CHANGE is a theme that Tony Mansfield keeps coming back to, when he reflects on his work in the business of marketing, brands and advertising, in executive coaching and as a part-time facilitator for Relationships Australia.

A change of job brought Mansfield to Canberra a year ago, to run the local office of a global advertising giant, the Grey Group, where his role as general manager once again involves facilitating change, for the business and its clients.

While he was attracted by the prospect of moving back to one of the “big five” global ad agencies, a space where he had previously spent a considerable chunk of his career, Mansfield says the main reason behind the move to Canberra last July was “just circumstances”.

“My partner had taken a role down here so we were commuting backwards and forwards from Sydney already,” he explains between sips of coffee in the foyer of the newly refurbished Diamant Hotel, not far from his new home in trendy NewActon. “I really didn’t think there’d be an opportunity that I’d be interested in down here, to be honest, but this opportunity came up.”

Having made frequent trips to the capital before, Mansfield says most of its best aspects are invisible to such “fly-in, fly-out” visitors.

He now sees a very interesting city in a constant state of flux, which presents “a real juxtaposition of conservatives and liberals” but is also “becoming a drawcard for people with new-world values” at the same time.

The optimistic ad man believes Canberra and its surrounding region naturally attracts people seeking “a lifestyle they value in terms of the traditional things that we’ve valued in Australia, but in a really contemporary way, in an environmentally friendly way and a green way, if you like”.

He later points out this is more or less the same lifestyle that Grey Canberra is currently selling through its “Googonians” campaign, which jokingly presents Googong as a new nation as a way to describe the actual community the developers hope to create.

Beyond the obviously fake nation, with its Googonian Anthem, flag, language and an “embassy” instead of a sales office, Mansfield says the campaign gives people “something genuine that they feel they can be part of”.

He stresses that to be successful, brands must be an authentic reflection of what they represent; they can then become a powerful “rallying call” for people to stand behind.

On the capital’s own branding issue – the national sport of Canberra-bashing – Mansfield believes the ACT Government has largely done a good job and that recent marketing efforts are working. He applauds the collective effort that is the Centenary, says Australian Capital Tourism did a “fantastic job” on its Human Brochure and is a big fan of hot air balloons, including the Skywhale (“It was absolutely a good thing to do; it caused lots of discussion, which I think is a healthy thing.”).

But the “Like Canberra” campaign? “Umm, I have my moments with that one,” he says.

Mansfield’s refreshing optimism also extends to the ACT’s economic outlook, and the impact that any contraction of the public service might have on the lives of its citizens.

“It doesn’t worry me really, because I think all of Australia is going through change in some shape or form and that’s just our little piece of it,” he says, going back to what seems a guiding concept for him – change is inevitable and it’s how we deal with it that counts.

“I think there’ll definitely be some contraction but there are always periods of contraction and expansion, so we just have to ride with it, like we do with most things in the economic side of life,” he says.

“I think it’s just the fact that it’s publicised a lot that makes it a bit scarier; I think it’s our perception and our attitude and our belief that we get from the media and other sources – we’re actually still very lucky.”