“We are literally people’s imaginations,” LEGO Group’s Nic Taylor told the audience at yesterday’s AANA RESET conference.

The senior vice president spoke to the creativity, relevance, and growth that has defined the LEGO Group for 92 years. One of the world’s most loved brands continues to iterate, though, bringing joy and inspiring play through the its iconic brick.

Now based in Denmark, Taylor is a familiar face locally, most notably for her time at DDB, including her stretch as CEO at DDB Sydney. Prior to LEGO, Taylor was CEO at 14 (or Catorce), a global creative agency powered by the Omnicom-owned agency, headquartered in Barcelona.

Speaking to Mediaweek, Taylor says her time down under working on brands like Volkswagen and McDonald’s at DDB, “made me better at the job of doing global work.”

“It set me up for being able to do something like this, I think, in a way that I understood.

“When I went into the LEGO company, I thought, I already know so much.

“The truth is, I’ve had to learn whole new ways of working, whole new ways of communicating to kids.”

One of the most impactful forces for the LEGO brand is the power of fandom.

Citing examples such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, she explained “fandom is not influencers. It is not just the simple process of finding people who can talk positively about your brand and giving them a bit of money, and seeing what happens.

“This is recognising that there’s some people who buy your product, and are deeply, deeply committed to that product.”

That commitment is not by chance. The brand’s spirit is “only the best is good enough,” continuing the philosophy of LEGO’s original founder, toy maker Ole Kirk Kristiansen.

“I think craft is a thing that is sometimes lost, in the rush to be agile,” she explained, setting the scene in 1932 with the seminal story of Kristiansen’s toy duck, which Taylor said she learned about as part of the LEGO Group’s onboarding process.

“A point of difference was that he painted this duck three times. Not twice, three times. He was so about the quality… It was the second generation, his son, thought he was being innovative and entrepreneurial. He decided that two coats would do it. He’s like, ‘there’s no need for this third coat.’

“The old man found out, and by then these products were already shipped to the local people [and] it was hand-delivered, it wasn’t like those big truck deliveries on their behalf. His dad said to go back and get them all, and put that third coat of paint on. 

“That is a true story, and that philosophy of quality and craft exists in every choice we make, there is no cutting corners.”

She continued: “We sometimes forget the power of craft and what it can mean to the end user: this beautiful thing, that endures.” Consider the intergenerational LEGO brick bin in many households.

An enduring product works. LEGO grew its revenue by 2% in 2023, a year in which the toy category was in decline.

“We gained market share in a really tough year,” said Taylor, who attributes the category success to “all the choices that come from a really clear purpose.”

See also: TV Report 7 May 2024: LEGO Masters finale sees biggest build in show’s history

Of course, much goes into marketing LEGO, even as Taylor admitted, “it is hard to get marketing right today. It is hard, it is complex. You can’t do everything every time – it doesn’t make sense.”

Even for LEGO: “We don’t have the people or the money [to invest in everything], and we’re pretty well resourced.”

While recognising the challenges of the marketing landscape, Taylor said brands must take risks and embrace failure, which she said is easier for LEGO thanks to its in-house agency.

“It [in-housing] doesn’t have to be a compromise if you put the right processes and inspiration in place,” she said.

For example, while she declared the VIDIYO AR product as “a flop for us,” she described using “all the learnings to feed the next iteration.”

“It’s not wasted effort. It’s not wasted time. As long as you recognise it as a learning opportunity.”

LEGO also came to realise that girls were an audience the brand was accidentally undeserving through limiting language like ‘building’ and ‘construction’.

“The brick doesn’t have a bias,” she said, so its marketing should be inclusive. The key take away, Taylor said, is to “think about new audiences that you’re under serving– should you invest in them?”

LEGO also realised the adult market was an untapped segment, which Taylor says has become really significant to the brand recently.

“The ‘grown up kids, they’re huge for us now. We’re just noticing that certain adults are buying our products. And we took notice,” she explained, saying that the growth has mostly been organic among AFOL – adult fans of LEGO.

“So then what happens if we create a whole portfolio dedicated to adults? … People are prepared to pay for these beautiful experiences.”

See also: Brick by Brick: How Lego is targeting adult audiences to grow the brand

However, “there’s no silver bullet,” Taylor said.

“It’s just a series of choices, very strategic choices that are made, not least of which we invest a lot in brand.”

She told Mediaweek that business growth means more than one thing. “There’s audience growth, there’s brand growth, which I think is a good indicator of whether you’re doing a good job or not.”

She also referenced real world impact. “In our case, you know, we are genuinely delivering on supporting the builders of tomorrow,” citing LEGO’s recently successful lobby for the United Nations to create an International Play Day.

It’s a far cry from 2003, when the business was “close to failing properly.”

“In a way, they had diversified and done so many things that they kind of lost their way … they had a choice, many people were saying to sell the company.”

Instead, the company, which is still in its third generation of family ownership, decided instead to back itself, and returned to basics.

Its expansion since has included the LEGO movies, a recent collaboration with Fortnite, and an upcoming movie with pop star Pharrell.

Taylor credited her peer, Jill Lin, head of interaction design, saying, “she looks for what partnerships make sense for us that keep us cool and relevant, and at the cutting edge of culture, and then we make sure that that’s a good arrangement for both of us to be commercially successful.”

In terms of local partnerships, Taylor said LEGO Masters is the “best ad campaign ever made.” Just this week, the LEGO Masters finale on Nine saw the biggest build in its history.

During her keynote, she also mentioned that, “in a world where creativity is democratised, think about how you might be allowing your fans to participate in the creation of the product.”

While LEGO and Fortnite are two brands that wouldn’t naturally go together, the partnership was executed thoughtfully. Taylor noted it takes longer to do things in a way that aligns with brand purpose. The game was gated so the experience was safe – Taylor said the brand had steered clear from gaming for a while because it has a reputation of not being safe or healthy for kids, and kids are LEGO’s “role models”.

“Fortnite works in days, we work in years,” she explained, referencing the “culture clash.”

“Now have beautiful world we get data from, a whole new audience we can introduce to physical world of bricks.”

LEGO’s retail stores draw significant foot traffic, with the opening of biggest store yet in Sydney’s Pitt Street just last year. Taylor said D2C is still a massive driver of growth for LEGO. “The stores work like advertising,” she said. “It contributes to brand experience and halo.”

“We’re forever innovating,” she added to Mediaweek. 

“But we’re doing it in a really considerate way, with kids at the heart, and really thinking about what’s good for the long term, not just the short term, and we make those investments. They’re real investments.”

–

Top Image: Nic Taylor

Almost every major agency boss and client gathered at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal yesterday for the AANA’s annual flagship conference, RESET.

AANA CEO Josh Faulks opened the day, themed around ‘RESET for Growth’, noting: “Geopolitical issues, sticky inflation, higher-for-longer interest rates and the rising cost of  living is really having a bit impact on consumer confidence. The outlook is flat for the foreseeable future.

“At same time for many the cost of doing business continues to climb, squeezing margins and increasing pressure to cut costs.”

Bernard Salt, futurist

Salt was the first to take to the stage, setting the scene for the marketers in the room with a presentation on why ‘The Best is Yet to Come’. 

“I think counterintuitive to where you think we might be at the moment, I actually see opportunity in the future,” he said.

Salt predicts spend in Australia will rise in the decade ahead, saying, “you are in the right place, you’re probably in the right industry. And I would not move from this place over the next 10 years.”

His presentation outlined the best opportunities for marketers to leverage the greatest outcomes, noting the shifting tide of Australia’s demographics informed by immigration, cultural and lifestyle changes, and lifestyle evolutions as its millennial population ages.

One of his strongest points to markers was to stop conflating the demographic and segmentation of older audiences. In most cases, he said, “You put in 85-year-olds in the same bucket as 55-year-olds.”

“The minutiae is in the articulation,” in defining older age groups, he said.

“What is the product? What is the service that we can deliver?” he asked.

Josh Goldstine, Barbie

Warner Bros Picture Group’s president, worldwide marketing stepped the audience through the marketing campaign behind the cultural juggernaut that was the Barbie movie.

Goldstone emphasised the importance of earned, owned, and shared media working together to create an impression of ubiquity, and drive cultural impact – including more than 114m visits to the ‘This Barbie Is’ generator, $85m in partnerships value, a “money can’t buy” Barbie takeover of relevant Google search result pages that “completely changed the [search] experience”, and a clever focus on out-of-home to “turn the world pink”.

This cultural cachet meant many partnerships had “nothing to do with us” – lots of businesses were “doing unlicensed things” to “jump on the bandwagon”. Barbie’s official partnerships were “very well curated,” Goldstine said.

He claimed the marketing budget was lower than speculation suggested. Some guesses were “astronomically high” and double what was actually spent, he said.

When the movie teaser image dropped a year before its launch, Barbie pink began infiltrating categories including fashion. The marketing team worried Barbie-core would run its course before the movie had even launched. 

Goldstine stressed the importance of considering non-core audiences. Through Warner Bros’ connection with the NBA – part of the company’s inventory – the team exposed Barbie to a primarily male audience, otherwise not part of its core media buy. “We wanted to leave no stone unturned in terms of finding audiences.”

While there’s many movie marketing campaigns that Goldstine wishes he could re-do, “this wasn’t one of them.” Almost everything went right, and “had a positive feedback loop.”

“Chance favours the well-prepared,” he said.

As for a sequel? There’s talks of one, but he hasn’t seen a script yet.

Nic Taylor, LEGO

The stage was set for the SVP at the Lego Group and global head of the LEGO agency – but so were the tables. Taylor ensured bowls of LEGO were placed on every table so delegates could build and play while they listened. 

At LEGO, “we are literally people’s imaginations”. It’s a brand that shares similarities with Beyonce and Taylor Swift, Taylor suggested: “There are some people who buy that product and are deeply, deeply committed to that product” – fans. Fandom is a driver of growth, she explained.

While LEGO was close to going broke in the early 2000s – encouraged to sell to “management consultants, no doubt” – it grew revenue by 2% in 2023 while the category declined. “We gained market share in a really tough year.” 

That growth can partly be attributed to the family-owned business’ heritage of craft, care, and attention-to-detail, its investment in brand, and its focus on purpose and audiences it was previously underserving.

While the LEGO brick does not have a gender, language like ‘building’ and ‘construction’ had the effect of excluding girls. Changing this is one of her key priorities. The same goes for adults – or adult fans of LEGO (AFOL) – who “are prepared to pay for these beautiful experiences.”

The LEGO stores – the biggest of which is in Sydney – act like advertising too. As for other localisation, Nine’s Lego Masters is the “best ad campaign ever made,” Taylor suggested.

It was a homecoming for the Australian and former local DDB CEO, who moved to Denmark to take on the role two and a half years ago from Spain, where she worked for bespoke DDB agency C14torce. Her life in Denmark is gentler, and less “ferocious” than agency life here, she said. Leadership is crucial: “20% of my bonus is based on what people say about me.”

Dianne Everett and Jackie Lee-Joe, The Matildas

Everett, GM of brands, partnerships, and creative at Commonwealth Bank, and Lee-Joe, deputy chair at Football Australia, talked the audience through the results the Matildas performance in last year’s World Cup drove for both brands, and the nation.

The team’s World Cup campaign generated $1.32 billion for the economy, sold more than 1.2 million tickets, and attracted 86,654 international visitors and 403,136 attendees for all seven sold-out Matildas matches.

Awareness of CBA’s football partnership was doubled, and CBA is now ranked in the top 3% of iconic brands globally by brand equity, according to Kantar. 

Women and girls’ participation in the game has grown from 21% to 26% since 2021.

The CommBank team experienced unprecedented social engagement, achieving 132 days’ of owned social engagement. Everett joked that the bank is not used to that level of social engagement.

Janine Allis, Boost Juice

Allis spoke of her journey building Boost – now the biggest juice bar business in the world – appearing on Survivor and other TV shows like the recent Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, and her husband and son’s experience of buying and growing Yo-chi, a frozen yoghurt and açai business.

Yo-chi will double next year, and double again the year after, she claimed.

She shared leadership tips, and said while she doesn’t understand TikTok, she knows that Facebook and Instagram’s algorithms make it “impossible” in terms of the cost of acquisition.

Richard Oppy, AB InBev

Oppy, an Australian based in New York in his role as vice president of global brands, was the final speaker of the day. He reviews his “justice league” of an agency roster annually, and hates it when clients don’t credit agencies, or throw them under the bus when things go wrong. 

Agency relationships are like a marriage, he proposed – “there’s going to be ups and downs.”

Oppy shared how the business’ creative process – which includes a “mini Cannes” internal awards show – led to the business becoming the #1 advertiser according to WARC three years in a row (2022-2024) after ranking 42nd in 2018, topping the Effies’ effectiveness index in 2022 and 2023 from 7 in 2018 and 2019 and 4 in 2020, and being named Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes in 2022 and 2023 – nabbing eight Lions in 2017 and 48 in 2023.

News Corp has revealed third quarter revenues were $2.42 billion [all figures US$], a 1% decrease compared to $2.45 billion in the prior year. Adjusted revenues were flat compared to the prior year. Below are selected summaries released to the market by the publisher.

News Corp Q3 highlights

Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal achieved its highest sequential quarterly net additions for digital subscriptions of 322,000, reaching over 5 million Dow Jones digital subscriptions for the quarter.

REA Group posted strong results with quarterly revenues of compared to the prior year, primarily driven by strong Australian residential performance.

Commenting on the results, News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson said:

“News Corp has again made substantial progress on our strategic imperative to transform the company and increase value for all shareholders.

“News Corp’s profitability rose slightly in the third quarter as compared to the prior year, continuing our growth this fiscal year – and that increase, which gathered pace in April, follows the three most profitable years since the company was reincarnated in 2013.

“We are in the midst of an exponential digital revolution, and our own company has continued to change significantly and profitably. Importantly, we are working to promote our quality journalism in the age of Generative AI and are gratified that the most enlightened leaders in the industry appreciate the commercial and social value of that content.

“As mentioned previously, we have been reviewing our company’s structure – and that work is intense and ongoing – and we have made underlying changes to provide maximum flexibility.

“Separately, we have this week extended our existing partnership with Google.”

News Corp CEO Robert Thomson

News Corp Q3 by division

Digital Real Estate Services

Revenues in the quarter increased $25 million, or 7%, compared to the prior year, driven by performance at REA Group partly offset by lower revenues at Move.

In the quarter, revenues at REA Group increased $34 million, or 15%, to $256 million, primarily driven by higher Australian residential revenues due to price increases, increased depth penetration, favourable geographic mix and an increase in national listings.

Subscription Video Services

Revenues of $455 million in the quarter decreased $22 million, or 5%, compared with the prior year, primarily driven by an $18 million, or 4%, negative impact from foreign currency fluctuations.

The impact from fewer Foxtel Group residential broadcast subscribers was mostly offset by higher revenues from Kayo from increases in both volume and pricing and higher Binge revenues from an increase in pricing.

Adjusted revenues of $473 million decreased 1% compared to the prior year. Foxtel Group streaming subscription revenues represented approximately 29% of total circulation and subscription revenues in the quarter, as compared to 26% in the prior year.

As of March 31, 2024, Foxtel’s total closing paid subscribers were over 4.5 million, a 1% decrease compared to the prior year, driven by fewer residential broadcast subscribers and lower Binge subscribers partly offset by strong growth in Kayo subscribers.

Broadcast subscriber churn in the quarter was 13.3% compared to 12.3% in the prior year partly driven by the recent broadcast price increase. Broadcast ARPU for the quarter increased 2% year-over-year to A$85 (US$56).

Adjusted segment EBITDA of $69 million increased 1% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower marketing, entertainment programming rights and technology costs partially offset by $13 million of costs related to the launch of Hubbl in the quarter.

$13m was spent in the quarter on the launch of Hubbl

Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal

Revenues in the quarter increased $15 million, or 3%, compared to the prior year, driven by growth in circulation and subscription revenues underpinned by the professional information business. Digital revenues at Dow Jones in the quarter represented 81% of total revenues compared to 79% in the prior year. Adjusted revenues increased 3%.

Circulation and subscription revenues increased $19 million, or 4%, primarily driven by a 10% increase in professional information business revenues, led by 15% growth in risk & compliance revenues to $76 million and 15% growth in Dow Jones Energy revenues to $63 million.

Circulation revenues were flat compared to the prior year, as the continued growth in digital-only subscriptions, which partially benefited from an increase in bundle offers, was offset by lower print volume. Digital circulation revenues accounted for 70% of circulation revenues for the quarter, compared to 69% in the prior year.

During the third quarter, total average subscriptions to Dow Jones’ consumer products were over 5.7 million, a 12% increase compared to the prior year. Digital-only subscriptions to Dow Jones’ consumer products grew 17% to over 5 million. Total subscriptions to The Wall Street Journal grew 8% compared to the prior year, to over 4.2 million average subscriptions in the quarter. Digital-only subscriptions to The Wall Street Journal grew 13% to over 3.7 million average subscriptions in the quarter, and represented 88% of total Wall Street Journal subscriptions.

Advertising revenues decreased $2 million, or 2%, primarily due to an 11% decline in print advertising revenues partly offset by 4% growth in digital advertising revenues. Digital advertising accounted for 63% of total advertising revenues in the quarter, compared to 59% in the prior year.

News Media

Revenues in the quarter decreased $33 million, or 6%, as compared to the prior year, primarily driven by lower advertising revenues. Within the segment, revenues at News Corp Australia decreased 10%, driven by lower advertising revenues, and included an $8 million, or 4%, negative impact from foreign currency fluctuations, while News UK was flat as lower advertising revenues were offset by a $10 million, or 5%, positive impact from foreign currency fluctuations and higher circulation and subscription revenues. Adjusted revenues for the segment decreased 6% compared to the prior year.

Circulation and subscription revenues increased $1 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to price increases, digital subscriber growth and a $3 million, or 1%, positive impact from foreign currency fluctuations, partially offset by lower print volumes.

Advertising revenues decreased $28 million, or 13%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower print advertising at News Corp Australia and lower digital advertising mainly driven by a decline in traffic at some mastheads due to platform related changes.

In the quarter, Segment EBITDA decreased $8 million, or 24%, compared to the prior year, driven by lower revenues, as discussed above, partially offset by lower production costs at News UK driven by lower print volume and newsprint prices and a $1 million, or 2%, positive impact from foreign currency fluctuations. Adjusted Segment EBITDA decreased 26%.

Digital revenues represented 38% of News Media segment revenues in the quarter, compared to 36% in the prior year, and represented 36% of the combined revenues of the newspaper mastheads. Digital subscribers and users across key properties within the News Media segment are summarised below:

• Closing digital subscribers at News Corp Australia as of March 31, 2024 were 1,113,000 (966,000 for news mastheads), compared to 1,043,000 (937,000 for news mastheads) in the prior year (Source: Internal data)

• The Times and Sunday Times closing digital subscribers, including the Times Literary Supplement, as of March 31, 2024 were 582,000, compared to 554,000 in the prior year (Source: Internal data). The previously disclosed methodology change resulted in a 59,000 and 60,000 increase to the closing digital subscriber number at March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively

• The Sun’s digital offering reached 126 million global monthly unique users in March 2024, compared to 199 million in the prior year (Source: Meta Pixel)

• New York Post’s digital network reached 125 million unique users in March 2024, compared to 147 million in the prior year (Source: Google Analytics)

See also: News Corp results Q2 2024 – Australian News Media ad revenues dip 9%

Medium Rare Content Agency has produced a television series in conjunction with Boomtown Pictures for CommBank, to air on Network 10. 

Titled The Brighter Side, the eight-week television series aims to inform Australians with practical tips and new ideas to help them take control of their financial future.

It will begin airing on Saturday 11 May at 6pm on Network 10, hosted by The Project’s Georgie Tunny and featuring chef Adam Liaw, journalist Narelda Jacobs OAM, CommBank personal finance expert Jess Irvine and behavioural economist Evan Lucas.

Medium Rare managing director Nick Smith said: “As the biggest content agency in Australia, storytelling is at the heart of what we do. We deliver robust content ecosystems for the biggest brands in Australia and the opportunity to add television to our mix can only benefit our clients.”

The launch of the TV program is the latest addition to Medium Rare’s content network with CommBank. In 2023, the agency launched CommBank’s magazine, Brighter, which is available in 660 branches nationally and online.

“Our Brighter content ecosystem is all about giving Australians hopeful and useful content, to help build confidence with their relationship with money,” said CommBank chief marketing officer Jo Boundy. 

“We have been working with Medium Rare to build out content across print and digital and we have seen incredible engagement from consumers. We’re excited to now be evolving this into television with The Brighter Side.”

The launch of the new program comes as LinkedIn named CommBank the leading employer for career growth in Australia in its 8th annual Top Companies List.

CommBank is followed by NAB and Telstra. Australian Super follows in fourth spot, while Rest round out the top five.

See also: CommBank, Telstra, and Canva: LinkedIn reveals top workplaces for growth

The Trade Desk has released financial results for its first quarter, ending 31 March 2024.

Jeff Green, co-founder and CEO of The Trade Desk described the quarter as “strong,” with a delivery of $491 million in revenue, recording growth of 28% year-on-year. 

“Our outstanding performance to start the year underlines the value advertisers are placing on premium inventory on the open internet,” Green said. 

“With the continued strong growth of CTV, the growing ubiquity of UID2, new approaches to authentication, greater deployment of first-party data and retail data, and with significant AI advances in our Kokai platform, we are better positioned than ever to deliver premium value to advertisers and continue to gain market share.”

The Trade Desk has now grown more than 20% in each of the last nine quarters, and customer retention remained over 95% during the first quarter – as it has for the past ten consecutive years.

Adjusted EPS came in at $0.26.

$ in millions, except per share amounts

Looking ahead, Q2 results are predicted to record revenue at least $575 million, and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $223 million.

Q1 Business Highlights

Connected TV (CTV)

Recent CTV updates from The Trade Desk include notable news from Disney, NBCUniversal, and Roku.

Disney: An expanded partnership with The Trade Desk with Disney Advertising’s Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX) Direct via a direct integration with OpenPath to meet advertiser demand at scale.

NBCUniversal: The 2024 Paris Olympic Games inventory on Peacock will be available to buy programmatically via The Trade Desk.

Roku: Has plans to empower advertisers using The Trade Desk with the ability to leverage Roku Media and audience and behavioral data, so brands can better understand and optimise their campaigns.

Unified ID 2.0

The Trade Desk has been working on building support for Unified ID 2.0 (UID2), an upgrade and alternative to third-party cookies. Recent partnerships and pledges of integration and support include:

Times Internet: An Indian digital media conglomerate home to brands such as Times of India, Economic Times, and GadgetsNow, has become the first digital partner in India to adopt UID2.

DISH Media: In January committed to the adoption of UID2 across its suite of traditional TV and OTT services including DISH TV and Sling TV.

Lotame: Data provider that announced its adoption of UID2 to help enable cross-channel data interoperability.

TF1 and M6: Two of the largest broadcasters in France, announced their adoption of EUID to help their advertisers run effective campaigns with improved targeting capabilities.

See Also: The Trade Desk: Two-thirds of Aussie ad budgets wasted on disengaged online platforms

As the deprecation of third-party cookies inches closer, national head of digital sales at News Corp Australia, Jessica Gilby says that the industry has had tunnel vision on how it defines success using certain media metrics.

“For the last couple of years, the industry has been focused on outdated media metric proxies as the justification for future investment,” she told Mediaweek ahead of next week’s D_Coded event.

“These proxies look at metrics such as viewability, click-through rate and time decay and are all about the last action that has been taken by a user, not the full journey taken to get to the destination.

“News Corp has noticed this and is now starting to bring this method back to marketing fundamentals around moving users through the marketing funnel by using our Intent Connect measurement and attribution suite.”

News Corp’s Intent Connect is its solution to a cookieless world, connecting audience segmentation and activation to outcomes, and demonstrating media campaign impact on brand, action, and transaction. 

Intent Connect is a full-funnel measurement system and at the top of the funnel, News Corp partners with Kantar, PureProfile, and Brand Metrics to track brand awareness, favorability, and purchase intent. Down the funnel, News Corp analyses user content interaction through partnerships with AdGile and Vudoo, revealing video effectiveness and e-commerce outcomes. 

“In simple terms, Intent Connect centralises all of the different data signals that we have on our first party, or data signals that we can act on our collective audiences that visit our array of sites and sections,” Gilby said.

“On top of that, we overlay around 15 data partners to help enhance our customer views with other partners and that brings real-world insights on what consumers are doing when they’re shopping all the way through to transactional level data from flybuys to understand what they’re actually purchasing and buying.”

News Corp’s 2024 D_Coded event next week has been teased as a look into the future of advertising and Intent Connect will be further explored at the conference. Speaking of the event, Gilby said that global and local guests will talk about the macro view of what marketers are facing and the conundrum they’re currently in. 

“We’re going to have a huge and inherent focus on data, and I think when it comes to data it’s around two core things.

“Firstly, data activation in privacy compliant ecosystems that bring huge scale and addressability within that first-party data ecosystem as well, and secondly it’s around measurement, and an understanding of how to measure the success of your campaigns with a suite of solutions, rather than using historic proxies to understand performance.”

D_Coded will be headlined by Evan Shapiro, media universe cartographer and professor of media and entertainment, who will discuss the implications of a new user-centric era. 

LiveRamp senior vice president Daniella Harkins will deliver a keynote on the impacts of signal loss and the opportunities a collaborative approach to data practices will bring to the Australian market. 

Omnicom Media Group chief investment officer Kristiaan Kroon, AdFixus head of sales Roland Irwin, and Journey Beyond Group manager digital and loyalty Wade Stokes will also be among the presenters.

See also: News Corp to explore the future of advertising at D_Coded 2024

Two months after the launch of news.com.au’s About Bloody Time campaign, new specialist help for the more than 1 million Australians with endometriosis has been secured.

From 1 July 2025, women with endometriosis will have longer specialist consultations of 45 minutes or more covered under Medicare, after news that the federal government will invest $49.1 million into tackling the condition. 

Previously, an initial gynaecologist appointment received an $81.30 rebate which covered only 10 minutes of a gynaecologist’s time.

With the new investment, Medicare will cover $168.60 for an initial appointment, and $84.35 for follow-up appointments, compared to the previous rate of $40.85. The investment will provide about 430,000 more services to help women across the country with complex gynaecological conditions.

The About Bloody Time campaign showcased the stories of people living with endometriosis through editorial, video, and social content. The campaign also featured interviews with experts, researchers, and doctors.  

News.com.au launched its About Bloody Time campaign on 1 March to encourage legislators to add a Medicare item number to the condition, to help more women be diagnosed sooner. 

The goal was to reach 20,000 signatures on its petition by International Women’s Day. That goal was achieved in 24 hours, with the petition securing 55,000 signatures in just over a week.

Health Minister Mark Butler said he was “deeply moved by the women who spoke about their experience with endometriosis during the About Bloody Time campaign”.

“I hope through this announcement today they feel listened to,” he said.

Editor-in-chief Lisa Muxworthy said the team wanted to use news.com.au’s audience of almost 13 million “to advocate for change and lift the standard of care nationwide.”

“The win today highlights the importance of journalism and our ability to build a better Australia for all Australians. We are all here to make a difference, push boundaries and have the courage to challenge the way things are done.”

The ABC has announced 10 new TV programs for its 2024 slate. The details came during a mid-year programming event held in Melbourne.

During the presentation, the broadcaster noted audiences continue to turn to the ABC for quality and distinctive content.

ABC iview has claimed continued platform growth and is currently ranked the #2 free-to-air BVOD network in Australia. Year-on-year weekly active user growth is up on ABC iview, with 24% year-on-year growth on minutes viewed (*non kids) and 10% year-on-year growth on minutes viewed (*kids).

Key programming like Muster Dogs, Nemesis, Total Control, Darby and Joan, Vera has secured over 1 million total average audiences. The ABC also noted Bluey has been the biggest show on Australian television so far in 2024.

Chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor said: “The ABC is the most important creative institution in Australia and we are continuing to ensure our content is available where our audiences want to engage. 2024 has marked a major change in the way that the ABC is thinking about its content and it is all about on demand.

“ABC iview is our on-demand destination for everything that Australian audiences love. More people are coming to ABC iview for our content when they want to watch on demand and in 2024 they are staying with us for longer.”

Chris Oliver-Taylor

New ABC content announcements

The Assembly

Leigh Sales is at the helm of the new factual series, The Assembly (6 x 1hr), focusing on a group of autistic student journalists as they prepare for and eventually interview Australia’s best-known personalities, including the Prime Minister.

Production Credit A Helium Pictures production for the ABC with production funding from Screen NSW, from a format created by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, originally produced by Kiosco.TV & Quad+Ten, and distributed by Can’t Stop Media. ABC Commissioning Editor Julie Hanna, ABC Head of Factual Susie Jones.

Headliners

Elly-May Barnes leads an ambitious quest to create two bands made up entirely of musicians living with disability. With support and inspiration from Australian music royalty including her rock legend dad, Jimmy Barnes, they’ll transform a group of strangers to must see acts on the main stage at a sell-out live music event in just seven weeks.

Production Credit Headliners is an original series from Endemol Shine Australia. Developed and produced in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Screen NSW.

Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now

Presented by Lisa Millar, Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now? will revisit the human and canine stars of Series 1 & Series 2 to check in on the dogs’ progress since the final milestone challenge.

Production Credit Produced by Ambience Entertainment; Series Director Monica O’Brien, Director Justin Schneider, Producers Sally Browning, Michael Boughen and Monica O’Brien, Co producer John Unwin, Executive Producer Matthew Street. ABC Commissioning Editor Jo Chichester, ABC Executive Producer Rachel Robinson, ABC Head of Factual Susie Jones. Supported by Screen Territory.

Secret Science

Premieres Tuesday 21 May at 9pm on ABC TV and ABC iview

An entertaining series exploring a range of topics. Learn how men can improve their sperm count, how we can all improve our capacity to learn as well as ways we can exploit our emotions. Hosts for the series include Myf Warhust, Matt Okine and Sammy J.

Production credit: An ABC Production. Associate Producer: Dominique Pile, Series Producer: Elle Gibbons, Executive Producer: Penny Palmer, Head of Factual: Susie Jones

Megafauna: What Killed Australia’s Giants?

Australia was once home to a group of extraordinary animals known as Megafauna. These giants lived here for millions of years, but in a blink of time, they disappeared. What became of them has been debated for over a century, but now a team of experts are re-opening this paleolithic cold case. This two-part series is narrated by Hugh Jackman.

Production Credit An ABC Production. Produced, Directed and Filmed by Jeff Siberry, Producers Oliver Graham, Kirsty Walsh, Series Producer: Elle Gibbons, ABC Executive Producer Penny Palmer, ABC Head of Factual Susie Jones.

Monday Experts: Catherine Murphy and Tony Armstrong

Monday’s Experts

Hosted by Tony Armstrong with Catherine Murphy, Monday’s Experts is a new sports entertainment show covering all that happens both on and off the field each week. With a panel of sports journalists and comedians, they will cover the biggest stories and the funniest and most awe-inspiring moments of the week.

Production Credit A CJZ and ABC co-production. Executive Producer: Damian Davis. Head of Entertainment Rachel Millar.

Guy Montgomery

Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee

In a new comedy panel show, host Guy Montgomery and his loyal assistant Aaron Chen challenge four comedians, comprising of both established names and up-and-coming comics, as they attempt to spell a myriad of words as best they can, all to be crowned that week’s best speller.

Production credit A Kevin & Co and ABC co-production. Producers: Bronwynn Bakker, Cam Bakker. Executive Producer: Cam Bakker, Bronwynn Bakker, Greg Sitch, Guy Montgomery. ABC Executive Producer Mark Sutton. ABC Head of Entertainment Rachel Millar.

Tom Gleeson

Hard Quiz Kids

Premieres Saturday 8 June at 7.30pm on ABC Family and ABC iview Gold-Logie-winning comedian Tom Gleeson hosts an all-new series of his hit show Hard Quiz to the kids! With his trademark grumpiness and humour, Gleeson will interrogate ordinary, but brainy contestants – the only difference is, they’re all aged between 10 and 13.

Production Credit A Thinkative TV production. Producers: Kevin Whyte, Charlie Pickering, Tom Gleeson. Co-Executive Producer: John Tabbagh. Executive Producer: Chris Walker. ABC Executive Producers: Mark Sutton (Entertainment) and Mary-Ellen Mullane (Children’s).

Plum

Plum follows Peter ‘The Plum’ Lum (Brendan Cowell), a 49-year-old national football treasure who lives with his son Gavin (Vincent Miller) and girlfriend Charmayne (María Dupláa) in Cronulla. It looks like Plum is living the dream until he discovers he has a brain disorder as result of the hundreds of head knocks and concussions he suffered on the field. The new diagnosis doesn’t receive its intended effect, as Plum would sooner hide, run and head to the pub for drinks with the boys and pretend everything is peaches. But hiding from the truth isn’t easy when your ex-wife (Asher Keddie) cares too much and your son comes to realise the father he worships is falling off his mantle and the game they love might be to blame.

Production Credit Roadshow Rough Diamond and Modern Convict Films production. Major production investment from Screen Australia and the ABC. Financed with support from Screen NSW. Worldwide Distribution by Entertainment One.  Executive Producer Brendan Cowell. Producers: John Edwards, Dan Edwards, and Jonathan Duncan. ABC Executive Producer Louise Smith. ABC Head of Scripted: Rachel Okine.

Premiere dates revealed

Spicks and Specks, premieres Sunday 9 June at 7.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview

Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough return for a new series of the music quiz show, Spicks and Specks.

Austin, premieres Sunday 9 June at 8pm on ABC TV and ABC iview

When much-loved children’s author Julian Hartswood (Ben Miller) inadvertently causes a social media storm, his career and that of his illustrator wife Ingrid (Sally Phillips) appears to be over. That is until Austin (Michael Theo), the neurodivergent son that Julian never knew existed, turns up out of the blue. Could embracing this modern nuclear family be Julian’s route back from cancellation?

Bluey Minisodes premieres Sunday 16th June at 8am on ABC Kids and ABC iview

The Bluey Minisodes are a collection of 1 – 3 minute funny and sweet moments featuring Bluey & Bingo. Introducing some new characters alongside fan favourites including Unicorse, Nana ann Bob Heeler, Dad getting a tattoo and behind the scenes at Bluey and Bingo’s dreamhouse.

Classic 100 in Concert, premieres Saturday June 29th at 7:30pm, on ABCTV, live streamed on ABC iview and simulcast on ABC Classic

Hosted by ABC’s Megan Burslem and Jeremy Fernandez, the Classic 100 in Concert will give music lovers nationwide the chance to celebrate the ultimate feel-good playlist, performed by some of the country’s best-known classical stars.

Marta Dusseldorp in Bay of Fires Season 1

Bay Of Fires in production for Season 2

Archipelago Productions and Fremantle are making season two of the hit drama Bay Of Fires and is currently filming in Tasmania. Reprising their roles are Marta Dusseldorp (Janet King), Toby Leonard Moore (The Unusual Suspects), Pamela Rabe (Wentworth).

Top image: Bay of Fires S2 [L-R] Elle Mandelis, Roz Hammond, Ava Caryofyllis (seated), Marta Dusseldorp, Ilai Swindells, Imi Mbedla (seated), Pamela Rabe

See also: Bay of Fires – Marta Dusseldorp says drama mirrors city chick’s real life move to Tasmania

The ABC is launching two new channels in June – ABC Family and ABC Entertains – and four new digital streams that will bring together kids, family, and general entertainment titles. 

The four new digital streams delivering live action, animation, education, and family, will launch with the new channels on ABC iview on 3 June. 

The new channels will showcase ABC’s catalogue of family and entertainment programs and feature new titles and original premiere Australian commissions such as Hard Quiz Kids hosted by Gold Logie-winning comedian Tom Gleeson launching on ABC Family in June. 

ABC chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor said the changes are designed to enhance audience experience and boost discoverability.

“The multichannel changes are designed to simplify and modernise the ABC channels and form part of the ABC’s overall content strategy to adapt and evolve in line with changing audience trends and behaviours,’’ he said.

“The ABC is uniquely placed to offer audiences the best range of entertainment and family viewing and having two clearly defined channels plus new digital streams that will make it even easier for Australians of all ages to discover and enjoy their favourite ABC content.”

ABC Family, which replaces ABC TV Plus, is designed for family viewing, with comedies, game shows, natural history, and movies. It will be broadcast from 7:30 pm after ABC Kids finishes each day.

ABC Entertains, which replaces ABC ME, will build on ABC’s catalogue of comedy and entertainment. It will be the home of the Australian TV premiere of season two of the supernatural series Interview with a Vampire. Plus, new seasons of the comedy horror Wreck and Louis Theroux Interviews.

ABC head of programming, acquisitions and streaming Roberta Allan said: “We are excited to be making these changes to the broadcast channels. We will be adding more family-friendly shows, long running entertainment titles and comedies, plus movies, and much more, further establishing the ABC as a premier destination for family and entertainment viewing.”

The launch of the channels comes as the ABC also announced this week 10 new TV programs for its 2024 slate. The details came during a mid-year programming event held in Melbourne.

See Also: ABC reveals major new investment in TV series commissions for 2024 plus more Bay of Fires

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA)’s annual flagship event has kicked off at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal, under this year’s theme of ‘RESET for Growth’.

In his opener, Josh Faulks, described the tenth year of the industry body event as “10 years of bringing our amazing community together. To be inspired and to be challenged by the some  of the biggest thinkers with the biggest ideas.”

Setting the precedent for the day, Faulks asked the audience to reflect on what the AANA CEO described as a “turbulent” year for many businesses and attendees in the room.

“Geopolitical issues, sticky inflation, higher-for-longer interest rates and the rising cost of  living is really having a bit impact on consumer confidence. The outlook is flat for the foreseeable future. At same time for many the cost of doing business continues to climb, squeezing margins and increasing pressure to cut costs,” he said.  

The biggest question many brands are dealing with, Faulks said, is how to grow without being forced to pass rising costs onto their consumers, thus impacting demand and further fuelling inflation. He also highlighted existential items currently looming over the advertising industry, including a “rising tide” of regulatory threats.

“Whether it’s privacy, greenwashing, or calls for ad bans for unhealthy food or gambling, the potential impact for our industry is significant and we all need to sit up and take notice,” said Faulks.

However, within the perils and challenges of the current market, Faulks maintained that “a lot of people out there underestimate the role of marketing as a critical driver of growth and profitability.”

“It means that now more than ever we need to come to together as an industry to help each other navigate a path through these choppy waters,” he continued. 

“It means we need to come together to defend our industry and celebrate – and promote – the good we do.”

This year’s event is centred around the some of the best marketing global campaigns in recent times that have been able to deliver significant and tangible results for brands, despite the challenging environment.

“We are here to learn from some of the best marketers about some of the most celebrated and  awarded campaigns about how to grow your business through the power of marketing,” said Faulks.

Speakers throughout the day include futurist and social commentator, Bernard Salt AM, president of Worldwide Marketing at Warner Bros. Picture Group, Josh Goldstine, senior vice president of the LEGO Group, and global head of LEGO agency, Nicole Taylor,  general manager of brands, partnerships and creative at CommBank, Dianne Everett, and deputy chair of Football Australia, Jackie Lee-Joe, (whose partnership fueled the meteoric rise of the Matilda’s), founder of Boost Juice Bars, Janine Allis, and vice president of global brands at Anheuser-Busch InBev, Richard Oppy.

Last week, Faulks explained to Mediaweek how the theme of this year’s RESET was particularly pertinent for marketers as a tough economy continues to plague the industry.

He discussed why conversations on growth for the advertising industry matter, as marketers look for ways to sustain business growth, while tackling economic challenges.

“In some industries, it’s huge. We’re talking 30% plus increase in the cost of doing business,” he said.

He explained the roster was curated to represent world-leading examples of growth, highlighting creative efforts that have delivered significant and tangible results for brands, despite the challenging environment.

“Good creativity is not just creativity for the sake of creativity.”

See also: Josh Faulks on brand growth amid 30%+ jump in costs, good creativity, and AANA RESET

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Top Image: Josh Faulks

Compare the Market meerkats Aleksandr and Sergei are shining a light on the next big household bill, energy, in its latest campaign.

The campaign celebrates the launch of the price comparison website’s improved energy journey, which helps Australians compare prices in minutes.

The latest offering is part of the leading financial comparison website’s Meerkat Motivationals series, in which Aleksandr and Sergei show ‘One Click Colin’ that switching off gas and electricity isn’t the only way to save.

Andrew Holt, Compare the Market’s chief marketing officer, said he hoped that ‘One Click Colin’ would help Australians wake up to waste.

“Alarmingly, 8 in 10 Australians we recently surveyed said they haven’t switched energy plans in the last 12 months, meaning they could be missing out on cheaper prices for the same gas and electricity supply.

“We know that the household budget has taken a beating over the past couple of years and one way that Australians may be able to claw back cash is by switching to a cheaper energy plan.”

The integrated campaign for ‘One Click Colin’ appeared across TV, and BVOD, online video, radio and out-of-home channels from 5 May.

The work coincides with the re-launch of Compare the Market’s fully-online comparison tool.

Earlier this year, Compare the Market flexed its in-house agency model with a new campaign in which the meerkats teamed up with property expert and host of Selling Houses Australia, Andrew Winter. 

See also: Meerkats team with property expert Andrew Winter in Compare the Market campaign, via in-house agency

Credits:

Chief Marketing Officer: Andrew Holt
GM of Brand: Michael Goodhew
Brand & Campaign Manager: India Williams
Campaign Coordinators: Amber Hagan & Rebecca Bartel
Campaign Design: Janice Yeung
Agency: The Whole Picture
Creative Direction: Oliver Devaris & Graham Johnson
Project Direction: Jen Peace & Therese Walley
Production: Scarlett Howard

Production:
Passion Pictures: Dave Scanlon, Kate Goodwin, Rick Bland
Transmission Pictures: Fiona McGregor

This has been a challenging week at times for Network 10 after news found a way out that The Bachelor and The Masked Singer had been dropped. News too that regional operator Mildura Digital TV was closing down because it was no longer financially tenable.

10 has called on the Prime Minister to “urgently intervene” because “regional Australians love our iconic shows like MasterChef Australia”. The show doesn’t win all people, but it is often still the champ with viewers under 50. It is also attracting its biggest BVOD numbers ever.

MasterChef Australia 2024

If only there had been some more urgent intervention when it came to The Masked Singer and The Bachelor. It was left to host Osher Günsberg and judge Dave Hughes to “drop the bombshell” on radio, leaving 10 to confirm it was true in the aftermath.

Paramount ANZ’s PR department is staying upbeat, with gags about Osher now being able to rest his voice which has worked overtime screaming ‘Take It Off’ and simultaneously dropping to a whisper to deliver the iconic line of ‘I’m sorry but you did not receive a rose’.

That trademark cheekiness is why people love 10, and keeping that up would be a good way to move forward.

Network 10 holds a very special place in viewers’ hearts and I would not be the only one to admit that my all-time favourite shows either screened on 10 or were made by them. Many came to fruition because 10 has always been the underdog, and when you’re coming third, what else is there to lose?

Network 10 used to take wild gambles and sometimes they hit the jackpot and changed television forever.

For example, let’s look at 10’s unnerving ability to strip formats every weeknight and turn them into ratings monsters. Number 96 (1972) was the world’s first five-nights-a-week soap in prime time. Perfect Match (1984) broke records at 5.30pm, and Big Brother (2001) turned a late-night format into a family-friendly hit at 7pm.

10 classic Aussie soap Number 96

The best shows worked because they are perfect matches for 10’s audience. One special relationship has always been with Working Dog, which has given them shows like Have You Been Paying Attention? The Cheap Seats and Thank God You’re Here. Those shows always seem at home on 10, even though Thank God had a brief flirtation with Seven.

The decision to abandon the cool kids in 2011 sent Australia’s most profitable network to the verge of bankruptcy. They’ve been trying to lure them back ever since, but that audience now prefers streaming.

This year is a celebration for 10 because it will be its 60-year anniversary on 1 August, the date that ATV-0 began broadcasting in 1964. Since then, their beloved roster of shows has included such game-changers as Young Talent Time (1971), The Mike Walsh Show (1973), Blankety Blanks (1977), Prisoner (1979), The Dismissal (1983), Return To Eden (1986), The Comedy Company (1988), Totally Wild (1992), Heartbreak High (1993), Bondi Rescue (2006), and Offspring (2010).

Offspring Season 6 cast in 2016

Let’s not forget the aforementioned MasterChef Australia, currently in season 16 after launching in 2009.

As they look back at their wonderful history, let’s hope 10 can remember what made it so great. While Seven and Nine fought each other with copycat programming, 10 often took the opportunity to try something different. Television is cyclical and 10 can still be a powerhouse if they take some bold risks and go for it.

TV Gold: New episode of Mediaweek’s weekly TV podcast

Listen now on your favourite podcast platform for 30 minutes of TV reviews and recommendations every week from Mediaweek’s Mercado on TV columnist Andrew Mercado and editor-in-chief James Manning.

We want your comments, feedback and questions – [email protected].

Four programs reviewed this week:
The Veil (Disney+, series) Elisabeth Moss stars in this thriller about an MI6 agent bringing in a suspected ISIS senior officer.
Red Eye (Stan, series) Richard Armitage plays a doctor who was framed for a murder in China. He spends all of the episode in the air trying to flee the country.

Elisabeth Moss in The Veil

We Were the Lucky Ones (Disney+, series) – A Jewish family split apart during WW2 are determined to survive and reunite.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz (Stan, series) Holocaust survivor Lali, played by Harvey Keitel, tells his story of his time in a concentration camp and how he met his wife.

Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.

This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Helena Barroso Zarco and Hayley Tse from the partnership management platform impact.com reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge, and career goals.

The Mediaweek series showcases their diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions by bringing together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.

Helena Barroso Zarco, director customer success and sales ANZ at impact.com

Favourite podcast/read: I love a British podcast called “Sidetracked” with Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac, 2 ex BBC DJs from the UK. I love their banter and they talk about anything music related and many other silly things. They make me laugh a lot.

Current streaming binge: Ally McBeal, I love a good classic and that show was amazing and underrated. 

Guilty pleasure content: Reality shows. Love Island UK is the best!

What do you have on repeat: I have eclectic taste in music: Spanish, electronic, pop, indie… I tend to go to Dua Lipa a lot, she has so many good tunes.

Best career advice: Someone once told me to approach any challenges in life or work with a “crawl, walk, run” mindset. Instead of becoming overwhelmed at the potential obstacles ahead, get the basics in place first (crawl) and from there you’ll be able to get up and walk – and eventually sprint ahead!

Leadership hero: I feel that at impact.com we are lucky to have many of them. While the industry can be challenging and constantly evolving, our leaders keep us all updated and clear on what to work on so that it supports our future vision. In particular, my current manager and friend, Nick Randall, who is RVP of Customer Growth is the perfect example of being a great leader having his feet on the ground at all times and encouraging and respecting everyone he works with. Very inspiring.

Best training course/session: I loved attending Women who Innovate last year, where many inspiring women talked about how to make a difference, how their journey was and looking into the future to overcome the challenges that as women we are presented with and that we have to battle everyday. 

I wish someone had told me: That in 2024 most people will speak many different languages! 

Growing up in Spain, I decided to study Translation and Interpreting because it was a profession in high demand as speaking multiple languages wasn’t all that common. Fast forward a few years and it’s now not unusual (in Europe certainly) to have a wide range of professionals like lawyers, teachers, doctors, engineers who are both experts in their fields and multi-lingual. With the benefit of hindsight, I might have chosen a different degree.

Favourite place to network: A good old school pub, like an RSL. They’re basic, with cold cheap beer and as an added bonus, a great place to talk as they don’t tend to play much music!.

Something that’s surprised you about the industry: How much the partnership channel is growing and how the perception of it not being an interesting and evolving channel has changed. More brands are realising that if you add new partner groups such as influencers, customer referrals or other brands to the channel by paying on a performance model, the incremental revenue generated and the contribution from the channel can skyrocket! 

What is your hot take on the industry: Partnerships are becoming a full funnel play (versus solely bottom of the funnel) which means brands are moving to a hybrid reward model of performance and a flat fee.  It creates a great scenario for brands and partners: I value your extra work as a partner so I pay you a flat fee, but also, I’ll reward you more if you drive more sales, so I keep you incentivised and engaged with my brand.

Career goal for 2024: To be a successful Director of Sales. I have been doing Customer Success roles for a very long time and whilst always had an element of selling and increasing revenue, my new role brings with it a brand new spectrum. So far, I’m loving connecting new business with success stories.

Hayley Tse, customer success manager at impact.com 

Hayley Tse

Favourite podcast/read: I accidentally received a book called ‘Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,’ which resonated with me a lot. I’m the type of person who says yes to everything and ends up feeling overwhelmed but not productive. This book had me questioning a lot of the things I am doing in my personal and work life. Am I prioritising my life to focus on what matters most to me?

Current streaming binge: I am hooked on criminal documentaries on Netflix. I just binge-watched ‘Lover, Stalker, and Killer’ and I am still shocked by the twist.

Guilty pleasure content: Instagram reels which I then proceed to spam my partner and friends with (much to their delight!).

What do you have on repeat: Yes I am one of those people, I’m still repeating Taylor Swift’s Eras setlist as (like what seemed like half of Sydney) I went to her concert recently and am still buzzing.

Best career advice: Focus on what you can control. Sometimes, you feel very frustrated when you get stuck in a negative mindset. Take time to reflect on your thoughts and emotions and shift your perspective towards what you can control. When you look back in the future, it won’t be as big of a deal as you think right now.

Leadership hero: I have been very lucky to work with a few amazing managers across my current and previous roles, including Helena, who push me out of my comfort zone to try different things. Sometimes stepping up can be scary, but under the right leadership, you feel supported and empowered.

Best training course/session: impact.com is using Coursera. I love all the training courses available there. We can choose any course from any area, even those completely irrelevant to my role.

I wish someone had told me: We all make mistakes, both small and big. Own them and grow from them.

Favourite place to network: In a nice restaurant. Who doesn’t love delicious food?

Something that’s surprised you about the industry: Many digital marketers still do not know or understand how partnership marketing works. I have customers who aren’t doing much in the channel, but their competitors are thriving, so they are really missing out. 

What is your hot take on the industry: The diversity of partnerships in this industry is not limited to just affiliates anymore. We have content creators, brand ambassadors, charity partners, influencers and various innovative technology partners.

Career goal for 2024: I aim to complete the tasks outlined in my development plan to achieve my goals. These tasks include enhancing my strategic planning skills for existing customers, as well as developing my project management and leadership abilities.

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To take part in future editions of Meeting of the Minds, please email: [email protected]

Past editions of Meeting of the Minds.

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Top image: Barroso Zarco and Hayley Tse

Nova Entertainment has expanded its commercial leadership team, with Rebecca Jeffrey appointed to the role of group business director – digital. 

Jeffrey started her role on Monday, 6 May and is responsible for helping drive Nova Entertainment’s digital audio offering. Her remit will have a specific focus on Nova Podcasts.

Jeffrey’s resume includes a five year tenure at Seven West Media, where she held multiple senior digital roles, most recently as group digital sales manager. Prior to Seven, Jeffrey held several commercial positions at Mamamia.

The appointment comes alongside the promotion of two members of the existing commercial team.

Nova Entertainment’s group sales manager, Sophie Azzopardi, has stepped up into the role of group sales director and account director Tom Edmonds has stepped up into the role of group sales manager.

Chief commercial officer Nicole Bence spoke to Jeffrey’s appointment by saying, “Audio is the fastest growing digital media in Australia and I’m confident Rebecca will play an important role in driving continued momentum for Nova Entertainment’s digital audio offering, as our streaming content becomes borderless and our strategic choice of podcast talent and content continues to attract new listeners to our ecosystem.”

Jeffrey said, “I’m delighted to join the Nova team during this exciting period of adoption and transformation, to drive digital audio revenue forward with a best-in-class market-leading podcast offering.”

In February, Nova Entertainment appointed Esther Carlsen to the role of digital commercial director.

At the time, Carlsen said, “I’m excited to be joining the Nova team at such a pivotal point in their transformation to become an all of audio business.

“As the media landscape becomes more complex, I believe NOVA have a compelling offering that will help clients and agencies optimise their spend and maximise their reach and impact.” 

See Also: Esther Carlsen joins Nova Entertainment as digital commercial director

Bud Communications has expanded into the Australian market to bolster its regional capabilities for challenger and disruptor brands in APAC.

The PR and content agency offering includes a dual focus on strategic public relations and content services that maximise the output of earned, owned, and paid channels, helping businesses enlarge their audiences.

Bud launched in Singapore in 2020 as a PR and content agency for challenger brands. The expansion to Australia is the firm’s latest operations move, having already built a team of 15 across Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. 

Bud made a fast start in Sydney, and its portfolio of clients includes GumGum, Yellow Canary, NP Digital, Symbio, and Choco-Up, as well as content production for impact.com.

Richie Kenzie serves as the Australia Lead for Bud Communications. He has held several senior editorial and strategic roles at major publishers and content agencies and is poised to spearhead Bud’s expansion efforts and drive growth for clients in the region.

Kenzie said: “We are entering the Australian market with a clear vision and a steadfast commitment to our core values of creativity, integrity, and collaboration.

“Australia is home to a diverse range of dynamic brands with immense potential, and we are excited to partner with them to amplify their stories and drive knockout results,” he added.

Oliver Budgen, founder and CEO of Bud Communications, said: “As a business, we are laser-focused on helping founders, leaders and innovators who are seeking to disrupt industries or create entirely new ones.

“Australia has always been an important market for our clients and so it feels particularly significant to be able to open our doors here,” Budgen added.

Bud Communications client GumGum recently integrated Playground xyz’s media portfolio into APAC business to create a suite of AI-powered, advanced contextual ad solutions to help advertisers tap into audience mindset and achieve standout attention rates.

See Also: GumGum integrates Playground xyz’s media portfolio into APAC business

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Top Image: Richie Kenzie and Oliver Budgen

Smith’s has launched a new platform, ‘Joy is a Simple Recipe’, reminding people to find their simple joys and celebrate the ingredients in life that create smiles.

The platform will be brought to life through a series of three-word ‘recipes’ for joy, demonstrating that joy doesn’t need to be complicated, but it is unique and personal.

The launch marks the beginning of an ambitious brand overhaul, as Smith’s embraces its nostalgic legacy and the 90-year history and long-standing relationships with Aussie farmers. The campaign will be followed by consumer activations and moments for Australian Smith’s lovers to enjoy, with new flavours on the way this year.

Its first outing, through Digital, BVOD, Social, and OOH, will hero “Dog. Car. Window”, a joyous and simple spot created with Goodby Silverstein & Partners and directed by the award-winning Nick Ball, set to immerse people in a deeply relatable moment of uncomplicated joy hiding in plain sight.

“Dog, Car, Window” will be followed by the unleashing of a vast array of three-word celebrations, including “Socks. Tiles. Slides”, “Hill. Sand. Board”, “Backyard. Barbie. Bants”, “Nap. Marker. Canvas” and “Road Trip. Tunes. Karaoke” bringing to life identifiable illustrations of everyday joy.

Knowing that joy is at its best when it feels personal, Smith’s will work with Special Group in Australia to tap into country-specific audience insights and create three-word recipes in OOH, digital, and social channels, connecting Smith’s with its consumers across Australia.

The market’s hyper-localised iterations will celebrate specific moments of Aussie joy, incorporating the nation’s unique geographies, cultures, experiences, and personal passion points.

Vandita Pandey, chief marketing officer ANZ Snacks & Beverages, PepsiCo, said: “Smith’s is not just a snack for Aussies; it’s a reminder that joy doesn’t require extravagance and is often just a simple recipe.

“Having been a part of many of those simple recipes and moments of joy for generations – Smith’s is excited to continue inspiring people to find their simple joys for decades to come.”

CREDITS

PepsiCo:
Chief Marketing Officer ANZ, Snacks & Beverages: Vandita Pandey 
Brand Transformation Lead, Smith’s: Hind Simhairi
Senior Brand Manager, Smith’s: Bridget McBride

Cost Consultant Company
Advertising Production Resources (APR)

Agency 
Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Production Company
MJZ

End Animation Company
BUCK

Editorial Company
Union Editorial

Audio and Sound Design Company
Lime Studios

Music Supervision
Songs for Film & T.V.

Licensed Music – Dog. Car. Window.
Song: Ride Like The Wind

VFX Company
Untold Studios 

Color Grading Company
Company 3, London

DEPT has appointed Brad Stevens to the newly created role of executive creative director for APAC.

In the role, Stevens will be responsible for delivering innovative and disruptive work for the agency’s clients. He will also serve as the face and voice of creativity for the team in Australia, collaborating closely with the leadership team to build processes and structures that elevate the quality of creative output.

He will lead creative endeavours across the region, drive work, and foster a culture of excellence for clients such as Grill’d, eBay, and Pit Viper.

Stevens brings over 20 years of experience to the global digital agency, having worked for agencies such as Enigma, M&C Saatchi, Landor (Paris Office), FutureBrand, and Six Black Pens.

He has worked with brands such as Spotify, Google, NAB, and Optus.

Jason O’Donnell, APAC SVP of creative and media at DEPT, said: “Brad brings a wonderful mix of craft excellence and disruptive thinking, which makes him the perfect fit to lead our creative team and output in the region.

“Brad will bolster our talented marketing team in Australia led by recently promoted VP of Creative and Media Jessica White. Together we’ll win clients’ hearts as we continue our growth across the Asia-Pacific region.”

Stevens said of his appointment: “The decision was simple, DEPT’s rapidly emerging as one of the fastest-growing digital agencies in the world, and I want in. I’m looking forward to creating world-class, groundbreaking solutions that harness the power of technology, ensuring brands are as dynamic and engaging as they can be.”

See also: Grill’d appoints DEPT digital agency partner as burger chain launches new iOS/Android app

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Top image: Brad Stevens

EssenceMediacom is supporting young people in rural and regional communities this week by raising funds for Dolly’s Dream, a charity that works with communities in rural, regional and remote communities across Australia to deliver Mental Health First Aid training.

On Thursday, the GroupM agency hosted a fireside chat with Dr Charlotte Keating, resident psychologist at ABC Radio. Keating spoke to the attendees about the work Dolly’s Dream does, its growth and impact over the years, and the importance of continued support.

Managing director Stevie Douglas-Neale told Mediaweek that the GroupM agency had so far raised over $10 million in media support this week, including chalk art and radio ads to amplify the message.

Left to right: Dr Charlotte Keating and Stevie Douglas-Neale

Meanwhile, on a national scale, EssenceMediacom has also been busy during the week fundraising with bake sales and team-based events and will round out the week with a silent auction.

Douglas-Neale also thanked EssenceMediacom’s vendor partners who took part in the agency’s efforts to support the cause.

“Moments when our industry comes together behind things like this, you really see the value in what we do, and you feel like part of the community, which we’re grateful for.”

The stark contrast between the agency’s base in a big city and life in rural Australia was not lost on Douglas-Neale.

She said: “One of the risks that’s always been true for agencies or agency life is we all live in Manly or the Eastern suburbs of Sydney. How often do we get to Dubbo and Katherine? The lives that people live there are fundamentally different, and that’s real Australia,”

She explained that when talking with clients and building brands on a national scale, it is important to have an understanding of the cross-section of communities that represent Australia, “not just Bondi and Manly and where we live.”

Douglas-Neale also highlighted EssenceMediacom’s commitment to tackling bullying in the workplace.

“By having this conversation with our people, we’re demonstrating that we’re committed to it. We have a really open culture of feedback and candour; we have a really open management team.

“I remember being a coordinator vividly. I remember the first time I got a massive account. I remember the first time a client wasn’t happy with what I presented. I remember all those moments and they are so challenging.”

Douglas-Neale noted that EssenceMediacom CEO Pippa Berlocher and their expert team talk a lot about vulnerability.

“We want to help our teams who have come up through the company working remotely, meeting people through screens and building up strong technical skills.

“We want to help have conversations about resilience and build a culture of radical candour where people can feel comfortable saying how they feel to management, their boss, or their peers.

“Having that vulnerability as part of our culture is driven by Pippa and really enables people to feel comfortable to have that conversation. This is a really nice way to encourage a team to think about that without telling them.”

Dolly’s Dream was established in 2018 by Kate and Tick Everett in memory of their 14-year-old daughter Dolly, who took her own life following sustained and ongoing bullying and cyberbullying.

The charity is committed to changing the culture of bullying, addressing its impact, and putting an end to youth suicide through education and offering direct support to young people and families.

Six years on, Dolly’s Dream continues to provide support services, education programs and workshops to more than 50,000 children and young people, and their families in rural, regional and remote communities across Australia.

Douglas-Neale added: “This is a cultural moment for us. It is an incredible piece of good that we can do as an organisation. We can reflect on the opportunity to help those who have less access to services or financial resources than we have and to really make a difference.”

M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery have launched the third edition of their annual international art initiative – the Art for Change Prize.

The Art for Change Prize is free to enter and aims to make art, culture, and creativity accessible to everyone. The initiative celebrates emerging artistic talent and serves to highlight and promote dialogue around visual arts as a medium for positive global and social change.

Last year’s prize saw the total number of entries increase to over 3,000, a year-on-year rise of 20%, with entrants from artists based in 130 countries. 56% of entries were from developing nations in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. 

This year’s prize invites emerging artists to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues in the pursuit of a better tomorrow by responding to the theme Tomorrow’ing: Visions of a better future.

Justin Graham, CEO M&C Saatchi Group AUNZ, said: “At M&C Saatchi Group we’re dedicated to fostering the future of creativity. Our partnership with Saatchi Gallery strives to deepen access to the arts and provide meaningful support to the artists of tomorrow.

“The Art for Change Prize is about driving positive societal change, fuelled by our vision for a better future and our belief in the power of creativity to change the world.”  

Paul Foster, Saatchi Gallery director, added: “Each year we invite artists to help us understand ourselves and show us a way forward. Each year we’re amazed at the submissions we receive and the talent that graces our exhibition space.”

Last year’s overall 2023 winner, artist Haining Wang from China, said: “Winning the Art for Change Prize has been an incredible opportunity to share my work with a broader audience at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery. As a recent graduate, I had never thought that I would win the overall prize.

“It has been an immense vote of confidence and huge encouragement for my practice and has given me the momentum and resources to commit to my career. I encourage emerging artists to contemplate this year’s theme and put their best work forward!”

To apply, artists must be aged 18 or over, within the first five years of active practice and be working in one or more of the following media: painting, drawing, illustration, photography, collage, 2D mixed-media, video, or film. 

triple j’s Bars of Steel first launched in 2015, and is now making its live debut with a free, one-day event from 5pm on Saturday, 25 May.

Held in Parramatta at the car park at 119 Macquarie Street, Bars of Steel will bring a line-up that includes hip hop, rap, and R&B artists from in and around Western Sydney.   

Headed up by Youngn Lipz, the line-up features A.GIRL, Vv Pete, Becca Hatch, Gold Fang, FRIDAY*, triple j Hip Hop Show guest host and rapper-producer Isaac Puerile, last year’s triple j Unearthed High winner LEE. and local favourite DJ Boosie.   

triple j presenter Latifa Tee will host the day, with the line-up capped off with a triple j Unearthed Competition winner. 

The competition is open to First Nations artists, and not just those in Sydney. triple j will fly the winner in to perform from anywhere in Australia.  

Also announced today is triple j Unearthed’s music industry workshop, Tapped In, which will run from midday until 4pm at PHIVE in Parramatta on the same day.

Tapped In will provide an opportunity for the next crop of artists and industry to learn from some of the best in the business. Covering career essentials like building a team, growing a fanbase, and getting your music heard, there’ll also be a chance for artists to access the studios and record in the traveling Bars of Steel booth.  

Bars of Steel Live is a drug and alcohol-free event that is open to anyone aged 16 years or older. IDs will be checked upon entry. Register now for free tickets.   

Playing times and special guests will be announced soon.  

Bars of Steel Live comes off the back of the news that triple j has partnered with Music Australia to bring back the One Night Stand festival after a five-year hiatus. The festival will head to a currently unannounced regional town, and raise funds for Australian music industry charity, Support Act.

Drive TV and Kia have put the Kia EV9 to the ultimate test to prove that electric vehicles can travel the distance in a new eight-part series titled, The Lap. 

The Lap will air at 3:30 pm AEST on 11 May on the Nine Network. 

Covering over 15,000 km in 33 days and driven by Drive.com.au managing editor, Trent Nikolic and his friend, Dom Wiseman, the car was taken on a lap of Australia to see if the country is ready for electrified long-distance road travel. 

The new series shares footage of the picturesque scenery, interviews with people from Aussie communities, and the ins and outs of what an EV road trip looks like.

Dean Norbiato, marketing director at Kia Australia said on the partnership: “Kia has a long relationship with Drive in both the editorial and commercial spaces and we continue to work with Drive TV to make automotive content educational and engaging for everyone, especially those who might be considering an EV for the first time.

“The proposal to partner with Drive on The Lap gave us the opportunity to test the mettle of our brand halo and current Drive Car of the Year, the EV9. It also allowed us to educate the public that while there’s some work to be done, it’s possible to drive even the longest lap (around Australia) in an EV.”

Drive TV executive producer, Terry King said about the special: “2024 is a big year for Drive TV. We are focused on expanding and creating more lifestyle content for all Australians, broadening our horizons beyond the traditional short road trip format to push cars to their full potential. We know EVs are of interest to Australians, so we want to make them more accessible through our specials.”

The Lap series will run for eight weeks on Nine, Nine Rush, and 9Now. Episode one airs at 3:30 pm AEST on 11 May.

TV Report 9 May 2024:

Nine TV Report

NRL – Dolphins v Sea Eagles

Nine’s draw for the evening was the Dolphins vs Sea Eagles, which saw the Dolphins overcome the odds, winning the game 30-24. The Sea Eagles were hit with multiple injuries including fullback Tom Trbojevic who suffered a hamstring injury. Manly also gave up a 12-point lead as the Dolphins overpowered. 

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program investigated an NDIS provider who escaped punishment over a boy’s death and met with a woman left permanently disabled after a contraceptive procedure went wrong. 

Seven TV Report

AFL – Carlton v Melbourne

On Seven, Carlton went up against Melbourne at the MCG, with Carlton ending up taking the win, beating Melbourne by only 1 point. 

Home & Away

Earlier in the night was Home & Away as Theo felt the pressure from Justin and Tane’s jealousy threatened his case.

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 reported on the rent freeze that could save Aussies billions, looked into the fight to protect Neil the deal and Matildas star Lydia Williams announced her retirement. 

Jamie’s Air-Fryer Meals

On 10’s Jamie’s Air-Fryer Meals, Jamie Oliver cooked chicken and mushroom pastry parcels, grilled Mediterranean veg and flatbread and herb-stuffed salmon. 

ABC

7:30

7:30 looked into new allegations of rough treatment from inside an NDIS provider of last resort and after a series of high-profile knife attacks, the program met with teenagers learning how to defend themselves. 

Foreign Correspondent

Foreign Correspondent looked into the increasing numbers of women running newsrooms in Ukraine and reporting on the war. 

SBS

ABBA: 50 Years of Pop

50 years ago, Swedish pop supergroup ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, performing at Brighton Dome. Told through exclusive celebrity interviews, an unseen archive, and a unique studio the event special told the ultimate story of how Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid became global supertroupers.

Wednesday 8th May 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s RBT recorded a total TV national reach of 1,152,000, a total TV national audience of 536,000, and a BVOD audience of 34,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,489,000, a total TV national audience of 981,000, and a BVOD audience of 55,000.

Seven’s The 1% Club recorded a total TV national reach of 1,458,000, a total TV national audience of 836,000, and a BVOD audience of 35,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,390,000, a total TV national audience of 864,000, and a BVOD audience of 95,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,235,000, a total TV national audience of 645,000, and a BVOD audience of 49,000.

See Also: TV Report 8 May 2024: MasterChef contestants cook for immunity

People 25-54

Nine’s RBT:
• Total TV nation reach: 393,000
• National Audience: 183,000
• BVOD Audience: 20,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 427,000
• National Audience: 247,000
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 449,000
• National Audience: 235,000 
• BVOD Audience: 29,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 473,000
• National Audience: 278,000
• BVOD Audience: 20,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 453,000
• National Audience: 292,000
• BVOD Audience: 55,000

People 16-39

Nine’s RBT:
• Total TV nation reach: 141,000
• National Audience: 64,000
• BVOD Audience: 11,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 170,000
• National Audience: 95,000
• BVOD Audience: 16,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 190,000
• National Audience: 106,000 
• BVOD Audience: 16,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 172,000
• National Audience: 100,000
• BVOD Audience: 11,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 182,000
• National Audience: 113,000
• BVOD Audience: 33,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s RBT:
• Total TV nation reach: 898,000
• National Audience: 413,000
• BVOD Audience: 27,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,163,000
• National Audience: 774,000
• BVOD Audience: 44,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 952,000
• National Audience: 509,000 
• BVOD Audience: 40,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,151,000
• National Audience: 669,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,093,000
• National Audience: 685,000
• BVOD Audience: 76,000

Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2024. Not to be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without prior written consent of OzTAM and Regional TAM.