About
THE THINKING BEHIND PENSER
penser [pɑ̃se], French verb: to think, to conceive, to think through.
Founded by Peter Davison in 2017, Penser draws on more than 20 years' experience across advertising, brand, corporate communications, government and design.
The practice has evolved from a design-led communications consultancy into a strategic communication practice informed by behavioural science and organisational change.
Think clearly. Create movement.
The penser perspective
Communication should lead somewhere.
Communication is often measured by what gets produced and distributed.
Penser is more interested in what happens as a result.
Understanding. Confidence. Behaviour. Adoption. Outcomes.
That means looking beyond the message to the people, context and conditions that influence whether change actually takes hold.
Behaviour
What makes people act?
Penser draws on the COM-B model to understand the conditions that influence behaviour:
Capability
Do people have the knowledge, skills and confidence?
Opportunity
Do the systems and environment support the desired behaviour?
Motivation
Do people have a reason to act?
It provides a practical behavioural lens for communication, engagement and change.
Adoption
How does change become behaviour?
The ADKAR model provides a useful lens for individual adoption:
Awareness → Desire → Knowledge → Ability → Reinforcement
It helps identify what people need at different stages, from understanding why change is necessary through to sustaining new behaviours.
Organisational change
People change within systems.
Leadership, culture, processes and organisational momentum all influence whether change succeeds.
Penser draws on Kotter's 8-Step Change Model as one established way of understanding how organisations create momentum, enable action and embed change.
Communication is most effective when it is connected to the wider change effort.
Measurement
Measure what changed.
The AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework provides a useful progression from communication activity towards outcomes:
Understanding → Attitudes → Behaviour → Organisational outcomes
It shifts the question from: Did we communicate?
to: Did communication contribute to the outcome?
AI and the future of work
AI transformation is a human challenge.
Technology can be deployed quickly. Changing how people work takes longer.
Successful adoption requires more than tools and governance. People need clarity, capability and confidence around how AI will affect their work.
Penser brings communication, behavioural thinking and change practice together to help organisations navigate that transition.
Experience
A career built across disciplines.
Peter has worked across government, corporate and consultancy environments, including:
Government & Health
NSW Government
Sydney Children's Hospitals Network
iCare NSW
Corporate & Technology
OFX
Sage Software
Konica Minolta
The Access Group
Optus
Domain Group
Steadfast Group
ABC Bullion
Pallion Group
Community & Social Impact
Waves of Wellness
United Nations Online Volunteers
Career Foundations
Ogilvy
Saatchi & Saatchi
Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures (BCGDV)
International Data Group (IDG)
His experience spans strategic communication, brand and positioning, stakeholder engagement, information design and organisational change.
Senior by design
Small by choice.
Penser is deliberately small and senior-led.
Peter works directly with clients throughout each engagement. When additional expertise is required, trusted specialists are brought together around the specific challenge.
The right expertise. Without the layers.
LET'S TALK
