Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) & New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)

Pacific seasonal workers and diaspora communities regularly send money home to support families and local economies. However, many faced:

• Low financial and remittance literacy
• Limited trust in digital financial tools
• Linguistic and cultural barriers
• Limited awareness of remittance costs and alternatives

Many remittance providers also obscured costs through hidden fees and exchange rate margins, resulting in Pacific communities paying some of the highest remittance rates globally.

Additionally, the existing SendMoneyPacific.org website was outdated, poorly maintained, and not culturally accessible for its target audiences.

The Approach

CulturalPulse was selected to rebuild the website, set up social communities and deliver a meaningful engagement program with Pacific communities in Australia and New Zealand, providing in-culture and in-language communications tailored to Pacific workers from 12 nations, with the goal of improving digital and remittance literacy levels.

The EMPR program sat within a broader PACREMIT portfolio which integrated EMPR, Government agencies (DFAT, MFAT and Austrac) and providers such as Palladium and other aid contractors. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks were established by CulturalPulse and independent contractors to achieve impactful and efficient implementation outcomes.

Discover

The EMPR program responded to a pressing challenge: Pacific Island migrant workers were sending their earnings home. Yet high remittance fees often exceeding 9%, reduced the money reaching families.

Insights from the mid-term review conducted by Strategic Development Group revealed that lowering fees even by 3% could increase GDP in some Pacific nations by up to 2%, with flow-on effects for education, health, and small business investment.

Therefore, we conducted quantitative baseline survey and qualitative community consultation to measure program performance and gather information on communication channels, digital and financial literacy levels, and key barriers.

Harrieth Marae from Vanuatu

Surveys and consultations were conducted with Pacific Community Ambassadors to assess barriers, digital behaviours and language needs. This uncovered limited trust in financial institutions, gender-based differences in remittance use and contrasting needs and behaviours between Polynesian and Melanesian communities, seasonal workers and established diaspora. In relation to effective communication channels it was found that these communities had high social media usage and low digital channel penetration. This informed a culturally grounded and segmented audience approach that aligned with the Australian Government’s Pacific Step-up strategy and New Zealand’s Pacific Wellbeing policies.

This data-led approach to strategy development allows the program to genuinely connect with target audiences by tailoring messages and content to their specific cultural backgrounds and preferences.

Design

To drive effective behaviour change of ‘compare, switch and save’, CulturalPulse co-designed a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework in partnership with DFAT and MFAT that ensured communications, creative assets and a new rate check website (SendMoneyPacific.Org) were tailored to improve clarity, usability and cultural resonance with all audience segments.

We co-designed all creative assets with Pacific workers, community leaders and business owners including male and female and Polynesian and Melanesian representatives. The creative concept addressed negative stereotypes and showed workers as skilled and respected contributors to the economy and community. It also showed employers in a positive light highlighting best practice and cultural competence. Messaging was crafted to build trust with visual storytelling emphasising family connection, pride and opportunity.

Develop

The EMPR program’s development phase integrated creative storytelling, community and policy-aligned advocacy into a single, coordinated effort.

At its heart were two flagship videos – one featuring a Polynesian man working in agriculture, the other a Melanesian woman also in agriculture, each chosen to reflect gender balance and cultural diversity. Filmed in the seasonal workers’ workplaces, the stories showed dignity in labour, pride in contribution and the powerful connection between earnings in Australia and opportunity in the Pacific.

We also developed:

• • Community workshops led by financial literacy trainers and community ambassadors, offering practical skills in managing income and choosing safe remittance channels.
  • In-language flyers, infographics, and videos for Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, Solomon Islands, and ni-Vanuatu communities, ensuring accessibility and cultural resonance.
  • Employer engagement kits, enabling businesses to support their workers with information and direct access to lower-cost transfer services.
  • Partnership toolkits for Pacific Island consulates, helping them to amplify the campaign through official channels and community events.
  • Economic modelling to show how reducing transfer fees by 3% could boost GDP in Pacific Island nations by up to 2%, strengthening the case for regulatory reform.
  • Media partnerships with Pacific broadcasters and radio stations to run “remittance stories”, reinforcing campaign messages through trusted voices.

All aspects were co-designed with community, ensuring cultural authenticity, gender representation, and the balance between Polynesian and Melanesian perspectives. Partnerships with DFAT, MFAT, and AUSTRAC kept the campaign aligned with the Australian Government’s Pacific Step-up strategy and New Zealand’s Pacific Wellbeing approach, positioning EMPR not just as a communications initiative, but as a driver of financial inclusion and regional economic resilience.

Deliver

The campaign rolled out across Pacific communities in Australia and New Zealand, through churches, sports clubs, seasonal worker networks, and ethnic media. In-language radio segments, Facebook Lives, and employer-facilitated information sessions ensured deep reach. An app was developed in 12 Pacific languages and exchange rate updates increased from monthly to weekly.

We designed all creative assets in all Pacific languages and produced educational and emotive “Remittance Hero” story videos. We also developed seasonal worker content for PALM and RSE (New Zealand) audiences. Send Money Pacific Facebook increased to 100,000+ followers with excellent engagement and tailored content.

The Outcome

The EMPR campaign not only informed but shifted behaviour. Fee reductions achieved through provider switching and policy advocacy are projected to increase remittance inflows by millions annually, directly boosting Pacific GDP. Social cohesion was strengthened by replacing harmful stereotypes with pride-based narratives, and by fostering stronger worker–employer–community relationships. These results align with Sustainable Development Goal 10.c, committing to reducing remittance costs to less than 3%.

The program has also delivered clear gains against its core objectives including a 15% increase in remitters who compare providers and a 29% increase of remitters who are able to effectively identify transfer fees and exchange rate margins, reflecting greater confidence and familiarity with remittance services in target communities.

Campaign metrics include:

• 74m+ reach into Pacific communities
• 442,000+ page views across web and app
• 17.2m+ video views across Meta, YouTube and partner channels
• 12,222+ app downloads
• 50+ educational and community videos created
• 112,000+ Meta followers
• 290+ creative assets deployed
• 68% decrease in cost per click since mid-2023
• Over 65% of participants reported increased awareness of lower remittance options
• 42% of participants had switched providers within 3 months, contributing to measurable savings for families back home

EMPR is supported by the Australian and New Zealand governments and implemented by CulturalPulse.