Election 2025
Dutton’s media strategy sends the wrong message to advertisers
Peter Dutton’s election campaign isn’t just faltering at the policy level, it’s also exposing a communications strategy that’s out of step with modern media dynamics.
As Bernard Keane writes in Crikey, his tight circle and selective media appearances have created a vacuum that’s left little room for message control.
He’s leaned heavily into right-wing platforms, clocking more than 80 Sky News Australia hits and dozens of appearances with conservative radio hosts, while barely showing up in Canberra pressers or on the ABC.
Coal-backed campaign group pulls ads after AEC warning
Australians for Prosperity, a coal-funded group running anti-Teal messaging, has quietly scrubbed two months’ worth of content from its social media channels after the Australian Electoral Commission flagged unauthorised material.
As Pat McGrath and Kirsten Robb report on ABC News, the group, bankrolled with $725,000 from Coal Australia, also deactivated a suite of Meta ads late last week.
None of the removed posts included the legally required authorisation details, a key compliance point in political communications.
Sky News Australia nails the leaders debate, then questions its own audience
Sky News Australia earned rare praise from across the media landscape for its handling of the first election leaders debate, with anchor Kieran Gilbert steering a well-balanced and professionally moderated event.
Even the format’s hallmark, an independently selected audience of undecided voters, seemed to land well, awarding a narrow win to Anthony Albanese over Peter Dutton.
But as Charlie Lewis and Daanyal Saeed write in Crikey, post-debate, the tone shifted.
Parties pour cash into digital ads as election heats up
Australia’s federal election campaign is shaping up to be a record-breaker in digital ad spend, with nearly $1.4 million already funnelled into Meta and Google by the major parties in just a few days.
Labor and the Liberals are investing heavily in the platforms, with clear strategies tailored to age and reach, as they chase early voter influence ahead of pre-polling, reports Nicole Hegarty for ABC News.
Clive Palmer’s new outfit, Trumpet of Patriots, is once again leading the pack with $668,000 in Google spend in a single week, more than any other player in the field.
Trump tariffs
Elon Musk’s AUKUS cameo raises eyebrows and possibilities
Elon Musk may be entering the AUKUS chat, with former US ambassador Arthur Sinodinos revealing the tech billionaire is getting involved in efforts to streamline submarine production and government spending.
As Lucy Slade writes in The Australian Financial Review, Sinodinos hinted that Musk’s influence could extend beyond the boardroom, potentially even making a trip to Australian shipyards.
While the full price tag of AUKUS remains a mystery until hardware hits the water, Sinodinos said US political will is still firmly behind the project.
New tool helps brands track hidden tariff costs across supply chains
Australian ESG startup Fair Supply has launched a world-first Supply Chain Tariff Calculator, designed to help businesses understand the ripple effects of global tariff changes, not just at the border, but deep into their supplier networks.
As Mark Whittaker writes in Forbes Australia, unlike traditional tariff calculators that focus on point-of-entry duties, Fair Supply’s model takes a holistic view, mapping the embedded costs that flow through entire supply chains during a trade war.
It’s a timely launch, with recent US tariff manoeuvres sending shockwaves through international trade, even if some measures are now on pause.
Social media
Meta faces fresh scrutiny over ad targeting of teens
Meta is again under fire after whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams told a US Senate inquiry the tech giant knowingly targeted vulnerable teens with emotionally manipulative ads.
As Jared Lynch writes in The Australian, the claims build on earlier reporting that exposed how Meta profited from teen distress, with Wynn-Williams revealing internal resistance to the platform from its own executives, some of whom banned their own children from using its products.
Meanwhile, Meta continues to push back on regulation, criticising Australia’s proposed under-16 social media ban as “rushed” and evidence-light.
Reddit turns content chaos into a $100 million AI play
Reddit may have been building its ad business to rival the likes of Meta and Google, but it’s AI licensing that’s delivered a surprising windfall.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones reports in The Australian Financial Review, the platform’s vast archive of user-generated content has become prime training data for large language models, earning Reddit an extra $100 million in “other revenue” over the past year, mostly from deals with OpenAI and Google.
Once known for its anything-goes forums, Reddit’s messy, meme-laced past is now a goldmine.
Companies
Canva doubles down on enterprise with AI-powered spreadsheet tool
Canva is ramping up its enterprise game, unveiling a new AI-driven spreadsheet app as part of its biggest product launch in a decade.
As Jared Lynch writes in The Australian, the tool lets users input data like any traditional spreadsheet, but with a few prompts, it transforms those numbers into slick, executive-ready visuals.
The move is squarely aimed at big business, with co-founder Cliff Obrecht revealing Canva’s enterprise push has helped lift annualised revenue past $3 billion.
Retail
JD Sports strengthens local team as Sports Direct eyes Australian market
JD Sports has tapped former Rebel Sport executive Tom Leak to lead its Australian retail operations, just as the global sportswear sector braces for the likely arrival of UK heavyweight Sports Direct.
Leak, who most recently led retail at Coco Republic, brings deep experience from his decade at Super Retail Group, and will play a key role as JD looks to defend and grow its footprint.
The brand, as Carrie LaFrenz writes in The Australian Financial Review, entered Australia in 2017, now operates 66 stores with plans to open 10 more this year.
Entertainment
Neighbours bids farewell to Harold Bishop
Australian TV icon Ian Smith made his final appearance on Neighbours this week, closing the curtain on a 38-year legacy as Harold Bishop, and a remarkable 55-year career as actor and writer.
As David Knox writes in TV Tonight, Smith’s farewell marks a major moment in Australian screen history and comes after he publicly revealed a terminal cancer diagnosis late last year.