By James Manning, Alisha Buaya and Jasper Baumann

Day three of SXSW Sydney saw the weather improve as the panels, sessions and networking events continued spark conversations and new ideas. 

Mediaweek was on the ground – here’s what happened on Wednesday, October 16.

The new era of attention-driven OOH with Dr Karen Nelson-Field and QMS

QMS and audience measurement company Amplified Intelligence teamed up to present the results from its global-first research on the role human attention plays in out-of-home (OOH) environments to advertising and marketing audiences at SXSW Sydney.

Christian Zavecz, chief strategy officer at QMS, and Dr Karen Nelson-Field, CEO and founder of Amplified Intelligence, were front and centre, sharing their insights on the data.

The research debunked the myth that OOH is a glance-only medium and showcased how brands can leverage the attention flywheel to maximise their OOH investment. It revealed OOH ads scored an average of 12 seconds of total attention.

Dr Karen Nelson-Field

“Any attention vendor that tells you that attention and outcomes are perfectly linear is lying to you to sell something. The reality is creative drives the outcome. Attention is the stage; creativity drives the outcome,” Nelson-Field said.

Greg Kearney, Suncorp group executive manager of Media and Thad King, OMD national head of communications, later took to the stage to take part in a discussion on the real-world implications of attention as a modern-day metric. – AB

See also: QMS and Amplified Intelligence unveil insights on the role of attention in OOH: ‘Not all reach is equal’

The Power of Stupid Ideas – How to Unlock Creative Brilliance

Nicole Velik, director at The Ideas Bodega, changed up the pace by getting attendees to participate in creative and interactive exercises, from draw the person next to them to coming up with wild and out of the box ideas for ads that could get you sacked.

She offered plenty of industry anecdotes that aimed to inspire creatives and non-creatives alike on how they approach brainstorming sessions that spanned from how to cultivate creativity in ones self, among a team and as a culture in a wider workplace or community experience.

Nicole Velik

“Unfortunately, the corporate world wants the creative process to be perfect. They want the creative process to be linear and logical. But you know what? Creativity is anything but that. Creativity is messy”

“We need to get comfortable sitting in the discomfort of creativity if we ever want to come up with anything new. Creativity is not logical and it’s a leap,” Velik told SXSW attendees. – AB

Vogue Australia enters The Ideas Dome at SXSW: Impact of tech on fashion

The panel discussion was led by Vogue Australia digital director Francesca Wallace, digital audience lead Nikki Chowdhury, and News Corp Australia director of data strategy and management Louise Cooper. The session focused on the transformation of shopping and fashion trends driven by data analytics and artificial intelligence.

It is a big week for the fashion brand. The session was nicely positioned in the SXSW Sydney calendar on the eve of the 2024 arrival of Vogue American Express Fashion’s Night Out across the Sydney CBD shopping precinct tonight.

The Role of Data in Fashion Trends

Nikki Chowdhury discussed how data forecasting impacts fashion trends, helping consumers and brands understand emerging trends, resulting in faster production cycles but also raising questions about personal style and self-expression. JM

Read more.

Kate Langbroek in the house, ARN House

During the Wednesday ARN House education session, ARN’s National Podcast & Digital Sales Director Denis Donati presented the four biggest myths when it comes to digital audio. He explained that despite misinformation, digital audio works harmoniously alongside radio when engaging audiences, creates real connection and trust and is more measurable than you think.

Later in the day, a number of ARN clients, SXSW badge holders and the general public alike had a turn at creating their own 15-minute podcast. The shows were produced by the team at iHeart and hosted by ARN’s news team.

An afternoon podcast session featured Kate Langbroek and Nath Valvo holding a live recording of their hit comedy podcast The Buck Up. The show had the audience laughing and they delivered their promise of brightening everyone’s day. The rain had stopped which helped too! JM

36 Months: Raising the Threshold for Social Media Citizenship

Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli was joined on the SXSW stage by Maggie Dent and Hamish Blake to discuss his 36-month campaign, co-founded with Rob Galluzzo, that aims to raise the legal age for joining social media from 13 to 16 in Australia.

The 36 Months campaign was inspired by changes to social media age limits in the US and Wippa acknowledged the quick success of the campaign, with over 100,000 signatures within three weeks of launch.

The campaign targets the crucial 36 months from 13 to 16, aiming to protect young minds from the negative influence of social media.

Blake shared with the audience his own experience as a parent to a 10 and 7-year-old, highlighting that through his own career, he has seen how social media has evolved into what it is today.

“Social media isn’t the same thing that existed when Instagram came out,” he said.

“It was just funny sort of photo filters. Now, you have that dawning realization that the smartest people in the world are incentivized to the tune of a quarter of a trillion dollars to addict people, and that’s on one side of the equation.

“All we have on the other side of the equation is everyone saying, ‘I don’t know, try to use it a bit less.’

“There isn’t a concerted effort.

“One of the counter-arguments I’ve heard is people saying they think it’s up for parents to educate their kids, and I totally agree. A huge part of being a dad is walking with your kids through this world.

“To use a cigarette analogy, it is easier to say to your kids, hey, don’t smoke cigarettes because you have to be 18 versus, we’re allowed to have them in class, and a couple of other kids smoke, and there’s always a bucket of cigarettes on the table. So what’s the big deal?”

Wippa expanded on Blake’s analogy: “We don’t believe [36 Months] is a silver bullet. Like cigarettes, it’s going to take time. Whatever the outcome for this generation that we’re dealing with now, we’re going to think of the one that’s coming up under that, and make sure that we’re considering protecting them as well.” – JB

Live sports advertising: The next big win for CTV

Head of programmatic at Foxtel Media, Dani Kenney and Zoe Kostos, head of commercial innovation at Paramount ANZ joined Luke Smith from PubMatic to discuss the rise of streaming TV revolutionising traditional programming for live sports.

They discussed how the surge in streaming has led to live sports accounting for 30% of CTV viewing globally. Advertisers can now engage with highly invested digital audiences through advanced targeting, premium ad inventory, and cost-effective strategies.

Kenney predicts a future where consumers have more choice in where they watch live sport, with streaming platforms offering more unique experiences.

“I think what we will start seeing is people having the choice of where they want to watch their live sport. It might not be about, ‘Which game am I watching this weekend? It’s what platform they are going to watch it on. They’ll ask, ‘Who’s got a different experience on how I can watch that?’”

Kostos said: “At the moment, it’s about the physical and broadcast worlds blurring together, and that cohesion of different ecosystems coming together. There are bars in the US where there are screens all around you and it’s like you’re sitting there at the NFL, and it’s not just watching it from the broadcast view. It’s choosing from when you want to view that moment in the stadium, behind the goals; up in the grandstand, and you’re feeling that atmosphere from the crowd. I think that’s what the future of viewing looks like.” – JB

The sun was finally out, and spirits were high as the growing number of attendees yet again descended on Darling Harbour and surrounds for SXSW Sydney. Day 3 for me began with a buzzing atmosphere at Clear Hayes House (Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium), with the beer taps and gyoza’s temporarily replaced with coffee and croissants for the Labelium Group half-day takeover.

Crafting Authentic Brand Partnerships with Creators

In a panel discussion moderated by 1000 Heads APAC General Manager Fiona Harris, key panellists Chantel Mila (@mama_mila_au), Jiny Maeng (@jiny.maeng), Nick Cole (YT @gearseekers), and Ramon Israel (@ramonisrael) shared how authenticity and trust in creators fosters impactful brand partnerships. As Jiny Maeng explained, “There’s definitely risk from the brand’s perspective because you have to give that creative freedom to the creator you’ve chosen…but if you make your video authentic to your page, then obviously it’s going to get great feedback.”

In reference to “when the magic happens”, Chantel Mila used the example of how her recent work with Dyson went beyond just a single post and how Dyson leveraged their partnership with her for her to talk to the media and share long-form content through her channels to assist in expanding the conversation. It was agreed by all creators that campaigns that span multiple posts rather than a “one-and-done” approach, allows creators to develop a story over time, making the brand a natural part of their content.

On the topic of trends, it was highlighted that speed of approval and flexibility from brands was still one of the more challenging areas for trend-based content. As Ramon Israel pointed out, “If we are doing a trend-type content, I’m going to need that approval by end of day, because that trend is just going to disappear tomorrow. No one’s going to care.”

‘Niching down’ was a new term learnt during this discussion, with Nick Cole, who runs a tech-focused YouTube channel, explaining the impact of ‘niching down’ on his approach: “We’re specifically PC tech…using the latest and greatest hardware for workstations and gaming. That’s our niche.” By narrowing his focus from tech to PC tech, Nick is able to connect with a highly passionate audience, proving how niche content not only strengthens audience loyalty but also enables brands to reach specialized communities with targeted messages.

In an industry now valued at over $24 billion according to Harris, it is clear that the creator economy is showing no signs of slowing down with brands needing to lean in on how they can continue to refine the art of authentic, lasting creator partnerships.

From Eyeballs to Influence

In a World-First Study by QMS and Amplified Intelligence, Dr. Karen Nelson-Field shared a groundbreaking look into how people pay attention to different ad formats across Out of Home advertising. With a study measuring 1.23 million humans across 3 Australian cities and 2 unique formats, Nelson-Field explained how “at its most basic, attention can be defined as concentrated awareness towards a reduced number of stimuli in our environment while ignoring other stimuli”.

The study’s findings were compelling with the ‘active:passive ratio’ that Amplified Intelligence were able to gather proving that “OOH should no longer be considered as only a fast glance medium”. The study showed how Street Furniture with a High Dwell Time had a whopping 9.4 seconds of active attention time (17.4 seconds of passive attention) while Large Format OOH with High Dwell time had 4.4 seconds of active attention time (3.6 seconds of passive attention).

Attention measurement and media planning is still in its infancy, however, this world-first study is a strong step in the right direction for the kind of insights and research that we will continue to see in this space. As Nelson-Field boldly declared – “It’s Time to Pay Attention to Attention”

Navigating Change – It’s All About Mindset

In his panel titled “Through Shifts and Shocks”, Steve Vamos, former CEO of Xero, shared insights from his 40-year career working for companies like Xero, Apple, Microsoft and IBM. Vamos emphasized how being good at change during times of technological acceleration like we are in today all comes down to mindset – “You have to be conscious of your mindset, as it determines your ability to adapt and succeed through change.”

But being good at change, according to Vamos, is more than just having the right mindset but also following this up with “what you do” and “what you say,” with Vamos explaining, “It’s about driving clarity, alignment, and performance in your actions, and having the courage to communicate openly—especially when it means having difficult conversations.”

Change, upon reflection at my time at SXSW so far, has been a theme sitting in the background of many conversations and talks. There is no doubt that change is accelerating more and more as technological leaps like the development of AI change the way we work and live. A great reminder that our mindset and subsequent actions will define how we respond.

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

• SXSW Blog Day 2: Session with futurist Brian D. Johnson and the latest from ANU School of Cybernetics

It’s Upfront season, and this week it’s Foxtel Media’s turn. Mediaweek snuck into the White Bay Power Station site yesterday.

We got a sneak preview photo exclusive. We also found one key Foxtel Media executive with a special connection to the historic inner harbour facility.

Toby Dewar is director of customer engagement at Foxtel Media. While this week is important to the business for the next 12 months, he also has another connection driving him this week.

White Bay Power Station in Sydney

Dewar explained to Mediaweek: “My dad worked for the Electricity Commission of NSW at the White Bay Power Station in the 1960s. He was fresh out of university with his honours in electrical engineering.

“He worked across the power station and I’ll put it in the context of what was happening in the 1960s. The power station was a direct reflection of how Sydney was booming post-World War II. The city was expanding in terms of the footprint of public transport and housing.

“He worked on the expansion of the plant from the 50s into the 60s. The capacity doubled because the need for it doubled in relation to the incredible expansion that Sydney was going through.

“The reason we chose the site, after Alliance Stadium and Cockatoo Island in recent years, was to find a venue that has its own back story that’s a little bit different from just going to an established venue.

“A lot of the language that you will see at the Upfront is that need for connection, the need for progression, the need for acceleration of what people are doing.

“We thought hat the power station has a rich history of how it’s evolved over time and the role it played to connect people, the role it played to really accelerate innovation and partnerships.

“Foxtel Media is driving change, driving adoption, being at the front of the curve. When I was explaining it to my dad a couple of months ago, post us selecting this venue, there was a moment where there was a connection between us professionally. When you explain to your parents that you’re a media buyer and you work in media, they’re polite and they have nothing but support and pride. But there’s always that element of it just being a little bit hard to describe. My dad is an engineer by trade, I’m a media buyer by trade in its simplest definition. In the past we’ve never had this moment of being on the same site, if you like, and having this shared opportunity about what he did and what we’re going to be doing this week.”

Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany on site yesterday

Since being decommissioned in the 1990s, the White Bay Power Station has sat empty for much of the time since. It’s been used for a number of one of things including sets for a number of Hollywood movies.

Toby’s Foxtel Media Upfront role

“My role is to provide an update on a few key projects that I’m leading within the business. One example of that is the Video Futures Collective that I personally sort of lead with Mark Frain. There’s also a couple of other project announcements that we’ve got launching as well.

Foxtel Media is expecting as many as 650 tonight to visit the White Bay Power Station. Spare a thought for the Sydney pioneers who worked at the plant over the past century.

Full coverage of All Foxtel Media Upfront announcements here later on Thursday October 17 after 5.30pm.

Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain at an Upfront site visit

“(The research) challenges people to question how people may have thought about Out of Home and the role that it can play in a communication strategy. It’s about that more granular understanding between passive and active and how you can use that to further optimise your out-of-home campaigns,” Christian Zavecz, chief strategy officer of QMS, told Mediaweek after presenting the findings from a new report, in partnership with Dr Karen Nelson-Field of Amplified Intelligence, on day three of SXSW Sydney.

The results from its global-first research explored the role human attention plays in out-of-home (OOH) environments, which debunked the myth that OOH is a glance-only medium and showcased how brands can leverage the attention flywheel to maximise their OOH investment.

It revealed OOH ads scored an average of 12 seconds of total attention. 

The data also found that 90% of the digital outdoor media company’s sites tested by Amplified Intelligence secured more than 2.5 seconds of active attention, which is the global threshold for something to be committed to long-term memory. It also revealed that OOH was 5.9 times more likely to deliver above the attention memory threshold than other digital channels.

The initial phase of the research included 11 different advertiser categories on 12 large and small format sites in Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast and captured a significant sample size of 1.23 million – the single largest sample collected by Amplified Intelligence globally.

On the research, Zavecz said there has been a trend among clients to invest heavily in out-of-home, driven by digitisation, which helps drive greater attention metrics.

“I think there’s always the argument around reach. Reach is important, but what we’re trying to do is challenge and not have so much emphasis on these legacy metrics because they’re only one dimension of the possibilities within a medium. Attention is so critical for driving outcomes that it needs to be more and more prevalent in consideration from clients.”

A wide cross-section of the industry was present for the presentation, from agencies to clients and competitors. For Nelson-Field, she said that she hoped they took away her point of reducing or getting rid of silos between media and creatives.

“They’ve worked quite separately and have done so for 20 years; I think it’s a really important point now that they (media and creatives) both have to work together to understand this stuff and build media strategies that support the creative.

“Make the chicken and egg work together rather than having them separate… Brands need to look for brand growth mediums as well as performance marketing mediums.”

Nelson-Field added that she hopes attendees also understood that “not all reach is equal.”

“The user experience is truly how you interact with different platforms. I don’t think everyone expects that someone would interact differently with an outdoor site, but clearly the data show that you do.

“For me, the information says you need to understand what the (attention) decay looks like for each platform because it plays a huge role in the success of your ads.”

QMS and Amplified Intelligence will continue to build on their Attention-based research study, adding more markets, more formats and more modes. Zavecz said the research will cover more locations, more markets, more formats, and more modes of transport.

“What we’ve done today is really around the initial phase of discovery and validation. Now it’s about expansion and making it even more practical and usable,” he said.

Nelson-Field said: “The other thing I would like to do, is have some more nuance around brand assets and testing the strength of them across different sites and being able to help customers build better creative relative to site choice.”

Zavecz concurred and said: “We talk about the message, the media, and the moment, and it’s so critical. The more understanding that we can give holistically to the effectiveness of that out of home, the better.”

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Top image: Greg Kearney, Thad King, John O’Neill and Dr Karen Nelson-Field

The panel discussion was led by Vogue Australia digital director Francesca Wallace, digital audience lead Nikki Chowdhury, and News Corp Australia director of data strategy and management Louise Cooper. The session focused on the transformation of shopping and fashion trends driven by data analytics and artificial intelligence.

It is a big week for the fashion brand. The session was nicely positioned in the SXSW Sydney calendar on the eve of the 2024 arrival of Vogue American Express Fashion’s Night Out across the Sydney CBD shopping precinct tonight.

The Ideas Dome: Session talking points

The Role of Data in Fashion Trends

Nikki Chowdhury discussed how data forecasting impacts fashion trends, helping consumers and brands understand emerging trends, resulting in faster production cycles but also raising questions about personal style and self-expression.

AI Assistants and Shopping

The discussion highlighted the role of AI assistants in influencing shopping habits, emphasising the shift in decision-making power from consumers to AI systems and the implications for personalisation and discovery in the shopping process.

Sustainability and AI

Francesca, Nikki, and discussed sustainability, acknowledging AI’s potential to improve product matching and reduce overstocking, while also recognising the significant energy consumption associated with AI tools and their compatibility with fast fashion models.

The panel concluded that while data and AI offer tools for fashion innovation and efficiency, they pose new challenges for personal style, sustainability, and the influence of major technology companies in dictating trends.

The discussion also revolved around the concept of “walled gardens” in the tech industry and their impact on fashion and broader cultural landscapes.

The Nature of Walled Gardens

A walled garden was explained as a controlled environment, restricting user access to specific content online. The participants discussed how tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft control what shoppers see and how this may limit discovery and creativity.

Impact on Fashion and Consumer Behaviour

The concept of serendipity in fashion was discussed, where walled gardens could hinder the discovery of unique brands. The limitations imposed by algorithms were called a possible threat to innovation in fashion, promoting familiar and easily marketable items over experimental designs.

Balancing Algorithms and Anonymity

The balance between giving information to algorithms for refined shopping experiences versus maintaining anonymity was debated. The transition to a “cookie-less world” was highlighted, questioning the future control over personal data and privacy.

Strategic Responses for Brands

Brands were encouraged to integrate AI while retaining their core creativity and identity. The panel discussed the potential risks of generative AI in creating homogeneity versus the benefits of operational efficiency and inspiration.

The trio emphasised the need for transparency in AI usage and the importance of balancing efficiency with creativity to maintain brand uniqueness in a technologically dominated market.

The impact of tech on fashion bullet points

• Optimise the use of data for predicting fashion trends and tailoring production cycles to emerging consumer preferences.

• Explore ways to balance AI-driven shopping assistance with personal style and consumer empowerment, ensuring meaningful brand engagement.

• Investigate methods to improve AI algorithms’ sustainability, focusing on energy consumption and minimizing waste in fashion production.

• Adapt business strategies to leverage AI and machine learning, ensuring alignment with consumer trends and optimizing brand visibility in AI ecosystems.

• Explore strategies to maintain brand visibility within AI-driven platforms while supporting open web browsing for unique brand discovery.

• Develop a strategy to balance consumer data sharing with maintaining user anonymity in a “cookie-less world”.

• Consider investment in AI for design and operational efficiencies without sacrificing creativity and brand identity.

• Ensure transparency in AI usage to maintain trust with consumers and foster an environment that appreciates human creativity.

See also:
Inside The Ideas Dome: Innovators – The Next Wave

Digital dating in The Ideas Dome: From online dating safety to workplace romancing

iProspect has promoted Nicola Barnes, group investment director NSW & Victoria, to head of investment. She will lead the agency’s investment team as it focuses on driving accelerated growth outcomes for clients.

Barnes has been with the dentsu agency for nearly four years, first as group investment director for NSW, before adding Victoria to her remit nearly two years ago. She has previously worked for dentsu sister agency, Carat, as investment director and has also worked in media agencies in London.

She brings experience working in Sydney and Melbourne, with local media relationships in both states. In her new role, she will lead the investment team nationally for iProspect.

Marcelle Gomez, iProspect national managing director, said: “Nicola has been an incredible force within our business, driving our investment product and broader agency initiatives. She is a huge asset to the team, part of our cultural fabric, and is well-loved and respected by our media partners.

“It is a testament to the iProspect business that she can now take this next career step with us. I am so proud that Nicola is a part of our team, and I am excited to see how she continues to deliver investment outcomes that deliver accelerated growth for our clients.”

Barnes said: “I am so excited to step into this role and support Chella and Ken (Lam) in driving our business forward. Investment has been a passion of mine throughout my career, and I am so grateful for this opportunity to lead our investment strategy while navigating all the changes to trading that lie ahead.

“This year has been outstanding for iPro, highlighted by new client wins and award-worthy work that truly showcases our team’s talent. I’m proud to be part of such a high-achieving agency and can’t wait to accomplish even more together.”

Barnes’ appointment follows the promotion of Gomez to a national MD position and Lam’s promotion to GM of Victoria. It also comes after iProspect secured the media account for eBay and after the agency was recognised as one of Australia and New Zealand’s best businesses in workplace policy and best practice, placing 10th on the 2024 AFR BOSS Best Places to Work List in the media and marketing category.

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Top image: Nicola Barnes

By John McNerney, managing director of Yahoo AUSEA

As economic pressures weigh heavily on shoppers this holiday season, retailers are bracing for lower spending and increased competition. But not all hope is lost – John McNerney, managing director AUSEA at Yahoo, shares some insights into how omnichannel tactics can help marketers reach consumers across multiple touchpoints.

It’s been a tough year for Australian retailers and consumers as a cost of living crisis and high interest rates has led to a prolonged period of belt-tightening. But this year’s holiday season could be more like Santa Claus than Ebenezer Scrooge if marketers choose to adopt an omnichannel marketing approach and consider these trends to drive success.

As we head into the festive season, retailers are already adapting to market conditions by lowering prices, focusing on affordable and value-driven products, creating better in-store experiences and embracing innovation to attract new customers.

And for good reason: per capita retail spending has gone down for seven of the past eight quarters and Aussie consumers are still a pessimistic bunch compared with their peers in the UK and US, according to Deloitte’s annual Retail Holiday Report. Only half of retailers (51%) expect sales to increase, which is a decrease from 57% last year, while a third of shoppers plan to spend less.

A separate study by CPM Australia and Retail Safari, which dived deeper into Christmas shopping trends, paints a slightly more optimistic picture with 76% of consumers planning to spend as much or more on gifts to an average of around $660 per consumer, which is up 10% on last year.

Interestingly, it is younger demos that plan to spend more on gifts, while baby boomers are the only demographic that will cut down their Christmas spend.
 
Nonetheless, it is shaping up to be another year of frugal festivities with most shoppers concerned about price and promotions ahead of quality of product and the brands they trust when choosing a gift.
 
This makes it critical for marketers to consider holiday shopping trends, including how to craft an effective omnichannel strategy, leveraging audience insights and embracing innovative effective ways to reach consumers – all with the added benefit of a wide variety of inventory options like CTV, DOOH and high-impact placements at unprecedented prices.

Holiday Magic For ‘Gen Now’

The festive season is still, by some distance, the most important sales period for retailers. But what has rapidly changed is when shoppers are buying their presents, where they are going to buy them and how to effectively reach them.

Per the CPM Australia study, nearly two-thirds (63%) of Aussies plan to do their Christmas shop in November, stretching out the more traditional Christmas shopping period. This is largely due to high profile sales events; 60% are seeking out Black Friday (29 November) and 30% Cyber Monday (2 December) as the key dates to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Online marketplaces (69%) and physical department stores (59%) are the two most popular places to buy gifts, while there is a growing preference to visit e-commerce sites of retailers. But the key is that more shoppers this year (89%) are prepared to look online and instore to fill up their Christmas trees and stockings with gifts.

Last year Aussies spent more than $107 billion in retail during the fourth quarter, with Black Friday alone seeing nearly $9 billion in sales, up 22% from 2022.

This year, focusing on the longer game of a festive period can be the difference between a festive feast or frugality.

On the latter point, when it comes to Christmas lunch and entertainment, 95% of shoppers are actively looking for deals and discounts to cut their grocery bills, while 87% are opting to stay at home, per Deloitte. This gives retailers an opportunity to entice customers with little luxuries that embrace the ‘staycation’ trend, but timing and channel are key.

Tap into a C ‘Christmas’ TV moment

Marketers need to finely tune their omnichannel game by targeting shoppers with key messages ahead of peak dates and across a mix of offline and online channels.

Although linear TV has long been the bastion of Christmas TV advertising, its audience reach and advertising spend is in structural decline, which means only an omnichannel approach will be able to create plenty of Christmas cheer for marketers looking to supercharge their ROI. This involves a cohesive and fully integrated strategy across mobile, desktop, connected TV and digital out of home.

Connected TV (CTV) is one area where marketers can get more bang for their buck. Seven’s recent AFL Grand Final broke several audience records, reaching a record number of fans via streaming on 7plus (655,000) while Nine’s coverage of the State of Origin and NRL grand final also broke new ground. 

We have seen a huge migration of eyeballs onto streaming platforms and CTV needs to be at the heart of an omnichannel media mix to have real impact in reaching holiday shoppers.

A recent study by LG even found CTV ads increased awareness, with 69% of CTV viewers remembering holiday shopping ads, while 72 percent would scan a QR code for a discount. 

It’s not just size that matters

Adding innovative ad units, such as QR codes to existing video assets, can drive more engagement across screens, and encourage shoppers to purchase with special holiday deals and offers. So, too, can dynamic creative optimisation tools that personalise ads at scale. 

Last Christmas, Woolworths delivered one of the most memorable Christmas ads, ‘Celebrate the Little Things That Make Christmas Special’, which dressed kids up as different foods to perform in the festive season school plays.

It then ran smaller iterations promoting products such as Christmas hams across multiple digital channels including digital out of home, mobile, desktop and in-store. The campaign received a market-leading Ad Awareness score of 61.1%, and Woolies’ Christmas sales soared.

Rival Coles, and an army of elves, built on the success of its ‘Great Lengths for Quality’ campaign deploying creative to hundreds of touchpoints across in-store, owned, paid and earned media, focussing on the quality and price of key Christmas food items like Triple Smoked Christmas Hams, responsibly sourced seafood and desserts. 

Connecting the dots

Complementing captivating creative with an omnichannel marketing approach are tools that connect all of the dots in an efficient and effective way. 

This year, Yahoo rolled out two solutions to help supercharge such an approach: Yahoo Connect ID for better targeting and measurement across CTV and other addressable and non-addressable channels and a new partnership with Afterpay which uses first-party data to reach shoppers across the web and in-store.

The result is that brands can deliver personalised ads, track sales, measure closed-loop campaign performance, and gain insights to refine their mixed media model strategies in a much more insightful manner – while keeping customer identities private.

For retailers to win the holiday shopping season, they need to understand evolving shopper trends and follow a few simple rules:

• Focus on the festive long game and get ahead of peak shopping events such as Black Friday.
• Understand what shoppers need on price, promotion and value, and show up where shoppers will be across multiple touchpoints, including CTV, mobile, desktop, digital OOH, retail media networks and in store.
• Create powerful Christmas creative with tailored messaging across multiple touchpoints on the consumer journey.
• Supercharge campaigns with smart tools that deliver cohesion, efficiency and effectiveness across the marketing funnel.

Those that achieve the above should turn a season of festive frugalities into a Christmas feast.

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Top image: John McNerney

Advertising Industry Careers (AIC) has launched its Graduate Directory, a platform designed to connect advertising, marketing, and media graduates with companies actively seeking fresh talent.

The new service launches ahead of the finals of the Advertising Capstone Challenge to be held in Melbourne on the 24 and 25th of this month,

PubMatic has appointed Ricky Chanana as director, advertiser solutions for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).

In this role, Chanana will be responsible for leading the adtech company’s advertiser solutions business across the region, working closely with key agency and brand partners to drive growth and strengthen relationships across the programmatic landscape.

He brings over 19 years of experience in the media and marketing industry Chanana brings a wealth of expertise to PubMatic. He will report directly to James Young, regional director, ANZ.

Chanana’s past roles include chief growth officer at RC Consulting, head of sales for Twitch (Amazon) in Australia and New Zealand, and at Mediaweek. He has also held senior roles at Unruly/NewsCorp, Maxus (GroupM), and MEC (GroupM), where he was the national head of investment.

Young said: “I am thrilled to welcome Ricky to the team. His extensive relationships across the market, combined with his humble and engaging approach, make him an exceptional leader.”

“Ricky joins us at a time when the PubMatic business in ANZ is growing rapidly, and I have no doubt that his leadership will enhance our buyer interactions and drive continued success.”

Jason Barnes, chief revenue officer, APAC at PubMatic, added: “We are excited to have Ricky on board. His depth of experience in the media and ad tech industries, along with his understanding of the ANZ market, positions him perfectly to lead our agency sales strategy. I’m confident that his expertise will help us continue to deliver outstanding results for our partners.”

“I’m very excited to join the PubMatic ANZ team at such a transformative time for the digital advertising industry,” Chanana said of his new role at the adtech company. “With the rapid growth of connected TV and online video, shifting consumer behaviours, and new, dynamic inventory emerging, there’s never been a better time to be part of a market-leading technology company like PubMatic.

“I’m looking forward to building on the strong relationships the team has already established across the region and driving further success for our clients,” he added.

–

Top image: Ricky Chanana

Marketers face a paradox: the more they know about their consumers, the less they seem to truly understand them. Gavin Brock, co-owner and head of strategy at Because ANZ explores why brands must go beyond raw data and cultivate authentic intimacy by engaging consumers as people, not just numbers.

Stop mistaking information for intimacy

Data is more abundant than ever but marketers are struggling with a paradox: the more they know about their consumers, the less they seem to understand them. They have mistaken information for intimacy, confusing the raw metrics around consumer behavior – search queries, site traffic, and purchase histories – for genuine insight into their customers’ lives. If brands want to truly resonate with consumers, they must evolve beyond data collection and cultivate authentic intimacy.

Metrics show the what, but miss the why

Marketers have relied on data analytics to guide their strategies for years. Metrics like engagement rates and transaction histories are coveted for their ability to offer a glimpse into consumer preferences. But these numbers only represent the surface of consumer behavior, they fail to capture the deeper motivations and desires that drive individuals purchase intent. The danger of data overwhelm looms large and in the pursuit of understanding, brands risk drowning in a sea of metrics that provide little actionable intelligence.

A prime example is the ‘How did we do’ survey. We’ve all had them. Often they are annoying, ill-timed or irrelevant. A recent example I experienced was for windscreen wiper blades of all things. Wipertech is an amazing online business that quickly and easily sends out replacement wiper blades. You just enter the make, model and year of your vehicle and they dispatch the appropriate replacement blades. So far, so good. Next came the inevitable ‘How did we do’ survey, which was then followed a week later by a 15% off offer to buy more windscreen wipers. This is a missed opportunity. What they should be doing is building a deeper relationship with me. Do I need wipers for another vehicle, or remind me it’s time for a seasonal check, or wait a year and offer a discount then. This approach feels a little impersonal, but also misses an opportunity to deepen the relationship with the consumer and engage them for the longer term.

The intimacy imperative

To move beyond superficial data and establish true intimacy, brands must first understand their customers as people, not just numbers. This means engaging in genuine conversations and actively seeking unfiltered feedback. 

Live consumer experiences can provide invaluable insights straight from the source. These interactions allow brands to hear firsthand how their products fit into consumers’ lives, revealing pain points, preferences, and opportunities for improvement.

Additionally, digital experiences can facilitate personalisation at scale. Yet, many brands fall short in their execution. Instead of treating customers as data points, marketers should view each individual as a unique story waiting to be told. Fostering an engaging experience means brands can transform consumers from passive participants into active contributors, ultimately creating a richer understanding of their audience.

Several companies are leading the way in this new paradigm of intimacy. Netflix, for example, doesn’t just track what you watch, it actively curates recommendations based on your viewing history, keeping you in its ecosystem. Spotify employs similar tactics, offering personalised playlists that evolve with your listening habits. These tech giants excel in not just gathering data, but in translating it into actionable insights that enhance the user experience.

It’s not just big tech getting in on the act. Vitamin brand Swisse turned to gamification to get consumers to take their daily vitamins with the Sleep, Eat, Swisse, Repeat campaign. By encouraging daily consumption, through rewards and chances to win, the brand collected valuable, personalised information that can be used in the longer-term to curate replenishment and other special officers based on pack size, age or lifestyle factors.  

The key to building lasting connections lies in the blend of live experiences and personalised digital interactions. Brands must commit to gathering actionable intelligence that goes beyond surface-level metrics that keeps them engaged for the long haul. 

By prioritising genuine connections over transactional interactions, brands cultivate loyalty that transcends the typical buyer-seller relationship. In the end, it’s not just about knowing what consumers do, it’s about understanding who they are and making them feel valued in every interaction.

–

Top image: Gareth Brock

Last night, Prime Video hosted a special screening of the Australian Original series, The Office at Event Cinemas George St, Sydney.

The screening was attended by The Office series cast members Felicity Ward, Josh Thomson, Jonny Brugh, Lucy Schmidt, Susan Ling Young, Zoe Terakes, Claude Jabbour, Jason Perini, Susie Youssef and Chris Bunton.

Prior to the screening, head of Australian Originals, Amazon MGM Studios, Sarah Christie, hosted a Q&A with the some of the creative collaborators and attending cast, thanking them all for their contribution to the series.

“We cannot wait to share Australia’s version of The Office with audiences around the world and want to congratulate the entire cast and crew, as well as our creative collaborators Julie De Fina, Jackie van Beek, Kylie Washington, Sophia Zachariou, BBC Studios Australia & New Zealand and Bunya Entertainment, for the dedication and talent they brought to creating a uniquely Australian sitcom to life.” said Sarah Christie head of Australian Originals Amazon MGM Studios, and Alexandra Gilbert head of content Prime Video Australia and New Zealand.

In the new The Office, Hannah Howard is the managing director of packaging company Flinley Craddick. When she gets news from Head Office that they will be shutting down her branch and making everyone work from home, she goes into survival mode, making promises she can’t keep in order to keep her “work family” together. The staff of Flinley Craddick indulge her and must endure Hannah’s outlandish plots as they work toward the impossible targets that have been set for them.

All 8 episodes of The Office will be available to stream on Prime Video globally (excluding U.S) this Friday.

Social Soup has announced a new AI-powered content tool designed to help creators and brands select the most effective content and drive better results.

Leveraging predictive AI and machine learning, the new content optimisation tool analyses millions of ads to identify which content will perform best based on paid objectives, giving each piece a tailored score. By enhancing content selection, Social Soup enables smarter, scaled campaigns that align with platform algorithms, like those across Meta and TikTok, and complement its micro-creator offerings.

Set to be revealed for the first time officially at Social Soup’s “AI in Action” webinar on Tuesday, 22 October, the new content tool is part of Social Soup’s plan to integrate cutting-edge technology into its influencer marketing strategy.

Social Soup founder and CEO, Sharyn Smith, said: “We’re thrilled to bring this new AI content optimisation tool into our tech stack. It’s been a long time in the making as we refine our offering with what works best for both brands and creators.

“By empowering brands and creators with data-driven insights, we’re optimising content selection and enhancing the effectiveness of campaigns. It works especially well for our many micro infuencer campaigns that produce hundreds of content pieces, allowing us to choose and activate individual pieces at scale. It’s about ensuring that the right message reaches the right audience, and in a way that drives lasting impact.

“It’s also a very natural evolution for us, building on the successful Shop & Scan technology we introduced last year, ” she said.

Smith said Social Soup would continue to lead the way in influencer marketing by integrating AI to increase the precision of its campaigns.

“Shop & Scan demonstrated the potential of AI in delivering targeted sampling and higher repeat purchases, and this new AI content tool takes that further by refining every step of the content amplification process,” she said.

The Annex has unveiled a new corporate identity and list of clients and announced the addition of new specialist services to its offering, including community management and tour marketing. 

The Australian music marketing business has worked on grassroots campaigns behind 22 nominations at this year’s ARIA Awards, including FISHER (etc etc Music), Emily Wurramara (ABC), Lime Cordiale (Chugg), Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers (Domestic LaLa), Hiatus Kaiyote (Ninja Tune/Brainfeeder), Mia Dyson (MGM), Casey Barnes (Chugg), Sycco (Future Classic), The Beefs (AWAL) and Bluey (BBC/The Orchard).

Alongside this, working closely with Ourness management team, Royel Otis garnered eight ARIA nominations, the most of any artist in 2024.

The Annex has also delivered a multitude of Top 10 ARIA Album and Single campaigns, including Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” which held #1 for five consecutive weeks this year (the first independent single to reach #1 in five years), and Lime Cordiale’s album “Enough of the Sweet Talk” which hit #1 in the ARIA charts in August (the first #1 independent Australian Album in 2024).

Over the last year, their diverse roster of both domestic and international acts has also included the likes of Tiny Habits, Willow, The Rions, Tiffi, Grinspoon, and Ninajarachi. 

Recently, The Annex has expanded its offerings into community management, working with artists including Jessica Mauboy, Emily Wurramarra, Spiderbait, Grinspoon and Royel Otis. 

The Annex was launched in 2018 by former Warner and Sony executive Mardi Caught. It offers a comprehensive range of services that drive sustainable artist development and audience growth, including tailored and flexible digital marketing strategies, community management, content creation and planning, scheduling and production, DSP strategy, media buying and management support. 

Mauboy’s manager and Artizanx co-founder and director, Ken Outch, said: “We’re excited about joining forces with The Annex as they continue to grow in the digital marketing space. Artizanx continues to explore ways of connecting to audiences for their artists and we’re looking forward to how we continue that journey for Jess with the Annex team.”

The business’ new corporate logo pays homage to the original startup values of the business, while reflecting a renewed boldness about its place in the industry and the growth in services provided to some of Australia’s most exciting artists.

Caught said: “The first five years of The Annex has been such a steep learning curve, and the team have really helped shape and make the company even stronger post-COVID. I’m excited about the next steps we are taking – moving into community management and tour marketing, alongside the recorded music services we’ve always offered.

“Our new logo and rebranding not only shows the strength we are building in the marketplace, but the colourful attitude we are taking into it. We really feel that the global and local success that our client family are experiencing currently heralds the next phase of Australian music – and we can’t wait to see what it brings!”

The Annex team is led by Caught alongside Natasha Shehata, who oversees business development and collaborates closely with Hannah Heyen leading on artist marketing, and Elinor Williams, who manages the digital marketing and community management arm of the business with Elfira Vania and Will Patson.

Shehata joined from the UK in 2023, after serving as head of artist development at AWAL and holding roles at independent labels over the past 10 years, while Williams joined The Annex in 2021 following stints at TMRW Music, Ministry Of Sound and having co-founded artist management and music marketing business Good Sorts.

The Annex also works alongside Sarah Hamilton of Golden Hour music consulting across DSP Pitching.

–

Top image: Mardi Caught

DDB Group Sydney has unveiled its new sustainability initiative with the international #ChangeTheBrief Alliance, which is the first of its kind for an agency in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Change The Brief Alliance (#CTB) is a flagship sustainability learning programme for the advertising industry created by Purpose Disruptors. It features a faculty of experts across food, fashion, energy and greenwashing, and gives advertisers the vital skills to promote the sustainable lifestyles and behaviours we need to supercharge in society.

As part of the partnership, DDB Group Sydney is embedding sustainability thinking and practices throughout the agency, ultimately adapting its work to be in line with a thriving, sustainable world.  This mission could not be more important – the latest science shows we are on the brink of breaching seven of nine planetary boundaries humanity must respect to keep the planet habitable.

DDB Group Sydney has recruited more than 20 staff, called Green Champions, from across the group committed to making this change. They will spearhead a six-week information program, arming them with key insights to share with clients.

After an extensive audit of DDB’s emissions in Australia and New Zealand, the agency has made changes to start reducing its carbon footprint and ths program is a continuation of DDB’s commitment.

Rupert Price, Sheryl Marjoram, Matt Chandler

Sheryl Marjoram, DDB Group Sydney CEO, said: “Our ambition is to review every stage of the creative process, from client briefing to delivery and measurement, to find areas for sustainability to be implemented. This is more than just a behaviour change; it is a key strategic initiative that will run through the DNA of the agency.”

The agency will also make changes to its operations, production, media choices, and events, introducing several new eco-friendly practices across the business, including the installation of a native beehive on the roof of its Sydney office, running Green Week initiatives and embedding sustainability into every department.

DDB Group kicked off the program this week during its annual Green Week, which coincides with SXSW Sydney 2024 – a global future-focused event for creativity.

Marjoram, and chief strategy officer, Rupert Price, will participate in a panel at the conference today, sharing their thoughts around redesigning the nation’s marketing and advertising industry to support a thriving future, made in Australia. Their panel will deep-dive into ways Australians and the industry can change their behaviours from high-carbon to low-carbon lifestyles and will also include a break-out group discussion to brainstorm real-world ideas.

In launching the initiative, DDB Group Sydney will work closely with The Payback Project, which has partnered with the Purpose Disruptors to bring #CTB to Australia.

James Greet, The Payback Project founder, said: “As the architects of demand, the marketing and advertising industry can play a decisive role in helping society shift away from our current high-carbon lifestyles, towards low-carbon alternatives. Every campaign is an opportunity to normalise the behaviours, the products, the services and the attitudes we all know we will need to adopt to achieve sustainable living.

“Creativity can be a catalyst for the climate action our world needs. I’m so inspired by DDB’s hunger to grasp this and be the first to bring this to life through #CTB here in Australia.”

Leif Stromnes

Leif Stromnes, DDB Group Sydney strategy and innovation managing director, said: “DDB Sydney has always believed that creativity is the most powerful force in business, and we are thrilled to partner with #changethebrief alliance to use our power to promote more sustainable consumer choices and behaviours. The climate crisis is everyone’s responsibility, and we all need to learn and act together if we are to have any hope of transitioning to a zero-carbon world. We are proud to be the first agency in Australia to sign up to this initiative, and we encourage others in the industry to get on board too.

“According to the United Nations Emissions Gap Report, meeting global climate goals now requires the rapid transformation of societies. Incremental change is no longer an option – wide-ranging, large-scale and systemic transformation is essential.”

Marjoram added: “The marketing and advertising industry can play an active and decisive role in helping society shift away from our current high-carbon lifestyles towards low-carbon alternatives.

“This has the possibility to harness the collective power of the entire Australian advertising and media industry working together.”

Harvey Norman backs season two of The Australian’s Hedley Thomas podcast, Bronwyn

The Australian launched the second season of cold case investigative podcast Bronwyn last week, hosted by multi-award-winning journalist Hedley Thomas.

With the returning support of Harvey Norman, the new season of Bronwyn continues the search for Bronwyn Winfield, a devoted mother of two little girls, who mysteriously disappeared in 1993 in an idyllic surf town in New South Wales.

Season two presents new evidence and some dramatic twists in the 31-year-old mystery, as Thomas takes listeners and readers into his investigation to find out what happened to Bronwyn.

The Australian’s editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn said: “Bronwyn is a gripping story that has captured the attention of audiences around the world with 3.9 million downloads globally as of this week.

“In this compelling new season, Hedley and our team of award-winning journalists David Murray, Claire Harvey and Matthew Condon will continue to investigate Bronwyn’s disappearance exploring every angle through world-class reporting and audio storytelling.”

Harvey Norman has supported each of Thomas’ podcast investigations since the launch of The Teacher’s Pet podcast in 2018 which has had more than 80 million downloads worldwide.

The podcast is accompanied by comprehensive editorial coverage in The Australian including interactive digital features, videos, maps, explainers and photo galleries.

[Listen here]

MIK MADE sole indie nominated for Network or Publisher of the Year at the 2024 Australian Podcast Awards

MIK MADE is the only independent company nominated for network or publisher of the year at this year’s Australian Podcast Awards.

MIK MADE is recognised for producing some of the most successful titles in this year’s charts, including Big Small Talk, which delivers the week’s biggest stories in a bold, fresh format. The MIK MADE lineup also includes Black T-Shirts, an interrogation of creativity in advertising and beyond, and Give Me a Buzz, created in collaboration with Bumble and a nominee in the Commercial Branded Podcast category.

MIK MADE is the audio production arm of Sydney-based MIK Studio. With all content produced, crafted, and conceived in-house.

“We’ve taken a new approach to podcast production and distribution,” said Adam Callen, founder of MIK Studio.

“Podcasting is traditionally an audio-first experience, but it’s far more than just sound. Successful podcasts require thoughtful branding, visual design, and engaging social content to truly connect with audiences. We’ve also invested heavily in cutting-edge technology and infrastructure that allows us to create high-quality podcasts. It’s great to be acknowledged for our holistic approach.”

Dylan Adams, partnerships director and custodian of MIK MADE said: “At the heart of brand partnerships is relevance. Brands should feel like a natural extension of the podcast and vice versa. We’ve worked with the likes of Koala, Tempus One and Bumble because of their authenticity and relatability amongst podcast listeners.”

iHeart marks 53 consecutive podcast rankers as Australia’s #1 podcast publisher

ARN’s iHeart has once again secured its position at the top of the Australian Podcast Ranker, now marking 53 consecutive rankers as Australia’s #1 podcast publisher and boasting four podcasts in the top ten.

In September, iHeart recorded 6.5 million listeners and 19.8 million downloads. 

Among the top 10, Audioboom’s Casefile maintained its spot as the #1 true crime podcast, ranking #2 overall. The Imperfects held at #6 overall (#1 Health & Wellness podcast), while The Kyle and Jackie O Show came in at #8, while remaining the #1 radio catch-up.

Corey Layton, ARN’s head of digital audio, said: “Our continued success on the Australian Podcast Ranker is a testament to the incredible talent behind these shows and the dedication of our audiences. From true crime to finance, sports to relationships, iHeart continues to provide a wide range of content that resonates deeply with listeners across Australia.”

[Full podcast ranker results can be found here]

Johnnie Ingram joins Adam Ferrier and Brent Smart on Black T-Shirts

This week the duo is joined by Johnnie Ingram, executive producer, creative director, director & show creator of We’re Here — the unscripted series that follows drag queens as they prepare to perform in small conservative towns.

From his advertising beginnings making work that explored diversity to his new unscripted frontier as a showrunner, this episode of Black T-Shirts has Johnnie explain how good ideas are universal. Whether you’re creating a film or creating a brand — Johnnie emphasises that long- format storytelling still has a place in the current media landscape.

[Listen here]

Meet Jackie O’s Bestie Gemma O’Neill: Media executive as reluctant podcast star

“I never wanted to be on air. It never interested me,” Gemma O’Neill tells Mediaweek.

The co-host of the new hit podcast Her Best Life has taken a long journey to a role behind the microphone.

That journey includes working reception for 2Day FM when it was Sydney’s #1 FM station, producing breakfast radio shows for Wendy Harmer and Kyle and Jackie O and managing radio networks in Australia (SCA) and New Zealand (NZME). She also spent time producing radio in the UK (Global). Let’s not forget the years Gemma O’Neill spent working for Nicole Kidman in her production company (Blossom Films).

Launching Besties Australia

After a recent two years running the management company Gemmie Agency, O’Neill recently wound it back. Her sole management client is now Jackie Henderson. O’Neill is also the CEO of the business she runs with Henderson, Besties Australia.

The company started life bringing Gwyneth Paltrow to Australia in 2023. The company has now diversified beyond events into travel packages and online courses. It is also home to the Her Best Life podcast hosted by Henderson and O’Neill.

During her career in the media, O’Neill has never been far from the microphone. But she never wanted to grab it! “Even when there were opportunities that would come up early in my career to go on air, like fill in for people or when someone was sick, it just had zero interest for me.”

Henderson has been floating the idea of a podcast for some time. O’Neill was reluctant. “I didn’t want to do the podcast. For a long time.”

[Read more]

Uncomfortable Growth Uncut podcast: Episode 2 – Mark Coad’s Uncomfortable Lessons

Leadership isn’t just about guiding a team; it’s about facing storms head-on, navigating the unknown, and sometimes, it’s about finding the courage to rebuild when everything feels like it’s falling apart. In this heartfelt episode, Rowena Millward sits down with Mark Coad, the CEO of IPG Media Brands Australia and New Zealand, as he shares his raw, unfiltered journey through the ups and downs of leadership.

Listen to Uncomfortable Growth here.

Coad, affectionately known as Coady, opens up about his path of embracing uncomfortable growth. From being thrust into the deep end of running a media agency when everyone was jumping ship, to stepping up as CEO, to tackling the challenges of parenthood.

Coad’s narrative is filled with moments of self-doubt, reflection, and the inevitable question: “What is the answer?  I’ll just have to figure it out.”

But this isn’t just a story about career milestones—it’s a story of personal growth. Coad shares a touching moment from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a story about his son standing at a crossroads between education and passion. It’s an experience that many parents will connect with—the delicate dance between guiding our children and letting them chase their dreams.

The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song and Meat & Livestock Australia, have teamed up for a new brand campaign directed by The Sweetshop’s Damien Shatford.
 
The campaign shows the lengths Australians will go to for Aussie Beef with two films that showcase the instincts of an executive chef and a ship’s captain who are faced with ‘The Greatest’ choice of whether to surrender to its irresistible appeal or not.

Launching with 30-second TV spots, alongside 60, 45 and 15-second online versions and OOH, the work builds on ‘The Greatest’ platform with a new brand world for Aussie Beef; one where the much-loved meat looks and tastes so good it leads to some remarkable decisions.

“We were tasked with demonstrating just how desirable Aussie Beef is to Aussies in a sophisticated fashion, without sacrificing entertainment,” The Monkeys chief creative officer Tara Ford said.

“This campaign sets out to do just that. Both spots are gorgeously crafted moments of delicious stupidity, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.”‘

Nathan Low, Meat & Livestock Australia general manager, marketing and insights, said: “It’s clear that Aussie Beef is in a league of its own when it comes to desirability for consumers.
 
“Aussies have a strong affinity for the sensorial experience of consuming Beef, knowing that nothing else quite delivers the same level of satisfaction – it’s a choice you can always feel great about, a sentiment heavily emphasised in this campaign.”

Credits:
Client – Meat & Livestock Australia
General Manager, Marketing and Insights: Nathan Low Strategic Marketing Operations Manager: Jeffrey Ng Brand Manager, Beef: Tim Lau
Assistant Brand Manager: Eden Lim
Brand Content Manager: Mary-Jane Morse

Creative Agency – The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song
The Monkeys Group CEO and Co-Founder & Global CEO, Droga5, part of Accenture Song: Mark Green
Managing Director: Matt Michael
The Monkeys & Accenture Song APAC Chief Creative Officer: Tara Ford
Executive Creative Director: Barbara Humphries
Creative Directors: Hugh Gurney & Joe Sibley
Kitchen – Associate Creative Directors: Max Rapley & Danny Pattison
Ship – Copywriter: Jackson Best, Art Director: Caitie Hall
Nat Head of Production/Producer: Romanca Mundrea
Senior Producer: Elliot Liebermann
Senior Print Producer: Vanessa Fernandez
Business Strategy Director: Kit Lansdell
Head of Business Management: Topher Jones
Business Executive: Matthew Stafford

Production Company – The Sweetshop Director: Damien Shatford
EP/Producer: Kate Roydhouse
Co MD’s: Edward Pontifex & Greg Fyson
Casting: Danny Long Casting
DoP: Sam Chiplin
Production Designer: Steven Jones Evans
Post Production: ARC
Editor: Luke Haigh
Colourist: Trish Cahill
Ship – VFX Supervisers: Jay Hawkins & Patrick Campbell
Lead Online Artist: Richard Lambert
Online Artist: Viv Baker & Patrick Campbell
Kitchen – Lead Online Artist: Eugene RIchards
Producer: Kani Saib
E.P: Daniel Fry
Audio Production & Music Supervision: Sonar Music
Head of Production: Haylee Poppi
Sound Designer: Andy Stewart
Kitchen Music Composer: Stephen Rae

Photographer: Bonnie Coumbe
Production Company: Photoplay
Food Stylist: Jerrie-Joy
Retoucher: Cream

Media Agency – UM
PR and Social Agency – One Green Bean

Melbourne Social Co has been appointed to the social media accounts of professional and household cleaning products, Oates.

The independent social media-led creative agency will work with the brand on strategic direction, alongside full-service social media management.

Shelley Friesen, Melbourne Social Co’s director, said: “We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic brand in Oates. Not only are we brand advocates already, having been using their products for years, but we also see such an incredible opportunity to elevate the brand’s social media footprint in 2024 and into 2025, through strategy and engaging organic content.”

The win caps off strong Q3 for the boutique agency after it was recently appointed to lead the launch on social media for the new $230 million hotel Novotel and Ibis Styles Melbourne Airport in July.

Melbourne Social Co team

The agency acts as an extension of the marketing team, leading the development of the hotel’s social media strategy, as well as creating and delivering social media content.

Friesen said: “We’re thrilled to act as an extension of the Novotel and Ibis Styles brand, to support the incredible team in strategising and delivering content that aligns with the brand’s core values and goals for the social media accounts.

“The precinct is so much more than just a hotel, it’s a destination in itself, and we look forward to spreading the word about the incredible facilities with a local and international audience,” she added.

Friesen founded the agency in 2011, and its offering includes a range of services to clients, including strategy, content creation, channel management, influencer outreach and paid social media ads management.

She said: “While our service offering has evolved over the years, we’ve always had a strong focus on social media strategy and premium content creation.”
 
As the director, Friesen shared that while she oversees the overall running of the business, the creative side is an area she likes to play a part in.
 
“As a creative at heart, I also have a strong focus on the creative direction of the agency and its output,” she said.

See also: Melbourne Social Co to lead social media for Novotel and Ibis Styles Melbourne Airport

GroupM and Mindshare have launched its Inclusive Influencer tool to accelerate diversity and inclusion in influencer marketing.

Led by Mindshare’s mission to drive Good Growth, the agency has spearheaded the development of the Inclusive Influencer tool which aims to remove unconscious bias and reimagine beauty standards within creator campaigns.

The launch of the tool comes as the influence of social media and AI tools is often seen to contribute to declining self-esteem and body confidence among women and girls and exacerbate issues around body acceptance, as highlighted in Dove’s recent Global Report on The Real State of Beauty. 

It also coincides with creator marketing spend forecast to skyrocket to approximately $24 billion by the close of 2024, according to Influencer Marketing Hub.

The initiative empowers brands to support and invest in creators who challenge narrow representations and encourages creators to proudly reflect their true selves. This Inclusive Influencer filter sits within GroupM’s Influencer AI Planning Tool and can be adopted by all categories to enable brands to deliver more representative campaigns. The Inclusive Influencer filter prompts inclusion of ethnicity, disability, LGBTQI, First Nations, plus size, body, skin and hair type and more, to broaden representation in creator content.

This ensures that creators authentically align with brand values, audience and are brand-safe. 

“We recognised the need to move beyond brand safety to prioritise human safety”, Sam Turley, head of inclusive innovation at Mindshare, said.
 
“So, working with GroupM, we redesigned our technology to optimise for both client and ethical outcomes. The solution is a win-win: brands that adopt a more inclusive approach see commercial impact across all key brand metrics whilst also supporting vital creator communities and fostering diverse representation.”
 
Michaela Tan, creator marketing lead at GroupM, added: “The way Influencer Marketing is done is very manual from strategy through to planning and execution, and relies on personal relationships with partners and talent. Inclusion should be the default.
 
“We knew there was a better way – so we built our technology to enable inclusive sourcing of talent. This means we can deliver our clients influencer marketing that is inclusive by design, connects authentically with audiences and helps marketers better align their media investment to their brand values and DEI commitments.”
 
Twenty-three local talent agencies and 744 talent have already opted in.
 
Stephanie Scicchitano, general manager at BornBred Talent, said: “This simple but impactful use of tech reframes the approach to diversity. It removes the bias and will make it so much easier for creators, brands and talent agencies alike to make sure that influencer campaigns are inclusive and represent Australia’s true diversity.”
 
This initiative builds upon GroupM and its agencies’ ongoing commitment to fostering a more inclusive media landscape. It is due to be unveiled as part of SXSW Sydney at TikTok House on Thursday 17^th October. It will be rolled out across GroupM agencies and will be available to all clients across the group.

Rowena Millward interviews Imogen Hewitt (Chief Media Officer of Publicis Groupe, Australia / New Zealand), on her Uncomfortable Growth story. From the daunting decision to move her family to Singapore to start a new agency with no clients or staff, to the realization that growth and comfort cannot coexist, Imogen’s insights are a beacon for anyone standing at the crossroads of opportunity.

Subscribe now

Tuesday 15 October 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s The Block recorded a total TV national reach of 2,028,000, a total TV national audience of 1,094,000, and a BVOD audience of 163,000.

Nine’s 9News recorded a total TV national reach of 1,912,000, a total TV national audience of 1,144,000, and a BVOD audience of 97,000.

Seven’s Seven News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,072,000, a total TV national audience of 1,276,000, and a BVOD audience of 66,000.

Also on Seven, My Kitchen Rules recorded a total TV national reach of 1,599,000, a total TV national audience of 862,000, and a BVOD audience of 80,000.

10’s airing of Taskmaster Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 896,000, a total TV national audience of 367,000, and a BVOD audience of 19,000.

People 25-54

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 759,000
• National Audience: 467,000
• BVOD Audience: 99,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 572,000
• National Audience: 323,000
• BVOD Audience: 34,000

Seven’s My Kitchen Rules:
• Total TV nation reach: 488,000
• National Audience: 254,000
• BVOD Audience: 44,000

10’s Taskmaster:
• Total TV nation reach: 412,000
• National Audience: 192,000 
• BVOD Audience: 12,000

People 16-39

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 334,000
• National Audience: 213,000
• BVOD Audience: 57,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 222,000
• National Audience: 122,000
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

Seven’s My Kitchen Rules:
• Total TV nation reach: 186,000
• National Audience: 99,000
• BVOD Audience: 24,000

10’s Taskmaster:
• Total TV nation reach: 179,000
• National Audience: 87,000 
• BVOD Audience: 7,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ TV Ratings

Nine’s The Block:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,566,000
• National Audience: 852,000
• BVOD Audience: 131,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,667,000
• National Audience: 1,041,000
• BVOD Audience: 53,000

Seven’s My Kitchen Rules:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,275,000
• National Audience: 702,000
• BVOD Audience: 64,000

10’s Taskmaster:
• Total TV nation reach: 668,000
• National Audience: 267,000 
• BVOD Audience: 15,000

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