With Tech & Innovation, Music, Screen and Gaming streams now all in full swing, Day 4 of SXSW Sydney was buzzing with excitement as people continued to come together to share ideas and be filled with inspiration. Yesterday saw the opening of the SXSW Tech & Innovation expo so it was top of my list today to explore and see what was on offer.

Are flying cars, virtual & mixed reality the way of the future?

Venturing to Level 4 of the ICC Sydney, the Tech & Innovation expo brings together groundbreaking innovation & ideas to for “where tomorrow meets today”. As you walk through the doors, you are immediately presented with what looks to be a flying car. Yes, you read that correctly, an actual flying car. The XPENG X2 is a cutting-edge flying car designed to revolutionise transportation in the future. While the technology and subsequent infrastructure and laws are still many years away from being actualised, the technology is something to marvel at, and it even makes you wonder if Doc & McFly were onto something…

Shifting gears to technology which is probably closer to becoming applicable in daily life and I was fascinated by the technology presented by Real Response in their ‘BlueRoom’. BlueRoom is a state-of-the-art mixed reality (MR) simulation platform which eliminates the need for VR controllers and allows people to enter a virtual environment where they can interact with real-world objects. In a brief discussion with Major Zoe Griffyn from the Australian Defence Force, this technology is currently being utilised in defence force training where different scenarios are able to be built into the platform. Settings based on intensity can also be programmed into the mixed reality scenario, to train people up to a high intensity scenario rather than dropping straight into the deep end of a real-life highly intensive situation which would often be associated with higher rates of trauma and PTSD.

Applications of this technology could move beyond defence with Griffyn flagging interest from mining/rigging sectors and applicable uses in nursing/medical degrees at universities.

Moving across to the Discovery Stage and it would be remiss of me not to mention the inspiring presentation of Nedd Brockmann’s recent efforts to run 1000 miles in 12 days. With representatives from Nedd’s team, as well as homelessness charities We are Mobilise and Youth Projects, the panel showcased the power of social media and creativity, with Nedd’s recent run delivering over 60 million social video views and over 480,000 website visits in a completely organic campaign.

Excitingly, those in the audience were the first to hear the amazing news that Nedd’s fundraising efforts have now crossed over $3 million for We Are Mobilise, with all funding going directly to aiming to end homelessness in Australia. You can learn more about Nedd’s challenge here.

SXSW Flying Car

Lessons from Bunnings on trust

In a fireside chat between the managing director of Bunnings, Michael Schneider, and Nadine Parkington of Think Nimble, Schneider shared some of the secrets to Bunnings success in remaining such a trusted brand in Australia. Reflecting on his own personal approach to leadership and trust, Schneider shared his “4 H’s” to leadership: honesty (doing little things well, consistently), humility (being grounded & team-oriented), helpfulness (paying it forward to others) and happiness (personal fulfilment through doing what you love).

Schneider emphasised that true trust is earned by meeting community needs, as seen in Bunnings’ longstanding commitment to low prices, an extensive product range, and a great customer experience without over promising or creating hype – “If we can just execute consistently with quality, then that’s a good bedrock for trust.”

Reflecting on Bunnings recent ‘Bunnings Rave’, Schneider noted that one of the reasons it was so successful was because “while we [Bunnings] were doing something different, we stuck to things that were consistent…we raised money using our traditional ways, and engaged people at the party the way we engage in stores, so lots of face-painting.”

Will Gen AI Lead to more time with our pets?

In a panel which included representatives from Telstra (Dayle Stevens), Unilever (Nicky Sparshott) & Qantas (Catherine Walsh), Generative AI was yet again put in the spotlight, however, this time from the perspective of how it is transforming workplaces and workflows. Applications of AI varied across the panel from Telstra’s deployment of ChatGPT-powered assistants tailored to customer queries through to Unilever’s use of Generative AI in assisting environmentally friendly product development.

With so much time saved, Nicky Sparshott shared details surrounding Unilever’s experiment with a four-day work week in Australia and New Zealand. The experiment, while having its own set of challenges, demonstrated that a reduction in workdays, supported by AI-driven efficiencies, can yield excellent results. “People feel they can thrive both professionally and personally—whether that’s spending more time with family or even just having a chance to walk the dog. It’s been incredibly energizing.” This experiment suggests that AI’s real beneficiaries might just be those who get to enjoy a more balanced life—our four-legged companions!

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

• SXSW Blog Day 3: Labelium Group takeover, QMS and Amplified Intelligence, Steve Vamos on change

By James Manning, Alisha Buaya and Jasper Baumann

There was no shortage of ideas, innovation, and inspiration on the agenda for day four of SXSW Sydney. Mediaweek was on the ground – here’s what happened on Thursday, October 17.

Why YouTube is the best social platform for marketing with Jordan Barclay

Jordan Barclay, CEO of Spawnpoint Media, spoke to audiences how to capitalise on YouTube’s ability to capture and hold of viewers for much longer in comparison to other social media platforms. He noted that the video viewing platform can retain audience for two to three minutes in comparison to seconds on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. 

“If we look at what’s happening on TV, YouTube is now making up the most of streaming on TV compared to every other platform. It’s not Netflix, which is crazy, and that’s really because of this death of traditional TV.

“We have an increase in streaming costs, we’ve got a longing for community, and especially for our content, where we’re making family-friendly content, parents now want to be involved in seeing what their kids are watching because the internet’s a pretty dark and evil place.” – AB

Jordan Barclay

Igniting Cultural Sparks: Shaping the Future of Mobility through Connection and Innovation

With the launch of Cadillac in Australian shores Heath Walker, marketing director of General Motors, Scott Cullather, president and CEO of INVNT Group and Adam Harriden, INVNT Group’s executive director, sat down to discuss what drives the auto industry forward and what trumps importance – storytelling, emotion and experience, or the cars themselves.

They discussed the future of the automotive industry as a catalyst for cultural change and the human emotion shaping the narratives of legacy brands like Cadillac on the Tech and Innovation-fuelled Discovery Stage at SXSW Sydney.

Cullather said: “Cadillac is a brand of creators, innovators, they’re designers, technologists; there’s now an incredible opportunity for brands that are moving in this space to create what used to be visceral utilitarian pieces of equipment that we used to have and turn them into an actual experience.”

The key takeaway? Emotional connections are still at the heart of driving cultural progress and brand loyalty. Brands should look to leverage innovative experiences and evocative storytelling to transform consumer perceptions beyond mere products. – AB

Adam Harriden, Heath Walker and Scott Cullather

Labelium, Ryvalmedia & 1000heads SXSW takeover: Jean Kerboul and Simon Ryan on agency investment

Last year Mediaweek reported on the Labelium acquisition of Simon Ryan’s startup agency business RyanCap. Labelium is a Paris-based global digital performance agency owned by British private equity company Charter House Capital.

The three key brands in the business Ryan founded are independent media and communications agency Ryvalmedia, marketing data and technology specialist Foxcatcher and the scaleup consultancy tightrope.

Labelium and Ryvalmedia sponsored a midweek SXSW morning session. Also taking part in the SXSW takeover, held at Alex Hayes’ Clear Hayes House, was 1000heads, a global social transformation company that Labelium acquired in 2022.

Hayes, Ryan and Kerboul

The heavy hitters of the morning were Jean Kerboul, Labelium CEO APAC, Simon Ryan, RyanCap founder & CEO, with Alex Hayes from Clear Hayes posing the questions.

Hayes started proceedings with each of the guests introducing themselves.

Kerboul began talking about Labelium’s presence in 19 markets. The company wanted to replicate the success they had in France into other markets. And Australia was identified as a key area for expansion.

Ryan talked about how from day one of RyanCap in 2020, there was an unrelenting focus on growth. That fast track saw them winning substantial numbers of clients every month. JM

[Read more]

Day 4 in the ARN House: Convergence of Tech & Audio with Kade Robinson, Daily Aus podcast

ARN creative director Kade Robinson peeled back the curtain of “traditional radio” to explore two ways digital audio advertising uses technology to unlock innovation; Dynamic Audio for contextual relevance at scale, and Binaural audio for immersive commercial experiences.

An hour later, The Daily Aus live podcast recording drew a crowd. TDA hosts Sam Koslowski and Emma Gillespie recorded a live podcast that delved into the intersection of youth, politics, and media consumption in the lead-up to the November 4 US Election.

The session offered an insightful exploration of how Gen Z Americans are accessing and interpreting news about presidential candidates and campaign issues, how Brand Harris and Brand Trump are trying to get their attention, and some predictions ahead of an Australian Federal Election in 2025. JM

The Plausible Future of Trust

Michael Schneider, MD at Bunnings took to the SXSW stage to discuss the importance of trust in leadership in branding, highlighting Bunnings’ long-term success as a widely-trusted Australian brand.

He emphasized the “four H’s” of honesty, humility, helpfulness, and happiness as core values in the business, as well as Bunnings’ consistent pricing strategy, community engagement through barbecues, and digital transformation, are all key points in how Bunnings maintains trust amongst customers.

Brands can learn from Bunnings that trust is earned through consistent, values-driven execution over time. Brands that can balance innovation with tradition, while also being quick to own up to mistakes and demonstrate changed behaviour, helps maintain trust when things don’t go entirely to plan.

“We work very hard to make sure that our team member value proposition is as strong as our customer value proposition,” he said.

“Unlike most retail businesses, we work on permanent employment as opposed to casual, which creates job certainty. We work hard to pay well above the award and collectively, across Australia, our team members earn about $100 million a year, more than if we simply put them on the retail award.

“If I come back to one central thing, just do the basics and do them well. Don’t over-promise to deliver. I think the world’s pretty sceptical about high promise, low execution, and if we just execute consistently with quality, then that’s a good bet for trust.” – JB

Rise Above Collaboration Saturation with Co-creation that Counts

From the original Louis Vuitton x Supreme collection to the Pokemon and Van Gogh Museum tie-up, brand collaborations have traversed the sublime to the surreal over recent years.

CEO and co-founder of Humanrace Rachel Muscat took the SXSW Sydney audience through her pioneering work driving collaboration in the streetwear, sneaker, beauty and lifestyle sectors, including her journey founding Humanrace with Pharrell Williams.

To do a good collaboration, Muscat said: “I always try to learn and understand who the partner is and what challenges you’re trying to solve. When I worked with Kanye [West], [on Yeezy] early on, he was very much in the mindset of being a producer and what that you know it was like a self-discovery, how does a producer work and I found out they try a lot of different things.

“You can turn a sample of a song around within a day but product is much harder so it was about bringing him on that journey of the comparisons of the industries. Doing that research of who your collaborating with at the start is really important.” – JB

Last year Mediaweek reported on the Labelium acquisition of Simon Ryan’s startup agency business RyanCap. Labelium is a Paris-based global digital performance agency owned by British private equity company Charter House Capital.

The three key brands in the business Ryan founded are independent media and communications agency Ryvalmedia, marketing data and technology specialist Foxcatcher and the scaleup consultancy tightrope.

Labelium and Ryvalmedia sponsored a midweek SXSW morning session. Also taking part in the SXSW takeover, held at Alex Hayes’ Clear Hayes House, was 1000heads, a global social transformation company that Labelium acquired in 2022.

The mirage of digital metrics: Finding meaningful signal in the noise

The first session of the day examined the advertising rollercoaster that sees marketers grappling with the challenges of old-school metrics and the world of impressions and engagement that the digital world brought with it.

The panel featured Ellie Glaves from Live Nation, Mediaweek contributor (and Ryvalmedia head of product and innovation) Jonathan Henshaw, and Meta ANZ’s Carl McLean.

Alex Hayes, Simon Ryan and Jean Kerboul onstage at SXSW Sydney

Building an agency business for the future of marketing

The heavy hitters then arrived for the main course. Jean Kerboul, Labelium CEO APAC, Simon Ryan, RyanCap founder & CEO, with Alex Hayes from Clear Hayes posing the questions.

Hayes started proceedings with each of the guests introducing themselves.

Kerboul started talking about Labelium’s presence in 19 markets. The company wanted to replicate the success they had in France into other markets. And Australia was identified as a key area for expansion.

Ryan talked about how from day one of RyanCap in 2020, there was an unrelenting focus on growth. That fast track saw them winning substantial numbers of clients every month.

Ryan wasn’t looking to sell the business, particularly this early in its life. He took a call one day about a sale, and initially, he said no. He later met some other potential investors, one of which was Labelium.

Ryan explained he decided to sell because the bigger group could deliver the certainty of support and longevity beyond what Ryan could provide.

RyanCap: Launching a holding company

When asked why he started a holding company, not an agency, Ryan said he was doing what he was good at. Running multiple brands and helping clients with different businesses. “What I love is running a parent company.”

To fast-track the business, RyanCap bought an existing agency.

“The acquisitions I did was rebranded immediately for day one. It gave us the launching pad to start pitching. In Melbourne we had 11 staff and most stayed. Most clients stayed too.”

Ryan launched Ryvalmedia first. Later came Foxcatcher, and then the consultancy business tightrope.

“I then went on a hiring spree, giving people I poached hope about their futures during Covid.”

He explained there were a number of options to continue growing the RyanCap the business: “We could have listed, sold some shares, did a trade sale, or just keep running it.”

When asked about international opportunities, Kerboul said they will be able to use RyanCap brands to attack new markets overseas for clients.

Ryan: “The attraction for us was to be able to align with Labelium. We are focusing on looking at how we can grow overseas. We look at Australia out, not how holding companies look at Australia with regard to what they can bring in.”

‘Are you guys on the acquisition trail still?’ was one of Hayes’ questions.

Ryan: “You never build a business to sell a business. Are we looking for acquisitions…yes.”

One audience member ventured forth with: What are you providing that is new with so many other agencies in Australia?

Ryan: “You must have products that are new and fresh…otherwise there is no point in any of this.

“Clients are looking for automation. A dashboard and a strong point of view on brands. We live in a performance world driven by daily dashboards. A lot of CMOs look at performance results daily which can have an impact long term on the brand.”

When asked about the attractions of the Australian market for Labelium, Kerboul said:

“All international brands say Australia is a very important market for them. It can be an expensive market to enter.”

Kerboul shared that of the 12 acquisitions made so far, RyanCap was the fifth biggest.

Unfiltered: How brands and creators are rewriting the rules of social

The final session of the morning discussed media landscape fragments many brands are turning to creators to connect with audiences, often in new and unexpected ways. Top creators regularly draw more eyeballs to a post than the biggest TV shows can command and 82% of consumers saying they act on creator recommendations.

The panel featured some of Australia’s top creators who revealed how successful collaborations come about, and what stopped some potentially brilliant partnerships from reaching their full potential.

Guests were Fiona Harris, 1000heads general manager, Jinny Maeng, -oodie content creator, Chantel Mila, content creator, Ramon Israel, content creator, and Nick Cole, tech YouTuber.

See also: Mediaweek with Simon Ryan – Labelium sale, M&As, brand building, competition

Video Futures Collective has announced the addition of Amazon to its membership and the launch of two new industry research projects to explore the impact of premium digital video advertising at the Foxtel Upfront 2025.

Members of the media industry thinktank now include Amazon Advertising, Disney Advertising, Foxtel Media, Samsung Ads, and SBS on Demand, Vevo and YouTube.

Toby Dewar, director of customer engagement at Foxtel Media and a member of the VFC steering committee, said at Foxtel Media’s 2025 Upfronts: “The Video Futures Collective was created when we realised there was a gap in representation for premium video businesses like ours. We are delighted to welcome Amazon onboard as we level-up just 8 months after launching in April this year.

“The addition of Amazon means that the group counts another of Australia’s most popular streaming services amongst its members. We’re also excited to unveil two new projects supported by our members, with the goal of supporting the entire industry as it evolves to take advantage of the premium video revolution,” he said.

Toby Dewar

BeatGrid, MAGNA Global and Wesfarmers

In partnership with BeatGrid, MAGNA Global and Wesfarmers (whose brands include Kmart, Officeworks, OnePass, Target), this research project will investigate the effectiveness of advertising in the premium video market across media, marketing, and business outcomes.

Using BeatGrid’s proprietary Audio Content Recognition (ACR) technology and passive metering panel, this project will measure the impact of video advertising on key business and marketing objectives, starting with Wesfarmers in the retail category. It will evaluate the effectiveness of cross-screen advertising by accurately measuring reach, frequency, incrementality and brand lift across a mix of VFC member platforms. It will also assess the impact of advertising on key business metrics such as in-store traffic.

“Understanding the effectiveness of video advertising in today’s fragmented media environment is a challenge for all brands,” Lucy Formosa Morgan, national managing director, MAGNA said.

“As an industry, we need to work together to best understand how we can provide value to our organisations from optimising the media mix, and to prove how marketing is playing a key role in adding business value. We look forward to collaborating with the VFC on this important research project to help the industry move forward.”

Amplified Intelligence and Omnicom Media Group

The VFC is engaging Amplified Intelligence, in partnership with OMG, to undertake the largest ever Australian study into attention and context amplification for video streaming. The study will explore high attention, low clutter environments to establish the value and impact of premium content. It will look at three areas of measurement: attention metrics (active, passive & non-attention); attention drivers (device, channel, program, daypart and ad length); and attention amplifiers (ad context and demographics).

The project will explore the power of context in television to better understand the link between people’s engagement with video content and how that effects the advertising served alongside that content. It will also help to build the foundation for common industry metrics around attention.

Dr Karen Nelson-Field, founder and CEO of Amplified Intelligence said: “We know that attention is the gateway for an advertiser to achieve an outcome from their media investment. This project will be the most extensive research undertaken in Australia to establish how the engagement from must-watch content translates to attention in ad experiences. It will review the significant value content plays in this equation – and evaluate the difference that attention makes to brands.”

Karen Nelson-Field

Kristiaan Kroon, chief investment officer of OMG Australia, said: “The white noise created by the oversupply of advertising in Australia is having an ongoing impact on effectiveness for all brands. Attention signals are key in understanding this and optimising media to drive improved outcomes for our clients.

“Globally and locally OMG is at the forefront of the impact attention has on media selection and we are proud to be a partner in this research study, which aims to deliver insights that will help the entire industry make video advertising more effective and impactful,” he added.

The results from the two research projects are expected in the first quarter of 2025. 

Toby Dewar added: “At the start of this year, we asked brands and agencies what mattered most for them in the video marketplace, and what an organisation like the VFC could do to move the industry forward. The feedback was clear and consistent: brands know there is an opportunity to invest more in video, but need the proof, tools and support to get there. These projects exist to help to provide the support the industry needs to take advantage of the future of video.”

Kristiaan Kroon

Foxtel Media announces total audience measurement solution for enhanced data transparency

Foxtel Media will launch a new total audience measurement solution to better capture and report the viewing habits of all of the Foxtel Group’s 4.8 million linear and streaming subscribers.

Brands and agency partners will be able to trade on the transparent, auditable combined linear and streaming measurement solution by the end of the year.

Foxtel Media announced its partnership with Kantar Media in 2023, with its return path data (RPD) service producing an accurate, tradable solution in 12 short months.

In that time, the audience measurement service has ingested, processed and analysed 24 months of linear data collected through more than one million Foxtel set-top boxes, establishing a strong base for audience analysis.

Foxtel Media has been sharing this analysed data with sports partnership clients to track the weekly delivery of campaigns since February and began integrating linear viewing data into ad infrastructure platform Mediaocean in October. The solution is already proving vital to audience analysis with OzTAM reporting 49% of half-hour slots with zero ratings across Foxtel programming in August 2024, compared to 2% with the new measurement solution.

Now viewing data dating from January 2023 onwards for the Foxtel Group’s flagship streaming services including Kayo Sports, BINGE, Foxtel Go and Foxtel Now, has been processed by Kantar Media.  The data now sits alongside set top box data and means Foxtel Media customers have a complete view of their audiences in one location, enabling them to easily understand how viewers are engaging with content across services and devices.

CEO Mark Frain said at Foxtel Media’s Upfront that he understood that disruption could be messy, but ultimately necessary to ensure that brands and agencies have complete confidence in Foxtel’s audience numbers.

“Our goal in building a total audience measurement solution was simple: to give our clients the tools to find their audiences, access accurate data, and ensure their media investments deliver real returns. By having everything in one place, brands and agencies can seamlessly bring in research partners and focus on what truly matters – maximizing ROI.

Frain added: “Foxtel Media is committed to providing open, reliable data, so you can make the best decisions for your campaigns. We’re incredibly proud to launch this total audience measurement solution and we look forward to continuing our incredible momentum into 2025.”

Mark Frain

Foxtel Group has unveiled its suite of domestic and international content for 2025 across Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go and BINGE.

Sport

Foxtel Group’s landmark AFL rights deal – commencing in 2025 – will usher in a new era of Aussie Rules football broadcasting as the company prepares to supercharge its coverage of the game.

With the introduction of Super Saturday Live, Fox Footy, on Kayo Sports and Foxtel, will be the only place to watch AFL live for at least the first eight rounds of the season nationally, and the first 15 rounds in Victoria – all ad-break free during live play and in 4K.

As part of the new deal, Fox Footy will also broadcast every single match of the home and away season with dedicated Fox Footy expert commentary teams, Fox Footy innovative graphics, and premium technology. It will also offer no ads after every goal.

The Fox Footy commentary team includes Premiership champions Jason Dunstall, Jonathan Brown and David King along with other experts such as Nathan Buckley, Garry Lyon, Eddie Betts and more.

Kicking off with the show-stopping spectacle in Las Vegas, Fox League will continue to grow the game at home and abroad with coverage of every single match from the Rugby League Las Vegas Festival in 2025 live and ad-break free during play. This includes the quadruple-header taking place at Allegiant Stadium with two NRL matches, a Super League clash and an international showdown featuring the Australian Jillaroos.

Ashes Cricket will anchor both ends of 2025 starting with the Australian vs England Women’s series in January/February and culminating with the Australian Men’s side up against the old enemy with a Test Series starting next November.

Fans can continue to catch every match of the Suncorp Super Netball Season along with Formula 1, Supercars, MotoGP, Main Event Boxing, UFC, Golf, AFLW, NRLW, NFL, NHL, NBL, Surfing and plenty more, live, and on-demand, on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

Executive director, commercial sport, Rebecca McCloy said: “Our sport offering is unrivaled and in 2025, we are turbocharging our coverage of all of your favourite Australian sport. More analysis from our experts, more games in 4K and more innovations to bring you closer to the action, all year round, means more value for your Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscriptions.

“As a home-grown sports and entertainment business, we have developed a reputation for partnering with leading and emerging sporting codes to grow Australia’s participation in, attendance at, and viewing of sport. Our investment in our broadcast partnerships not only contributes directly to grassroots programs but enable the growth of our sporting partners here and across the world.”

Entertainment

Alison Hurbert-Burns, commissioner and executive director, entertainment content, Foxtel Group said: “2025 is shaping up to be a bumper year of television and we’re proud to bring a diverse and high-quality content line up to our customers. From compelling local Originals to the most anticipated international series, we offer an incredible range of drama, comedy, lifestyle, reality and movies across our platforms.”

In addition to the BINGE Original film How To Make Gravy produced by Warner Bros. International Production Australia premiering on Dec 1, highlights for new Australian Original dramas coming to screen in 2025 include The Last Anniversary, the adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, produced by Made Up Stories and Blossom Films, and Mixtape, a series adapted from the popular novel by Jane Sanderson and produced by Aquarius Films which promises to take viewers back in time to that intoxicating feeling of first love, starring Australian actress Teresa Palmer and British actor Jim Sturgess.

Returning Originals include the third season of courtroom drama anthology series The Twelve produced by Warner Bros. International Production Australia and Easy Tiger with Sam Neill reprising his role as Brett Colby as he grapples with a cold case murder trial set in Margaret River, WA, and the second season of dramatic comedy series Strife produced by Made Up Stories and starring Asher Keddie as Eve, publisher of a women’s magazine attempting to navigate work and life and all that comes in between.

New unscripted series Billion Dollar Playground will premiere in 2025, a new Original format produced by Ronde Media that reveals a world of boundless luxury through the lens of a team of service experts who tackle the high-stakes demands of the ultra-rich while embracing the mantra, “if it’s legal, make it happen”, as well as the third season of Real Housewives of Sydney produced by Matchbox Pictures which promises more glitz and glamour.

Additionally, lifestyle series Selling Houses Australia produced by Warner Bros. International Production Australia will return with hosts Andrew Winter, Wendy Moore, and Dennis Scott, helping homeowners transform their properties as they prepare to put them on the market, as well as fan favourite The Great Australian Bake Off produced by BBC Studios Productions with Rachel Khoo, Darren Purchese and Natalie Tran returning alongside a new, yet-to-be-named host, helping a new batch of amateur bakers bring their culinary sensations to our screens.

In 2025, Foxtel Group will be the exclusive home of premium drama direct from Peacock in the US and Sky in the UK, meaning Foxtel and BINGE will be the only places to watch the highly anticipated thriller series Day of the Jackal starring Eddie Redmayne as a highly elusive lone assassin, drama series Lockerbie: A Search for Truth starring Colin Firth which delves into the tragic 1988 terrorist attack in Britain, All Her Fault starring Australian actress Sarah Snook and Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy based on the infamous American serial killer, and The Paper which is a continuation of The Office (US) and set in that same fictional world.

Additional new and returning international favourites include soon-to-launch Dune: Prophecy which boasts a star-studded international cast including Australian talent Travis Fimmel, Josh Heuston, Shalom Brune-Franklin and Yerin Ha, the anticipated third season of award-winning series The White Lotus, the second season of Ted, and the third season of wildly popular And Just Like That starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis. Other returning shows include the second season of Bookie, the eighth and final season of cult series Outlander as well as the fourth season of The Cleaning Lady and second season of The Couple Next Door.

BINGE is entering its sports era with an expanded content offering to include live and on-demand premium sport, direct from Kayo Sports, on the platform, as well as additional live news channels, at no additional cost to subscribers.

Starting with a bumper finals weekend with the back-to-back AFLW Grand Final and WBBL Grand Final on 30 November and 1 December, sport will appear on BINGE. Following that will be Men’s Big Bash League, Super Netball, and, come winter, NRL and AFL footy on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays (simulcast games) during the regular season with no ad breaks during play.

Additional sports and shows coming to BINGE direct from Kayo Sports include World Surfing League, Women’s Golf (USLPGA, Ladies’ European Tour, AIG Women’s Open), all Kayo Minis of the F1®, and Fox Sports-produced magazine shows including  AFL 360, NRL 360, Sunday Night with Matty Johns, Bounce, and The Back Page, among others.

More live news channels will be integrated into BINGE with major local and international news outlets Sky News, Sky News UK, CNBC and Fox Sports News joining the existing line up of available channels, including Bloomberg, CNN and MSNBC.

BINGE will offer more than 3,000 On Demand hours and a 24/7 dedicated channel of the best of lifestyle for foodies, design and property lovers, including Selling Houses Australia, Great Australian Bake Off, Love It or List It Australia, and more.

And for the music lovers, BINGE has also recently launched live music channels including MTV Hits, Club MTV, MTV 80’s, CMT, and Nick Music.

Julian Ogrin, CEO of BINGE and Kayo Sports, said: “We know BINGE viewers are also sports fans so we’re changing the streaming game and bringing the best of Kayo Sports – LIVE and On Demand – to BINGE subscribers. And we’re not stopping there, we’re also making LIVE and On Demand news available and adding thousands of hours of lifestyle content to the platform too.

“We’ve supercharged BINGE to be the leading platform that brings LIVE and On Demand entertainment, sport, news and lifestyle content together on one platform delivering variety and value to our customers from just $10 per month.”

Hubbl to launch Aussie-first bundle combining Netflix and Kayo Sports for $25 per month for 12 months

Hubbl has revealed that starting October 31, customers can enjoy a combined Kayo Sports and Netflix subscription for $25 a month for 12 months with the purchase of a new Hubbl Hub.

This offer is available to all new, existing, and returning Kayo Sports and Netflix customers who purchase a new Hubbl Hub.

The Hubbl Bundle is available across three tiers:

• Kayo One + Netflix Standard with Ads for $25/month for 12 months* (saving $7.99 per month for 12 months) + Hubbl Hub for $99
• Premium Options:
– Kayo One + Netflix Standard for $36/month for 12 months^ (saving $7.99 per month for 12 months) + Hubbl Hub for $99
– Kayo Basic + Netflix Premium for $45/month for 12 months (saving $15.99 per month for 12 months) + Hubbl Hub for $99

Hilary Perchard, CEO of Foxtel Retail, Hubbl, and group chief strategy officer, says, “We’re committed to bringing the best sport and entertainment experience to our customers and this new bundle offers fantastic value at $25 per month for 12 months. We believe this first-of- its-kind bundle will enhance the viewing experience and bring fans closer to the sports and Netflix content they love.”

Julian Ogrin, CEO of Kayo Sports, says, “We’re bringing Australia’s most loved local sports streamer together with the world’s biggest entertainment platform to create a compelling deal in sports and entertainment. This new bundle has never been done before in Australia and we’re proud to be changing the game for our customers by pushing the boundaries to bring these two powerhouses together.”

Foxtel Media has announced a number of significant partnerships at its 2025 Upfront at Sydney’s historic White Bay Power Station.

Foxtel Media’s tvbeat partnership

A partnership with tvbeat will digitise linear ad impressions for enhanced targeting, reporting and programmatic trading.

The subscription TV platform said the translation of linear ad impressions into digital will enable improved audience targeting, ad analytics and programmatic trading of linear ad buys.

With linear subscribers representing 30% of total subscribers, Foxtel Media noted its linear ad offering remains sticky and engaged – a strong offering for brands and agencies. However, booking and trading linear impressions has historically been a difficult process. Linear impressions are more rigid and fixed, with limited demographic targeting and reporting. Conversely, digital ad impressions are more malleable, enabling ads to be personalised, precisely targeted, and reshaped based on the viewer’s behaviour.

Nev Hasan, chief sales officer Foxtel Media said, “Foxtel Media’s partnership with tvbeat is a game changer for our linear offering and will provide far greater flexibility for advertisers. Linear audiences still hold huge value and this value should not be held to ransom by outdated trading and analysis. The conversion to digital impressions opens the opportunity to move a once standard demographic buy into a highly targeted behavioural segment using our Characters product. Linear impressions can then be traded programmatically – still brand safe and premium – and be included in the reporting with the rest of a digital buy.”

In early 2025 brands and agencies will be able to trade all Foxtel linear channels as digital buys that can be bought through direct insertion order or programmatic workflow to help drive campaign efficiency.

Robert Farazin, CEO tvbeat said, “The Foxtel Group supplies high-quality content but the demand for traditional, spot unit-based buying is shifting to audience impression-based buying. Working with Foxtel Media, our solution will capture the opportunity of growing CTV demand, resulting in less waste, higher yield and better buyer ROI for advertisers on linear TV. By automating the sale, delivery and measurement, advertisers can enjoy much greater ease-of-execution and enhanced reporting.”

tvbeat currently provides set-top box measurement services for Sky Media in the UK which is independently verified and audited by RSMB. It also provides advertising optimisation services for Sky Media in the UK, Italy and Ireland, and CFlight services.

Foxtel Media’s Nev Hasan

Foxtel Media partnership with CommBank iQ and Adgile to unlock campaign ROI measurement

A new partnership with CommBank iQ and Adgile to unlock deeper insights for greater audience targeting to better inform advertising effectiveness was announced at the Upfront.

As CommBank iQ’s inaugural partner across video for digital audience and measurement, Foxtel Media will leverage the de-identified data set of Australia’s largest bank with over 7m people, providing advertisers with unique insights into purchasing behaviour through de-identified payment data, enabling them to track precisely how campaigns convert to sales.

Via CommBank iQ’s industry analysis, brands will be able to understand the market size and performance of relevant industries, providing an advantage to protect and grow their share among competitors. Foxtel Media will also leverage CommBank iQ to add over 100 new attributes for audience segmentation, enhancing its addressable offering, Characters, early next year.

Nev Hasan said, “Measurement is the key to proving media-planning effectiveness. By partnering with CommBank iQ we’re further equipped to help advertisers not just reach premium audiences, but understand how their investments lead to specific outcomes and provide them with the tools they need to optimise media planning.”

Also kicking off in 2025, a new partnership with Adgile will offer independent verification of impression delivery across Foxtel linear and streaming platforms, tracking performance and business outcomes based on attention, response and conversion.

Powered by Adgile Catalyst, an investment allocation tool with deep-learning AI, brands and advertisers will gain in-depth insights on the ROI of their video spend, helping determine the most effective way to invest across Foxtel platforms. The initiative will start with the benchmarks of 10 categories, built from Adgile’s ROI database of over 300 clients.

Hasan added, “At the heart of what Foxtel Media offers is Watchability: a premium ad experience in a premium content environment. The partnership with Adgile is a direct result of our client’s requests for actional insights, and we’re pleased to unlock next generation planning for our clients with enhanced ROI reporting and audience targeting.

“With now having all of our data in one place with Kantar, we have incredible optionality in where we send this data. These two ROI partnerships are the catalyst and starting point for this ROI evolution for our business.”

Claire Butterworth

‘Foxtel Media’s new offerings provide additional peace of mind for brands’

Claire Butterworth, national head of investment at GroupM, said: “In an environment where every dollar counts, Foxtel Media’s new offerings with CommBank iQ and Adgile provide additional peace of mind for brands that want to minimise risk and amplify efficiency by allowing them to determine how to deploy budgets across Foxtel’s premium platforms to their greatest effect, plus see the direct impact of their spend. We’re excited to work with Foxtel Media and continue to unlock insights and drive campaign success for our clients.”

See all the Foxtel Media Upront 2025 announcements here.

Brisbane radio station Nova 106.9 is the latest station to face going into the 2025 radio year with a new breakfast show after the revelation Susie O’Neill is leaving.

All morning the Ash, Luttsy and Susie O’Neill show has been teasing “Susie’s big announcement” which finally came at 8.20am Brisbane time.

After more than 10 years co-hosting Nova’s flagship breakfast show, Susie confirmed on-air this morning that she has decided to step down.

Susie O’Neill

Delivering the news, Susie broke down in tears as she explained how the move to radio came at a critical time in her life.

“I do this with a very heavy heart, this decision wasn’t easy,” said O’Neill in a statement released to coincide with the on-air reveal.

“Ash and Luttsy are like brothers to me, they brought me into their world a little over a decade ago and they have always been my biggest supporters. We have formed an incredible bond over the years, which made this decision even harder. I’m proud to call them my friends, as I am the entire Nova breaky team.

“It’s hard for me to articulate exactly why I’m leaving. I think turning 50 last year I realised I’m at a whole new stage in my life. Our kids have grown up and I just feel the next chapter will see me pursue other goals, both professionally and personally.

“I feel like I want to get back to the grass roots of sport, and to involve myself more in the wider community. And while it’s going to be an emotional final day on November 28 saying goodbye to everyone, including our listeners, I do know whatever this next chapter brings, that my Nova family won’t be far away.

“Nova has been amazing to me – a huge shout out to all of you who helped me navigate my way from the very beginning of my radio career, I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to front such an awesome show.

“Both on and off air, it’s been a privilege and honour to learn a whole new set of skills and for people to get to know me beyond the sporting world.

“And to our listeners, you are who I am going to miss the most – I’ve loved my time with you and nothing pleases me more than when one of you comes up and recount a story I have shared on air. You are the reason we get up at the crack of dawn, so thank you for the hundreds of wonderful memories.”

Ash, Susie and Luttsy

Ash and Luttsy: ‘Can’t wait to see the next chapters of her life’

Susie’s on-air colleagues, Ash Bradnam and David “Luttsy” Lutteral have shared a studio with Susie since she joined the station as a casual sports reporter in 2013.

Ashley Bradnam said, “As a cadet sports journalist at 4BC in the mid 1990s, I had the privilege of first interviewing Susie. Her unique combination of shyness, resilience, candour and her quirky nature immediately impressed me, establishing her as my favourite swimmer.

“When Susie later joined our radio team, she brought these same qualities to her on-air presence. Our audience quickly embraced her genuine charm, much as I had years earlier.

“Over the past 11 years I have watched on as Susie has developed into an outstanding broadcaster, an experience that has been one of the highlights of my career. We have shared countless moments of laughter and created lasting memories. As Susie kicks off the next phase of her career I am filled with pride in her accomplishments and excited to witness her future endeavours.

David “Luttsy” Lutteral added, “It’s been an incredible experience becoming great mates with Susie over the last decade. A wild adventure to say the very least and an opportunity I’ll cherish forever. Whilst I’ll obviously miss seeing her every day I also can’t wait to see the next chapters of her life. I know whatever is next for Suse is going to be fantastic. We will no doubt stay in touch but at the very least I will see her lighting the cauldron at Brisbane Stadium in 2032.”

Talking to Susie’s future, Nova network’s group programming director Brendan Taylor said, “Susie has been an integral part of the Nova Brisbane broadcasting family for 11 years, so we fully support Susie’s decision to switch off the alarm and step away from the breakfast shift. We’re also really excited about what’s next for Susie. She’s a supremely talented broadcaster who brings excellence to everything she does, so we hope to continue to work with Susie in 2025 and beyond.”

Nova Entertainment’s CEO, Peter Charlton, added, “Susie is an enormous talent who, alongside Ash and Luttsy, has built a unique connection with the Brisbane audience for over a decade. Seeing her transform from medal winner to consistent ratings winner has been an absolute pleasure and Susie will always be a part of the Nova family.”

Susie O’Neill will present her final Nova 106.9 breakfast show on Thursday, November 28. Nova 106.9’s breakfast show lineup for 2025 will be revealed later this year.

See also: Nova Entertainment is having a moment: #1 network for sixth time in 2024

Rebecca Darley has resigned from Domain Group as chief marketing officer and managing director—consumer division, to take up her new role as group chief marketing officer of TPG Telecom. 

She departs from the property marketplace company in December after two years in the role.

Jason Pellegrino, Domain Group CEO, said: “Bec has been a valued member of the Domain Leadership Team, uplifting our capabilities across Marketing, Media & ESG, and recently bringing together the new Consumer Division. Under Bec’s leadership, we’ve delivered strong and continued unique audience growth across Domain Group, transformed our martech stack, grown our Domain Media business, and established our long-term ESG Strategy.

“In deserved recognition, the Domain Marketing Team was a finalist for 2024 Marketing Team of the Year, the Domain PR team was named 2024 PR Team of the Year and Bec was a finalist for Women in Media’s 2024 ‘Executive Leader of the Year’. Likewise, Bec’s work to establish our new Consumer Division sets the foundation for our future ambitions. I thank Bec for her contributions and wish her every success in the future.”  

Darley said of her appointment: “I couldn’t be more proud of what has been achieved at Domain Group in almost three years. I’ve been fortunate to work with an incredible team and we’ve made a significant impact on our customers and across the business. I am very grateful to Jason Pellegrino, the Domain Board, and the Domain team for their support and guidance.”

The recruitment process for a new CMO will take place immediately. 

Darley will commence her post as chief marketing officer of TPG Telecom on Monday 16 December 2024. In the role, she will lead the marketing department across the company’s suite of brands, including Vodafone, TPG, felix, iiNet and Lebara. 

She has extensive experience leading teams across commercial, brand, marketing and customer experience, having worked with household brands such as Vodafone, IKEA, Westpac, Commsec and Aussie Home Loans. 

Kieren Cooney, group executive, consumer and data & analytics welcomed Darley to the team and said: “She is a powerful advocate for the customer and an enthusiastic, innovative and creative leader – a perfect fit for the senior leadership team here at TPG Telecom.  

“Rebecca is joining the business at a crucial time as we prepare for our biggest and best ever year in 2025.”

Darley of her appointment: “I worked at Vodafone 15 years ago – and loved it. And now to return as the chief marketing officer at TPG Telecom is hugely exciting. TPG Telecom has an incredible portfolio of brands, led by an exceptional team that’s built such a fantastic culture. It is an opportunity I couldn’t resist – I can’t wait to get stuck in!”

Her appointment follows the decision of current chief marketing officer, John Casey, to step back from his role.

Cooney said: “John is an incredible leader who has made a massive contribution to our culture, our commercial performance and the strength of our stable of great Australian brands.”

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Top image: Rebecca Darley

The Nine review, conducted by organisational culture firm, Intersection, involved a company-wide survey in addition to interviews held with members of the TV news & current affairs department. 

The Nine board received the Intersection report today and, in the interests of transparency, has released it in full to Nine’s 5000-strong workforce and shared it publicly. The report will inform the work underway to strengthen Nine’s organisational and workplace culture.

The report found that Nine has a systemic issue with abuse of power and authority; bullying, discrimination and harassment; and sexual harassment.

Driving these behaviours is a lack of leadership accountability; power imbalances; gender inequality and a lack of diversity; and significant distrust in leaders at all levels of the business. 

The report has made 22 recommendations, prioritised into foundational, intermediate and advanced changes required for the reset of culture at Nine. 

After considering the report today, the Nine board committed to implementing all 22 recommendations and has requested management to provide the board and employees a comprehensive action plan to uplift the company’s culture during November 2024.

Nine chair Catherine West

Nine chair Catherine West said: “Today is an incredibly difficult day for Nine as we confront these findings and reflect on serious cultural issues as an organisation. The behaviour outlined in the report is unacceptable. Abuse of power, bullying, sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct is not okay. This behaviour has no place at Nine.

“We acknowledge that too many of our past and present employees have been harmed by poor workplace culture, the prevalence of inappropriate workplace behaviours, and an inadequate response in the past from Nine to those behaviours.

“To any individual who has experienced inappropriate conduct that does not meet the values of Nine, we are deeply sorry. On behalf of the board, I unreservedly apologise.

“The strength and courage these individuals have shown in sharing their stories as part of this process will allow us to move forward as an organisation with a clear understanding of where we went wrong and their insights will help strengthen Nine’s culture for the better. For that, we thank them. 

“Despite the proactive culture change agenda already underway, the reality is much more needs to be done and a cultural reset is required. Nine’s board and leadership team are united in their commitment to accelerating and driving the required change.” 

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

Nine Acting chief executive officer Matt Stanton said: “The Intersection report makes for hard reading for the many people who love working for Nine and all that we stand for. It was personally distressing for me to read these stories from our people. The behaviour experienced by many of our people right across the business is not acceptable in any workplace and falls well below what our people should expect in the work environment. 

“While it is important that today all of us at Nine take a moment to reflect, we also move forward with a resolve to do better. We have a responsibility to our people to create a safe and respectful work environment to ensure they can perform at their best. Our people deserve nothing less.”

Download a copy of the complete report here.

The Australian today published its fourth annual edition of The List – Top 100 Innovators 2024: The Next Wave.

Identifying the nation’s best inventors and entrepreneurs, The List – Top 100 Innovators 2024 features the most exciting ideas emerging across the country, ranging across industries, from space to cyber security, travel to fashion, energy to infrastructure. Plus, a special focus on health.

The issue is supported by advertisers including Omega, Rolex, Viking, True North, and Travel Associates.

The Australian’s managing director and publisher, Nicholas Gray said: “The influential journalism of The List franchise offers a premium environment for advertisers who are looking to engage with this audience. Across The Australian’s gloss print and digital platforms, The List has proven to be a huge success, with these bespoke issues driving new subscribers. We’re proud of The Australian’s latest contribution to the Contest of Ideas.”

The List – Top 100 Innovators 2024 is edited by editor Helen Trinca and technology editor Jared Lynch with an advisory panel helping select the Top 100. The panel includes Damian Kassabgi, CEO, Tech Council of Australia; Scott Farquhar, co founder, Atlassian; Romilly Madew, CEO, Engineers Australia; Andy Jane, managing director, Life Sciences at Talu Ventures; and Roy Green, Emeritus Professor, University of Technology Sydney.

Trinca said: “Our fourth annual Innovators List celebrates, explains and analyses the impact of innovation on our society – and looks forward to what we might see in the future with the explosion of generative AI and its application to so many sectors of the economy.

“We have selected 100 innovators doing interesting work across a range of sectors from energy to e-commerce. It doesn’t pretend to be a definitive list of the brilliant and committed Australians who get up every day, determined to turn their idea into reality. But our Top 100 Innovators List spotlights the talented people who, one way and another, are changing the way we live.”

The Australian will officially launch the Top 100 Innovators magazine today at SXSW Sydney with a client experience at Thrive House onboard LawConnect Superyacht. Senior corporate leaders and some of the young entrepreneurs featured in the magazine will sail Sydney Harbour to discuss the latest technological advances and their impact.

The List – Top 100 Innovators 2024 magazine is available online exclusively to subscribers at theaustralian.com.au and as a glossy magazine inserted into The Australian newspaper today, Friday October 18.

oOh!media has launched a new large-format, double-sided billboard along Ocean Reef Road in the northern Perth suburb of Wangara.

The outdoor media company say the high-traffic location in the City of Wanneroo, offers brands a prime opportunity to engage with audiences traveling from the Coast to the Swan Valley, at scale.

The new billboard, combines a dynamic digital face targeting westbound traffic and a classic eastbound face.

Positioned on one of the area’s busiest thoroughfares, Ocean Reef Road connects directly to key arterial roads including the Mitchell Freeway linking to the CBD and the Tonkin Highway connecting to the airport.

This latest installation complements oOh!’s existing footprint, which includes its street furniture contract with the City of Wanneroo. Together, these assets deliver more than 91% reach. Additionally, the recently launched single-sided digital billboard in Como, has quickly become a favourite for brands aiming to reach Perth’s upscale audiences. This site also benefits from connections to major attractions like Optus Stadium, Crown Casino, and Perth Airport.

Chris Eyres, sales director WA at oOh!media said: “This new site in the City of Wanneroo marks an important step in our continued expansion in Western Australia. The combination of digital and classic formats provides unparalleled flexibility for advertisers to engage commuters traveling in both directions. With this site, we’re bringing oOh!’s premium capabilities to a high growth area that has historically been underserved by large-format media, opening up new opportunities for brands to connect with commuters.”

oOh!media continues to maintain a footprint across Perth’s CBD and broader market, with signature digital and classic assets including the Yagan Square billboard featuring 3D anamorphic capabilities, as well as a key site along the Mitchell Freeway.

This extension with Perth comes after the outdoor media company expanded its Australian Open integration to create innovative moments for tennis fans and brands alike.

See also: oOh!media extends Australian Open partnership with deeper brand integration opportunities

By Anthony Fargeot, VP of growth, Bench Media

Afterpay recently launched its own Retail Media Network (RMN), and my inner marketer was immediately interested. Afterpay is a company with 3.5 million customers and 129,000 merchants that helped facilitate $13.4 billion in sales in 2023 alone: that’s a treasure trove of fresh, real-time retail behavioural data any marketer would be eager to get their hands on. The potential for brands to tap into this data to create highly targetted, ROI-driven campaigns is immense.

But the old adage “when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is” comes to mind and I hit the brakes when I became aware of Afterpay’s rollout schedule. Currently, Afterpay’s RMN is limited to the Yahoo ecosystem and released to only select agencies. The stark reality is that albeit Afterpay’s RMN being very exciting, it is yet another “walled garden” added to the long list of isolated ecosystems that currently dominate the retail media space.

Retail media is undoubtedly one of the fastest-growing areas in marketing, offering brands incredible possibilities to reach consumers in direct and relevant ways. However, the growing issue is each RMN operates as its own closed system. Major players such as Cartology (Woolworths), Coles360, and Chemist Warehouse (to name a few) all have their own retail media networks, each with valuable data and tools. But they operate in silos – blame it on privacy concerns and technical limitations – which means brands are often forced to engage with multiple RMNs separately, leading to duplication, fragmentation and media budget inefficiencies. Many products stocked across multiple retailers require different campaigns for each RMN, which is time-consuming, complex to coordinate and ultimately frustrating and of course, costly.

The problem doesn’t stop at retail media networks. Brands understandably often extend their advertising efforts beyond these networks into the wider digital ecosystem, advertising on platforms like Google and Meta, which although powerful are also walled gardens. This creates further disconnection between retail media and broader brand campaigns, making it even more challenging for marketers to deliver a cohesive strategy across all channels.

This fragmented landscape has left many brands taking a “spray and pray” approach to advertising, relying on quantity over quality, simply because it’s so difficult to navigate the complexity of retail media and digital advertising. The real beneficiaries of this are the walled gardens, but it doesn’t do much for brands trying to make meaningful connections with their customers, nor does it lead to optimal marketing spend.

So, how do we solve the problem?

The solution lies in an integrated approach—one that bridges the gaps between walled gardens and allows brands to effectively harness their capabilities. While we may not be able to fully break down the walls between these systems due to technological and privacy limitations, we can still work to connect the dots. Using data modelling and inference tools, brands can create a more complete picture of their customers’ journeys, allowing for smarter, more efficient campaign strategies. This requires some advanced knowledge and some out-of-the-box thinking but for the most part, it is doable.

The resulting holistic approach will enable retail brands to deliver seamless, personalised customer experiences, optimising marketing spend and improving performance. By shifting focus toward understanding what RMNs and digital channels drive the best results, brands can finally move beyond enriching the walled gardens and start building marketing strategies that truly work for them and their customers.

This centralised, data-driven approach can provide a competitive edge to any brand that adopts it, ultimately leading to better targeting and increased revenue opportunities. And for marketers, that’s another Holy Grail.

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Top image: Anthony Fargeot

By Niall Hogan, general manager, JAPAC, GumGum

Picture this. It’s mid-October, and your inbox is flooded with early holiday promotions. You’re scrolling through social media, trying to get the jump on Christmas shopping, but instead, you’re hit with a barrage of irrelevant ads that feel more intrusive than helpful. Sound familiar?

For many Aussie shoppers, this is a common experience as brands rush to capture attention ahead of the festive season. With new research showing that over 55% of Australians start their holiday shopping by October, there’s a massive opportunity for businesses to get ahead—if only they can engage shoppers without overwhelming them. The challenge for online advertisers is to strike the right balance between timing and relevance, while always respecting consumer privacy.

Getting this right is important for many reasons. In today’s landscape, shoppers are becoming more selective about the ads they engage with. Traditional identity-based advertising has started to fall flat, as consumers grow tired of feeling tracked and are constantly bombarded with ads that miss the mark. Ad fatigue is real, and brands that rely on outdated tactics risk being left out of the conversation completely.

 That’s why next generation contextual advertising is emerging as a powerful alternative. By focusing on the content consumers are actively engaging with, rather than their personal data, brands can deliver more relevant and timely ads that genuinely cut through. Whether someone is reading up on Christmas decorating ideas or watching a holiday recipe video, contextual ads feel less intrusive because they match the consumer’s immediate interests and mindset.

This holiday season, Aussie brands have a chance to make an impact without adding to the digital noise. GumGum, for example, has worked hard to ensure it helps its partners to align consumer behaviour with advertiser goals. But, and this is key, the consumer always remains the top priority.

By focusing on relevant creative, brands will provide a more natural and engaging experience for those seeing their ads. And when that happens the result is much more likely to be an experience that resonates, raising the prospect of a purchase.

As Australian shoppers gear up for the festive period, brands that embrace contextual advertising can stand out by offering a more intuitive and privacy-friendly experience. It’s about meeting consumers where they are, on their terms, and creating meaningful interactions that drive engagement without triggering ad fatigue. Hopefully by heeding these words you’ll set your business up for a happy and prosperous festive season.

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Top image: Niall Hogan

Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.

Nicola Barnes

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.

After a 16-year journey with Triple M, Gus Worland has announced that he is leaving the station at the end of the year.

Worland, who initially joined Triple M as a member of the Sydney Grill Team, has most recently hosted The Rush Hour on 104.9 Triple M Sydney, delivering to audiences his blend of humour and passion.

Rebecca Darley has resigned from Domain Group as chief marketing officer and managing director—consumer division, to take up her new role as group chief marketing officer of TPG Telecom. She departs from the property marketplace company in December after two years in the role.

Bronwyn van der Merwe and Matt Michael

Accenture Song has appointed two new leaders who will succeed Mark Green, following his appointment as global CEO of Droga5, and relocation to New York.
 
Bronwyn van der Merwe has been appointed Accenture Song lead for Australia and New Zealand, effective October 15, 2024. With over 20 years’ experience in the design and innovation space, Bronwyn is currently the Service practice lead at Accenture Song ANZ, having rejoined the company in 2023 after a stint as VP of Design at Culture Amp.
 
Matt Michael will step up to the position of CEO Droga5 in Australia and New Zealand from December 1st, following The Monkeys integration into Droga5.
 
Wavemaker has scaled up the strategic expertise of its Melbourne office with a senior inter-office appointment and two promotions.
 
Joining the GroupM media agency is Stephen Drawbridge who will take on the role of strategy partner, tasked with leading strategy for Mondelez as well as other Wavemaker clients.
 
Head of digital Kristy Kinzett will take on the new role of managing partner in recognition of her innovative and results-driven work on L’Oréal and will be responsible for dialling up integrated digital and performance thinking across all Wavemaker campaigns.
 
Steve Thornton will step up from his current role as planning director on Mondelez to take the reins as Head of Planning Melbourne, tasked with driving the agency’s planning principles across all clients. An experienced digital marketer, Steve has been at Wavemaker Melbourne for close to five years.

Ricky Chanana

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.
 
Melbourne Social Co has welcomed Ebony Coatsworth, as a social media executive. Coatsworth has carved out a really successful personal brand, marketing community and podcast series in ‘Can I Buy You A Coffee’ over the past few years, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the agency.
 
Amy Torpy also joins the agency as an account manager, bringing a wealth of experience across property and hotel portfolios.
 
Medium Rare Content Agency has announced the appointment of Claire Bradley as general manager of the Coles account.
 
In the newly created leadership role, Bradley will supercharge the supermarket brand’s content marketing strategy by developing content that drives growth and engagement across both owned and paid channels.
 
SBS has appointed Nakul Legha as head of scripted to oversee all of the broadcaster’s commissioned scripted content.
 
Legha joined SBS in January as commissioning editor and has played a key role in the production and ongoing development of SBS’s slate of locally commissioned scripted programs, including the new SBS Original romantic drama, Four Years Later. 

Jessica Radburn

The ABC has appointed audio executive Jessica Radburn to the new position of head of audio on demand.
 
She will lead the ABC’s audio-on-demand strategy including the commissioning and development processes. She will manage the growing podcast slate to ensure it aligns to the ABC’s audience priorities across all its key brands.
 
Clemenger BBDO has optimised its AI capabilities with four new promotions. The appointments see long-time Clems creative Ant Phillips promoted from GCD to ECD, creative team Riana McKenzie and Zoe Perrin promoted to senior creative roles, and Ben Bryan from junior to mid-weight art director.
 
Gabby Corcoran has been appointed sales director for independent new business at Channel Factory.
 
Corcoran joins the team with over a decade of experience in digital media sales, having previously held senior titles at oOh!, Adshel, Fairfax Media, and Bauer Media.
 
Zoe Goodhardt has been promoted to partner at Tag, the Melbourne-based digital agency.
 
Goodhardt, who is also head of growth and marketing, will focus on expanding the agency’s presence across the east coast of Australia and continue building momentum in the United States, where TAG works with clients in the health industry.

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

Yahoo has announced that Yahoo Identity Solutions are now widely available through leading publisher tools and SSPs. With this update, publishers can implement Yahoo Identity Solutions through launch partners Amazon Publisher Services (APS) via Connections Marketplace, InMobi Advertising, Magnite, and PubMatic.

This enables more of a publisher’s audiences to be recognised by more demand, helping to optimise monetisation without third-party cookies.

“As we continue to extend Yahoo Identity Solutions, we are building on our momentum to shape the future of identity in advertising, ensuring publishers can monetise their audiences more effectively in an identity-constrained world,” said Chandra Cirulnick, VP of Global Supply Partnerships, Yahoo.

“This expansion demonstrates our commitment to future-proofing our clients’ businesses as they adapt to the evolving digital landscape through robust identity solutions that drive performance and respect user privacy.”

Yahoo say advertisers can now benefit from enhanced targeting by maximising audience scale through reaching more publishers than ever before to drive effective and efficient ad campaigns in a cookieless or identity-less environment.

Publishers can adopt Yahoo Identity Solutions through multiple buying paths and maximise inventory monetisation for both logged-in and non-logged-in audiences.

Publishers can now benefit from each solution including:

Amazon Publisher Services (APS)

APS publisher customers can now onboard Yahoo ConnectID (YCID), making CID available for bidding through APS’ Transparent Ad Marketplace.

“We are excited to launch Yahoo ConnectID in APS Connections Marketplace, making it easier for our publisher customers to implement it on their inventory. With ConnectID, APS publishers can optimise their supply-side signals to better engage demand via Amazon’s Transparent Ad Marketplace monetisation path,” said Scott Siegler, director of Amazon Publisher Services.

InMobi Advertising

Publishers can implement YCID through InMobi’s UnifID for In-App use cases. InMobi’s UnifID allows publishers to implement and manage multiple partner IDs, and centralise those integrations through the InMobi SDK.

“InMobi is thrilled to be the first platform focused on ad monetisation for mobile app developers to integrate with the Yahoo ConnectID, providing advertisers who leverage the Yahoo DSP a clearer path to addressable inventory in a privacy-first world,” said Todd Rose, SVP, global business development & partnerships, InMobi Advertising. “This partnership underscores our commitment to continuous adaptation of the InMobi Exchange to the evolving privacy landscape and to supporting publisher choice concerning the alternative identity solutions they support.”

The Mediaweek 100 lunch event returns for 2024 – with a new addition to its prestigious list lineup.

Mediaweek 100 and Media Agency 50 celebrate the leaders who are at the top of their game, and the teams driving success in Australia’s leading media companies.

Joining this highly-anticipated lineup for 2024 is the newly-created Variety Australia Entertainment 50 which highlights the top 50 creatives – producers, directors and industry organisations – who make successful original content in the entertainment industry.

The annual event to announce the names attracts the industry’s most-influential people as Mediaweek celebrates the immense talent across the country.

Mediaweek 100 returns for 2024 with the Media Agency 50 and the Variety Australia Entertainment 50, after a hugely successful event in 2023.

This year’s lunch to announce the top names on the lists will take place on Tuesday, 22 November, 2024 at the Pearl Ballroom, Crown Sydney. Tickets are available here. 

You can view the full criteria and enter the Mediaweek 100, the Media Agency 50 and the Variety Australia Entertainment 50 here.

While you don’t have to be nominated to make any of the three lists, our application portal is open to encourage people to make their submissions. 

KEY DATES

Submissions open: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Submissions close: Tuesday, 12 November 2024 (11.59pm AEST)

Event Date: Friday, 22 November, 2024 (12pm AEST)
Location: Pearl Ballroom, Crown Sydney