Case Study

Core Lithium

Charging up Australia’s lithium supply chain

The road to becoming Australia’s next lithium producer

Core Lithium (ASX: CXO) is a long-term client of Purple’s Investor Relations team. Engagement commenced in 2017 when Core was a junior explorer prospecting for lithium in the Bynoe pegmatite field in the Northern Territory. Today, Core is Australia’s newest lithium miner, commencing mining of lithium ore in September 2022 at the Finniss lithium project near Darwin in the Northern Territory.

For more than five years, Purple has worked with Core to build its profile and strategically communicate corporate objectives – from junior explorer to project developer and, in 2022, producing lithium miner and future star of the global lithium industry.

In 2021, Core engaged the services of Purple’s digital team for a bespoke digital profile-raising campaign in lead up to the Final Investment Decision (FID) at Finniss, ahead of commencing construction in October 2021.

Purple’s digital team utilised Core Lithium’s owned channels (website, Twitter, LinkedIn) as well as paid channels (Google Display Network, social media) to amplify its reach and grow Core’s audience.

The challenge

Core Lithium’s needs, audience and strategy evolved as the company transitioned from explorer to lithium miner.

As with most junior resources companies, Core was subject to lithium price fluctuations, capital raising requirements, drilling results, offtake negotiations and regulatory approvals.

Profile raising and strategic communications engagement with the Investor Relations team over a five-year period grew to incorporate a design and digital scope to further build its online influence and presence.

Core wanted to reach a wider audience, more proactively communicate with its investors and target audiences, and increase its overall online presence in the lead up to Final Investment Decision. Reaching Final Investment Decision in 2021 was the culmination of many years’ hard work, and ultimately saw Finniss green lit for construction with maiden spodumene concentrate on track for the first half of 2023.

Core also needed to deliver communications to assist in finding and hiring the best talent to bring the Finniss project online.

Our approach

Purple’s Digital team and Investor Relations teams worked hand in glove to deliver:

An integrated media and investor engagement strategy
Refined messaging and corporate narrative
Strategic communications advice
A series of Google Display Network ads that significantly expanded Core’s reach among stakeholders and potential investors
Developed a social media advertising campaign that ran on LinkedIn and Twitter appealing to Core’s existing followers and their broader networks of connections
A webinar to engage with investors and stakeholders in the lead-up to FID
Developed of a bank of owned content and positioning Core’s MD, as a thought leader in the lithium sector

Our results

For more than five years, Purple has provided Core with strategic advice, and contributed to the communication of its corporate narrative – from exploration results, project development capital raising, though to media and investor engagement.

Purple has assisted with investor roadshows, managed inbound investor calls and facilitated media engagement across national broadcast, national and local print, financial, trade and specialist publications. Purple has also played a crucial role in facilitating Core’s presentations and booth collateral at mining conferences across the country.

In 2022, Core presented for the first time at Australia’s premier mining conference, the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum.

The adoption of digital marketing strategy has enabled Core Lithium to own its digital real-estate, reach existing shareholders and attract new audiences, and position itself as a key player in Australia’s booming lithium sector.

The consistency and high-quality of owned social media content has communicated the key value propositions of Core’s Finniss project and assisted in the mine now being operational, with first spodumene concentrate production on track for the first half of 2023.

Purple’s breadth of service and expertise has taken Core’s profile to a new level.

Stephen Biggins, Managing Director Core Lithium

Keys to success

LinkedIn advertising

>105,000 video views and 1263 new followers between July – December 2021

Website traffic

42% increase in page views for July - December 2021, compared to the previous 6 months

ASX

Core joins ASX200

FID

Core Lithium’s Board approved the Final Investment Decision to proceed with construction at the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory on 30 September 2021

Finniss Lithium project

Construction at the Finniss Lithium project commenced October 2021, mine opening event in October 2022

Offtake agreements

80% of targeted 160kt spodumene concentrate output covered under 4-year offtake agreements

Key note presentations

Core CFO Simon Iacopetta presents Core’s inaugural Diggers and Dealers, Core Project Manager Sean Buxton presents at Mining in the Territory Conference