NRL commentator Paul Kent has made an application to the Fair Work Commission, launching an unfair dismissal case against News Corp.

In July, Kent was sacked from his commentary jobs with both Fox Sports and News Corp after video of a street brawl was shared on social media. The NRL 360 co-host and Daily Telegraph columnist pleaded guilty to affray after footage showed him being thrown into a tree in Sydney’s Inner West. 

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the application has been filed under Section 365 of the Fair Work Act, with Kent taking on Nationwide News, a subsidiary of News Corp.

News Corp declined to comment. 

The brawl is the latest in a string of controversies for Kent. 

In December 2023, seven months on from his arrest and first standing down from his roles at Fox Sports and The Daily Telegraph, a Sydney court found Kent not guilty of allegations he assaulted his then-partner.

In May last year, police were called to Kent’s Lilyfield home, before he was taken to Surry Hills police station, where he was charged with common assault and choking a person without consent. Kent allegedly got into an argument with a 33-year-old woman before the police were called.

Police added a third charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in November.

Magistrate Daniel Rees found that the charges could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, concluding that Kent “was acting in reasonable self-defence of his property” after having his phone taken. 

In 2022, Kent was dropped by Triple M football following the fallout from Anthony Maroon’s on-air walkout.

A week earlier, ahead of the Round 8 clash between the Dragons and Tigers, Maroon became increasingly frustrated over jokes made by co-hosts, Kent, James Hooper, and Gorden Tallis, at his expense about the Australian Taxation Office.

Maroon eventually walked out of the studio, mid-program, forcing Kent to anchor the rest of the show.

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Top image: Paul Kent

After three years on air, SCA has confirmed that Sydney’s 104.1 2DayFM breakfast show, Hughesy, Ed & Erin, has ended.

The hosting trio David “Hughesy” Hughes, Ed Kavalee, and Erin Molan, said in a statement that they have “loved our time together on 2DayFM Breakfast.”

“However, due to some of our families living in different cities we are unable to commit to 2025, so with a heavy heart we are moving aside so 2DayFM can find the team to take them forward in Breakfast. We are so grateful to Sydney for their support, and to double the number of listeners in three years is something we are immensely proud of, and we will miss each and every one of them.”

The Jimmy and Nath Show’s Jimmy Smith and Nath Roye will fill in for breakfast for the rest of 2024. 

See also: ‘We want to be the best radio show there is’: Jimmy & Nath on allowing things to go wrong to create fun and unpredictable content

SCA chief content officer, Dave Cameron, said: “We are incredibly thankful to Hughesy, Ed and Erin for their unwavering dedication in making the 2DayFM Breakfast show a fun way to wake up Sydney each morning since 2020, and we wish them the very best with the continuation of their outstanding careers.

“As we look to 2025, we are preparing for a change for the 2DayFM Sydney Breakfast show and will make further announcements in due course.”

In the most recent radio ratings survey, 2Day FM recorded a 4.4% share, dropping 1.1 points. In the breakfast shift, Hughesy, Ed & Erin dipped 1.4 points, bringing in a share of 3.6%. 

See also: Sydney Radio Ratings 2024 Survey 4: 2GB stays far and away at #1

SCA says it will announce details of a new breakfast show “at an appropriate time.”

In May, Hughes told the show’s listeners that another of his roles as a panellist on The Masked Singer had been axed: “As far as I know, The Masked Singer won’t be filmed this year for Channel 10.”

Affinity has repositioned as a growth accelerator, becoming the latest company to veer away from identifying as an agency.

Angela Smith, Affinity co-founder and chief brand officer, told Mediaweek her focus is that “clients realise that we are a business, not an agency.”

Smith said the repositioning was the “next logical step” in Affinity’s evolution after a decade of developing systems that deliver results for the entire C-suite.
 
She noted that as Affinity became increasingly adept at leveraging data for marketers, it was natural for the agency to expand its focus to broader business growth.
 
“I think it’s about maturity — as independent thinkers with significant experience, we constantly reassess the market, its needs, and how to meet those needs.”

Co-founder and group CEO Luke Brown noted that defining the business as a growth accelerator was based on the Hedgehog Principle, by business author Jim Collins, of identifying what sets the business apart from similar businesses to maximise cash flow.
 
“Our journey has always been about driving measurable growth,” Brown said. “It’s something we’ve consistently done for every client. And as our conversations broadened to a range of client executives beyond marketing, we found that our proven growth credentials had universal appeal.”
 
Brown said many agencies define themselves by what they produce, such as ads, earned media, or social content, not by the value they create. He noted that this approach “brings them closer to extinction.”

“Unfortunately, agencies suffer from Maslow’s law of instruments—if the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail—more media or ads,” Brown continued.
 
“Our aim has always been to be trusted advisors who act in the best interests of the businesses that hire us. We look for unrealised potential and the smartest levers to drive growth and create value.”

Former holdco creative agency execs Cam Blackley and Emily Taylor opened up their own creative shop this year, deliberately avoiding the word ‘agency’. Taylor told Mediaweek the word “feels like it has quite a lot of baggage for clients, at least the ones we spoke to. Whether that’s because they default to ads as the solution or because they’re focused on the creative ideas they want to make, not the work the brand needs.”

Smith said Affinity advises clients to invest in areas that will benefit the business rather than spend money on ads, which has built trust and positioned the agency as partners and advisors, rather than just suppliers.
 
She noted that the new growth accelerator positioning emphasises the wider conversation of engaging the CEO and the CMO to drive changes that have a measurable impact.

“Clients can expect a healthier, more profitable, and sustainable business through our no-nonsense, efficient, and tangible process,” she said.

“CMOs are often frustrated because marketing needs to be viewed as the business engine from a whole-business perspective. Our 6DP offering bridges this gap by connecting marketing to the broader business strategy,” she added.
 
6DP, or the Six Dimensions of Potential, is a codified system of principles. Brown says they allow the agency to identify and leverage client growth opportunities.
 
“This isn’t just a marketing solution; it’s about making a direct, long-lasting impact on our clients’ bottom line. We’ve found that working alongside the broader C-level allows us to make a more significant and measurable impact on their business.”

Brown said success can be distilled down to the impact on bottom lines.
 
“We aim to see meaningful, measurable changes in our clients’ businesses that go beyond traditional marketing metrics.”
 
Looking ahead, Smith hinted at upcoming partnerships and hires. Affinity recently added Emma Shepherd as communications director and Gavin Sommer as general manager.
 
“But I expect there’ll be the haters and denouncers. To quote Brene Brown (no relation), ‘if they’re in the cheap seats, I don’t really care for their opinion.'”
 
She is looking forward to engaging with different perspectives from the market on the agency’s growth accelerator positioning.
 
“I’m excited to have some robust debate and interesting friction around our proposition, healthy curiosity and open-mindedness about what we’re offering.”

Brown added he is looking forward to working with “ambitious and like-minded people who understand the need for partnership to identify the right changes” and having “robust debates and healthy curiosity about our proposition.”
 
“We’re tired of the rhetoric around the end of agencies; we’re actively doing something about it.”

After 13 years at PHD, Mitchell Long has joined Havas Media as chief strategy officer.

Virginia Hyland, CEO of Havas Media Network, said Long is a “rare talent”, and she took her time picking the right person for “this important role.” Nick Kavanagh left the position last June to join Dentsu’s iProspect.

Long told Mediaweek his focus will include “investing time to really deeply think through how we best rebuild the strategy and planning products alongside the broader Havas leadership team.”

This includes “laying down the right processes, principles and training that set a new standard and ensure consistency of that quality across the board,” he said.

Long joined PHD as an intern – originally studying journalism – rising through the ranks and working across investment and planning, before finding his stride in strategy.

In 2015, he was appointed strategy director, and in 2019 was appointed as head of strategy, the youngest-ever head of strategy in the history of PHD’s global network, according to the agency. He worked on clients including Unilever, Volkswagen, PepsiCo, Google, and Virgin Australia.

At Havas, Long will lead the strategic direction for Havas Media and Havas PLAY.

“He will also play a pivotal role working alongside the Havas Village agencies to support our continued global focus creating a Converged operating system and data home platform for clients from across our Havas Village,” Hyland said.

Long said the Village model is “uniquely positioned to bridge the growing divide between breadth and depth.” 

“As marketing becomes increasingly fragmented, clients are torn between a need for specialisms and synergy,” he added. “They need sophisticated expertise that connect to be greater than the sum of their parts.”

Just last week, Havas Media acquired indie agency Hotglue and promoted Alastair Baker to chief planning officer.

“With recent significant business growth via wins and independent agency acquisitions for the Havas Media Network, it is a particularly exciting time for Mitch to join the team,” Hyland added.

“Marketers challenge to simplify the complicated has never been greater particularly when budgets are tight, and their teams are stretched. They desire to work with partners who can unpack their problems and deliver an integrated seamless working model to deliver new growth areas. Mitch will play a key role in leaning into our clients business in a true partnership extension.”

Long noted that AI will continue to be a major disruptor, which means “from a strategy perspective, it’s critical we are leveraging the latest in AI, both to short-circuit much of the traditional analytical leg-work, and more significantly to act as a catalyst for our people to think more expansively and creatively on a client’s business.”

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Top image: Hyland and Long

By Simon Corbett, chief innovation officer, Slingshot

In Australia’s media landscape, one principle should stand above all: client success. Yet, many agencies prioritise their revenue over results. It’s time to reassess our priorities. As a media agency, we should take the long view and be willing to reallocate some of our media budget back to the creative agency when needed.

We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.

This isn’t about charity or altruism. It’s about understanding the real driving force behind any campaign: creativity. Kantar research shows that creative quality is the biggest driver of salience, accounting for 50% of the outcome. Brand salience – the degree to which your brand is noticed or thought about during a buying situation – is crucial for campaign effectiveness.

What happens when the creative idea hits a financial wall and the client can’t offer more money? What if the production budget doesn’t stretch to optimise the idea for each channel? Too often, the campaign suffers, and with it, our collective potential for success. We need to stop that. If reallocating a little of the media budget can deliver extraordinary results, we should be prepared to do it. If we’re committed to achieving the best outcomes for our clients, we must be willing to make sacrifices.

It goes without saying that clients must ensure the creative agency has a sufficient budget to fulfil the idea. But in tough times, and with the explosion of channels and complexity in the production process, too often there is not quite enough for the creative agencies to ensure their messaging is fit for channel and purpose. And effectiveness suffers when that happens.

We believe that how you behave in media can build and differentiate a brand just as strongly as creative. We are confident we can achieve this, even with a slightly reduced media budget. However, a brilliant creative idea, perfectly executed for each channel, can transform a campaign from mediocre to magnificent.

To demonstrate our commitment to creative effectiveness, we have been investing time and money into developing Creatalytics – a proprietary tool that combines creativity and analytics to amplify the return on creative investment. As a media agency, we feel obligated to do everything we can to ensure campaign performance. Helping clients and creative agencies exploit each channel by making it perfect for format is our investment.

Some might argue that this approach undermines the media agency’s value. To those critics, I say: what’s the point of hoarding budget if the end result is a lacklustre campaign? Have faith in yourselves and push to do more with a little less, amazing media strategy and execution can still happen.

Consider this a call to arms. Be proactive. Have the difficult conversations. Make bold decisions. Support your client and your creative agency partner, showing them both that you are genuinely invested in their success and believe in the power of creativity to drive results.

In the end, it’s not just about being a good media agency. It’s about being a great one. Greatness demands courage, innovation, and sometimes a willingness to sacrifice. Because when the client wins, we all win.

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Top image: Simon Corbett

With the Olympics wrapping up this weekend, Nine CEO Mike Sneesby has told staff that advertising revenue secured for the business’ Paris Olympic and Paralympic coverage has lifted from $135 million to “more than $140 million as our sponsors and advertising partners have embraced Nine’s platforms and coverage.”

Last month, Sneesby promised that the company’s eight-year bet on the Olympic and Paralympic Games was paying off, with the company’s “torch” and “flame” sponsorship packages – valued at $12.5 million and $10.5 million respectively – at capacity.

See also: Nine will bank $135 million in ad revenue for Paris Olympics: Mike Sneesby

In the same note to staff seen by Mediaweek, Sneesby also highlighted some of the “record breaking audience results being achieved” during the Olympic period. 

“We made a commitment to put our audiences and advertisers first with Olympics Games and Paralympic Games coverage of an unprecedented quality and scale and we are delivering on that promise,” he wrote.

Broadcast and 9Now coverage combined has “reached an incredible 10.5m average daily viewers,” and the first week of the games “saw 9Now record the highest weekly BVOD reach of any broadcaster since VOZ commenced (Dec 2021) – reaching over 6m viewers,” Sneesby said.

He added that the Olympics coverage has become the most read topic across Nine’s mastheads and “has driven a significant increase” in subscribers.

For Nine Radio, Sneesby reports audio streaming audiences up more than 25% year on year. Since the first day of competition, session starts across Nine Radio’s digital devices have jumped 48%, with the key hours of 4am-7am showing the most significant uplift. Total listening hours have increased by 12%, and Nine’s exclusive Olympic podcast, The Olympics Today, has seen a 17% increase in podcast listeners. 

Stan Sport has also seen “record viewing numbers and subscribers.”

Last week – just a few hours after returning to work following a five-day strike coinciding with the Olympics beginning – Nine journalists accepted an in principle enterprise bargaining agreement offer from management. 

Journalists will receive a pay rise of 11.5% over three years, broken into 4%, 3.75%, and 3.75% lifts each year. This is an improvement on the rejected offer that triggered the strike action, which was reportedly 3.5% per year.

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Top image: Mike Sneesby

The University of Melbourne has reappointed GroupM’s Mindshare to its media account for a further three years.

Ai Lin Macdonald, the university’s global brand and marketing director, said Mindshare “has proven to be a valued and trusted long-term partner.”

“With the extension of our partnership, we look forward to their continued support in our ambitious goals to engage our student base in new ways and advance our digital experience transformation.”

As part of the appointment, Mindshare has extended its remit to involve the agency’s transformation consultancy and connections planning capabilities, plus GroupM’s data and tech consultation Acceleration and Choreograph.

The business will be run out of Mindshare Melbourne’s office, which GroupM said will act as a “central APAC hub for the university, leveraging the Mindshare network across APAC to provide localised support.”

“Mindshare’s North Star is to deliver accountable consultancy to our clients to address disruption, and future proof their business,” said the agency’s Melbourne MD, Christian Solomon.

“Over the past year, we have been working closely with University of Melbourne on their journey towards digital maturity. The brilliant team at the University are pushing forward their digital transformation at speed and we are proud to continue the partnership delivering Good Growth.”

The agency will also work with the university’s communications and marketing team to support its digital transformation program. This will involve ensuring potential students see relevant courses and other information. 

The University of Melbourne is ranked first in Australia and 14th globally, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.

Last month, Mindshare nabbed PHD’s Joshua McDonnell for the role of growth and marketing director.

Just yesterday, GroupM stablemate essenceMediacom confirmed it won the Specsavers pitch. Mediaweek understands the account is worth $50-60 million. essenceMediacom already held the account in New Zealand, while Initiative was the Australian incumbent.

IAB Australia has appointed Vanya Mariani, commercial director – media (sales and customer solutions) for Carsales as chair of the board. Andrew Brain, director of data and growth at Seven West Media, has been appointed deputy chair.

Rebecca Costello will also join the IAB Board as the new representative for The Guardian, while Suzie Cardwell joins as Nine’s representative.

Mariani was previously deputy chair, and succeeds Matt Rowley, who stepped down from the IAB board following his departure from Pedestrian Media.

Mariani oversees all sales and customer solutions activity for carsales.com and has worked with the site for more than 14 years.

“It has been a pleasure to be co-chair of the IAB alongside Matt Rowley over the last 18 months, and I feel privileged to take the reins of chair officially,” Mariani said.

“It’s a transformational period for our industry and with that comes incredible opportunity to raise the bar on how we all operate.

“The IAB is committed to supporting the digital ecosystem on several key areas. Our vision is clear, and we have a wonderful team of experts that executes with excellence.”

As chair, Mariani will work closely with IAB Australia CEO, Gai Le Roy, on several initiatives including helping the industry in relation to ad effectiveness, audience measurement, finding ways to reduce industry carbon emissions, and helping all sectors to navigate changes in data usage and privacy obligations.

Le Roy said: “I would like to thank Matt for being an incredible chair and ambassador for the digital advertising industry. During his tenure, the IAB in Australia has continued to significantly expand membership, roll out a new audience ratings currency, play a major role in industry policy areas and helped drive deeper connections across the industry.

“I am looking forward to working closely with Vanya, a passionate and positive industry leader representing an innovative and successful Australian business, who will help lead the board and identify important initiatives for the digital advertising industry.”

Bureau of Everything has been appointed as the agency of record for a new ebike brand due to launch in Australia later this year.

The Bureau is charged with the naming, brand design, packaging, and launch campaign.

BoE said the brand and its products are “uniquely positioned to disrupt an otherwise disappointingly straight category with innovation and irreverence.”

The project is now underway, with the team working on it from its new office in Surry Hills.

Founder of the new ebike brand, Abe Mikhail, said of working with Bureau: “Trying to find a partner to offer us something truly unique in this space was tricky. BoE was quick to show us the magic we were after and already feel like an extension of our team. The brand they are bringing to life for us is the perfect mix of wicked and smart.”

Creative founder Cam Blackley added: “We’re blessed to be able to influence a brand so completely like this. To design a brand from scratch, but also to be let in on the manufacturing process and shape key product design decisions was always part of the creative dream for Bureau. That and launching a brand that will help you outrun the fuzz.”

Speaking to Mediaweek in June, founders Blackley and Emily Taylor called the new shop a “creative company”, not an agency. 

The ex-M&C Saatchi CCO and CSO explained that the strategist-creative pairing will act as creative directors on a project, from start to finish. Blackley is involved in the strategic process, and Taylor keeps close to the work all the way through to craft and execution.

“You talk about it as keeping the creative honest,” she said to Blackley.

Taylor has always enjoyed working like this. “I need to jam and bounce.” But creative and strategy being siloed in agencies has an impact. 

“The reality is, you’re in different departments. And quite often strategy gets completely dropped off the process after the first phase, or creative isn’t really that involved at the beginning. And I think it shows in the work.”

The creative shop has also been working with FoneKing.

See also: Blackley and Taylor plan to pioneer strat-creative model with Bureau of Everything

Emotive has nabbed Thrive PR’s national director of integration, Ashleigh Bruton, for the newly minted-role of head of fame.

“The job description for this role was so broad it was a recruiter’s nightmare, but we ended up landing a dream candidate in Ashleigh,” said Emotive CSO and managing partner, Michael Hogg.

Her appointment follows Matt Holmes‘ June exit from the creative agency after starting as head of PR and earned creative in March.

Holmes was originally set to boost Emotive’s fame offering, launched in February. However Simon Joyce, Emotive’s founder and CEO, explained that he needed to make a quick but difficult decision because the agency needed strategic leadership, versus PR leadership.

Speaking with Mediaweek following Homes’ departure, Joyce explained the fame offering was designed to unite five specialisms: social, talent, partnerships, brand experience, and PR. The goal is to position fame as “an essential, not just desirable part of the creative process.”

In May, Rhian Mason left the agency after three years as head of social, talent, and partnerships.

Bruton’s career has spanned Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific and North America in roles within digital, creative, PR and media businesses. Prior to joining Thrive PR, she was the head of content and social at Digitas, before moving to the same role at Publicis Groupe. 

Bruton has worked with brands including Tourism Australia, Lexus, Stellantis, GSK, Woolworths, EA Games, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Johnson & Johnson, Proximo Spirits, and Casio. Beyond the work, Bruton is also a regular awards juror, industry speaker, and mentor.

“I’ve always believed that the best work is found at the intersection of creativity and culture, which is why I couldn’t be more thrilled to join the team at Emotive, a company that embodies this ethos every day,” Bruton said.

“From the moment I met the team here, it was clear we share the ambition to create work that transforms how people feel and I can’t wait to dive into their impressive roster of clients to see what we can create together.” 

Hogg added: “She shares our belief in ideas not ads and fame as essential not just desirable for overcoming audience apathy. Ashleigh also cares as much about execution as she does about strategy and has a skill set to deliver both equally well. It’s kind of intimidating in the best possible way.”

The agency has recently released a string of work, including the marketing campaign for Optus’ seven-day network trial offer, No Catch, fronted by Delta Goodrem and Jason Donovan. 

Emotive also enlisted Goodrem for an activation with Revlon to mark International Lipstick Day, supporting the national cancer-support program charity Look Good, Feel Better.  

See also: Optus launches ‘No Catch’ campaign with Emotive, fronted by Delta Goodrem and Jason Donovan

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Top image: Ashleigh Bruton

CHEP Network has launched its first work for Spirit of Tasmania: an integrated campaign across television, digital, social, and outdoor platforms called Pack more in. Get more out.

The campaign builds on Spirit of Tasmania’s long-standing Be a spirited traveller brand platform, which has been central to its creative strategy for the past seven years. 

The Pack more in. Get more out. campaign’s central concept highlights the fact that, unlike air travel, there are no baggage limits onboard. Whether it’s a surfboard, a guitar, or a collection of local wines, what passengers bring to and from Tasmania creates a unique travel experience.

“Spirit of Tasmania offers travellers the unique chance to take whatever they want on holiday and bring even more back. No 7kg weight restriction,” said CHEP Network’s deputy chief creative officer, Glen Dickson.

“No oversized baggage fees. No limits to your trip.”

In addition to the hero film, the campaign includes a rollout across out of home media, radio, digital, and social. 

The work for Spirit of Tasmania follows the July appointment of CHEP Network as Tourism Northern Territory’s martech services partner. The three-year partnership will see the creative network focus on delivering a more personalised experience and data-driven digital marketing program for the Territory’s tourism sector.

See also: Tourism NT appoints CHEP Network to martech account

Credits:
Agency, CHEP Network 
Client, Spirit of Tasmania  
Production Company, Revolver 
Directing Collective: The Glue Society 
Director: Pete Baker 
Managing Director/Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie 
Executive Producer/Partner: Pip Smart
Executive Producer: Jasmin Helliar 
Producer: Lib Kelly 
DOP: Jordan Maddocks 
Production Designer: Imogen Walsh 

Casting,  Northside Casting 

Post Production 
The Glue Society Studios 
Editor: Luke Crethar
Music and Sound Post: Sonar Music 
Composer: Cameron Bruce 
Music Production: Josh Pearson 
Sound Designer: Timothy Bridge 
SFX Editor: Joel Dias 

Events, intelligence and advisory services company Ascential, owner of the heritage industry institute LIONS, has announced an agreement to acquire the commercial assets of Effies.

The Effies is known for its global influence in marketing effectiveness, hosting one of the largest and most prestigious awards in this field.

Pending regulatory approval, the acquisition will see the Effies integrated into Ascential’s LIONS division. The integration with LIONS aims to enhance the division’s capacity to support and drive growth through creative and effective marketing strategies.

Ascential further plans to enter a long-term partnership with the non-profit organisation Effie Worldwide. The collaboration will lead to the establishment of a new global foundation, The Effie LIONS Foundation.

The foundation will focus on educating the next generation of marketing talent, with an emphasis on training for marketing students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. It will also house existing LIONS non-profit initiatives and offer access to some LIONS Division digital products.

“The coming together of LIONS and Effie is a powerful testament to the fact that effectiveness and creativity in marketing are inextricably linked. All enlightened businesses know that creative, effective marketing drives growth,” Philip Thomas, CEO of Ascential.

Traci Alford, President and CEO, Effie Worldwide, added: “This historic partnership will complement the insights and intelligence on marketing and creative effectiveness LIONS already offers via WARC, The Work and Contagious, providing marketing leaders worldwide with the data and evidence they need to make the case for creative marketing that matters.

“Meanwhile, the creation of The Effie LIONS Foundation, Inc. will educate and inspire our industry, and broaden the opportunities available to everyone to build a career in creativity and marketing.”

Great Wall Motors Australia and New Zealand (GWM ANZ) has appointed digital and AI consultancy Revium as its digital agency of record following a competitive pitch process, effective from October.

The announcement follows last week’s news that creative agency Thinkerbell won the Chinese-owned ute and SUV manufacturer‘s creative account. Also starting from October, Thinkerbell will handle strategy and creative across brand, retail, dealer, and sponsorships.

Revium and Thinkerbell succeed The Hallway, which confirmed in a statement that it was parting ways with the auto brand following the pitch. The Hallway was first appointed as GWM’s agency of record in December 2021, managing its brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, and CRM, and replacing the previous incumbent, Havas.

The pitch process was launched by GWM ANZ as part of its contractual policies, which require regular agency reviews.

Over the past 12 months, Revium has delivered a series of one-off digital projects for GWM.

“Revium has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of our digital needs and has delivered exceptional results over the past year,” Steve Maciver, head of marketing and communications at GWM  ANZ, said.

“We are confident that their strategic approach and innovative solutions will continue to drive our digital  transformation and enhance our engagement with customers across Australia and New Zealand.” 

Adam Barty, managing director of Revium, added: “Winning this competitive pitch is a testament to our team’s industry leading capability in the digital space and the innovative solutions we have shown we can bring to the table.

“We are genuinely excited to expand our collaboration with GWM ANZ and we can’t wait to use  our collective experience and expertise to drive forward GWM’s brand visibility, customer engagement, and  market growth. We look forward to collaborating closely with GWM and Thinkerbell to achieve these  ambitious goals.” 

See also: GWM appoints Thinkerbell following split with The Hallway

LiSTNR and Jess Rowe launch series of episodes to amplify marginalised voices on The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show.

Journalist and podcaster Jess Rowe is introducing Safe Space, a series of episodes to be run throughout August on The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show.

The series will spotlight Australian women sharing their challenging lived experiences, including coping with a schizophrenia diagnosis, battling a 28-year ice addiction, overcoming racism as an Asian Australian and addressing obesity stigma.

Jess Rowe says, “With Safe Space I have the opportunity to share the microphone with people who are not often heard, but whose stories need to be shared.”

The first episode is available on LiSTNR.

SBS makes annual call-out to aspiring or experienced podcasters to join their award-winning podcast team.

For the fourth year, SBS is inviting podcast pitches from the public on topics ranging from news, entertainment, society and culture and more to join the podcast publisher.

SBS has used previous open pitches to launch multiple award-winning series, including Should You Really Eat That?, The Idiom, Bad Taste and My Bilingual Family. SBS digital audio and podcast manager Caroline Gates says, “It’s been wonderful to see podcast ideas incubated through SBS’s annual call-out become award-winning series and even grow into second seasons.”

Pitches are shortlisted and workshopped with the SBS audio podcast team, with applications closing 30 August.

Enter your pitch via the online form (link) on the SBS Audio website.

LiSTNR launches third series of Secrets We Keep to investigate Australia’s biggest trade corruption scandal.

Award-winning journalist Richard Baker investigates how a trusted Australian company funnelled millions of dollars to Saddam Hussein in Secrets We Keep: Baghdad Nights.

The third series of Secrets We Keep follows the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) and how they became implicated in the corruption surrounding the United Nations’ oil-for-food program in Iraq during the early 2000s. Key figures from AWB become integral voices in the series as audiences are taken to the war zones, secret meetings and the offices of the country’s most powerful people.

Richard Baker said: “Secrets We Keep: Baghdad Nights takes you behind the scenes of how Australia conducts itself on the world stage – in making money and making war. It’s about how our country deals with scandal, who is held to account and who gets away with it.”

Listen to Secrets We Keep on LiSTNR here.

NOVA talent launches new ‘Homegrown Conversations’ podcast campaign

Homegrown Conversations is a new customer marketing campaign from NOVA Entertainment to showcase Nova Podcast network’s suite of podcast content.

The seven-week editorial and social campaign, launched on Monday, features nine podcast titles and 12 podcast hosts that reflects Nova’s positioning around originality, authenticity and localism. The campaign is accompanied by original portraits by Abbie Davis, a.k.a ‘Mrs White’, that reflects the connection each talent has with their audiences.

The talent featured in the campaign are:

• Chrissie Swan – The ChrissieCast
• Brittney Saunders and Matt Hey – High Scrollers
• Jayme Jo and Jessie Massoud – Skinfluence
• Brooke Blurton and Matty Mills – First Things First
• Joe Hildebrand – The Real Story
• Megan Pustetto – So Dramatic!
• Tiff Hall – Bounce Forward
• Casey Donovan – The Space
• Joel Creasey – Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel

Exclusive: Instagram flies Off the Handle with launch of first Australian podcast

Instagram is going behind the grid and getting to know some of its biggest creators, in the Meta-owned platform’s first video-first podcast series.

Off The Handle marks a major investment in original content for Instagram. Michael Morcos, Instagram’s head of communications, told Mediaweek that the title “depicts beautifully what we’re trying to achieve.”

[Read more]

Initiative has promoted Emma Greenhalgh to national head of communications design, effective from October, when her predecessor, Ryan Haeusler, will depart the Mediabrands agency.

Haeusler had been promoted to the position last November.

“Emma’s appointment is testament to her outstanding talent and dedication to delivering  innovative and effective communications design solutions,” added Mark Coad, CEO of IPG  Mediabrands Australia and interim CEO of Initiative Australia, following the exit of the agency’s top leadership: CEO Melissa Fein, MD Sam Geer, and CSO Chris Colter.

“Her deep understanding of  the media landscape and ability to connect with clients will be invaluable as Initiative continues to drive Fame and Flow for market leading brands across Australia.” 

Greenhalgh’s appointment will take effect in mid-October, following Haeusler’s exit. She will be based in Sydney and report to national strategy director, Thomas Dodd.

“Emma has become an integral part of how we deliver comms planning at Initiative,  developing industry leading and award-winning work across IAG that has become the  benchmark for this agency,” said Dodd.

“Her depth of knowledge, craft and care makes Emma a natural choice to lead the comms  planning product across the agency in her newly appointed role.”

Greenhalgh joined IPG Mediabrands in October 2021 as communications planning director, before being promoted to head of communications design, Sydney, in October 2023.

Prior to joining Initiative, Greenhalgh held roles at The Brag Media, Atomic 212, and EssenceMediacom, where she focused on integrated channel planning, client leadership, partnerships, and media strategy. Her category experience includes FMCG, entertainment, government, and financial services.

Commenting on her appointment, Greenhalgh said: “I am incredibly excited to take on this new role and lead the communications design team at Initiative.

“I am passionate about helping brands connect with their audiences in meaningful ways, and I look forward to working with our talented team across Australia to build innovative and impactful solutions.” 

The appointment follows Initiative’s promotion of Megan Davey in July to the newly-created role of head of Melbourne from general manager, Melbourne, following the resignation of Sarah James, who moved to GroupM’s essenceMediacom.

See also: Initiative promotes Megan Davey to head of Melbourne

–

Top image: Emma Greenhalgh

Olympian Tina Rahimi was one of Australia’s fastest growing TikTokers in July as the Iranian-Australian boxer drew millions of views for her behind-the-scenes videos of the Paris Olympics, according to new data from Fabulate.

Another prominent Australian Olympian who saw significant lifts in their online profile was 17-year-old Queensland gymnast Ruby Pass.

Each month, Fabulate uses data from its Fabulate Discovery Platform to help marketers and agencies uncover the biggest up-and-coming Australian creators on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

@tinarahimii_ IM OBSESSED 🤩🤩 #olympics #paris2024 #olympicvillage ♬ original sound – Tina Rahimi

Lucy Ronald, Fabulate’s head of strategy and talent, said it was no surprise that audiences loved Rahimi’s snapshot of the Olympic experience.

“For the first time in Olympic history, we’ve got full access to real-time behind-the-scenes of athletes’ experiences at the Olympics thanks to platforms like TikTok,” she said.

“Tina Rahimi is the perfect example of our love for this, gaining millions of views through her TikTok account with a raw and authentic account of what it is like to be at the Village during this Olympic Games.

“Both Tina and gymnast Ruby Pass were among the fastest growing creator accounts with Australians wanting to follow their journeys on social platforms. Rahimi’s video following her defeat to Poland’s Julia Szeremeta has been watched by over 1.2m people, most of whom would’ve found it equally as heartbreaking as I did.

“The views and followings of our Olympians show just how much Aussies are invested and how they want to understand both the highs and lows of the Olympic experience.”

Fabulate’s List of the Fastest Growing Australian Creators – July

Commenting on the July figures, Ronald noted how some of the fastest-growing creators were soaring on multiple social platforms.

“We’ve been analysing and publishing this creator data for a few months now and each month it’s really interesting to see the diversity of creators popping off across various platforms,” added Ronald.

“For example in July, Cult Shφtta managed to see their follower counts on multiple platforms soar. In the case of Cult Shφtta, like many musicians, they are really driving a YouTube Shorts strategy whilst also building a TikTok following of more than half a million followers.”

Nielsen has released its most recent data on the tertiary education sector in Australia, showing Australian tertiary education institutions have spent $175 million on advertising in the last 12 months.

The big spending from institutions comes with a significant increase in the number of people looking to pursue higher education.

Nielsen’s Consumer and Media View data indicates the percentage of Australians aged 16 and above expressing an intention to study at TAFE or university has risen from 15% in 2023 to 22% in 2024, tripling 2019’s figure of 7%.

Nielsen’s ad intel also shows that the $175.5 million ad expenditure from July 2023 to June 2024 includes an increase of 19% from May to June alone.

Nielsen Ad Intel Australia’s commercial lead Rose Lopreiato said: “This sector is so important – for the institutions, the students, and the country as a whole – and that’s reflected in the ad spend numbers.”

Of the total ad spend by tertiary institutions, 60% was on social media.

The largest group intending to undertake tertiary study within the upcoming year are high school graduates aged 16 to 17, however older generations are also looking to hit the books.

An age breakdown of those intending to undertake tertiary study in the next 12 months reveals 16 to 17 year olds make up 49%; 18 to 24 year olds make up 18%; 25 to 39 year olds make up 22%; 40-54 year olds make up 17%; and those 55 and older make up 4%.

Glenn Channell, Nielsen’s Pacific Head of Advanced Analytics, added: “High school graduates aside, more and more Australians are considering tertiary education, so it’s never been more crucial for tertiary institutions to offer educational opportunities and career advancement to an increasingly diverse range of people, especially those with family commitments.”

Australian secondary students looking to pursue tertiary education are 75% more likely than the average population to respond to online ads, 2.5 times more likely to click on video ads, and almost 2.8 times as likely to click on banner ads. Additionally, 32% find online and mobile ads useful, if tailored to their interests, which is 48% higher than the average population.

Deakin University was the highest spending tertiary education institution in the last 12 months, followed by Torrens Uni Australia, and Victoria University. 

Today, the University of Melbourne reappointed GroupM’s Mindshare to its media account for a further three years.

The TV ratings for 9Network’s Tuesday broadcast of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (up until 2.00am Wednesday AEST) saw a National Total TV Reach of 8.990 million across Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now.

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Day 11 Night Session (19:00-21:00) was the No.1 program across Australia with Total People and all key demographics. It recorded a National Total TV Reach of 4.804 million, a Total TV National Audience of 1.812 million and a BVOD audience of 229,000. In this session, viewers watched as Australian track athlete Jessica Hull ran her way through to the semi-finals in the Women’s 1500m.  

Jessica Hull on the track in Paris

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Day 11 Night Session 2 (21:00-22:30) was the No. 2 ranked TV ratings program across Australia with People 25-54 and People 16-39 and dominated its timeslot with Total People. The broadcast featured an in-studio interview with sisters and Olympic gold medallists, Jess and Noemie Fox, where they discussed their winning moments. Later in the session, viewers were treated to Arisa Trew’s first two runs in the Women’s Park Prelims. It achieved a National Total TV Reach of 3.786 million, a Total TV National Audience of 1.412 million and a BVOD audience of 220,000.  

Olympic Games Paris 2024 Day 11 Late (22:30-24:00) won its timeslot across Australia with Total People and all key demographics. It registered a National Total TV Reach of 2.085 million, a Total TV National Audience of 811,000 and a BVOD audience of 154,000. Audiences watching this session saw the first three-quarters of the Men’s Basketball quarter-final, which ended in the Boomers being defeated in an overtime loss to Serbia.

Nine’s TV ratings wins: News, share, BVOD

9News was Australia’s No. 2 program with Total People and the No.1 news bulletin of the night with all key demos and Total People. The combined national bulletins recorded a National Total TV Reach of 2.766 million, a Total TV National Audience of 1.490 million and a BVOD audience of 167,000.

In TV ratings shares, 9Network was the No.1 network across the 5 City Metro with Total People and all key demographics, delivering massive shares of 61.8% with People 25-54, 68.5% with People 16-39 and 52.8% with Total People.

9Now was the No. 1 CFTA BVOD platform across Australia with Total People and all key demographics, recording the following huge shares of 80.6% with People 25-54, 82.9% with People 16-39 and 78.2% with Total People.

Check daily TV ratings for each day of Paris 2024 here.

Tuesday 6 August 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s Olympics 2024 D11 – Night recorded a total TV national reach of 4,804,000, a total TV national audience of 1,812,000, and a BVOD audience of 229,000.

Nine’s 9News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,766,000, a total TV national audience of 1,490,000, and a BVOD audience of 167,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,162,000, a total TV national audience of 836,000, and a BVOD audience of 112,000.

10’s airing of Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly recorded a total TV national reach of 707,000, a total TV national audience of 285,000, and a BVOD audience of 10,000.

10’s airing of The Cheap Seats recorded a total TV national reach of 595,000, a total TV national audience of 293,000, and a BVOD audience of 9,000.

People 25-54

Nine’s Olympics 2024 D11 – Night:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,870,000
• National Audience: 675,000
• BVOD Audience: 136,000

10’s Dog’s Behaving (Very) Badly:
• Total TV nation reach: 197,000
• National Audience: 68,000 
• BVOD Audience: 5,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 362,000
• National Audience: 254,000
• BVOD Audience: 63,000

10’s The Cheap Seats:
• Total TV nation reach: 204,000
• National Audience: 113,000 
• BVOD Audience: 5,000

People 16-39

Nine’s Olympics 2024 D11 – Night:
• Total TV nation reach: 984,000
• National Audience: 318,000
• BVOD Audience: 78,000

10’s Dog’s Behaving (Very) Badly:
• Total TV nation reach: 76,000
• National Audience: 25,000 
• BVOD Audience: 2,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 156,000
• National Audience: 117,000
• BVOD Audience: 38,000

10’s The Cheap Seats:
• Total TV nation reach: 68,000
• National Audience: 43,000 
• BVOD Audience: 2,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ TV Ratings

Nine’s Olympics 2024 D11 – Night:
• Total TV nation reach: 3,625,000
• National Audience: 1,390,000
• BVOD Audience: 180,000

10’s Dog’s Behaving (Very) Badly:
• Total TV nation reach: 568,000
• National Audience: 235,000 
• BVOD Audience: 8,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 920,000
• National Audience: 664,000
• BVOD Audience: 89,000

10’s The Cheap Seats:
• Total TV nation reach: 478,000
• National Audience: 231,000 
• BVOD Audience: 8,000

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