Nine Entertainment has re-signed as the official broadcast partner of Rugby Australia in a landmark $210 million deal that will keep rugby union on Nine, Stan Sport, and 9Now until the end of the decade.

The comprehensive agreement also encompasses digital, publishing, and audio assets, offering advertisers a multitude of touch points to connect.

A high-stakes investment in live sport

The five-year extension represents a 40 per cent increase on Nine’s existing rights deal, which, according to The Australian Financial Review, was originally struck in 2020 for around $100 million.

The publication also reports that sources close to the negotiations have revealed the new package, a mix of cash and contra advertising, includes performance-based incentives that could see Rugby Australia pocket additional millions if the Wallabies start winning more matches.

The move is timely given the team’s recent struggles and an ambitious target of a 70 per cent win rate by 2028 set by Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh.

The renewed commitment means that Stan Sport will continue to deliver every match of the Super Rugby Pacific season, along with crucial international fixtures.

Free-to-air audiences on Nine will still enjoy all Wallabies and Wallaroos home clashes, as well as the fiercely contested Bledisloe Cup encounters live.

The deal also includes coverage of the newly established Nations Cup, featuring powerhouse rugby nations like England, France, Australia, South Africa, and Japan.

“A world-class experience on every screen”

Nine CEO Matt Stanton positioned the deal as a strategic win for both the business and the code.

“Today’s announcement reinforces Nine’s position as the home of Australia’s biggest sporting moments, bringing unrivalled entertainment, access and reach to fans, and the strongest and most effective partnership for premier sporting bodies that delivers like no other Australian media organisation can,” Stanton said.

He further emphasised the power of Nine’s broadcast ecosystem in amplifying the sport’s reach and engagement.

“We know there is no better combination than the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport to grow a sport’s popularity and deepen its connection with its fan base. This agreement isn’t just about showing world-class rugby, it’s about delivering fans a world-class experience on their screens. Whether through live coverage, streaming, expert commentary or exclusive insights, we’re ensuring every moment of Rugby on Nine is an unmissable event,” Stanton said.

Waugh echoed the sentiment, calling the partnership “a significant step forward for rugby in Australia.”

He added, “Working with Nine and Stan Sport, we have been able to deliver exceptional coverage to our fans while continuing to invest in the growth of the game. Rugby Australia is thrilled to extend this collaboration, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead.”

Rugby as content and commercial engine

For Nine, the value of rugby lies not only in the games but in what the sport can do for the broader media ecosystem. Since acquiring the rights in 2020, after Rugby Australia failed to secure a renewal with Foxtel or close a deal with Optus, Nine has used the code to drive subscriptions to Stan Sport and deliver advertiser-friendly live sport to its free-to-air network.

According to the company, rugby has helped grow audiences by 11 per cent on Stan and 17 per cent across Nine and 9Now since 2020.

The sport’s role in bolstering viewer loyalty and brand alignment has become even more crucial as live events remain one of the few sure bets in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

While the agreement does not include broadcast rights for the 2027 men’s and 2029 women’s Rugby World Cups, both currently under separate negotiations, it signals Nine’s ongoing appetite for premium live sport.

The company has also shown interest in acquiring Optus Sport and was previously in the running to buy Foxtel before its acquisition by Dazn, indicating that Nine plans to stay in the centre of the broadcast rights arms race, particularly as the next NRL negotiations loom.

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Australia’s ad market may be steady for now, but agency leaders are watching global tremors closely. At The Future of TV Advertising Sydney event this week, GroupM’s Aimee Buchanan, IPG’s Mark Coad, and Match & Wood’s Christopher O’Keefe pulled no punches, tackling media trading myths, shifting client expectations, and the fight to prove effectiveness.

Market sentiment: steady for now, but pressure points are emerging

While global markets, particularly in the US, are facing renewed volatility, all three leaders agreed that Australia remains somewhat insulated, at least in the short term. Buchanan said the local market had been trending towards growth until just days ago before sentiment shifted in response to global conditions.

“We’re still seeing strong investment,” Buchanan noted, “especially in sectors like government, Chinese automotive brands, and entertainment, with several new streaming services launching.” She suggested that while there may be some near-term impact due to currency movement or US recessionary flow-on effects, many advertisers remain committed for now.

Coad agreed, saying, “You can’t have an economic event like that without some kind of assessment,” but added that Australia’s response would likely vary by category. “Those with strong trade ties to the US may be more exposed, but others won’t be affected in the same way.”

O’Keefe framed the current moment as a window of opportunity, particularly for elevating discussions around effectiveness at the executive level. “We’ve got marketers on board with market mix modelling, but the C-suite hasn’t been as involved,” he said. “This period of uncertainty is a chance for us to bring those methodologies directly to senior business leaders and demonstrate their value.”

Principal media trading: myth vs. market reality

The panel didn’t shy away from the subject dominating trade press headlines in recent weeks: principal media trading (where an agency buys media inventory in advance and resells it to clients, potentially raising questions about neutrality). While often painted as a global issue of scale, all three downplayed its relevance in Australia.

“There’s an overriding assumption that principal trading exists at scale in this market, and it simply doesn’t,” said Coad. “If it did, it would only be because the ecosystem allowed it, and the relationship had become purely transactional.”

Buchanan added that the current conversation around PMT was missing the point. “I think the wrong question is being asked,” she said. “It’s not just about whether principal trading exists, it’s about whether clients are confident that their agency is providing neutrality and delivering value.”

O’Keefe took a more pragmatic approach, stating that for most local clients, there’s “no benefit” to principal media trading. “It’s often a misunderstanding driven by global procurement,” he said. “And it causes issues downstream, particularly when inflated pricing feeds into market mix models. It skews results and makes it harder to optimise media.”

Coad acknowledged that scrutiny of the model will continue, but expressed frustration at the broad-brush criticism. “There are 5,000 people working in media in this country,” he said. “The vast majority of them do their jobs with integrity. They’re not crooks. They care deeply about this industry.”

Local content and effectiveness: the balance is shifting

With the conference theme centred on the future of TV, the panel also discussed the role of local content and media, particularly when weighed against commercial imperatives.

Coad said he “philosophically” supports investment in Australian media and local journalism. “We need a healthy news industry in this country,” he said. “When local newsrooms shut down, local issues often go unreported. But that support still needs to be earned, it has to perform. Clients will back it if it delivers effectiveness.”

Buchanan outlined the work GroupM is doing through its Motion Content unit, which has brought global branded content models into the Australian market. “We’ve been working with production partners and publishers to create scalable, integrated content solutions for brands,” she said. “It’s not perfect yet, but there’s appetite from clients, and the early projects have been really promising.”

O’Keefe said clients are “open to supporting local” but agencies need to do more to connect cultural relevance with campaign performance. “That’s the conversation we’re not having enough, and we should be,” he said.

A busy, high-stakes year ahead

With significant pitch activity already underway, all three panellists noted the intensity of the market. While busy, they viewed the competition as healthy, with opportunities for innovation and stronger agency-client partnerships.

“There’s still cost pressure,” said Buchanan, “but clients are backing ideas that help them stand out. I can think of multiple examples right now where a brand has said: we love that concept, let’s go bigger.”

Coad closed by reinforcing the need to stay focused on value, not just cost. “Clients want more than transactional buying,” he said. “They want trust, strategic direction, and measurable impact. And that’s where the real work lies.”

For agencies, the challenge in 2025 is clear: prove commercial value, maintain transparency, and help clients navigate complexity with confidence. If this panel is any indication, the country’s leading agency groups are prepared to do just that.

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At today’s The Future of TV Advertising Sydney event, Paramount Australia’s Beverley McGarvey delivered a rallying cry for unity across the broadcast industry, challenging legacy rivalries and calling for a new era of strategic collaboration. In a candid fireside chat, the President of Network 10 and Paramount’s head of streaming in Australia made it clear: the fight for audience attention is no longer a zero-sum game.

“This is actually a smaller market than the UK,” McGarvey said. “Arguably, we should have [collaborated] five years ago, but we’re here now.”

Elsewhere, McGarvey spoke to the unique position of Paramount in the Australian market, straddling both free-to-air and subscription streaming with Network 10, 10 Play, and Paramount Plus. But her message was broader: the industry’s future lies in a shared approach to technology, distribution, and data while still competing hard on content.

A new mood in market

After years of executive reshuffles and audience fragmentation, McGarvey struck a surprisingly optimistic tone about the stability of the current landscape.

“We say every year there’s been a lot of change, but this year was particularly spectacular,” she said. “Audiences have stabilised… BVOD is growing, linear is holding, and streaming is accelerating.”

The data backs her up: Free-to-air prime-time audiences, led by juggernauts like MAFS, Survivor, and Australian Idol, are holding steady or even growing marginally. More importantly, catch-up platforms like 10 Play are now offsetting any linear erosion. According to McGarvey, “Big BVOD numbers are growing double digits every week, 20 to 30%.”

Collaboration is the watchword

McGarvey’s most pointed comments were reserved for the broadcast sector’s habit of infighting.

“This has always been quite an aggressive market… but the era of all of us fighting each other is kind of over.”

She outlined a vision where Australian broadcasters collaborate on tech infrastructure, data, and possibly even distribution, echoing the UK’s model of “compete on content, collaborate on tech.” While specifics were scarce, McGarvey made it clear that the door is open to partnerships, even with traditional rivals and international platforms.

“Everybody’s a competitor for audience and money… but everybody is also a potential partner,” she said, referencing Amazon as both a significant channel partner for Paramount Plus and an advertising rival.

The YouTube question

With more broadcasters experimenting with distributing content via YouTube and other third-party platforms, McGarvey admitted that Paramount is “open” to publishing full-length content on YouTube, not just clips.

“We’re working through whether YouTube is more than a marketing channel. Can we monetise it properly? That’s the critical question.”

She was refreshingly honest on the topic of platform economics: “If we don’t get the value the content deserves, we can’t invest in the content. And then you’re in that spiral.”

Paramount+ growth quietly hits targets

When asked about the performance of Paramount+, McGarvey was upbeat. “For three years, we’ve been the fastest-growing streaming service in Australia,” she said, referencing Telsyte data that put the service at 1.8 million subscribers a year ago. “And we’ve grown since then.”

The service’s ad-supported tier, which launched softly in mid-2024, is also tracking well, growing at around 30% per month. “We advertise the platform overall and let users choose the tier that suits them,” she explained. “Some content draws 90% to premium, other shows bring 60% to the ad tier. It really depends on the content.”

A significant driver of this growth has been the success of Taylor Sheridan’s series, which have resonated strongly with Australian audiences. Shows like 1923, the Yellowstone prequel starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, have garnered substantial viewership. Additionally, Landman, featuring Billy Bob Thornton, has become a standout hit on the platform.

One consistent trend across platforms is the strength of local stories. “Local originals go fantastically well,” McGarvey said. “When you look at what people are watching, Survivor, Idol, MAFS, those shows bring millions together. You can watch The White Lotus and it’s brilliant, but only Australian shows reflect our lives back to us.”

That connection, she argued, makes local content more valuable to both audiences and advertisers. “It’s critical to invest in culturally relevant content. It drives engagement in a way international programming can’t.”

Linear TV: Not dead yet

Contrary to industry hand-wringing, McGarvey maintained that linear still plays a vital role, especially when you consider the hybrid free-to-view model across broadcast and digital.

“They might not be watching with the aerial plugged in anymore, but free-to-view is growing.”

She added that, “local content is critical. It connects people. You can watch The White Lotus and The Bear, and they’re fantastic, but only Survivor, Idol and MAFS have millions of Australians talking the next day.”

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“Marketing is not just art, and science is not necessarily the enemy of marketing,” Fay Kallel, VP of product and design at Intuit Mailchimp, told Mediaweek after taking to the stage at the recent FWD: Sydney conference.

“Marketing is art and science; it’s the science of AI and data and multiple channel strategies with the art of how you engage with your audience.”

At the conference, Mailchimp unveiled a range of exciting new additions to the platform for marketers that balance both elements, including SMS marketing, pop-up forms, tech integrations, and AI built into the platform to be invisible.

SMS and pop-up forms

Last year, Mailchimp launched SMS Marketing as an outreach channel. Kallel explained that the combined power of email and SMS resulted in a 97% uplift in click-through rate for its customers.

She told Mediaweek that pop-up forms have helped their customers reach existing audiences. “With pop-ups and the variety of templates we’ve produced, leveraging those and putting them on your website allows you to increase your lists, grow your lists and convert new leads.

“So, we capture conversions that reach customers with new deals and opportunities. That becomes an interesting new paradigm in expansion for marketers so it’s not just managing existing lists, it’s also growing your lists.

“We have seen customers grow their lists by 260%, leveraging some of these early forms capabilities. It’s yet another channel that truly helps you own but also grows your audiences.”

Kallel noted that feedback from customers on what it has done to their marketing strategy has been positive, with many noting the seamless and effortlessness of the editor.

“There has been a lot of initial growth to their lists which then helped them activate even more email and SMS campaigns. They’re seeing the holistic nature of all of these channels come together to help them grow and manage their audiences.

Canva partnership

Mailchimp was proud to highlight its enhanced integration with Canva to enrich how its customers can reach their audiences at scale through personalisation and targeted messages. The partnership affords its customers millions of media assets from Canva to Mailchimp.

Kallel said customers can leverage the media assets in templates and create deeply immersive campaigns. “We just took a step over the last six months to enhance it and make it first class for all of our customers.”

Keeping AI invisible in design

In the stage presentation, Kalell noted that Mailchimp does not see AI as an add-on but rather as a built-in and incorporates it to be invisible in the design across the entire experience so people can “work faster, smarter, and be more creative.”

Mailchimp’s Done-For-You experiences help the customer take advantage of recommended campaigns, optimised automation, and advanced insights about audiences.

“Over the last few months, we’ve delivered six billion emails that are campaigns recommended by AI for our customers, and the great impact of those campaigns is they delivered over 53% lift in engagement and 28% lift in iterated revenue.”

Kalell said: “The buzz around AI introduces a lot of questioning how much of the marketing workflow or how the marketing job is going to be reinvented with AI. We have a strong conviction that AI empowers marketers in the way it’s embedded in the experience.

“For example, if you are a marketer you come into Mailchimp you look at all of your campaign pages to discern the performance of various campaigns, and in that view, we insert recommended campaigns based on what we have learned of your campaign performance. Maybe there are optimisations that we have come up with, that’s one way of it being pervasive but not disruptive to the marketing thinking and creative workflow.

Kalell also shared another example currently in early prototype and available soon to all customers is creating different segments of customers to target with a campaign.

“What we would do is we would automatically create those five versions allow you to review, edit and send, which accelerates your ability to build that economy of scale from one campaign to as many as you need.”

“Those are the ways where it’s invisible in the sense that it does a lot of this Done-For-You work behind the scenes and presents you with drafts to review and approve and we’re seeing, a lot of engagement and revenue attributed lift that customers enjoyed.”

What’s next for Mailchimp

Kallel said that there will continue to be more opportunities to bring predictive AI and drafted-for-you types of concepts throughout the experience.

“We’re looking diligently at the entire workflow the journeys, audience management, reporting, and insights that we want to expose to customers and take a look at how we can turbocharge that workflow.”

Looking at what is ahead for Mailchimp in the Australian market, Kallel noted that personalisation is asked about a lot. “That gives me assurance and validation that our thinking around getting more data, building more predictive, generative capabilities and AI within the platform really will help empower our customers with more personalisation tools.”

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Mediaweek has opened entries for Next of the Best Awards 2025, which celebrates the trailblazers and emerging leaders in advertising, media, and marketing.

These prestigious awards are dedicated to honouring the talented leaders of today and tomorrow who are shaping the future of Australia’s media landscape.

Next Of The Best recognises the industry’s rising stars based on their impact, success and contribution to their company, sector or the wider industry in the last 12 months.

These are not age-based awards, but open to anyone who has been working in their current field or role for 15 years or less.

Enter Mediaweek’s Next of the Best 2025 here

A distinguished panel of judges will select the winning candidates from a shortlist, and we will honour these trailblazers with a night they will never forget, on Friday 13 June, 2025 at W Sydney, celebrating the next wave of industry leaders, change-makers and creative forces.

This year, there are 15 awards with new categories to reflect the ever-changing media and advertising landscape.

The Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards are:

Audio Talent (Host, Producer, Creator)

Recognising professionals who drive growth, innovation, and engagement in the audio and podcasting industries.

Marketing Talent

For professionals making waves in marketing through successful campaigns and innovative thinking.

Journalist (Print, Radio, TV, Digital)

Celebrating journalistic excellence with a focus on audience impact and storytelling.

Advertising Creative

Recognising creative talent shaping advertising through originality, campaign success, and audience engagement.

Marketing Strategist

For those excelling in strategic marketing, data-driven decision-making, and audience segmentation.

Digital/Social Content Creator or Influencer

Honouring digital creators who have demonstrated growth, creativity, and monetisation success.

Publicist (Agency/In-House)

Recognising rising publicists who have successfully shaped media narratives and public perception.

AdTech Specialist

Honouring professionals leveraging AdTech innovations to enhance digital advertising effectiveness.

Media Salesperson

Recognising media sales professionals driving revenue growth through strategic thinking and strong client relationships.

Media Planner & Buyer

Celebrating planners and buyers who excel through innovative thinking, data-driven decision-making, and impactful campaign execution.

Publishing Innovator

Recognising emerging talents in publishing who are redefining the industry through editorial excellence, and audience growth across print and online platforms.

TV & Film Production

Recognising the talent behind the camera of on-screen content production from the big to the small screen through creativity and commercial success.

Leadership

For exceptional leadership and impact at senior or executive level.

Changemaker

Recognising individuals who have made a significant impact in driving change, innovation, or transformation.

Nominate yourself or someone else for a Mediaweek Next of the Best Award now.

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As the nation’s regular breakfast radio teams take a seasonal breather, Nova is filling the gap with a new dynamic trio.

From Monday 14 April to Thursday 24 April (excluding public holidays), Mel, Matty & Susie O’Neill will take over the national breakfast slot across the Nova Network.

The line-up brings together familiar voices and fresh chemistry.

Olympic legend and fan-favourite Susie O’Neill returns to the mic after stepping back from Nova 106.9 Brisbane Breakfast last year, still very much part of the Nova family.

O’Neill said, “it’s fantastic to be back on air with Nova. While I can’t say I’ve missed the early mornings, I’ve definitely missed connecting with listeners. I listened to Mel and Matty over summer and can’t wait to join the fun.”

She’s joined by Mel Tracina (from Nova Workday) and Matty Baseley (from Star 104.5), who previously co-hosted Nova’s Summer Breakfast show. They’ve already got the rapport, and their return comes with new reach and even more reasons to tune in.

Big giveaways and national firsts

In true Nova style, the short-run show will be stacked with prizes, including daily chances to win tickets to Lady Gaga’s upcoming Australian tour.

Also making a comeback is Brisbane’s beloved quiz Smarter Than Suse, now going national. Listeners across the country will have the chance to test their general knowledge against Susie for a daily $500 cash prize.

Brendan Taylor, group programming director of the Nova Network, said: “After only a few months away, we’re excited to welcome Susie back to Nova Breakfast, joining Mel and Matty across the national network. At Nova, we’re committed to providing live Breakfast shows throughout the year and can’t wait to hear this team together for the next two weeks”.

The Nova Network is available nationally via broadcast and DAB+ radio, as well as via the Nova Player.

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Snapchat has introduced Sponsored AI Lenses, a new ad format powered by Snap’s proprietary generative AI technology.

The interactive Lenses will allow brands to drive high engagement, virality, and AI-powered storytelling on the platform. The format generates personalised, AI-driven images that put Snapchatters at the center of unique brand moments, allowing them to express themselves while sharing their favorite brands with friends.

Brands leveraging this format can be placed at the forefront of the Camera, enabling them access to 25-45% more impressions in a single day.

Some brands have already embraced the creative potential of Sponsored AI Lenses. Uber used AI Lens gave Snapchatters a festive way to celebrate Thanksgiving with “My Thanksgiving Vibe”, while Tinder’s “My 2025 Dating Vibe” AI Lens added a playful twist to New Year’s Eve. Coldplay has also used AI Lenses to bring their fans into their celestial universe for the launch of Moon Music.

The immersive nature of the format, Snapchatters spent more time engaging with Sponsored AI Lenses compared to standard Lenses. Both Uber and Tinder unlocked higher than average playtimes while using the new AI creative format.

Sponsored AI Lenses eliminate the need for 3D and VFX design, replacing them with AI-generated templates that can help cut production timelines. This technology fuels creativity with unique, unexpected visuals that help elevate brand storytelling and deepen engagement.

Driving deeper engagement and brand affinity

“Sponsored AI Lenses enhance creative advertising on Snapchat, putting our audience of 850 million monthly active users at the center of immersive, shareable brand moments,” said Abby Laursen, Sr. director, product marketing, Snap.

“Powered by Snap’s Generative AI, this format enables brands across industries to quickly produce high-quality experiences that drive deeper engagement and brand affinity,”

“We’re encouraged by the strong results our advertisers are already seeing, with increased impressions and playtime as Snapchatters interact and share their AI-powered transformations.”

Sponsored AI Lenses can be found in the Lens Carousel, where, on average, over 300 million Snapchatters engage with augmented reality experiences every day. We look forward to continuing our work to help advertisers stay at the forefront of AI-powered creativity and bring their brand to life for Snapchatters in entirely new ways.

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Women in Media has launched its annual survey to better understand and represent the views of women working in the sector.

The survey is run by the 6,400-member organisation for women working in all facets of the media and aims to improve diversity, equality, and inclusion for all women in the industry.

Media executive and co-chair of WIM, Anita Jacoby AM said the survey provides important data that is compiled and released annually.

“You may be new to the industry or a veteran with years of expertise or somewhere in between. If so, your voice and views matter and Women in Media wants to hear them,” she said.

“The survey lets you confidentially share your feedback about gender equality, career progress, and access to support and resources for women working in all roles and types of media.

“Your responses help Women in Media focus its efforts and build an inclusive and supportive community, creating connections, accelerating career development and maximising leadership potential for women working in all sectors of our media industry.”

While individual responses remain confidential, published findings will be released to participants, the media, the government, and the industry.

The survey closes Friday 19 April 2024 and can be taken here.

Patron Ita Buttrose AC OBE and co-chairs Victoria Laurie and Anita Jacoby are joined by a voluntary board of directors and state convenors overseeing branches in Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT, Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania.

The 2023 Women in Media Industry Insight Report found that barriers persist for women working in media, with the majority of women (54%) continuing to be either unsure or explicitly dissatisfied with the progress of their careers.

This was reinforced by the 24.2% gender pay gap for the information media and telecommunications industry based on median total remuneration complied by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

TBWA\Sydney has appointed Matt Keon as the agency group’s chief creative officer.

Keon’s addition to the agency rounds out TBWA\Sydney’s impressive new leadership line up with Elektra O’Malley, as managing director and Michael Hogg, as chief strategy officer.

Also joining the team is Josh Taylor Dadds as head of strategy from Special NZ.

Keon has work for some of the world’s most awarded agencies including BMF Australia, Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore and Fallon London. His work has picked up a BAFTA, a Guinness World Record, two Paul Arden Awards and multiple Cannes Lions among a host of others.

He co-founded 18 Feet & Rising, one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent agencies, later selling a stake to Creston Group PLC. Alongside advertising, he’s worked across Healthcare, Artificial Intelligence and Genomics, launching and advising on creativity to high growth companies in both the UK and US.

Keon joins TBWA with a clear focus on world-class ideas that disrupt and drive fame and significant returns on investment.

Keon said of his new role: “I am thrilled to be joining TBWA. It has pure creative muscle in its DNA and a world class leadership team driven by Paul. I am especially excited to be reuniting with Michael Hogg from Fallon, who is a strategic sniper at the top of his game and Elektra O’Malley who has the most insightful and acute understanding of client’s business I have come across.

“We are aligned, we are in sync and completely focused on what we want to achieve for our clients. Watch this space””

O’Malley recently joined TBWA Sydney after 12 years in New York, most recently at Anomaly New York, whilst Michael Hogg joins from Emotive having also had long stints at Accenture/Monkeys (now Droga 5) and Fallon London.

Paul Bradbury, president and CEO TBWA Australia and New Zealand, added: “Matt is an exceptional creative leader who truly lives at the intersection of creativity, innovation and science. His CV, Folio and creative vision blew us away.

“Our new leadership team in Sydney is now complete, and we are already underway on several very exciting projects.”

Top image: Michael Hogg, Elektra O’Malley and Matt Keon

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Mumpower is set on expanding and becoming a leading authority on mum shoppers.

Christie Nicholas, CEO and founder, kicked off the expansion drive at the recent Women Changing the World Summit in London as brand ambassador and to oversee new commercial partnership opportunities.

Nicholas will then move the Mum marketing powerhouse onto Paris where she will sit on a leadership panel as a speaker, while putting the spotlight on how, what and why Australian Mums buy.

With her two-fold mission to put Australian companies and brands on the international radar and to showcase the growth pathways available for consumer brands abroad eying success in Australia, the CEO is primed to explore opportunities for the existing and future clients in Mumpower’s network that champions the buying power of mothers and women in general.

Nicholas said: “We are actively pursuing new and innovative ways for Aussie brands to grow here and beyond and also put global companies on notice that we are the best point of call for those keen to drive growth in Australia more quickly.”

Connecting with the world’s most powerful consumer group

For over 15 years Mumpower has partnered with hundreds of household brands ready to go further and authentically connect with the world’s most powerful consumer group.

With over $23 trillion in annual global spending controlled by mums, Mumpower has been at the forefront of the movement in ensuring brands understand the unique perspectives of this consumer segment and what it takes to create brands Mums know, like, trust – and buy.

She continued: “We do this by providing high level insights through tailored research, and laser targeted influencer and marketing strategies proven to work. Whether you’re a brand looking to tap into the Australian market or an Australian brand wanting to scale overseas, Mumpower has a successful track record of being able to develop and implement a roadmap to fast track growth.”

“We continue to put mums front and centre of the conversation with brands, both locally and globally. We hope that it will inspire brands to rethink their strategies and pivot in a way that resonates with mum consumers worldwide to serve Mums’ need, and build successful brand.”

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Global audio streaming giant Spotify Australia is tuning into the vibrant local music landscape with the unveiling of Turn Up Aus, a comprehensive brand platform poised to reshape the way Australian tunes are celebrated and promoted.

Positioned as a long-term, cross-functional program, Turn Up Aus aims to make Australian music “unmissable, undeniable, and inarguable,” according to the streaming giant, signalling a serious investment in homegrown sounds across its most visible marketing and product channels.

A national platform for local sound

Described as Spotify’s most ambitious local initiative in its 13 years of operating in Australia, Turn Up Aus will take over high-impact out-of-home (OOH), digital, social, and on-platform spaces with a distinct new brand identity.

Complementing the visual refresh is the introduction of a brand-new editorial hub, envisioned as a dedicated and comprehensive destination solely showcasing Australian music.

The hub will feature prominently on the Spotify search page, making it simpler than ever for users to discover local talent.

A company-wide commitment to Aussie music

Rosie Rothery, Spotify’s head of marketing, described Turn Up Aus as a comprehensive, business-wide commitment that threads local music into every touchpoint.

“Turn Up Aus is much more than a marketing campaign; it’s a highly coordinated cross-functional effort that will touch every part of the Spotify business locally,” she said.

“As a local team, we live and breathe Australian music and always look for ways to innovate within this space. With the launch of this bold, colourful new visual identity, you’ll see a proud homage to gig posters and music street press that elevates and champions Australian music.

“Turn Up Aus will spotlight a stack of exciting Australian artists, and I can’t wait to share the breadth of our ambitions across the rest of 2025 and into the future. Watch this space.”

With plans already underway for exclusive artist-fan experiences in 2025, Spotify is clearly positioning itself as not just a distributor of Australian music, but a cultural connector, experience-maker, and national advocate.

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Ogury has launched a new advertising platform that it claims will redefine how brands and agencies address the growing challenge of signal loss in the digital ecosystem. Unveiled today, Ogury One offers direct access to the company’s proprietary Personified Advertising technology, delivering a user-friendly, privacy-safe solution for audience planning, activation, and reporting.

Chris Manson, country director of Ogury Australia, described the launch as a “significant milestone” for the company and its partners. “Ogury One is a user-friendly tool that simplifies campaign management while delivering unprecedented on-target performance and scale,” he said. “Brands and agencies can now seamlessly orchestrate their campaigns with complete control, whether through our platform or API integrations.”

Meeting the moment: privacy-first targeting at scale

As digital advertising grapples with the realities of signal loss and diminishing addressability, particularly across the open web, Ogury One offers an alternative to conventional audience targeting. The platform taps into Ogury’s Personified Advertising, a method that targets anonymised groups, or personas, rather than individuals. These personas are built from zero-party data collected via large-scale surveys, enriched with billions of data points such as contextual and bid request data, and refined by AI.

Crucially, the system does not rely on cookies or alternative IDs, maintaining scale and addressability without compromising user privacy. Ogury’s dataset reaches over 2.5 billion unique devices per month across mobile and desktop, spanning 49 countries.

A platform built for advertisers

Ogury One offers three core functions: intelligent planning, effortless activation, and comprehensive reporting.

• Intelligent Planning: includes an AI-powered Persona Builder that transforms campaign briefs or keywords into a list of relevant audience personas. Advertisers can also browse and combine ready-made personas, supported by in-depth insights, ranging from demographics and preferred sites to activity times and device types.
• Effortless Activation: allows for campaign setup through Ogury’s own dashboard or via integration with preferred DSPs or campaign management tools. The self-serve interface is designed to minimise technical barriers and make persona-based targeting accessible to marketers of all levels.
• Comprehensive Reporting: delivers performance insights either within the platform or directly into advertisers’ business intelligence tools, supporting real-time optimisation.

Australia in focus

Ogury One is now available to existing and new clients in Australia, adding local firepower to Ogury’s global rollout. Manson said the platform is particularly timely for the Australian market, where privacy reform and performance pressures are reshaping digital strategy.

“The strength of Ogury One lies in its ability to combine advanced planning and automation with full transparency and control,” said Manson. “In a market where scale and privacy have often been at odds, we’re offering a future-facing solution.”

As third-party data continues to degrade and privacy expectations climb, platforms like Ogury One signal a growing shift toward persona-based planning, where marketers focus less on individuals and more on anonymised, intent-rich audiences.

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ServiceNow, Atlassian and Commonwealth Bank have been named among the top workplaces in Australia, as ranked by LinkedIn.

The professional social network unveiled its 9th annual top companies list – a data-backed ranking of the 25 best workplaces for professionals in Australia to grow their careers right now.

The list is fueled by exclusive LinkedIn data that analyses the career progression of millions of professionals, including metrics such as employee promotions, skills acquisition, gender diversity, employer benefits and more.

Global technology companies dominated this year’s list, taking out four of the top five spots. ServiceNow led the list for the first time, with Australian software company, Atlassian, ranking #2. Commonwealth Bank, Amazon and Oracle complete the top five.

LinkedIn noted that tech companies often lead the charge giving their people access to AI training, tools and reskilling programs, making them an attractive employer to professionals who want to stay ahead.

AI literacy recently topping LinkedIn’s 2025 Skills on the Rise list, highlighting the importance for professionals to continuously upskill and adapt to changes in their industry.

“As Australia’s job market remains competitive, finding and landing a job where you can grow is top of mind for many,” Cayla Dengate, LinkedIn Career Expert, said.

“LinkedIn’s Top Companies list is a helpful resource for Aussies to identify which companies set the standard for attracting and retaining top talent, while also offering the best career growth and upskilling opportunities.

“With AI transforming roles across all industries, learning new, in-demand skills is increasingly important among professionals and a key consideration for job seekers when looking at potential future employers.

“LinkedIn research shows three in five (59%) of Australians are looking for a job this year, with 36% believing that learning and development opportunities are crucial when deciding whether to apply for a job.”

LinkedIn’s Top Companies 2025

ServiceNow’s ANZ HR director, Peyton Caffey, said: “As a rapidly growing company always on the hunt for top talent, we focus on both attracting and retaining high-performers. One of the ways we do this is through the ServiceNow People Pact, which is our promise to employees.

“It commits we will support each other to deliver our best work, live fulfilling lives, and pursue our collective purpose. We achieve this by fostering a sense of community, by prioritising training, growth and career development, celebrating individuality, and offering benefits that really matter to our people; like generous family leave, health & wellbeing programs, flexible and remote working options.

“Day-to-day, we also do everything we can to make work better for our people. ServiceNow technology is designed to empower teams to work simply and easily. We see ourselves as ‘customer zero’ and we use all our own tools and technology to help employees work efficiently, wherever they are. This streamlines and automates how we work, giving time for our people to focus on what matters most to their careers and wellbeing.”

Pritho Saxena, director of HR – Australia at Amazon, said: “People are at the heart of everything Amazon does, and we are proud that LinkedIn has recognised Amazon Australia’s commitment to providing the resources and opportunities for people to thrive. This incredible recognition is testament to Amazon’s ongoing efforts to create a supportive, inclusive, and dynamic workplace. We are proud that this ranking reflects that commitment and the incredible contributions of our employees every day”.

Atlassian’s chief people officer Avani Prabhakar said: “At Atlassian, our focus is on creating an environment where our people can thrive and this recognition from LinkedIn is a testament to this relentless pursuit. Our Team Anywhere policy gives Atlassians the flexibility to work where they’re most productive, with 92% stating that it allows them to do their best work and achieve their highest potential while providing opportunities for continuous growth.”

Kathryn van der Merwe, group executive, people, culture and communications, Telstra, said: “We’re proud to be recognised by LinkedIn for our dedication to creating a workplace where our teams can thrive and grow their careers. We’ll continue to prioritise our employees’ wellbeing and development and offer benefits that truly matter to our people.”

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Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s Married At First Sight – Finale recorded a total TV national reach of 2,899,000, a total TV national audience of 1,829,000 and a BVOD audience of 457,000.

Nine’s 9News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,332,000, a total TV national audience of 1,402,000 and a BVOD audience of 134,000.

Seven Seven News recorded a total TV national reach of 2,305,000, a total TV national audience of 1,413,000 and a BVOD audience of 94,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 2,055,000, a total TV national audience of 1,328,000 and a BVOD audience of 148,000.

Seven’s Australian Idol recorded a total TV national reach of 1,847,000, a total TV national audience of 1,074,000 and a BVOD audience of 95,000.

People 25-54

Nine’s Married At First Sight – Finale:
• Total TV national reach: 1,234,000
• National Audience: 860,000
• BVOD Audience: 284,000

Nine’s 9News:
• Total TV national reach: 761,000
• National Audience: 421,000
• BVOD Audience: 71,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV national reach: 733,000
• National Audience: 439,000
• BVOD Audience: 84,000

Nine’s Love Triangle:
• Total TV national reach: 712,000
• National Audience: 173,000
• BVOD Audience: 43,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV national reach: 607,000
• National Audience: 332,000
• BVOD Audience: 48,000

People 16-39

Nine’s Married At First Sight – Finale:
• Total TV national reach: 651,000
• National Audience: 456,000
• BVOD Audience: 195,000

Nine’s Love Triangle:
• Total TV national reach: 350,000
• National Audience: 78,000
• BVOD Audience: 26,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV national reach: 349,000
• National Audience: 204,000
• BVOD Audience: 49,000

Nine’s 9News:
• Total TV national reach: 336,000
• National Audience: 171,000
• BVOD Audience: 36,000

Seven’s Australian Idol:
• Total TV national reach: 234,000
• National Audience: 124,000
• BVOD Audience: 24,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ TV Ratings

Nine’s Married At First Sight -Finale:
• Total TV national reach: 2,265,000
• National Audience: 1,446,000
• BVOD Audience: 366,000

Seven’s Seven News:
• Total TV national reach: 1,832,000
• National Audience: 1,139,000
• BVOD Audience: 75,000

Nine’s 9News:
• Total TV national reach: 1,809,000
• National Audience: 1,110,000
• BVOD Audience: 108,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV national reach: 1,603,000
• National Audience: 1,052,000
• BVOD Audience: 120,000

Seven’s Australian Idol:
• Total TV national reach: 1,459,000
• National Audience: 852,000
• BVOD Audience: 77,000

Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2025. 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.

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