By James Manning, Alisha Buaya and Jasper Baumann

SXSW Sydney 2024 kicked off with a literal bang as a clap of thunder (and passing heavy rains) momentarily forced attendees out of Tumbalong Park, which was dotted with activations and experiences.

Creatives, innovators, and leaders from across a range of industries were among the many to flock to the ICC for a day of panel discussions and presentations.  

By the afternoon, the rain cleared, and attendees were back on the ground checking out the different houses and sites.
 
Mediaweek was on the ground to see the action. Check out the highlights:

Meet the Influenceables

James Boardman, Wavemaker’s chief strategy officer, welcomed marketers to a session with Felipe Thomaz, associate professor of marketing at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, that examined influencability and the direction of consumer decision making. 

Boardman said: “What we wanted to do was find out what secrets hide inside that information if you were to aggregate all of that data and see what it told us about how people make decisions.”

Thomaz asked attendees to remember the when it comes to influenceables and audience response “heterogeneity matters”. He said that the industry needs to move away from effectiveness efficiency and to not just ask if a channel works but also ask how it works and what was done to bring them into the channel.
 
Rounding out his takeaway points, Thomaz said there is no right or wrong channel mix – “Channel mixes work differently on different metrics – start with that and scale vs. the other way around.” – AB

Felipe Thomaz

Intuit Mailchimp’s ‘Email is Dead’ experience

Mediaweek took a tour of Mailchimp’s experience, ‘Email is Dead’, in Tumbalong Park, following the success of its exhibition at the Design Museum in London in 2023. The bright yellow structure was constructed over two weeks by Mailchimp’s in-house agency Wink Creative and Sydney-based creatives Studio Messa.

The walk-through activation begins with a gallery of emails that highlighted its impact as a communication medium over the years and in the lives of people all over the world. This included correspondence between Kylie Minogue and Annie Lennox and the email of how Airbnb was first conceived.

As guests walk through the activation, they will be met with a bespoke soundtrack showcasing the sound of email, a curated small designed to replicate a sense of connection that email can generate, and its AI machine Freddie. Before leaving, attendees can enjoy a moment of reflection in a mirrored space before stepping back into the hustle and bustle of Tumbalong Park. 

Michelle Taite, chief marketing officer at Intuit Mailchimp, said: “Email is anything but mundane—it’s a deeply personal, universally connecting force that has shaped our world for decades. With this experience, we invite visitors to explore the eternal influence of the inbox and join us in celebrating email’s past, present, and AI-powered future. Is email dead? Not even close,” says   

Trey Wadsworth, creative director, Intuit Mailchimp & Wink Creative, said: “We’ve taken something as universal as email and transformed it into an interactive experience bringing email’s evolution to life in a way that’s both surprising and inspiring. By weaving in local cultural nuances, we’ve made sure this experience connects deeply with the Australian audience, where email marketing continues to thrive with engagement rates double the global average.” – AB

APAC’s Marketing Masters: The Best of the Best

AANA CEO Josh Faulks welcomed attendees to hear from the leaders of Arnott’s and Uber about the secrets behind their award-winning campaigns.

Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and The Neighbourhood’s Toby Aldred and Arnott’s CMO Jenni Dill discussed their ‘How Little Moments Made Big Bikkies’ campaign, and what they did to secured them the prestigious Grand Effie.

They revealed the four strategic principles behind the campaign: advertising effectiveness – the relentless focus on top-of-funnel emotion, consumer insight – the focus on moments on which people put a premium on post-Covid, brand insight – reigniting rituals and incominc moments for fast-acting (price-sensitive) relief, and campaign architecture – a modular, masterbrand campaign with hero SKU’s covering sweet and savoury products across the day.

Toby Aldred and Jenni Dill

Uber CMO Andy Morely and Celia Garforth, head of strategy at Special spoke about scaling Uber and Uber Eats in Australia and across APAC over the last seven years. They discussed how they navigated complex cultures from Sydney to Japan and built relevant campaigns with creative and powerful brand strategies.

Garforth said: In the last few year, we really pivoted to a much more localised humour and communication stye in Japan. This is very much working for us, we launched this brand campaign back in April, we were instantly voted most loved brand in Japan for the next three months.”

However she noted that the campaign was knocked off this month by Nissin’s instructional ad for its Egg noodles, which she played for attendees to their delight. “It’s very literal, it’s very direct, and the supers that are playing on top quite literally explain how to cook the noodles.” 

Morely, while surprised their successful campaign lost it’s three-month reign, said: “there is a cultural hook in there that none of us would get.” – AB

Toby Aldred, Celia Garforth, Andy Morely and Jenni Dill

Australia 2035 – Are You Ready For What’s Coming?

ABC’s David Speers lead a discussion with Rose Herceg, president of WPP Australia and New Zealand, and Katie Rigg-Smith, chief strategy officer for WPP in Australia and New Zealand about the duo’s recent study, Secrets and Lies, that uncovered the hopes, fears, aspirations and desires for Australia in 2035

The conversation spanned education systems, the new generation entering the workforce, communities, family structures, AI, the value of money and the impact of cancel culture on free speech and the importance of creativity and imagination in a business.

In the Q&A portion, a member of the audience asked the WPP leaders about the agency’s work with fossil fuel clients and the impact of climate change despite authoring a report on the future on the future of Australia.

Though the question drew murmurs from the crowd, Herceg said: “With those client’s were trying to help them with the transition to renewables, where possible.”

She noted that there are plans to transform these clients, but as a number of them were not Australian clients, she could not specifically comment on those plans. – AB

Katie Rigg-Smith, Rose Herceg and David Speers

Evolve or Perish: The New Age of Digital Marketing

In this fireside chat with journalist Damian Francis, digital marketer and Shark Tank Australia judge, Sabri Suby told attendees AI isn’t going to kill your business but not using it could

He shared his advice on how businesses can take advantage of new technology to get ahead and emphasised the rapid shift towards digital (which now captures 64% of all ad spend), stressing on the importance of leveraging AI, creating engaging content, and adapting to privacy regulations.

Looking ahead to the future of the industry, Sabri said we can expect every large organisation to have a Chief AI officer, and your clients don’t care whether you use AI, as long as they see results. He added that SME owners need to put in the time and effort to learn how to use AI in order to future proof their business.

“Don’t be too attached to the current structure of your business,” he said. “You either disrupt your own business, or you’ll be disrupted out of the market,” he added. – AB

Sabri Suby and Damian Francis

Canva’s Melanie Perkins in Conversation with Mary Meeker

Canva CEO and co-founder, Melanie Perkins opened SXSW Sydney 2024 in the Darling Harbour theatre to a sizeable crowd, detailing the journey of Canva from its origins in 2007 with a yearbook creation platform to a global design platform, which now records 170 million monthly users and is valued at $26 billion.

Upon meeting her now husband and Canva co-founder, Cliff Obrecht at university, Perkins launched Fusion Books in 2007 with the tagline, “You don’t need a year to make a yearbook.” The idea behind the platform was to simplify the yearbook creation process, taking it online and making it collaborative.

By 2011, Fusion Books had grown rapidly, serving 250 schools by 2011 and in the same year, Perkins traveled to Silicon Valley to raise funds for a new idea, a platform that focused on making design accessible to non-designers.

Despite numerous rejections in securing investment, a remedy was found when Cameron Adams joined as the third co-founder of Canva, and the platform was officially launched in August 2013.

Canva’s Melanie Perkins with Mary Meeker at SXSW

Canva reached a million monthly active users within two years of launch, and its growth was largely organic, with 90% of new users coming through word-of-mouth and referrals. Perkins emphasised the fact that the company invested heavily in a free product early, while also investing in a paid product that offered great value, which she says contributed to its rapid growth.

Perkins further emphasised the importance of setting “crazy” goals and making them happen, which is a core value at Canva.

“To be frank, one of the philosophies that we try and bring to life as much as we possibly can is that as a company, we need to be competing against the world, not each other,” Perkins said.

“We really believe we should push out and expand the pie, versus trying to create some sort of structure that avoids that.” – JB

Shaping the Future of AI: Manohar Paluri, VP of AI at Meta in conversation with Ryan Patel

Manohar Paluri, VP of AI at Meta next took to the stage at the Darling Harbour Theatre alongside futurist Ryan Patel to discuss the evolution of AI at Meta and provided a vision for the future that includes a world where everyone can shape and build on AI models, including Meta’s own foundation model, Llama.

An audience member asked Paluri why people should develop on Llama compared to other options that are available. Paluri then launched into sales mode.

“Llama models are the most customisable models that you can get, period,” he said.

“It’s the most performant and cost-efficient model and if you look at the family of Llama models, there are close to 65,000 variants of Llama made across the world and 400 million downloads.

“When you build on a system that so many developers and so many variants across the world are pushing, you’re getting the benefits of it without your own additional effort. That’s a huge deal, that;s the power of open ecosystem, that’s the power of community rallying together to build on this standard and that’s why I think you should build on it.” – JB

Layne Beachley at The Growth Distillery: ‘Don’t get stuck in fear’

First up early on Monday at The Growth Distillery’s Vodcast studio was Layne Beachley with Daniel Krigstein.

After discussing the power of fear, Krigstein asked Beachley how do you go about starting a counter-narrative.

“I talk about the three A’s,” replied the seven-time World Surfing Champion. “First is awareness, aware of how you’re feeling and if you’re feeling uneasy, then it’s about accepting that you are in that state. That’s the second A.

“Then be agile in your response to it. And when we go into that state of agility, it means that we’ve got a toolkit of action plans for different situations that require different actions. We can’t just rely on one action to power us or inspire us to move past it or to overcome it.

“Some things just can’t be overcome. And that’s okay. I feel the biggest mistake that I made, especially in my younger years, is that I didn’t acknowledge how I felt.

“Because I wasn’t willing to acknowledge it, I couldn’t build an awareness about it. You know, there’s all this talk about self-awareness and all of these things, but that comes with maturity and understanding and experience. The education system, when I came through it, certainly didn’t encourage you to embrace or engage with your feelings.”

Layne Beachley on breaking the rules

Daniel Krigstein asked Beachley about what she did differently.
“As a competitor, it was very easy to conform and do what everyone else was doing. My objective and one of my competitive advantages was I didn’t do what everyone else was doing. I saw what everyone was doing and found a way to do it differently.

“That enabled me to stay true to who I wanted to be and create a pathway for others to follow, as opposed to just following the same old pathway. Simple things, for example, showing up to a contest site, watching where the surfers before me were surfing and always looking for somewhere else to go. Having discussions with the judges, asking them about the conditions that they’re seeing. What are they looking for today that may be a little bit outside of the box? What do they want to see? And surfing according to how I wanted to surf versus what the judging criteria expected of me.

“Bringing in aspects of mindfulness and meditation, slowing everything down mentally so I could speed everything up physically.”

Firing the sponsor

“What else did I do? I think one of the biggest things that I did, and that was in accordance with my values system, was I dropped my sponsor.

“I’m one of the only athletes to have done that. I know Barton Lynch did the same thing to his sponsor in maybe the 80s or 90s. In 2004 I dropped my sponsor because of a values misalignment. A lot of people saw it as stupid because I walked away from hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorship and I’ve never been sponsored since. The motivation to do that came from asking them to meet me where I was, as opposed to pushing me to somewhere where I’m not really willing to go.” JM

ARN head of news Fiona Ellis-Jones (right) with Head of client Strategy at ARN, Tegan Kirkby

ARN: The Sound of Entertainment

The radio and podcast company had a studio set up in the open in one corner of Tumbalong Park. iHeart was inviting people to use the studio to record their own 15-miniute podcast.

During the afternoon, ARN head of news for metro and regional, Fiona Ellis-Jones was recording podcasts too.

There’ll be more from the ARN Sound of Entertainment during the week including a Jonesy and Amanda podcast. This will be their first public appearance since another massive trophy haul of the ACRA Awards. JM

Land Rover Defender test drives

We didn’t have time to jump in a Defender on Day 1, but they are offering test drives of their new models. A potential purchaser is free to take a test vehicle on a drive over the Harbour Bridge or even to the coast. The Defender range starts around $80,000. But if you are tempted by the V8 in the centre of this photo you will need close to $250,000. The company was one of several auto brands displaying their vehicles at SXSW. JM

Adam Spencer: Breakfast host turned futurist

Many people will remember Adam Spencer from his days hosting Triple J breakfast and numerous appearances on ABC TV. However, these days you are more likely to catch him on the lecture circuit at events like, well, SXSW. This year his duties included The Growth Distillery podcast series The Rules Don’t Apply episode.

As we noted above, host Dan Krigstein’s first guest was Layne Beachley. For the second record on Monday Adam Spencer was talking about tearing up the rulebook. Spencer spoke about how he dropped out of a PHD course and fell into breakfast radio via a chance winning performance in a standup comedy competition.

We will have more about Spencer when the podcast episode drops soon. JM

See also: SXSW Blog Day 1: Sessions with Canva’s Melanie Perkins and Meta AI guru Manohar Palur

News Corp Australia is omnipresent this week at the second SXSW Sydney. It is hosting guests under its Growth Distillery banner at The Ideas Dome in Tumbalong Park.

It is also running a series of Growth Distillery podcasts inside the ICC with host Dan Krigstein.

To officially launch the SXSW activity, Lou Barrett hosted a launch event for News Corp Australia guests at the top of Sydney’s new W Hotel. The event was planned to be outside around the hotel’s impressive rooftop pool. However a stormy Sydney Monday night meant the guests had to move inside.

Guests were welcomed by Barrett who detailed some of the highlights at different events across the week under The Growth Distillery umbrella.

“We are thrilled to be a supporting partner of SXSW Sydney and to showcase the power of News Corp Australia’s brands in such a dynamic setting,” said Barrett.

“This event provides a unique opportunity for us to invite our client and agency partners to experience our brands at a consumer level, while immersing themselves in the creativity and innovation that SXSW Sydney brings to the marketing community. It’s an inspiring environment where we can connect, engage, and explore new ways to drive commercial success together.”

Thelma Plum at the W

Barrett then introduced singer Thelma Plum who presented a number of tracks from her new album I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back.

Following the short set, Plum was interviewed by Vogue Australia executive editor Jessica Montague.

News Corp Australia executives at the event alongside Barrett included Pippa Leary, Damian Cleary, Natasha Cormier, Mike Connaghan, Dan Krigstein, Nicholas Grey, Cameron Curtis and Nick Smith.

Industry guests enjoying the rainy views from the top of W Hotel included Accenture’s Mel Fein, Mediabub’s Sue Squillace, American Express’ Emma Malinson and Naysla Edwards, IAG’s Michelle Klein, Massel Group’s Mark Klein, Deloitte’s Carmen Roche, AANA’s Josh Faulks, IAB’s Gai Le Roy, and IMAA’s Sam Buchanan.

We also spotted Mediaweek’s Andrew Mulready and Misfit Greg Graham.

Main photo: Jessica Montague, Thelma Plum and Lou Barratt

See also: SXSW Blog Day 1 – Sessions with Canva’s Melanie Perkins and Meta AI guru Manohar Paluri

SXSW Sydney returned for 2024 with thinkers, dreamers and do-ers descending on Sydney to begin a week of inspiration and positivity. What better way to kickstart the feeling of inspiration than to hear from the co-founder of one of Australia’s most successful tech unicorns, Melanie Perkins, CEO of Canva.

Canva’s journey from idea to startup to world leader

In this interview with Mary Meeker from Bond Capital, Perkins shared insights into how she and her co-founders took Canva from idea to startup to world leader. In the guided conversation that was neatly presented as a “presentation interview” format using a Canva presentation, Perkins walked the audience through the key stages of her career from humble beginnings as a high school entrepreneur selling handmade scarves “on a word that I [Perkins] learned—consignment—so they got paid, I got paid, which was pretty cool”, through to the launch of her first venture, Fusion Books, with future co-founder (and later husband) Cliff Obrecht.

Canva’s Melanie Perkins with Mary Meeker at SXSW

But while the Canva we know today is boasting over 180 million monthly active users, Perkins shared the significant hurdles that she faced in the early days raising funds for Canva, pitching the idea to over 100 investors before securing seed funding via a ‘party round’ from more than 100 individual investors and a $2 million grant from the Australian governments ‘Commercialisation Australia’ program (a non-repayable grant which kept the business headquartered in Australia and a theme that I will pick back up on later on).

Since then, Canva’s rapid global scaling is founded on its guiding principle of listening to customer feedback, a “generous freemium” product, user-friendly design, accessibility features and an ingenious ‘Canva for Education’ program which is creating customers for life.

Now, with AI heavily integrated into its product, Canva is continuously enhancing productivity and creativity across its broad global user base. Canva’s mission reflects Perkins’ two-step plan: to create one of the world’s most valuable companies and to drive social impact globally, such as supporting education and reducing poverty. This focus on empowerment and sustainable growth defines Perkins’ leadership with the idea that “if we can make something complex easy, we can make a huge impact on the world.”

Q&A on Meta’s open-source AI model, Llama

After that hard-to-beat session of the day, it was time to hear from Meta’s VP of AI, Manohar Paluri in conversation with Ryan Patel in an audience-driven Q&A on Meta’s open-source AI model, Llama.

Paluri highlighted Meta’s efforts to foster an open, inclusive ecosystem in the AI domain where Meta believes “the intelligence layer should be open, and Llama wants to be the open ecosystem for AI”. Open-source AI, according to Paluri, not only accelerates innovation but empowers various regions to tailor AI solutions for local languages and industries, as seen in applications across Asia-Pacific.

In a discussion that included a show-off of Meta’s Rayban Wayfarer sunglasses, Paluri also gave the audience a demonstration of Meta’s new ‘Movie Gen’ technology through a short video where everything was fully AI-generated based on a text prompt, showcasing a high-definition video with realistic sound and editing capabilities.

Paluri explained that this technology lets creators generate and edit videos quickly, reducing tasks that typically take VFX teams hours or days down to minutes. It highlighted the power and potential of generative AI to make creative production more accessible and efficient. Whether this is a step in the right direction, only time will tell…

As someone who’s had the fortune of experiencing SXSW in both Austin and now Sydney, one of my favourite aspects of the conference is the freedom to wander, often stumbling upon fascinating discussions that are different from your day-to-day.

In an intriguing fireside chat between Rohan Silva (former UK Senior Policy Advisor) and Hon Paul Fletcher MP (Shadow Minister for Government Services & the Digital Economy), hosted by Ben Grabiner (General Partner, Side Stage Ventures), they examined the trajectory and challenges of Australia’s tech ecoyststem, comparing it with the UK’s growth model. Grabiner, reflecting on his experience in the UK, pointed to London’s emergence as a tech hub in the early 2010s, driven by supportive government policies leading to a strong startup culture.

Despite Australia’s economic stability potentially reducing urgency for tech expansion, Paul Fletcher emphasised that policies encouraging both local and international investment in startups could spur incremental GDP growth (Canva being the obvious example of this!). The panel concluded that by leveraging Australia’s unique cultural appeal and fostering innovation-friendly policies, the nation could further position itself as a global tech destination.

Day 1 of SXSW Sydney has already ignited my creativity and positivity. I’m looking forward to another day filled with inspiration and, Sydney weather permitting, even more exploration on Day 2 of SXSW Sydney 2024.

Follow each day at SXSW Sydney with Mediaweek.

The ABC has appointed audio executive Jessica Radburn to the new position of head of audio on demand.

Reporting to the ABC head of audio Ben Latimer, Radburn will lead the ABC’s audio-on-demand strategy including the commissioning and development processes. She will manage the growing podcast slate to ensure it aligns to the ABC’s audience priorities across all its key brands.

Radburn was most recently the head of international podcast content for podcast publisher Wondery where she oversaw all of Wondery’s original podcasts outside of the US. That portfolio included #1 podcast shows Ghost Story, Price of Paradise and Kurt Krömer – Feelings.

Prior to her time with Wondery, Radburn spent five years working in various roles at spoken word entertainment company Audible. She was the senior director of global content programming where she oversaw Audible’s multi-language global audio original program. She was also director of original content for Audible in the United States where she was responsible for the strategic development and negotiation of premium audio content with entertainment brands, creators, and celebrities, including DC Comics and the Fox Entertainment Group.

Earlier in her career, Radburn was Audible’s head of content in Australia and New Zealand, overseeing the transformation of its Australian audio strategy from audiobook distribution to content licensor and original content creator.

Of her new role Radburn said: “I am excited to return to Australia and the ABC as the first head of audio on demand. The ABC has a well-earned reputation, internationally and locally, for original and compelling story-telling.

“It’s an honour to have the opportunity to build on that renown, working with some of the country’s best voices and creators to produce shows that connect, inspire and entertain our listeners.”

Of her appointment, ABC head of audio Ben Latimer said: “I am thrilled to have Jessica joining the ABC as our head of audio on demand.

“Jessica’s unparalleled content experience in Australia and internationally will be an invaluable resource for the ABC as we continue to build on our success as one of Australia’s most successful podcast publishers.”

Radford will commence in the role on 1 November.

See also: Podcast Ranker September 2024

Accenture Song has appointed two new leaders who will succeed Mark Green, following his appointment as global CEO of Droga5, and relocation to New York.

Bronwyn van der Merwe has been appointed Accenture Song lead for Australia and New Zealand, effective October 15, 2024. With over 20 years’ experience in the design and innovation space, Bronwyn is currently the Service practice lead at Accenture Song ANZ, having rejoined the company in 2023 after a stint as VP of Design at Culture Amp.

Previously, she established design agency, Fjord, in Australia and went on to build and lead a team of 350, launching studios across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan. She then became the design lead for Accenture Interactive, now Song, in the Asia Pacific region.

Matt Michael will step up to the position of CEO Droga5 in Australia and New Zealand from December 1st, following The Monkeys integration into Droga5.

In addition, he will continue to lead the Marketing practice at Accenture Song ANZ, heading up a team of practitioners delivering full-funnel marketing to clients. Michael has been with The Monkeys since 2011, serving as managing director for over 10 years. He has worked closely with a wide range of blue-chip Australian and global clients, including Telstra, Qantas, Amazon and NRMA Insurance. He’s been involved in some of The Monkeys’ most notable work such as Meat & Livestock’s campaigns, Qantas’ I Still Call Australia Home, the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and award-winning work across Telstra and Beam Suntory.

Green said: “This is a great moment for two truly brilliant people, both of whom I have had the pleasure to work with for many years. Bronwyn was part of why I was keen to join forces with Accenture in the first place. Seeing what Bronwyn helped create with Fjord in Australia was a brilliant insight into the potential of creativity, consulting and technology. Bronwyn will lead Accenture Song into a new era and the team in Australia and New Zealand are in good hands.

“It is great to see leaders grow and expand and it has been a privilege working with Matt Michael for over 14 years. Matt’s elevation to CEO of Droga5 in ANZ is an absolute no brainer and a great reward for someone who has been instrumental in the success of not only The Monkeys but Accenture Song as well. I cannot wait to see where Matt can take Droga5 in ANZ and I look forward to continuing our long partnership.”

van der Merwe said: “I feel incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to lead Accenture Song’s next chapter, alongside Matt and the rest of the Song leadership team in Australia and New Zealand. We have incredible talent and capabilities in Song, including our recent acquisitions of Fiftyfive5 and The Lumery. The launch of Droga5 in this market will further strengthen our ability to deliver purpose led growth for our clients.”

Michael said: “The opportunity to work so closely with David and Mark to re-launch Droga5 in Australia and New Zealand is something I couldn’t back away from. I look forward to building on everything we have done over the past 18 years with The Monkeys to take the business to new heights, here and globally, under the Droga5 moniker. It is an exciting time for Song and I look forward to working with Bron to continue taking our full-service suite of services and bring the provocative thinking and creativity of our outstanding team to our clients.”

After a 16-year journey with Triple M, Gus Worland has announced that he is leaving the station at the end of the year. Worland, who initially joined Triple M as a member of the Sydney Grill Team, has most recently hosted The Rush Hour on 104.9 Triple M Sydney, delivering to audiences his blend of humour and passion.

Gus is out, what about new Triple M brekky shows?

It’s the time of year that announcers decide on their futures as radio networks strategise for the year ahead. In the all-important breakfast shift, SCA’s Triple M is in good shape in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. However, there is speculation an announcement is due soon about Triple M Melbourne.

One insider told Mediaweek the 2025 Melbourne breakfast team could be Dave Hughes, Dale Thomas and Rosie Walton. Hughesy would be making the move from 2Day FM, while Thomas and Walton have been part of the stand-in Triple M Melbourne breakfast show over the past couple of months.

There is also a chance that Sydney might get a new Triple M Sydney breakfast show if current hosts Mick Molloy and MG decide not to go again in 2025.

Farewelling Gus Worland

During his time at Triple M, Worland has cherished the opportunity to commentate on Triple M’s cricket broadcast, a role he embraced with great enthusiasm over the past couple of years.

However, after almost eight years of dedicated work with his mental fitness charity, Gotcha4Life, Worland has made the heartfelt decision to focus on its continued growth and success. He believes it is his destiny to build mentally fit communities through preventative mental health campaigns and programs that equip people with life skills, so they never worry alone.

The classic Grill Team lineup in 2017: Emma Freedman, Gus Worland, Matthew Johns, MG and Chris Page

“I want to thank everyone I have worked with over the past 16 years,” Worland said. “From my early days with Matty Johns, Mark Geyer, and Chris Page, to my current team with Jude Bolton and Aaron Woods, I have been fortunate to collaborate with some truly remarkable people. I am also grateful to all the incredible behind-the-scenes staff who have helped keep our shows running smoothly.”

Head of Triple M metro content, Matthew O’Reilly, said: “Gus has been an outstanding voice on Triple M for 16 years and we are sad to see him go. However, we know how much his charity Gotcha4Life means to him, and the incredible impact that it is having on the community, so we understand why he wants to go all-in on this important work. Gus will remain a loved member of the Triple M family, and we wish him all the very best with Gotcha4Life.”

While Worland will be stepping away from his daily role at Triple M from 2025, he assures fans that he won’t be a stranger. Listeners can still expect to hear him pop up on various shows in the future.

Worland’s final show will air at the end of the year, and he invites everyone to tune in for a memorable farewell.

Watch Gus’ emotional farewell here.

See also: Triple M in transition: 12 months after ARN grenade, where to for the SCA brand?

Vic Buchan has walked out the door at Nine. As often is the case with sudden departures of executives, there are different takes on her departure. Her role was director of communications and public relations at Nine Entertainment Co.

Acting chief executive officer Matt Stanton put it most diplomatically to staff today, claiming “[we] agreed terms for her to leave the business as we go about restructuring”.

Other places not so much. 7News reported Buchan was made redundant, while it initially reported Buchan was sacked. News Corp newspapers also pointed out Buchan was made redundant.

7News reported Buchan sent a note out to an undisclosed list of recipients at 11am on Monday.

“Thanks so much for all the great times. While this year has been more challenging than most, I’ve enjoyed the ride since joining Nine back in 2010,” Buchan wrote.

“We’ve come a long way since those days. I’m looking forward to some family time over the summer and then getting stuck back into some projects or opportunities to work in the industry I love and know so well. As you know, my work has been a passion for me, and that’s not going to change.

“I will continue to watch, read and listen to all you do and be cheering from the sideline. I can’t wait to reboot and look for great projects and most importantly, great people to work with. It’s been a privilege.”

In a note to staff from Matt Stanton, the fill-in boss wrote:

“Today Vic and I have agreed terms for her to leave the business as we go about restructuring the corporate roles to create a much-needed regulatory specialist lead for the business.”

“Since joining us nearly 15 years ago, Vic has made a significant contribution at all the key points of Nine’s evolution into Australia’s media company.

“From working alongside David Gyngell as they restructured from private equity, side-by-side with Hugh Marks and the team through the successful merger with Fairfax and more recently with Mike (Sneesby), Vic has launched countless TV and radio shows, worked on landmark legal cases and some of Australia’s biggest events and provided communications support for the executive team, talent and programs however and whenever it was needed.”

The move to replace Buchan comes not long before the release of the company report into workplace culture at Nine ordered by previous CEO Mike Sneesby. Buchan has told 7News the upcoming report into the culture at Nine played no role in her departure.

See also: ‘This year has been one of the most challenging in my career’: Mike Sneesby acknowledges recent career scrutiny as he steps down as CEO of Nine

JCDecaux is transforming media across Sydney, Adelaide and Perth airports with a bold relaunch of its advertising offering.

Jemma Enright, general manager – Airports, JCDecaux, Emma de Szoeke: general manager, retail performance and growth, Sydney Airport, Vernon Vincent, general manager retail – Perth Airport, spoke about the drivers of the transformation and shared their outlook for the partnerships going forward.   

The reinvented portfolio gives brands unprecedented access to high-value travellers and greater strategic options through iconic, immersive and strategically connected touchpoints in one of the most emotionally charged environments available today.

Enright said: “JCDecaux Airports are transforming with billions of dollars to be invested in delivering world-class passenger experiences. We’re in an inflection moment for Airports. Growth will accelerate as terminal and air-travel experiences get better. With significant growth and the increasing amount of time travellers spent at airports, more brands will be drawn into this environment.”

“We’re delivering a completely new way for advertisers to engage with audiences to capitalise on the strengthening proposition of airport media across Australia’s busiest travel hubs.”

JCDecaux’s new media offering leverages major upgrades at Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth airports, giving brands the ability to deliver impactful campaigns at key points throughout the airport journey. At Sydney Airport, the relaunch spans all major precincts, and will include new digital assets in T1, T2, and T3, to enhance iconic brand moments in high-traffic areas.
 
In Adelaide and Perth, over 110 new digital assets have been deployed, including standardising all internal formats and building high-impact external formats, ensuring brands are visible not just inside the terminal but along key transit routes. These bold developments enable advertisers to make an impression along the whole traveller journey.
 
The outdoor media company’s airport product is driven by three key pillars: Connected Journeys – multi-touchpoint campaigns and allow brands to connect with travellers multiple times along a departures or arrivals journey, Iconic Impact – high-profile, visually commanding formats, and Immersive Experiences – from pop-up activations to opportunities to take over whole zones within Airport environment for brand engagement.
 
As part of the relaunch, JCDecaux is introducing a streamlined Connected Journeys model, replacing current packaging by precinct with simplified “Goodbye” and “Hello” journey packs. This ensures brands can target travellers multiple times as a traveller moves through the airport – from the entrance to the gate, or from the gate to the curb – creating a more cohesive campaign experience.
 
“Our relaunch isn’t just about upgrading assets; it’s about delivering more opportunities for brands to grow through smart airport media strategies,” added Enright. “Leadership through high-quality, effective solutions and working hand-in-hand with our airport partners ensures advertisers can tap into these vibrant, emotional environments in ways that have never been done before.”

Speaking on the outlook of Sydney Aiport, de Szoeke said: “Many of the enhancements are all in service of growth and we’re focused on efficiency and service with the passenger central to all that. Innovation is going to be really key to unlocking some of that growth and ensuring that we’re matching passenger needs as we grow to that scale.

Vincent said: “From a Perth perspective, we’re also in a position of seeing tremendous passenger growth, but in terminals that haven’t got the capacity to sort service that demand. The airport spending $5 billion in private investment and infrastructure earlier, to develop a new expanded international terminal, a new domestic terminal for Qantas and Jetstar flights, upgrade our existing terminals, a new parallel runway, two multi-storey car parks, an airport hotel.

“There’s a substantial wave of investment over the next six to ten years to really service our current and forecast passenger growth.”

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Top image: Jodie Knighton, Vernon Vincent, Jemma Enright, and Emma de Szoeke.

GroupM and Avenue C have been named as the inaugural agency partners committing to the principles of AgeInc’s Age Inclusive Employer Endorsement (AIEE) status, in collaboration with the Experience Advocacy Taskforce (EAT).

Launched last month, the initiative aims to recognise employers who demonstrate a strong commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment that values and supports employees of all ages. Participating agencies must commit to educating and training senior management and HR teams to improve their knowledge and understanding of age discrimination and, by doing so, be more considered and well-informed about recruiting and retaining people aged 50+.

Richard Spencer, founder of AgeInc, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome GroupM and Avenue C as our inaugural agency partners and look forward to working together to educate and ultimately overcome age biases in the Australian media and advertising industry. Proudly showcasing an AIEE badge enables GroupM and Avenue C to inform their stakeholders that they are committed to creating an age inclusive culture at their respective agencies.”

Scott Laird

Scott Laird, chief people officer at GroupM, said: “We believe every individual, from every generation in the workplace brings unique strengths and perspectives to the table. We’re thrilled to partner with AgeInc to further develop an environment where experience is valued and every employee, is empowered to contribute, no matter their age. This is about creating an industry where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued, regardless of what year is on their birth certificate.”

“Signing up reflects our commitment to building a truly inclusive workplace,” Melissa Mullins, managing partner at Avenue C, added. “We recognise employees of all ages bring unique insights and experiences that drive creativity and innovation. By fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, we not only enhance our team’s collaboration but also position ourselves to better meet the diverse needs of our clients and the community.

“We are proud that nearly 30% of our agency’s cohort is aged between 40-50 years. Our proposition has always been to hire people who have at least ten years’ experience, enabling us to operate a flat structure, provide autonomy to our team members and most importantly provide our clients with informed and different perspectives that drive growth.”

Melissa Mullins

Greg “Sparrow” Graham, founder of EAT said: “When AgeInc approached us to help spread the word among adland agencies re its initiative, we jumped at the chance. Their ethos to address ageism bias in our industry speaks directly to EAT’s mission of making ageism a non-issue for the next generation of industry professionals. We applaud GroupM and Avenue C for their forward-thinking approach and commitment to the cause.”

Benefits of becoming an Age Inclusive Employer Endorsement partner include:

• Allows employers to publicly demonstrate their commitment to creating an age inclusive culture
• The recognition and credibility of the Endorsement Badge
• A competitive advantage in recruitment and retention
• Networking and collaboration with like-minded organisations
• A demonstrable commitment to corporate social responsibility

Spencer said: “Prejudice against people aged over 50 in the workplace is based solely on stereotypes.  This bias, unconscious in many organisations, is the last socially acceptable form of prejudice in Australian employment. The endorsement is one further step towards educating our industry about the biases against experienced professionals.”

Greg Graham

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Top image: Melissa Mullins and Scott Laird

Ryvalmedia Melbourne has been appointed the full media remit for the health food business, Openway Food Co, whose brand portfolio includes Red Tractor, Table of Plenty and Keep It Cleaner.

Ryvalmedia was recently engaged for the media planning and buying for the launch of Red Tractor’s Aldi x Foodbank initiative. Red Tractor teamed up with Aldi and Foodbank for a “Buy One, Give One” initiative, whereby for every 1.6kg bag of Red Tractor oats purchased by customers at ALDI stores during the promotion, Red Tractor donated another 1.6kg of oats to Foodbank. This initiative provided over 3 million meals to Australians in need over the first two weeks alone.

Openway Food Co’s brands sell around 150 products, including sweet & savoury rice cakes, probiotic kefir, granola and dukkah (Table of Plenty), oats, granola, cacao powder, and chia seeds (Red Tractor), fermented foods such as kimchi, and protein bars and powders (Keep it Cleaner).

Suzanne Morrison, marketing and innovation director of Openway Food Co, said, “We are so excited to be partnering with such an experienced team as Ryvalmedia. Openway Food Co has been built around the principles of collaboration, transparency and agility and over the past 3 years we have focused on partnering across our supply chain, ensuring our brands work in harmony with nature’s finest ingredients, sustainable farming and responsible manufacturing practices to create holistically healthy foods.

“The next frontier is about raising the awareness and visibility of our brands through marketing investment, with a mission to provide healthier, great tasting foods accessible to everyone. As a certified BCorp, it was important for us to find a team that was aligned to our values and desire to make a positive impact, and we can’t wait to partner with Joseph and the Ryvalmedia team to see what noise we can make”.

Joseph Pardillo, managing director at Ryvalmedia Melbourne said, “The opportunity to partner with Suzanne and the Openway Food Co team is a privilege, with their clear mantra and passion to make it easier to source, eat and trust healthier, great-tasting foods. The partnership is a wholesome journey for our agency team, and we’re equally as excited to navigate the new economy retailer market with them and drive growth in an important segment within the ever-fragmenting food and beverage category. Their pioneering vision and strong sense of purpose within the health food sector aligns with our quest as a business who partners with leading brands that deliver unrivalled value for Australian consumers.”

Clemenger BBDO has optimised its AI capabilities with four new promotions. 

The appointments see long-time Clems creative Ant Phillips promoted from GCD to ECD, creative team Riana McKenzie and Zoe Perrin promoted to senior creative roles, and Ben Bryan from junior to mid-weight art director.

Phillips has spent more than 20 years at Clems, beginning his career as an art director in 2004, before progressing up the ranks. Notable work includes award winners like Carlton Draught ‘Slow Mo’ and ‘Beer Chase’, Bonds ‘The Boys’, NAB’s ‘Mini Legends’,  FightMND ‘I’m Neale Daniher’ and the recently released ‘Long Way for a Beer’ for Great Northern Brewing Co.

McKenzie and Perrin teamed up when they joined the agency in 2022. The duo’s work such as Department of Transport and Planning ‘Hi-vis Humanity’ and Myer ‘Make Your Merry Meaningful’ recently gained Riana the AWARD Emerging Creative of the Year honours.

Bryan joined Clems in January 2021 as a motion designer before moving into the creative department following a top 10 AWARD School finish in 2022. Since then he has worked on high profile projects as varied as ‘NewsJacker’, ‘Yes Makes It Possible’ for Yes23 and TAC’s recent driver fatigue campaign ‘Wake up to yourself’.

Clemenger BBDO chief creative officer Adrián Flores said, “Clems has long been an incubator for amazing creative leaders. These promotions recognise some truly phenomenal talents who will no doubt continue that legacy. Plus Ant.”

Phillips added: “Clems obviously holds a special place in my heart, which is why I’ve been here for over 20 years. I’ve spent that time soaking up as much knowledge as I can from many of Australia’s greatest creative leaders who have passed through the building. I’m looking forward to playing a bigger role in shaping our creative future with the incredible talent at our disposal. And Adrián.”

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Top image: Ben Bryan, Ant Phillips (standing), Adrián Flores (sitting), Riana McKenzie and Zoe Perrin.

Sunday 13 October 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s 9News recorded a total TV national reach of 1,935,000, a total TV national audience of 1,116,000, and a BVOD audience of 89,000.

Nine’s The Block recorded a total TV national reach of 2,414,000, a total TV national audience of 1,318,000, and a BVOD audience of 199,000.

Seven’s Bathurst 1000 Race recorded a total TV national reach of 3,396,000, a total TV national audience of 1,223,000, and a BVOD audience of 102,000.

Also on Seven, Seven News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,465,000, a total TV national audience of 1,493,000, and a BVOD audience of 88,000.

10’s Gogglebox recorded a total TV national reach of 1,015,000, a total TV national audience of 390,000, and a BVOD audience of 14,000.

People 25-54

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 964,000
• National Audience: 574,000
• BVOD Audience: 121,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 666,000
• National Audience: 414,000
• BVOD Audience: 48,000

Seven’s Bathurst 1000:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,119,000
• National Audience: 418,000
• BVOD Audience: 59,000

10’s Gogglebox:
• Total TV nation reach: 410,000
• National Audience: 169,000
• BVOD Audience: 8,000

People 16-39

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 427,000
• National Audience: 257,000
• BVOD Audience: 70,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 235,000
• National Audience: 126,000
• BVOD Audience: 24,000

Seven’s Bathurst 1000:
• Total TV nation reach: 446,000
• National Audience: 135,000
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

10’s Gogglebox:
• Total TV nation reach: 129,000
• National Audience: 51,000
• BVOD Audience: 4,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ TV Ratings

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,857,000
• National Audience: 1,028,000
• BVOD Audience: 160,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,907,000
• National Audience: 1,180,000
• BVOD Audience: 70,000

Seven’s Bathurst 1000:
• Total TV nation reach: 2,526,000
• National Audience: 921,000
• BVOD Audience: 80,000

10’s Gogglebox:
• Total TV nation reach: 780,000
• National Audience: 301,000
• BVOD Audience: 11,000

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.