Justice Media was launched by Stacey Skaro, who started as an independent operator before joining forces with Linda Volpe, her business partner, in 2017.
The two, who had met while working at Austero, have a shared value of delivering to their clients, where the independent agency’s name derives from.
“It’s all about delivering justice to clients that might not know quite how to navigate their way through that media minefield and get the best out of it,” Skaro explained.
Skaro, director of Justice Media, spoke to Mediaweek about being part of a two-women team, utilising their experience in radio, navigating the post-pandemic market and the benefits of being part of the IMAA.
The two-woman team leading Justice Media
Skaro shared that the running joke at Justice Media is that she doesn’t touch the finances or invoicing.
Finances aside, Skaro shared that she and Volpe are hands-on across their client patch.
“We work hand-in-glove on top-line strategy. Then I focus on research, planning and briefing, and then we come together again, in negotiation and final recommendations. Then Linda is the one who leads the charge on implementation, and then, of course, the invoicing and reconciliation, that I will not touch,” she added.
Before the pandemic, Justice Media had staff and coordinators on board, particularly during Skaro’s maternity leave. But post-Covid, Justice Media is a proud two-woman team comprised of Skaro and Volpe.
Left and right: Stacey Skaro and Linda Volpe
Strength in radio
With most of their careers spent working across various radio networks, Skaro noted that she and Volpe’s strength lies in radio.
Skaro said they have always instilled in their clients that they never take the path of least resistance.
“If the best strategy or solution involves 12 media partners, to ensure that we get that live read with the team we know deliver, or that large format road site, we know it has great salience, and then we have to split that out of home buyer across three providers, then that’s what we’ll buy.
“Near enough is just not good enough for us. So, it’s all about being nimble and making sure that we split everything up and cover everything with great traction,” she added.
Commitment to their client roster
Justice Media still works with their foundation clients, the Dog and Cat Lovers Show and SuperGroups, Victoria’s number one Kubota excavator dealer.
“They’ve been with Linda and I since we teamed up. Both of them are great stories,” she said.
Like many live events during the pandemic, Skaro shared that the Dog Lovers Show went through a tough time. “Then we watched with pride as they came back bigger and better than ever in 2022,” she added.
Skaro noted that they had clients join “on and off” during the pandemic based on what they needed.
Looking back, she noted that Justice Media was on the precipice of smashing our biggest year in 2020, but the pandemic made an impact.
Skaro said: “we are well and truly on our way back, so we can’t complain it was a good year,” she noted the agency’s performance in 2022.
What’s on the cards in 2023?
In the year ahead, Skaro shared that they are looking into finding an office space. But when it came to expanding the team, she was apprehensive.
Skaro explained: “Because we’ve worked so efficiently together all these years in the agency, and the prior at Austereo, we’ve learned the kind of subtle nuances between one another where when an email comes in, we don’t even have to ask who’s going to pick it up.
“We know our roles and responsibility so well. Sometimes it can be harder to delegate than get it done between Linda and I,” she explained.
Skaro also shared that they are working on a new campaign in the energy space. “We’re looking forward to exposing the flip side of the coin. There’s a lot of negative sentiment in the energy space, and we’re looking forward to putting a spotlight on it.
Although she noted that the agency is traditional at its core, Skaro said they are looking to find new ways of doing things.
“We try and be early adopters. We’re always making time for new publishers, innovations in the spirit of pushing ourselves to remain kind of nimble and fresh,” she said.
Being part of the IMAA
Justice Media joined the IMAA in April 2022, and for Skaro, the benefits of their membership has expanded the agency to many new things.
“The IMAA has definitely opened us up to a new world of publishers and providers who we probably wouldn’t be who normally wouldn’t be a part of our consideration set.
“The networking is obviously fantastic also. It’s great to round-table with your peers rather than agencies that are billing hundreds of millions.
“We’re dealing with and networking with like-minded business owners and operators facing the same challenges and triumphs.
Skaro added: “When you’re small, albeit a dynamic duo, it’s also great to be part of a bigger network and community.”
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Top image: Stacey Skaro
