workshop participant

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Workshops & training

We regularly run training and workshops designed to equip teams with a deeper understanding of the evolving digital landscape and how to continue doing their best work in challenging situations.

In addition to tailored training, we have developed a day-long workshop specifically for communications, engagement, and public-facing staff. This workshop has evolved over two years of delivery and has received overwhelmingly positive participant feedback.

These workshops provide attendees with a strong framework with which to understand and approach online harm and false information, followed by opportunities to apply that knowledge to practical exercises and group work relevant to your organisation and purpose.

Each workshop is informed by research about the challenges faced by your organisation, and Nicole ensures participants leave with a clear idea of their next steps and priorities.

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  • "Nicole is not only a subject matter expert but she is also a particularly engaging speaker. We were lucky enough to have her do a talk to our Auckland clients a couple of months ago. After word got out of how much those in attendance took away from that evening, we had requests to host the event in Wellington too. Both nights were insightful and enjoyable and I am very thankful to Nicole for sharing her knowledge with us all."

    - Kate Williams, Momentum

  • "Nicole is an absolute pro when it comes to disinformation, online harms, and building resilience against the threats of today's digital world. She distils information so that it's accessible, engaging, and memorable. Her insights are valuable to any business with a public presence, and particularly to those working at the coal-face of social media engagement, or an interest in social cohesion."

    - Stacey Wood, Broadcasting Standards Authority

  • "The number of delegates that described Nicole's presentation as ‘great,’ ‘interesting’ and ‘excellent’ is mind blowing and a true reflection on the relevance of her topic, importance to local government and her skills as a storyteller. She was certainly a crowd favourite, and has left a lasting impression with those in the room."

    - Barbara Whitton, ALGIM

Public speaking

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Nicole regularly provides keynotes and seminars for a variety of audiences and sectors.

Her talks range from providing an accessible understanding of false information and online harm through to more in-depth education on impacts, mitigations and emerging research.

You can read audience feedback from recent addresses, which include:

  • Momentum Group - The Evolution of False Information in NZ

  • United Nations Association of New Zealand - ‘Disinformation and Human Rights’

  • Association of Local Government Information Management (ALGIM) - ‘Disinformation impacts on local government’

  • Broadcasting Standards Authority - ‘Media and disinformation’

  • Momentum Auckland - ‘Understanding disinformation’

  • Heart Health Aotearoa - ‘Disinformation and public health’

  • Government Social Network - ‘The new normal for digital communications’

  • Citizen’s Advice Bureau National Conference - ‘Trusted information in a disinformation age’

  • Diversity Works National Conference - ‘DEI targeting and online harassment’

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