Initiative’s three most senior leaders – CEO Melissa Fein, MD Sam Geer, and chief strategy and product officer Chris Colter – have left the Mediabrands agency for Accenture Song.

Mediabrands CEO Mark Coad confirmed the news to staff in an email sent at 6:26pm on Thursday night, and seen by Mediaweek.

“In true industry fashion – this news is spreading faster than we’d like – so I am writing to tell you this news in the hope that you read it here first,” Coad wrote.

“Suffice to say, Mel, Sam, and Colts are still very much part of Initiative’s team and will be working at their usual high-octane and professional pace over the next few weeks/months. They have been very respectful and will give the agency and its clients their time and expertise to ensure a smooth transition.”

Mediaweek understands that each has a notice period of a few months, and is currently planning to remain at the agency for the duration of that notice period – however, details are still being ironed out. Mediaweek has also been told Initiative clients were informed of Fein, Geer, and Colter’s departure on Thursday.

Coad added in the Thursday night email that Mediabrands will host a town hall Friday morning “to talk more about what this means.”

In an official statement on Friday morning, a Mediabrands spokesperson said: “While we respect that there are many questions to be asked and answered, no further comment will be made at this time. Further details will be provided in due course.

“At this early stage, we acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Melissa, Sam, and Chris have made to Initiative and the wider IPG Mediabrands company.”

Accenture Song has also been contacted for comment. The trio are set to build out a full-service media planning and buying unit at the firm, home to creative agency The Monkeys. James Graver, formerly of essenceMediacom, has been leading a small media practice at the consultancy since 2022.

Industry sources told Mediaweek conversations began when Accenture Song was pitching for Telstra’s account, which was ultimately won by +61, the bespoke model made up of TBWA, Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, and OMD.

In 2022, Accenture Strong created a media alliance with Initiative to pitch for the Coles account; it ultimately went to Omnicom’s solution, Smith St.

Fein has been Initiative CEO for six and a half years, joining in 2017. Before that, she was CEO of Mediabrands’ Ensemble and worked at Network 10.

Geer started at the agency in 2018 as chief strategy officer, and was promoted to managing director in 2020. He has been with the agency for almost six years. Before that, he was stablemate UM’s national strategy director.

Colter joined in 2019 as national strategy director. He was promoted to chief strategy officer when Geer was elevated to the MD role, then chief strategy and product officer in 2022. 

At Cannes last year, Geer told Mediaweek: “We’ve still got a lot of growth left. People talk about the awards and new business wins, but what comes with that is building a lot of depth in the agency. There’s depth at every single level in the agency, we can come here and the team is still absolutely smashing it on the ground. I think that allows you to continue to scale and not scale too quickly, or sacrifice other things and grow for the sake of it.”

Fein added: “It hasn’t always been roses, we haven’t always been able to come to Cannes and feel like things are okay back at the ranch. This has been years of brick-by-brick making to get to this point.”

Initiative’s global CEO, Dimitri Maex, told Mediaweek  that Initiative Australia is one of the agency’s strongest offices. “To be honest with you, they dominate – and definitely punch above their weight. I think the Initiative DNA may live most vibrantly in the Australian office.”

Recently, Accenture Song acquired martech consultancy The Lumery, won NRMA’s CX account after losing the Telstra pitch, and partnered with Adobe to develop AI solutions.

Initiative is widely-regarded as one of the best media agencies in the country, but recently lost Afterpay to indie Kaimera. Specsavers is up for pitch, as is DuluxGroup. In February, it won Crown Resorts, wrestling the account away from Carat after 30 years, and last year it added clients like Sanitarium, Fantastic Furniture, and Priceline.

Crown Resorts and Initiative were key contributors to the recently-launched ALUMNI pop-up restaurant for Masterchef, which Colter told Mediaweek was an “ambitious idea”.

Fein, Colter, and Geer won’t be too far from Crown Resorts at Accenture – its creative account sits with The Monkeys.

“I think at some stage soon, the entire industry will be working for Greeny,” Thinkerbell co-founder Adam Ferrier told Mediaweek of Initiative’s top brass defecting to join Mark Green‘s Accenture Song.

Last night, news broke that Initiative’s three most senior leaders – CEO Melissa Fein, MD Sam Geer, and chief strategy and product officer Chris Colter – will soon be joining Accenture Song to set up a full service media unit.

Ferrier is surprised it took so long for Accenture to make such a move.

“What’s interesting here is that everyone knows that traditional advertising agencies and traditional media agencies are doing it tough, and their models are struggling to keep up and adapt with change,” he said.

“Creative and media services need to be joined up, and applied through the entire EX and CX of a business. Accenture Song have done a tremendous job of positioning themselves as business transformation, and having strong media, or context thinking within their offer is fundamental – I’m surprised it’s taken this long.”

Thinkerbell is a full-service agency offering creative, media, and PR services. Ferrier said that on a personal note, “It’s great to see ambitious, talented, nice people going to work for other ambitious, talented nice people.

“I’m sure they’ll do well. I think at some stage soon, the entire industry will be working for Greeny.”

Adam Ferrier

TrinityP3’s media business director, Stephen Wright, added that Fein, Geer, and Colter’s departure from Initiative was “significant” as “one of the best pitch teams in Australia”, adding that “Initiative’s new business record was testament to that.”

“Accenture’s move overnight has the potential to significantly realign the media agency sector in Australia and will be watched closely by clients and competitors alike,” Wright said.

“Initiative Australia has done a lot of work to establish itself as a leader globally and the opportunity for Mark Coad and the team now is to bring fresh eyes and build the next evolution of their product.”

Stephen Wright

Mediabrands CEO Mark Coad confirmed the news to staff in an email sent on Thursday at 6:26pm and seen by Mediaweek.

Regular listeners to the #1 3AW breakfast show in Melbourne will feel they know some of the Ross and Russ production team.

Scorcher, Damo and Emilia crop up regularly on the show as they fill their roles or handle special guest spots. Maybe it is phone call producer Sophie who has kept some sort of anonymity… until now.

During Mediaweek’s visit to the 3AW studios, still inside the former home of The Age, we got to spend time with the four-person team who help the magic happen.

Interestingly, 3AW is the only tenant left in the former Fairfax Melbourne HQ, a building that is one of the many legacies left in the city by former Lord Mayor and Fairfax chair, the late Ron Walker.

Scorcher: Executive producer

“I am up just after 2am and summarise the papers for the boys. I get into the studio about 3.30am. This year will be my 10th year on the breakfast show.”

Aka Mark Davidson, the executive producer was originally the producer of Ernie Sigley’s afternoon show at the station. “Working with Ernie started in about 2004. Next was a trip to London where I worked on newspapers. Back at 3AW, I started working with what was then Ross and John.”

Davidson doesn’t have any regular spots, just “pinch-hitting” whenever called upon. Often with little warning. “It’s not about me… it’s all about the boys,” he noted.

The head of the production team for the ACRA-winning breakfast show is also an award-winning photographer.

Melbourne’s radio (3)A(W)-team: Emilia, Mark, Damian and Sophie

Emilia Fuller: Senior producer

In 2020, Emilia Fuller started as a temp on the show. “I ended up training all through Covid, which was a baptism by fire.” She has worked full time on breakfast for just on three years. “I started on the phones and am now a senior producer.”

Her duties now include dining out in Melbourne somewhere different at least once a week as the presenter of the Friday food segment. “I need to find places that are different price points, in different areas around Melbourne, and serve different cuisines. That can be challenging each week, but in a good way.”

Sophie Klemens: Producer

The newest member of the team has been at 3AW for two years. “I started working as a casual across various shows. At the start of 2023, I worked full time on breakfast answering the phones.”

It’s a key role in a show so dependent on its listeners. “The phones are very busy and consistent across the show. Even at 5:30am. It’s about trying to speak to as many people as quickly as I can without keeping them on hold for too long.”

3AW can take 10 calls at any one time. Juggling which ones to keep live for the popular Rumour File each day keeps her busy.

3AW Rumour File time

Davidson calls the post-7am Rumour File segment as the “most-listened to segment in Melbourne”. The segment has been running for around 30 years. It’s had a few copy cats across the decades, but none have lasted.

“The listeners are a great resource with calls and emails. They enable us to have some big stories every day. We’ve had some massive news over the years.”

Klemens: “We prefer listeners to email with details about what rumours they have. If they call close to the segment before or just after 7am, I will write it up and send them a text message so they have something in writing for them to follow.”

Rumours that need to go to air that day get preference, others can be staggered across the week to make sure they always have great content.

Journalists working in Melbourne listen to the Rumour File for news tips. When they are used, sometimes the show is credited, sometimes not.

Comedian Arj Barker asking a breastfeeding mother to leave his Melbourne Comedy Show late last month first surfaced as a Rumour File news item.

Damian Tardio on the tools at 3AW breakfast

Damian Tardio: Studio operations, audio magic

October 2010 is when studio operations manager Damian Tardio started at 3AW. He’s best known as the audio producer Damo who provides clips on demand across the morning.

“After working on different shows, I started on breakfast in 2012. Fulltime breakfast work started in mid-2014.” He too celebrates a decade at 3AW this year. 2014 was a good year for breakfast show recruiting.

Even after watching this audio magician at work, it’s still puzzling how he is always ready with songs, interview excerpts, and repeats of caller segments.

“I have shortcuts set up that let me press a button and something runs instantaneously. I also have another computer filled with sound effects that are easily accessible.

“Compiling sounds effects from callers is what I love. The listeners are the people who provide us with the best material.”

There’s no plan for what might be need every morning. “It’s a blank canvas I start with. Every morning you go to work wondering what might be happening today. During the first half hour, I start to get an idea of where the show might be going.”

Tardio carefully files everything he edits for the show. Listeners also send him clips, which he finds very helpful. “We had a segment called ‘Send us your sounds’ which has been very good.”

Beethoven and flatulence!

There were some very un-3AW like sounds last week during a segment about Beethoven, who reportedly had a flatulence problem.

Tardio blamed Scorcher: “He came up to me and asked if we could do a Beethoven remix with a few fart sound effects. We try to use them sparingly,” he laughed.

Favourite sound effects curated by Tardio include a Hastings man who called and said Postecoglou [a Carlton footballer] in a special way. Another came from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games when a caller said a line from The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ sounds like they are saying ‘double adaptor’.

“That just stuck with me for some reason.

“It can be a challenge trying to pre-empt what Ross and Russ might do, but it keeps it exciting.”

Tardio finds Spotify a useful resource for identifying song lyrics and the music they come from.

Keeping it simple

Tardio is perhaps the best example of how this breakfast show just works. Everyone seems very chilled. Everyone can contribute. There was little stress on display, at least when I was there. They keep it simple.

“It’s a democracy,” said Tardio.

Song playouts are one of the simple things that can engage with audiences from different demos. The Rolling Stones provide the opening theme most days, except on Fridays when it’s The Cure. Other days, you will hear bits of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, even The Sex Pistols.

Tardio doesn’t admit to stacking the show with favourites. Although when he goes home after a day that featured part of a Tina Arena song, his girlfriend asks if he played it for her.

See also:
Breakfast radio with Ross and Russ: Inside the 3AW engine room
Inside 3AW: Tom Elliott on moving timeslots and pressure in mornings

Indie agency Reunion’s first work for Rest Super has been edited, Mediaweek can reveal, with the original high-pitched scream replaced by one less earsplitting “to enhance the light-hearted nature of the advertisement.”

The changes were made at the end of April, before Wednesday night’s Gruen panel lashed the ad – and focused on the scream – in the first episode of the season. Panellist Camey O’Keefe, director of Gambol Creative, called the spot “a hot mess.” 

Ex-Leo Burnett boss and fellow panellist Tod Sampson added: “The crazy thing for me is the scream is the best part of that ad, because the strategy makes absolutely no sense.”

A Rest spokesperson confirmed the scream change to Mediaweek, saying: “Rest has updated our birthday cake television commercial to enhance the light-hearted nature of the advertisement and the intention of the campaign.

“An updated version of the advertisement, with an alternate recording of the actor’s reaction in the final scene, replaced the previous version on 27 April.

“We anticipate our Super.Simple brand campaign will continue to evolve based on a number of factors, including performance metrics, feedback and the intention of the campaign.”

The spokesperson added that the next phase of the campaign will launch later this year.

The Super.Simple campaign for the profit-to-member super fund was launched in March – the first creative work by Justin Hind‘s Reunion agency since it won the Rest account in December last year.

Top Gear Australia is returning for a brand new season on Paramount+ today, and in a first for the Australian iteration, won’t air on the free-to-air 10.

Speaking to Mediaweek, Network 10/Paramount+ Australia network executive producer Ciaran Flannery said that Paramount+ would never make Top Gear again if it wasn’t able to match the production value of the best versions.

“It’s got to be up there, and the reality is the scale that Paramount+ gives us allows us to go global,” he said.

“This is not just a local show, we have that global scale, not just where we go in the show, but also getting the show into international markets through Paramount+.

“Paramount+ delivered a production value that arguably a local version might not quite have matched.”

The original series premiered on SBS in 2008 and then moved to Nine in 2010. In 2012, it was cancelled due to declining ratings. 

Launching today, 17 May, in Australia, Top Gear Australia will also premiere in Latin America, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and Japan later this year.

The eight-part series will be hosted by Blair Joscelyne, Beau Ryan and Jonathan LaPaglia as the trio takes audiences across Australia, through the French Alps and the historic streets of Rome, around the St Tropez coastline, and to the rugged Colombian jungle, driving whatever they can get their hands on and completing outrageous challenges. 

Speaking to Mediaweek, the hosts shared their experiences on the show and the importance of maintaining the format’s greatness while giving it their own personality through Aussie humour and camaraderie. 

“We didn’t overthink anything, we just stayed true to ourselves and our personality shone from the get-go,” Ryan said.

“The day we all met each other, we realised how different we all actually are, but we clicked straight away, and that was the key to the success of the previous iterations of this show and I think that’s why we had so much fun.

“While we were so open with each other, bantering and calling each other out, we also lifted each other up when we had moments of struggle because it was a long, taxing shoot [production took four months]. In saying that, it was something that I couldn’t have really enjoyed more.”

LaPaglia echoed Ryan’s sentiments, saying the hosts brought a particular Aussie sensibility in terms of the humour on the show. 

“I think a lot of that is poking fun at each other, calling each other out. That’s typically Australian so from my perspective, I think that gives the show its Aussie flavour,” he said.

Flannery joked that he is excited to see how the rest of the world reacts to the Aussie humour on the show.

“I wonder if they can work out what ‘fanging it’ is, because there’s a lot of that in there. There’s going to be a lot of Australian language in there that the rest of the world will probably have to go on the internet to work out what we’re talking about.”

Joscelyne is the only host out of the three who has no prior history of being on TV. He comes from a music and YouTube background, best-known for being behind the long-running YouTube channel, Mighty Car Mods. He said the shift to TV was helped immensely by his co-hosts. 

“Initially, I was looking to these guys being like, ‘how does this whole game work?’ because not only am I hosting a TV show, there are 55 more people from the crew than I’m used to working with,” he said.

“I eventually got the hang of it, because I think us coming from all vastly different backgrounds helped keep the chemistry alive. Jonathan is from an acting and medical background, Beau is from a sporting and TV background, and I’m from a music and YouTube background.

“We’re all each very good at doing what it is that we do, and throwing us in together I think certainly has worked because I’ve really enjoyed – for the most part – hanging out with these guys for the last few months.”

Top Gear Australia is produced by BBC Studios Productions Australia and joins a host of the Paramount+ Australian Originals currently streaming, including Last King Of The Cross, Five Bedrooms, NCIS: Sydney, The Inspired Unemployed (Impractical) Jokers, plus Fake streaming soon.

The Walkley Foundation has decided not to renew its sponsorship deal with Ampol, following last year’s protests against the partnership.

An updated sponsorship and donations policy now states: “The Foundation does not accept money from companies or individuals that it deems to pose a significant reputational risk due to the nature of their dealings that offer no tangible benefit to humanity.”

The current Ampol sponsorship will end in October, with The Australian reporting that “neither Ampol, nor the Walkleys, wished to renegotiate the deal, given the negative publicity that the sponsorship attracted for both parties.”

Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble, said the move was “a significant step for our media and wider society in dealing with the new reality that fossil fuels are doing more harm than good.

“Coal, oil and gas companies are a reputational risk to anyone that helps promote them, and that risk will only grow as the climate becomes more unstable.”

In 2023, cartoonist Jon Kudelka published a blog post on his website titled Why I’m not entering the Walkleys this year. Kudelka cited the close ties that fossil fuel company, Ampol, has with the awards as the reason for his decision. 

He was followed by several high-profile cartoonists and journalists either withdrawing their entries or choosing not to enter the awards.

An overhaul of the annual awards in May 2023 saw The Walkleys reinstate the international journalism category as well as other additions for specialist and explanatory journalism. As Kudelka wrote, “While there was a call for climate reporting to have its own award category, it didn’t make the cut.”

This has since been rectified, with Science and The Environment being added as a category from the 2024 mid-year awards. 

The Walkley Awards were launched in 1956 by Ampol Petroleum founder Sir William Gaston Walkley, after a partnership with the Australian Journalists’ Association.

The full history of Ampol’s connection with the awards is detailed on The Walkleys website, with a disclaimer added in September noting the organisation has “condemned and expressed deep regret for racist views expressed by the founder of its major awards… in a newspaper column in 1961.”

Pregnancy, gun violence against animated cockatoos, and yet more examples of the ‘girl math’ trend were all subjects in the latest round of Ad Standards rulings, released this week.

This round of offenders of the AANA’s Codes of Ethics included Melbourne-based direct bank ME Bank, IVF and fertility service group City Fertility Centre, and building product and solutions provider, Metroll Darwin.

ME Bank

ME Bank was found in breach of Section 2.1 (discrimination or vilification) of the AANA’s Code of Ethics for an Instagram Reel featuring a man describing the benefits of a ME Bank product.

The caption read: “move over girl math, this is #goodmath”.  

According to the case report, this received complaints expressing concern about its discriminatory nature, as well as its implications.

“The words ‘girl math’ appear on screen which are then crossed out and replaced by ‘good math’. Implying that maths done by girls is not ‘good’. This is discriminatory language,” said one complainant.

The Community Panel found that despite an “attempt at social media relevance,” the ad promoted negative and gendered stereotypes.

The last round of Ad Standards’ results saw bubble tea chain Chatime reprimanded for an email ad promoting a half-priced tea with the tagline “according to girl math, that’s basically free.”

The ad was also determined to be in breach of the Code, with the panel similarly finding that “despite the attempt at humour, the ad perpetuates a negative stereotype that women are bad with money.”

City Fertility Centre

The fertility group’s radio ad was flagged for its inclusion of a voiceover repeating the line “you’re still not pregnant,” raising concerns from complainants concerned the ad could potentially trigger and bully those facing fertility issues.

The Community Panel concluded that the ad did not treat the highly sensitive topic with the expected level of respect for the audiences it serves, finding it in breach of Section 2.6 (health and safety) of the Code of Ethics.  

Metroll Darwin

The offending television ad (featured image) shows two men hunting and chatting in the bush, when they spot a cockatoo, and one of the men shoots at it. The ad was promoting roofing services.

The Community Panel recognised that while the ad is a cartoon, many would still find the depiction of shooting a protected species as unjustifiably violent, particularly given the context of the product the ad is trying to promote.

The ad was found to be in breach of Section 2.3 (violence) of the Code of Ethics. 

See also: Buttholes, nangs, and ‘girl math’: Ad Standards’ latest rulings

ACMA’s new report, TV in Australia: Spending on commercial TV programs for FY23, reveals Free TV broadcasters spent a record $1.67 billion on Australian content.

87% of commercial broadcasters’ program expenditure was for Australian content, an increase of 8% from the previous year.

The report also revealed that the cost of sports rights continues to increase, up 17%. There was also a record investment of $413 million in news programs. 

There has been a 16% increase in spending on regional news, despite challenging market conditions and spectrum fees remaining in place.

Mildura Digital Television is shuttering, meaning people living in the regional Victorian town will lose access to Channel 10, 10 BOLD, and 10 Peach on free to-air.

Mildura Digital Television said that while the joint venture owners, Seven and WIN, have continued to fund MDT despite the station running at a loss since its inception, the financial position “is no longer tenable”.

Free TV CEO Bridget Fair said: “Providing quality Australian programming for free to all Australians is part of our DNA. We are committed to bringing Australians the trusted news, live and free sport and local entertainment programming that they love.

“These numbers are a powerful demonstration that Free TV broadcasters see themselves as the home of Australian content. No other media platform makes the consistent investment in our local content year in, year out.”

Free TV has said a number of key policy objectives are needed to support the local commercial television sector, including anti-siphoning laws that keep sport free, no matter whether people use an aerial or an internet connection.

The networks also continue to campaign on prominence laws to make FTA apps accessible and easy to find on smart TVs, including on existing devices.

Free TV mentioned Meta pulling out of news deals under the News Media Bargaining Code framework, and asked for policy measures to support public interest journalism. It also said it wants fairer competition rules to address the power of digital platforms that benefit from an increasing share of advertising revenue, but don’t share broadcasters’ responsibility for producing accurate news and information.

Finally, Free TV wants the spectrum taxes paid by commercial broadcasters abolished. It said these are the highest in the world, and 52 times higher than the equivalent per capita charge on US broadcasters.

See also: ‘Bitterly disappointed’: Mildura to lose access to Channel 10 on free to air

—

Top image: Fair

Since its 1970 launch, the Australian surfing publication Tracks has become the world’s most-published surf magazine. It has surpassed USA’s Surfer Magazine with well over 600 issues.

Tracks has played a pivotal role in shaping global surf culture by pioneering brands like Rip Curl, Billabong, and Quiksilver, putting them firmly on the map. Along the way, it has been owned by various publishers including Mason Stewart Publishing and Next Media. Now a proud indie, the brand has also been a breeding ground for surf industry executives and creative talent including journalists, photographers, and designers.

The Tracks launch crew in the 1970s

The publishers of Tracks are now offering investors the opportunity to buy shares in the company for the first time through a Birchal equity crowdfunding raise.

Tracks is telling potential investors to imagine the bragging rights if they were one of the first investors in Ripcurl, Quicksilver, or Billabong.

These same bragging rights are now up for grabs as Tracks Media gives surfers the opportunity to buy shares in the masthead for as little as $250 via a Birchal equity crowdfunding raise. Proceeds will be used to fund the brand’s expansion into moving pictures, reality TV ventures, develop Tracks Shacks, expand its social media presence, and hire more staff as it reinvigorates itself for its next 50 years.
Buy a piece of history and become part of its future.

Tracks Media rollout plan

Reality TV show with Quail Media

Tracks is looking to recruit three keen surfers for the “best job in the world”. Quit your job and get paid to travel around Australia reviewing the country’s best surfing spots. What’s the catch? While you don’t have to be the world’s best surfers, you must be skilled at social media and be able to capture your love of surfing as rookie video journalists, because a reality TV show will document your every move.

The brand is reinvigorating itself for a 2024 audience by going back to its 1970 countercultural roots to document what it’s like living every surfer’s dream.

“We’ll foot the bill for pretty much everything as you travel up and down the coast attending major surfing events and music festivals, eat and drink at the best pubs and great local restaurants and capture everything in between,” said editor-in-chief, Luke Kennedy.

Tracks editor Luke Kennedy

“The content you film will be shared across all social media platforms as well as creating travel guides of the best places to surf, stay, eat and drink. And when you’re not sleeping on the Tracks Wanderlust Bus, you’ll be staying at some of the best coastal beach shacks thanks to a new Airbnb-styled travel platform the magazine will be officially launching later the year. Called Tracks Shacks, the accommodation will be curated for surfers, by surfers.”

The Wanderlust Series is only part of the expansion of Tracks into the world of moving pictures. Tracks has partnered up with Greg Quail and his team at Perpetual Entertainment, one of Australia’s most successful production houses, and together they plan to establish a Tracks production studio to produce their own content. “We will be creating a unique 24/7 channel which will be available on all devices consisting of non-stop surf, snow, skate, music and lifestyle,” said Perpetual CEO and owner Quail. “And all for free.”

Accommodation platform: Tracks Shacks

The brand will also be launching an accommodation platform called Tracks Shacks. The new Airbnb-style platform tailored for surfers is a partnership with Australian accommodation company Alloggio.

Tracks Shacks will have access to managed homes near surfing spots estimated to be over 15,000 by 2029. It’s also estimated the number of self-managed holiday homes listed on Tracks Shacks will be north of 100,000 by 2029 – and that’s just in Australia. The platform is set to formally launch in the third quarter of 2024.

The original Tracks Shack. The first office at Whale Beach in Sydney

New travel brand coming

Tracks has also teamed up with the new travel company Exceptional Alien, co-founded by The Monkeys co-founder Justin Drape, to create an immersive experience for readers called Exceptional Tracks. Each surfer featured on the cover is invited to share their personal tips and recommendations for the location where the cover was photographed – from food and drink, enjoying nature, places to stay, spots to hang with friends, and more.

For more information on how to apply for the ‘best job in the world’, or to invest in Tracks, head to tracksmag.com.au.

Publisher Peter Strain

“Questioning societal norms is as relevant today for Gen Z youth as it was for surfers living on the fringes of society back in October 1970 when Tracks first appeared in newsagents,” said Tracks publisher, Peter Strain.

“That’s our magazine’s DNA. The Vietnam War polarised society and dropping out of society and surfing was seen as the ultimate ‘F You’ to mainstream Australia. Today, kids don’t want to listen to boomer bosses telling them how to live their lives – they want to surf, and our new moving pictures platform and the content filmed on the Tracks Wanderlust Bus will show exactly that.”

See also: Tracks’ last corporate wave: Surfers purchase iconic brand

Insurance provider GIO has launched a brand platform, with the new Protect Precious positioning created by creative network Ogilvy.

While the insurance category is often associated with moments of disaster, the new positioning’s launch campaign focuses on the more wholesome and personal aspects of insurance, denoted by its tagline: “‘If it’s precious to you, protect it with us.”

Mim Haysom, EGM for brand and customer experience Suncorp, owner of GIO, said that the new campaign shows “how different things can have different importance to customers, and in some instances things not worth a huge amount of money can still be incredibly precious to people, so they want to protect them.”

The Protect Precious platform features product-specific executions for home, motor, and SME insurance, with stories revolving around a number of precious items, like the car insurance commercial titled Your Precious Pierre. It narrates the journey of Peter and his hatchback Pierre, which helped Peter transition from city to country life.

Ogilvy’s ECD Hilary Badger said the campaign draws on “a deeply human story to tell”.

“Not everyone has a car named Pierre or a home with turret. But we can all relate to those quirky, perhaps irrational, attachments. This campaign has been a wonderful opportunity for us to create a unique, positive storytelling tone in a category that often dwells on what can go wrong.”

The campaign rolls out this week across TV, cinema, BVOD and SVOD, online, social, OOH, radio, digital audio, digital display, and 1:1 channels.

Earlier this week, Ogilvy’s Look on the Fried Side of Life ad for KFC was voted the country’s favourite campaign in the latest edition of the AU/NZ Top 10 Favourite Ads Survey by independent research and insights agency TRA.

Last week, Ogilvy Health launched a new awareness campaign for Bowel Cancer Australia, Australia’s Deadliest, to spotlight the dangerous nature of the disease, which affects over 1,700 Australians aged under 50 each year.

See also:
KFC’s ‘Look on the Fried Side of Life’ named favourite Aussie ad
Ogilvy Health unveils latest for Bowel Cancer Australia

Credits:

Client: GIO (Suncorp)
Mim Haysom: CMO/EGM brand and customer experience
Rapthi Thanapalasingam: Head of brand and content
Mark Condon: GIO marketing manager
Bryony Nickless: GIO marketing manager

Creative agency: Ogilvy Australia
Production agency: Hogarth
Media agency: OMD
Production: Revolver
Stills: James Geer
Post-production: Heckler
Sound and music: Rumble
Retouching studio: Studio ADFX
TVC stills photographer: Stefan Wellsmore

Mutinex data has revealed marketing investment has been flat since 2021, which Henry Innis, CEO and co-founder, says “won’t come as a surprise to marketers.”

The marketing mix modelling platform launched its inaugural Marketing ROI Index Report, examining over $2 billion in marketing investment to uncover the state of marketing ROI.

“They’ve [marketers] been telling us for some time that their budgets are down,” Innis said. “What’s great about this report is that it’s not based on survey data, it’s based on real investment patterns that we’re seeing in market. Hard data doesn’t lie.”

The index also demonstrates that marketers are treading water when it comes to ROI on their marketing investment. Traditionally, high periods of return, such as the Christmas and New Year period, are not performing as well year-on-year.

Results from 2023/24 were down almost 20 points since the seasonal peak of 2021/22, revealing the overall trend downwards and how tough conditions really are.

“I think we’re seeing some very tough conditions in market at the moment,” Innis added. “With budgets flat, marketers are effectively doing more with less to even keep that ROI where it is.”

The index also examined revenue drivers and the trend toward a higher share of revenue through performance channels.

Revenue driven from search has held steady and slightly increased in January 2024, while affiliate channels have also seen a steady and significant rise – doubling their revenue contribution since Q3 2022.

Mutinex noted that while diversification in revenue streams is a positive sign, it proves that marketers are increasingly dependent on lower funnel channels to drive returns.

Will Marks, head of marketing science at Mutinex, said: “There’s a couple of thing marketers need to review that might help them get out of this nose dive.

“A combination of truly understanding revenue drivers alongside an analysis of flighting and channel mix can really help marketers to understand where they can squeeze just a little bit more juice out of the budgets.”

The release of the ROI Index Report comes after Mutinex launched DataOS, a companion product to its GrowthOS market mix modelling tool.

DataOS has been designed to reduce data provisioning for a range of marketing projects by providing a space for marketers to store and clean their data.

See also: Mutinex launches DataOS, a new solution for data warehousing

To enhance the viewing experience of a BINGE Original, creative agency Thinkerbell has created Scene:Scents: candles designed to burn at a specific speed as a show plays, layered with different scents tied to scenes from the show, including dog pee and the vet’s office.

BINGE’s marketing director, Fiona King, described the Scene:Scents as “a game changer for entertainment buffs, enhancing home viewing with scents that bring iconic TV moments to life.”

“Fans are able to experience the hilariously meet-cute from Colin From Accounts in all its messy, funny glory, complete with vet smells and dog pee – yes, really,” she said.

Released as box sets, each set of candles is matched to individual scenes from each show. To immerse viewers in the Colin From Accounts world, for example, candles have been assembled with notes of Aussie suburbia, eucalyptus, the vet’s office, a bachelor’s apartment, the back room of a brewery, and even dog pee.

Candles have also been created for shows like Strife and The Twelve.

Tom Wenborn, executive creative tinker at Thinkerbell, explained that while candles that smell like obscure things isn’t a new concept, “candles that smell like individual scenes from your favourite shows, precisely layered around a wick that has been produced to burn at an exact speed is kind of fun.

“While BINGE continues to raise the bar in entertainment quality, initiatives like Scene:Scents aim to revolutionise the way you experience watching.”

Earlier this year, SBS also geared up for the return of its survival series, Alone Australia, with the launch of a limited-edition fragrance, Alone Cologne.

Described as an “an ode to odour,”the scent aimed to evoke the raw, visceral experiences of contestants who braved season 2, with notes like “smoked fish skin, unwashed skin, and greasy hair.”

Scene:Scents is Thinkerbell’s latest work for BINGE, following on from last week’s release of the second I Saw it on BINGE instalment, which plays off the social currency of staying up to date with the latest shows.

See also:
Thinkerbell launches second instalment of ‘I Saw it on BINGE’
Thinkerbell joins cool water trend with ‘Water Can’ brand launch

Credits:
Client: BINGE
Creative: Thinkerbell
Candle production: First Flame
Packaging: Biaccident 
Launch film: Hotel Bell

Cathy O’Connor, CEO of oOh!media, has said “out-of-home is expected to continue taking revenue share from other media sectors, particularly from television and radio.”

Speaking to attendees of the company’s AGM today, O’Connor referenced Guideline SMI results reporting that OOH achieved agency media revenue growth of 15%, capturing 14.5% of advertising agency media spend for the CY23 year.

This was up from 12.3% the year before, and represents OOH’s highest-ever share of agency media spend.  

O’Connor compared these numbers to a “broader decline” for total advertising agency spend of 3%, with television declining 14%, and radio declining 6%.

“Our core focus remains on building our network of world class digital assets, and in turn bringing new and compelling mass reach opportunities for advertisers – while  also delivering on the ease of trade,” O’Connor said. 

“And beyond our core business, we are focused on enhancing our ability to leverage our existing assets and expertise into new and adjacent growth markets such as our reooh offering.”

Reooh launched in October 2023, and is an OOH retail media solution, with the goal of growing retail media businesses through oOh!’s screen management and advertising sales.

oOh!media’s CY23 financial results

In CY23, oOh! recorded revenue growth of 7% to $633.9 million, with adjusted EBITDA up 2% to $130.2 million.

Adjusted net profit after tax was $55 million, a slight dip on last year’s result of $56.2 million.  

On a statutory basis, oOh! reported a 10% increase in net profit of $34.6 million for CY23.  

Revenue increased across all formats, with Road the stand out, delivering 14% growth on the prior year.  

On a statutory basis, oOh! reported a 10% increase in net profit to $34.6 million.  

In his chair’s address, Tony Faure told the room that oOh!’s financial position “remains strong” and “well capitalised, which means we are able to continue to invest in key growth initiatives whilst delivering ongoing returns to shareholders.”

Before thanking oOh!’s staff and shareholders, Faure concluded: “The structural fundamentals driving out of home as a growth medium remain positive, and as the market leader we remain well-placed to capitalise on this growth.”

A Man In Full, a six-part series based on Tom Wolfe’s 1998 novel, is the latest in a long list of must-see shows on Netflix in 2024. Like so many other Netflix productions, this one grabbed my attention so hard, I had to binge it all as quickly as possible.

Starring Jeff Daniels, this is about Charlie Broker, an egotistical mogul on the verge of bankruptcy. As investigators close in on his empire, his ex-wife (Diane Lane) strikes up a friendship with an over-eager pursuer, Raymond Peepgrass (Tom Pelphrey).

This is a limited series and there won’t be a sequel. That might be a relief for creator David E. Kelley, who could be involved in the planned second series of Nine Perfect Strangers and a third series of Big Little Lies.

A previous adaptation of a Wolfe novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, was a notorious box office flop amid criticism it didn’t go far enough. Its boundary-pushing director Brian De Palma could never have shown an erect penis on a cinema screen in 1990, but here we are today watching one in A Man In Full, and with only a MA15+ rating too.

A Man In Full is another fine example of how Netflix is on fire, as it joins other buzzworthy series and movies like Boy Swallows Universe, Baby Reindeer, Ripley, Scoop, The Gentlemen, and Fool Me Once. 

Several of those shows were launched quietly, with barely any promotion. And yet series like Baby Reindeer quickly generated its own publicity through word of mouth that moved very quickly.

Netflix is a real powerhouse, even though many of its shows seem generic enough to have been created by an algorithm. Meanwhile, shows made by others arrive on Netflix and instantly get a whole new lease of life. This year, they have more than proven why it is the world’s most popular streamer.

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].

Three major new series were reviewed this week including a Donald Trump satire, a Tudor murder mystery and a drama about a Black Panther leader.

The Big Cigar (AppleTV+) is a drama that chronicles the story of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba.

Shardlake (Disney+) is a 16th-century murder mystery where Sean Bean as Thomas Cromwell sends his lawyer to investigate a murder in a monastery.

A Man in Full (Netflix) stars Jeff Daniels and is a satire about a Trump-like character who owes a mountain of debt to his bankers. Could getting elected be a way out for him?

We also talk this week about Clarkson’s Farm (Prime) and its surprise sex scenes warning, The War on Disco (SBS On Demand) and Travel Guides (Nine).

Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.

Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us.

Shelley Friesen – Founder and Director, Melbourne Social Co

The Cadbury Gorilla

“This was such an iconic ad! At the time, it was so different to anything we’d seen before, and to be honest, it was a little strange! The appeal was in the shock factor of a gorilla playing drums (why?) paired with a classic tune, coupled with an iconic colour – the Cadbury purple.

We all talked about it, we wondered how on earth the advertising agency came up with such a random concept, and that was the point – it got us thinking and stayed with us.”

Lauren Leisk – Head of Affiliate Partnerships, Are Media

Cottee’s Cordial – My Dad Picks the Fruit, 1988

“The ad that first sprang to mind – the one that has stuck with me for longer than the sticky rings in the door shelf of my parents’ fridge – includes a jingle that all Australian kids chanted from the late 1980’s well into the next decade. It’s the Cottee’s Cordial 1988 TVC My Dad Picks the Fruit. An ad that truly stands the test of time so much so that I can recite it, word-for-word, decades later: My dad picks the fruit, that goes to Cottee’s, to make the cordial, that I like best.

“Perhaps, some of the ad’s longevity comes from the fact that, as kids, we can’t help but take a jingle and make it our own, often with childish word replacements that were low in sense and high in humour. Many of the people from my generation would likely remember this somewhat more immature version of the ad: My dad picks his nose, and grinds the snotties, to make the cordial, that you like best. Charming… But effective. I sang this to my kids recently and they thought it was hilarious. It’s nice to know that some things never change, like the comedic value children place on bodily functions. Thank you, Cottee’s.”

Blair Ellis – Account Director, Hopeful Monsters

Banana Boat, 2003

“For the last two decades, I’ve never been able to stop myself from having a little jive anytime I hear or speak about this iconic ad from the arguable ‘Golden Era’ of TVCs.

“Dare I say it’s a masterstroke and every marketer’s dream creative. Multiple brand name mentions, including the first words of the spot. Key product USP’s throughout. Mind-numbingly simple and catchy. Flexible for any format.

“I can safely say it made enough of an impact on 8-year-old me to never have bought another brand of sunscreen.

“P.S. Good luck getting this out of your head for the next hour…”

See Also: The Ads That Made Us: Specsavers, Softness, and Surfing

–

Top Image: Shelley Friesen, Lauren Leisk, Blair Ellis

Kinesso has released a whitepaper for marketers, explaining everything the industry needs to know about the end of third-party cookies and impending privacy changes. 

In April, Google announced it was delaying the end of third-party cookies in its Chrome browser for the third time due to regulatory oversight in the UK. 

Sam Thompson, agency business partner and Natalie Hatch, audience and partnerships lead at Kinesso Australia both spoke to Mediaweek about what they see as important in the measurement conversation, as well as what solutions to third-party cookie deprecation on Chrome are standing out to them.

What do you see as the most important arguments in the measurement conversation?

On the topic of measurement, first, we need to be clear on what measurement approaches we are talking about. Modelled measurement, such as econometrics and media mix, remain largely intact. Whereas the deterministic world of last touch, first touch, or data-driven attribution used across digital advertising for path-to-purchase tracking across multiple touch points and on-site action or sale will be impacted.

The most important point related to deterministic measurement is the impact on ad-serving. Ad-serving has been the bedrock of deterministic measurement for the vast majority of digital advertisers for the last 15 years. While dependency has eroded over time – Safari and Firefox began phasing out cookies back in 2013 and have already completed the total deprecation of 3rd party cookies – it is still the dominant tool for cross-publisher source of truth for digital media measurement.

Brands have been dependent on digital signals to understand the impact of media on business outcomes. Ad servers played a key role of stitching those signals together to make sense of the digital ecosystem. They are heavily third party cookie-based, therefore what will replace this method is one of the biggest conversations being had from a measurement perspective.

Alternative measurement solutions in the market have been developed or are in development and brands should begin considering these solutions and testing them to understand what works. Some solutions are a little more narrow, fairly simple to implement, and cost-efficient (eg CAPI), while others are more holistic on measurement and take time, resource, and investment to deliver (eg MMM, clean rooms, or CDP integrations).

So as the digital ecosystem becomes more fragmented, the consideration for brands becomes: Are you comfortable trusting fragmented media owners or media buying technology such as ad servers, Google, Meta, or any DSP as your source of measurement truth, or do you take measurement into your own hands via a more holistic and modelled approach?

Upon the emergence of solutions to third-party cookie deprecation, is there one or some predicted to be widely used?

Perhaps the ones that will be most widely adopted are focused on how brands can remain addressable or targeted in digital media into the future.

If you had asked us two years ago, we would have told you that identity solutions such as the Trade Desk’s UID2 were going to dominate the ecosystem from an addressability perspective, especially considering it was being created to be interoperable with most media buying technology, and without bias of ownership by any one platform. The real aim here is to combat walled-garden fragmentation and provide scalable, cross platform addressability for brands and agencies to leverage.

However, while we have been waiting for the deprecation of the third party cookie and increased adoption of identity solutions, we have also seen some early adopters who have backed clean rooms, CDP integrations, and alternative identity solutions to future proof their targeting, as well as the laggards who are waiting until the final hour to see where the chips fall.

While this doesn’t necessarily help to solve the fragmentation conundrum, we also don’t think you can discount the Google API solutions. While they are being watched closely by industry bodies and governments, it is likely their solutions will be widely used, especially by agencies and clients that are Google dominant.

The industry has been saying this for some time, but contextual solutions or relying on publishers first party consumer data and broader data partnerships will also likely be more adopted at scale as cookie signals decrease.

What will happen to brands that don’t adequately prepare for third-party cookie deprecation? 

It will vary widely based on the media plan and the strategies dependant on 3P.

Brands will see some of their core targeting strategies and tried and true audience tactics simply fall away and not deliver, that means sales dropping, attribution falling off, and a reduction in understanding who is purchasing your products and agencies dependent on third party solutions from mass reach publishers that do have a strong first party spine. While agencies are future proofing their own data spines, a brand’s first party data plan can be a game changing competitive advantage.

For media owners without a first party data solution, it’s likely they will see a reduction in ad spend when they are no longer able to offer addressable targeting across their sites as they may have been used to, and when advertisers concentrate their spend into publishers where this is offered at scale. It is clear that media owners have been working hard in this space to build out their first party data to ensure that they can secure advertising revenue post-cookie.

If a brand hasn’t adequately prepared, you still have time. Use the time wisely to best set yourself up for success. Advertisers will have less signals available to them to addressably target their most high value consumers which has the potential to lead to lower return on investment.

When assessing impact, utilising solutions like MMM for holistic and modelled measurement, alongside the likes of GA4 and CAPI for understanding digital specific, and platform specific, impact can positively support conversion reporting and budget optimisations.

Agencies are often the point of centralised information and knowledge for brands, so ensuring they are across the potential impact, have alternative solutions, and have testing frameworks in place to guide their brands through the change is imperative.

For those that don’t have a plan for how to evaluate their existing client activity and roadmap the solutions, they may face some challenges and tough questions from their advertisers as their ROI is impacted.

–

The full whitepaper can be found below.

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Google said it remains committed to engaging closely with the UK Competition and Markets Authority and ICO and hopes to conclude that process this year.

“Assuming we can reach an agreement, we envision proceeding with third-party cookie deprecation starting early next year.”

See also: Google delays end of third-party cookies for third time

Pizza Hut Australia has copped a $2,502,500 penalty following an investigation by industry watchdog, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) that found it was in breach of Australian spam laws.

ACMA found the restaurant chain sent over 10 million marketing messages in breach of spam laws across a four-month period.

Pizza Hut Australia sent 5,941,109 texts and emails from January to May 2023 to customers who either had not consented or had withdrawn their consent to receive marketing. During the same period, Pizza Hut Australia also sent customers 4,364,971 marketing messages without an option to unsubscribe.

Authority member Samantha Yorke said the figures were causing significant frustration for people. “Some of the customers involved had attempted to unsubscribe several times and received multiple messages after trying to stop them.

“The public expects more from businesses who are using their data. They have a right not to be sent marketing messages if they haven’t consented or have chosen to unsubscribe.

“The spam rules have been in place for over 20 years and there is simply no excuse for failing to uphold the rights of consumers. It is particularly disappointing when well-known businesses with large customer bases fail to meet their obligations in the way Pizza Hut has.”

As a result of the breach, Pizza Hut Australia is now required to regularly report to the ACMA.

The ACMA has accepted a comprehensive three-year court-enforceable undertaking from Pizza Hut which requires the business to appoint an independent consultant to review its compliance with ACMA’s rules and to make any necessary improvements where required. 

Yorke reinforced that the ACMA is there to help people who receive unwanted spam by cracking down on noncompliant businesses.

“The penalties for breaching can be very serious and all companies that conduct e-marketing should check their compliance systems are working effectively so they’re not spamming customers,” she said.

The strike against Pizza Hut follows other, recent enforcement actions against companies like Luxottica, Outdoor Supacentre, DoorDash, Ticketek, Uber, and Kmart.

Over the last 18 months, Australian businesses have paid more than $15 million in spam and telemarketing penalties.

Last December, Telnyx Australia paid a $106,560 infringement notice and was put under a formal directive to adhere to industry regulations due to its non-compliance with anti-scam and public safety obligations from 2017 to 2022.

In March this year, the ACMA fined Optus $1,501,500 in penalties after it found the company had committed a large-scale breach of public safety rules between January 2021 and September 2023.

See also:
ACMA fines Optus $1.5 million for public safety failures
ACMA’s anti-scam crackdown continues as Telnyx hit with $106K fine

Inclusively Made has brought together big Australian brands, creative agencies, and production shops for the National Inclusion Commitment event at the Boston Consulting Group’s headquarters in Sydney on Wednesday.

Inclusively Made is the inclusion certification for film, television, and advertising that ensures people with disabilities are reflected in, engage with, and thrive in global creative industries.

The event aimed to embed authentic inclusion in the global production and entertainment industries through the Inclusion Commitment pledge, which industry leaders signed. Among the attendees were Nine Entertainment, Big W, ABC, Bupa, Telstra, Thinkerbell, BMF, and M&C Saatchi.

Liana Dubois, Nine Entertainment’s CMO, represented the network, a foundation partner of Inclusively Made. In addition to Nine’s focus on stories that bring people together and its commitment to shaping culture, she said Nine “will continue to strive to represent the audiences we serve right across Australia.

“Our partnership with Inclusively Made has strategically evolved our approach to representation, ensuring we can integrate inclusive thinking and practices into our every day.”

The Inclusion Commitment pledge signifies a commitment to three key actions: the increased authentic representation of people with disabilities in marketing campaigns to promote inclusion and acceptance; the championing of inclusive practices in marketing and production to create pathways for disability inclusion; and the partnership with Inclusively Made to align efforts in advancing inclusive practices across media and production.

Ann Sherry AO, a business figure and long-term champion of inclusivity in marketing, outlined the need for more inclusive narratives in marketing practices.

“In a world where one in five people live with a disability, there is a severe underrepresentation of writers and actors with disability in advertising and marketing-related content, and sometimes entirely non-existent,” she said.

“Today we witnessed leading Australian companies address that urgent need, by signing the Inclusion Commitment, which is the first step in championing and encouraging inclusive practices by brands and agency leaders in their marketing communications.”

Former Paralympic medallist Paul Nunnari PSM, who is also the CEO of Inclusively Made, shared his personal journey and the progress in fostering inclusion in marketing nationwide.

He welcomed the support from major Australian companies and industry leaders, and said: “It’s humbling to see some of the country’s biggest companies such as Telstra, Big W, Bupa and Nine Entertainment, amongst many others, embracing the Inclusion Commitment.

“Their commitment demonstrates a collective effort towards fostering authentic representation and advancing inclusive practices of people with disability in media and production.”

Henry Smith, founder and chair of Inclusively Made, added: “We are incredibly proud to host and see so many great organisations taking inclusion seriously and committing to inclusive diverse marketing practices. With over two decades of experience in filmmaking and production, our journey at Inclusively Made has led us to this transformative moment and it continues to grow.”

–

Top image:

Back row L-R: Margie Reid, CEO – Thinkerbell, Naomi Driver, general manager marketing – Bupa, Henry Smith, founder and chair – Inclusively Made, and Justin Ricketts, CEO – Hogarth Australia

Front row L-R: Ann Sherry AO, Paul Nunnari PSM, CEO – Inclusively Made, Emma Watkins, ambassador – Inclusively Made, and Vanessa Rowed, Marketing Director – Big W

Sydney independent agency Apparent has launched its first work, All heart, no hassle, for Flight Centre Travel Group‘s flagship SME B2B brand, Corporate Traveller.

Following a competitive pitch, the integrated campaign rolls out this week across digital, social, and out of home.

Grace Royall, creative director at Apparent, said the campaign “cheekily demonstrates that whilst the brand may have ‘Corporate’ in its name, Corporate Traveller is anything but; their passion is truly human-centric – helping people, in small to medium businesses, get more value from their travel programs.

“The Corporate Traveller team really embraced doing something a little bit different, bringing a fresh tone to the business travel category.”

Kim Robertson, head of marketing for Corporate Traveller, said she “really wanted to shake things up”.

“It was clear to us that Apparent had deep expertise in B2B and really understood our complex audience segmentation and associated business challenges.

“They worked closely with us to push our brand in all the right ways to showcase what makes Corporate Traveller so different from our competitors, in terms of the value and service we provide our customers.”

Phil Smith, CEO at Apparent said that travel “is a category we’ve got a lot of experience in and we’re looking forward to helping them grow their business and client base.”

While Rebecca Bragg, acquisition campaign manager at Corporate Traveller, expressed that “as a platform, this absolutely has legs to go beyond the initial campaign period, which is great from an ROI perspective.”

Last month, Flight Centre Travel Group engaged VML to establish the brand identity of its new unified global B2B brand, Envoyage, slated for rollout throughout 2024 and into 2025.

See also: Flight Centre and VML launch Envoyage B2B brand

Nine’s SMB ad platform, Nine Ad Manager will be the principal sponsor of the CommBank SmallBiz Week 2024.

To be held 29-30 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event will see the company hosting workshops throughout both days of the expo. Nine said the sponsorship highlights the growing role Nine Ad Manager will play in SMBs’ marketing and advertising campaigns.

Now in its third year, CommBank SmallBiz Week brings together B2B suppliers from a range of industries with small business owners and leaders. This year’s event will highlight emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation.

“Nine Ad Manager’s objective is to support and champion SMBs and their business growth,” said Ben Campbell, Nine’s director of data and advertising products, who will be a keynote speaker at the event.

“Utilising the power of one of Australia’s most recognisable free to air broadcast video on demand platforms in 9Now, and artificial intelligence, Nine Ad Manager allows small businesses to reach highly targeted, local premium audiences at easily accessible rates. We are thrilled to be associated with the CommBank SmallBiz Week 2024.”

The expo features over 120 exhibitors, multiple SMB workshop programs, along with 100 speakers on the CommBank Sessions main stage.

Nine Ad Manager will also be the sponsor of the ‘Excellence in Marketing’ and ‘Rising Star’ categories at the CommBank Young Hero Awards dinner on 28 May. 

Nine’s sponsorship announcement comes as the company adopts Magnite’s SpringServe solution to manage the delivery and mediation of programmatic demand on 9Now.

The Magnite Streaming SSP will provide the tools to manage and optimise 9Now inventory across multiple demand sources. SpringServe will also power 9Now’s mediation layer.

Nick Young, Nine’s digital commercial director, said: “Nine continues to invest in developing new market-leading digital and data capabilities to empower brands with more effective ways to reach and influence our vast audiences.

“It’s critical we partner with the best in class technology to meet the unique needs of advertisers in this market. Magnite is such a business and we are pleased to be extending our partnership with the team.”

See also: Nine adopts Magnite’s SpringServe to manage 9Now programmatic demand

TV Report 16 May 2024:

Nine TV Report

Women’s State of Origin

Nine’s draw for the evening was game one of the Women’s State of Origin as NSW powered past QLD to win the game 22-12. The game was played in front of a record crowd of 25,492 at Lang Park.

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program investigated a medical miracle as a young girl’s liver produces insulin and donations poured in as generous viewers answered an OzHarvest campaign call out. 

Seven TV Report

AFL – Cats v Suns

On Seven, the Geelong Cats went up against the Gold Coast Suns as the Suns recorded a smashing, beating Geelong 164-100. It was Gold Coast’s highest score in club history, surpassing the 148 points scored against GWS in 2013. 

Home & Away

Earlier in the night was Home & Away as Remi called time on his new fling, Cash made space for both women in his life and Harper looked out for her sister.

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 reported on a same-sex book ban being overturned, a renter’s plea to landlord Albo and spoke to Kate Langbroek & Nath Valvo.

The Dog House Australia

On 10’s The Dog House Australia, Simba has a chance at love with Jenny, however, his instant bond with her twin brother, John, raised a few issues.

ABC

7:30

7:30 saw Sarah Ferguson interview Opposition Leader Peter Dutton after he gave his budget reply speech to parliament. 

Foreign Correspondent

Foreign Correspondent looked into America’s broken borders as Immigration becomes a main talking point in this year’s US Presidential Election. 

SBS

DNA Family Secrets

Stacey Dooley is in Liverpool to meet Richard, who is on a life-long mission to discover the identity of his father – and he’s blown away when he finally learns the truth. Janet is rattled by a rumour that her dad fathered a baby as a prisoner of war during WWII and she might have a secret sister.

Wednesday 15th 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 1,314,000, a total TV national audience of 593,000, and a BVOD audience of 39,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,437,000, a total TV national audience of 968,000, and a BVOD audience of 59,000.

Seven’s The 1% Club recorded a total TV national reach of 1,363,000, a total TV national audience of 782,000, and a BVOD audience of 34,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,247,000, a total TV national audience of 816,000, and a BVOD audience of 93,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,149,000, a total TV national audience of 618,000, and a BVOD audience of 48,000.

10 report that season-to-date, MasterChef Australia is experiencing its best audiences ever on 10 Play, up 23% vs 2023.

MasterChef is currently #1 in its 7:30 pm timeslot in 16 to 39s with a 30.5% share.

See Also: TV Report 15 May 2024: ABC’s Gruen returns to tackle Foxtel’s Hubbl campaign

People 25-54

Nine’s RBT:
• Total TV nation reach: 441,000
• National Audience: 211,000
• BVOD Audience: 23,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 420,000
• National Audience: 264,000
• BVOD Audience: 33,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 406,000
• National Audience: 228,000 
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 388,000
• National Audience: 207,000
• BVOD Audience: 19,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 385,000
• National Audience: 259,000
• BVOD Audience: 53,000

People 16-39

Nine’s RBT:
• Total TV nation reach: 186,000
• National Audience: 83,000
• BVOD Audience: 12,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 177,000
• National Audience: 101,000
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 184,000
• National Audience: 101,000 
• BVOD Audience: 16,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 148,000
• National Audience: 73,000
• BVOD Audience: 10,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 159,000
• National Audience: 106,000
• BVOD Audience: 31,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s RBT:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,002,000
• National Audience: 451,000
• BVOD Audience: 31,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,122,000
• National Audience: 759,000
• BVOD Audience: 48,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 874,000
• National Audience: 478,000 
• BVOD Audience: 39,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,052,000
• National Audience: 607,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 985,000
• National Audience: 649,000
• BVOD Audience: 74,000

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