Election 2025
Political parties ramp up data-driven ad tactics as privacy loopholes widen
With the federal election looming, Australia’s major political players are turning voter data into one of their most valuable campaign assets.
As Cam Wilson writes in Crikey, due to loopholes in the Privacy Act, political parties can collect and use personal information with almost no restrictions, and they’re using it to fuel hyper-targeted digital ad campaigns.
From commercial data sets and petition signatures to email interactions and doorknock notes, every voter touchpoint becomes a potential signal for segmentation.
Creators, not campaigns, are winning the youth vote online
Forget door-knocking and TV spots, according to Rafqa Touma in The Guardian Australia, in the 2025 election race, political influence is being reshaped by content creators, not campaign strategists.
Independent voices like Punters Politics, which boasts 400,000 Instagram followers, are proving that young Aussies are tuned in, just not through the usual channels.
While traditional media still plays a role, platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are now fertile ground for issues-based content that cuts through with authenticity and reach.
Trump Tariffs
Australian beef takes centre plate as US-China tensions shake up supply
The US-China trade war has served up an unexpected win for Aussie producers, with Australian beef now replacing American brisket on the menu at Home Plate BBQ, a popular Beijing restaurant.
As Josh Arslan and Ella Cao write in The Age, once a loyal customer of US suppliers, the venue is switching to Australian meat as tariffs push American imports off the plate.
With 125 per cent retaliatory tariffs compounding already steep prices, US beef is no longer viable for many Chinese venues.
Streaming
Netflix content boss Que Minh Luu exits role
After five years spearheading Netflix’s local content slate, Que Minh Luu has stepped down from her role as Director of Content ANZ
But as David Knox writes in TV Tonight, she isn’t cutting ties completely.
Luu will continue working with the streamer as a creative consultant, helping shape its local storytelling output from behind the scenes.
Meghan Markle’s shelved Netflix project draws copyright heat
Netflix’s animation ambitions have hit another snag, with Meghan Markle’s now-cancelled series Pearl attracting copyright concerns from UK children’s author Mel Elliott.
According to Eric Todisco on news.com.au, while the show never made it to screen, Elliott has alleged Pearl bore strong similarities to her own Pearl Power books.
The incident is just the latest in a number of copyright snags Markle has recently hit.
Legal
Nick McKenzie to take stand in Ben Robert-Smith’s retrial bid
Nine’s star investigative reporter Nick McKenzie is set to be cross-examined in Ben Roberts-Smith’s push for a retrial.
At the heart of the matter is a secret recording and allegations of unethical behaviour that could shift the narrative around one of Australia’s most scrutinised defamation battles.
According to Stephen Rice in The Australian, Roberts-Smith’s legal team has also subpoenaed the ABC, seeking any communication between McKenzie and Media Watch following the program’s defence of the journalist in March.
Tech
US case against Google could redraw the digital ad map
The US Justice Department has kicked off a high-stakes hearing that could see Google broken up to curb its search dominance.
As David McCabe reports in The Sydney Morning Herald, the government is pushing for remedies including the sale of Chrome, which it claims unfairly funnels users into Google’s search and ad ecosystem.
If the court orders structural changes, it could dramatically shift how search traffic, and by extension, ad dollars, are distributed across the internet.
Companies
Aussie Broadband takes price-first swing at mobile giants
Aussie Broadband is stepping into the ring with Telstra, Optus and TPG, using sharp pricing as its hook to crack the $20 billion mobile market.
Traditionally known for internet plans, the challenger telco is betting that cost-conscious consumers will make the switch if the value stacks up.
The pitch, writes Jenny Wiggins in The Australian Financial Review, includes stripped-back, price-led plans with a challenger brand edge.
Retail
Baby Bunting revamps retail game to drive conversion
Baby Bunting is ditching its decade-old store design in a bold retail reset aimed at turning browsers into buyers.
As the nursery chain looks to reverse declining profits, Carrie LaFrenz reports in The Australian Financial Review that it’s rolling out revamped layouts to cut shopper indecision on big-ticket purchases like prams and car seats.
CEO Mark Teperson, who joined from Afterpay in 2023, says the stores aren’t going anywhere, but they need to evolve.
Brownes Dairy hits the market as $200m loan triggers sale
WA’s leading milk brand, Brownes Dairy, is up for grabs after Chinese giant Mengniu Dairy called in a $200 million loan, forcing a sale of the 138-year-old company.
Restructuring firm McGrathNicol has been appointed to oversee the process, with significant interest expected in the $300 million-a-year operation.
As Simon Evans writes in The Australian Financial Review, its distribution footprint and established retail relationships make it a compelling acquisition for players eyeing deeper Australian market access.
Brands
ABC calls out ad spend claims
The ABC has rejected claims it poured millions into an oOh!media deal, labelling a recent report in The Australian as inaccurate.
The national broadcaster clarified it has no financial arrangement with the outdoor advertising giant for news content distribution.
While marketing plays a role in boosting reach for major programs, the ABC says its promotional spend remains modest, representing just 2.5% of overall media company advertising budgets.
Virgin Australia tops punctuality charts despite March weather chaos
Virgin Australia has emerged as the nation’s most reliable air carrier in March, holding firm through a cyclone-affected month that grounded flights and rattled the aviation industry.
According to Robyn Ironside in The Daily Telegraph, the news comes just as owner Bain Capital eyes a public float.
Cyclone Alfred disrupted key east coast routes, forcing widespread cancellations across major carriers.
Social Media
Masculinity content is reshaping young Aussie men
Masculinity-themed content is going mainstream… and it’s not all red flags and rogue influencers.
As Gemma Breen and Rhiannon Hobbins write for ABC News, according to fresh research from the Movember Institute of Men’s Health, 68% of Australian males aged 16–25 are tuning into masculinity creators.
Rather than vilifying the space, Movember’s Dr Zac Seidler says the opportunity lies in understanding it.
Film
Oscar voting rules tighten as Academy mandates full viewing
The Academy Awards are tightening the screws on transparency and accountability, announcing that members must now watch all nominated films in a category to cast a vote in that round.
As Jake Coyle writes in The Age, the move addresses long-standing criticism that some Oscar voters have skipped key contenders, a flaw that could skew results and credibility in Hollywood’s biggest night.
Also on the agenda: regulation updates that acknowledge the evolving global film landscape.
‘Conclave’ finds new relevance as Vatican transition becomes global viewing event
As headlines broke of Pope Francis‘ passing at 88, many weren’t just thinking of the Vatican, they were thinking of Conclave, the award-winning film that turned the papal election into a prestige political thriller.
As Adrian Horton writes in The Guardian, released last year, Edward Berger’s drama offered a stylised but surprisingly accurate peek behind the curtain of the centuries-old ritual, capturing both its mystique and internal manoeuvring.
Vale
Melbourne food journalist Bob Hart, 81, remembered for championing local cuisine
Melbourne’s culinary world has lost one of its most influential figures, with the passing of Bob Hart at 81.
As a journalist and food writer, Hart spent nearly three decades spotlighting local restaurants and producers, carving out a niche with his passion for barb
According to Karen Grace Prince, Ian Royall and Jackie Epstein in The Herald Sun, Hart’s legacy includes a popular daily column for the Herald Sun, where his insightful commentary on the city’s food scene made waves in the 1990s and 2000s.