Tech
Cyclone fuels influencer surge as brands take notice
Southeast Queensland’s first major cyclone in 50 years didn’t just wreak havoc – it sent social media engagement soaring. TikTok influencers capitalised on the chaos, with viral storm content racking up millions of views and drawing fresh interest from brands.
As Robyn Ironside writes in The Australian, the rush for eyeballs saw influencers like Dasha Daley and Noah Johnstone capture millions of views with raw, on-the-ground footage.
Critics call it opportunistic, but influencers argue they’re providing a public service. “They said to stay home, but I knew people would want to see this,” Johnstone said.
Musk blames X outage on ‘massive cyberattack’
Elon Musk says a “massive cyberattack” was behind global outages on X, claiming a “large, co-ordinated group” or even a nation-state may have been responsible. The disruption which hit tens of thousands of users.
As Charles Capel reports in The Australian Financial Review, outages spiked across key markets, including the US, UK, France, and India, causing intermittent access issues. X later confirmed a platform-wide disruption that also impacted developer data pipelines – critical for ad performance tracking.
“We get attacked every day, but this was done with a lot of resources,” Musk posted on X.
Sonder secures $40m to fuel global expansion in workplace wellbeing
Workplace wellbeing platform Sonder is gearing up for international growth after locking in a $40 million investment from Blackbird Ventures, Seek, and Hostplus. The funding signals growing demand for employee support services as companies prioritise mental health and safety.
As Paul Smith writes in The Australian Financial Review, the Sydney-based startup claims 40% annual growth and recently surpassed one million members on its app, which offers workplace wellbeing tools covering personal safety, medical, and mental health support.
Co-founder and CEO Craig Cowdrey wouldn’t reveal the company’s new valuation, he called it a “material uplift” from last year’s $150 million estimate.
Trump teases TikTok sale
Donald Trump says four groups are in the running to buy TikTok as the Chinese-owned app faces mounting pressure to divest or face a US ban. “A lot of people want it, and it’s up to me,” Trump said, hinting at a deal but offering no specifics.
As The Guardian reports, Among the rumoured bidders are Microsoft, Oracle, and a consortium backed by internet star MrBeast. Real estate mogul Frank McCourt has also thrown his hat in the ring with “The People’s Bid for TikTok,” a bid focused on data privacy and user control.
With TikTok’s fate hanging in the balance, advertisers and creators are bracing for potential disruption.
Qantas chair John Mullen has cautioned corporate Australia against taking strong public stances on social issues, arguing that brands risk alienating customers. Reflecting on the airline’s vocal support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, he said companies “did themselves no favours” by actively campaigning rather than letting individuals form their own views.
As Glenda Korporaal writes in The Australian, Mullen believes the misstep wasn’t in supporting the cause but in the way businesses communicated it. “A lot of people saw corporate Australia lecturing them,” he said, adding that communities outside major cities resent being told how to think by corporate leaders in Sydney and Melbourne.
While Mullen declined to comment on Qantas’ previous involvement, the airline faced backlash under ex-CEO Alan Joyce for branding aircraft with “Yes” messaging.
Agencies
R/GA goes private with $50m bet on ad industry reinvention
Creative agency R/GA has reclaimed its independence after 23 years under Interpublic Group (IPG), striking a deal with private equity firm Truelink Capital and its management team. Now privately owned, the agency is bucking industry trends by doubling down on investment rather than cost-cutting.
As Danielle Long writes in The Australian, it’s first move will involve a $50 million innovation fund to fuel talent, technology, and acquisitions – aiming to future-proof the business in an era of rapid change.
R/GA global chief creative officer Tiffany Rolfe says the agency is putting its own advice into action: “We help brands take risks and grow, so it’s only right we do the same.”
Entertainment
As AI remixes music, what happens to the art of songwriting?
The shift from physical music formats to streaming apps has already revolutionised music consumption, creating a vast, on-demand library for advertisers. Now, AI-powered songwriting tools threaten to further disrupt the industry, potentially democratising music creation while simultaneously challenging the value proposition of human songwriters.
As Andrew McMillen writes in The Australian, once confined to live performances and physical formats, songs now live in streaming apps, instantly accessible with a tap.
But as technology evolves, so does the way music is created, consumed, and, increasingly, imitated.
Pictured: TikTok/Donald Trump