Earlier this month at Advertising Week APAC, attendees at News Corp’s exclusive Elevate Dinner witnessed a rare sight, Karl Stefanovic working with News Corp. This was despite Stefanovic having worked for News Corp’s biggest competition, Nine Entertainment Co, for 23 years.

The night featured a free-wheeling chat with News Corp Australia CEO, Michael Miller, which started off with Miller skewering Stefanovic with a large printout of the Daily Telegraph’s famous “SEX AND OUT” headline.

The night carried on from there with an entertaining tone as Stefanovic and Miller had an open and honest exchange about the inner workings of Australia’s biggest news network. Including the time that Stefanovic met Rupert Murdoch and said ‘Mr Murdoch. Your ex-wife is so hot, why did you stuff that up so badly?’

Read More: The night Karl Stefanovic met Rupert Murdoch…and asked him a cheeky question

During the evening Mediaweek caught up with Stefanovic to discuss how this unique pairing came about, his legacy, and his advice for a good Logies speech.

When asked what made him want to be involved with what some people would describe as “the enemy”, Stefanovic said that he didn’t see it that way and pointed to one person in particular for why he was there, News Corp’s managing director, national sales, Lou Barrett.

“Lou Barrett is a is a long time friend of mine and I have a great love for her. She asked me, and I’m fascinated by News Limited as a company. I’ve met Michael (Miller) a few times and as a journalist and as a person who’s generally fascinated about life, the ability for me to sit down and ask whatever I want to someone who’s controlling a very large company is quite fascinating and interesting.”

Stefanovic confirmed that not only was he on stage for News Corp, but he was doing it for free.

“I’m here and I’m not getting paid, am I stupid? I am a sucker for work. I love it. ”

When asked what his own employer, CEO of Nine Entertainment Co, Mike Sneesby, thought of the interview, Stefanovic said he was supportive and even gave him some advice.

“Mike’s not one of those guys who gets uptight about this kind of thing. When I said to him, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go interview Michael Miller, he was like ‘Mate make sure you give him a bit of a grilling’. We’re all very comfortable, and Mike knows that I am all about trying to get the best out of people and find things out.”

Stefanovic even pointed out that with a room full of advertisers, he might be able to moonlight on the side for Nine on the night as a salesman,

“Advertising is really important. Over the years, it’s become increasingly important. I really respect that side of the business and I’ll always do whatever I can, in my capacity to look after that side of the business as well. So if I can poach some advertising out of this speech from News Corp, I’ll be delighted to do so if you can filter the word through.”

That Daily Telegraph headline

When asked about his willingness to discuss the coverage of the incident in the park in January this year with Michael Clarke, Stefanovic said that there was a line that he was willing to toe but not cross when discussing the story.

“I’m very open. I’ll talk about most things. I won’t talk about the actual night, but I can talk about the coverage. There are lines in the sand there, even for me. I am also genuinely interested in how this stuff gets done. There’s been a lot of pages and they’ve made a lot of money out of me over the years.”

The Karl Stefanovic legacy

Karl Stefanovic has had a career defined by his range, a career that has spanned breakfast TV, current affairs, Logie speeches, and even hosting a speaking tour with John Cena. When asked if he thinks he is acknowledged enough for the more serious journalism that he does on programs like 60 Minutes, he said that he doesn’t think about it.

“I don’t think about what impact I’m having or what kind of legacy or reputation I have. I’m all about just executing whatever I’m doing at the moment. That could be nights like tonight, a 60 Minutes interview, the Prime Minister tomorrow morning, or it could be an outrageously successful Logies speech. I only think about that as I’m doing it. Journalism is in my blood, it’s what I was trained to do, I love journalism. If I don’t get recognition for that, then that’s not up to me, I can’t control that. 

“As I get older, all I can really control is what I do and what I say. Sometimes it’s gonna go well, and sometimes it’s not. At the end of the day for me, it’s about the audience that I have. It’s not about the newspaper audience. It’s not about the radio audience. It’s about the audience that’s watching me. They know that I perform in certain ways and I have certain skills, it’s a variety of things on any given day. I think I’ve proven over time that I can do things at a reasonable level for them.”

The key to a good Logies speech

Stefanovic is known for his memorable Logies speeches, including when he won Gold, and he said that he felt like he was in fine form for the evening’s proceedings after once again making headlines at the Logies, this time making a comment about former breakfast TV rival, David Koch. 

When asked about his advice for a Logies speech, Stefanovic said to remember you are not a comedian.

“If you get up in front of everyone, and you’re thinking about saying something that’s incredibly funny to you. Remember that you’re not Sam Pang. I will never change a thing. I swear to you. There’s something weird gene that I have that will always just throw it out there.”

New research shows us there is an underleveraged media solution that can deliver against both top and bottom-of-funnel objectives. The question Vanessa Lyons is asking is: Are you harnessing it enough?

By Vanessa Lyons, executive general manager of ThinkNewsBrands

Imagine the convenience of not having to pursue brand objectives through one campaign, and sales objectives through another. What if you could have all of it, all the time. Having a total media approach that delivers top and bottom-of-funnel results simultaneously can be indispensable for enhancing marketing effectiveness.

The good news is there is an all-in-one solution you can employ to achieve these objectives: Are you leveraging the secret media sauce that is Total News?

Five years of research and three independent studies across 160 brands and $450m+ in advertising spend, show Total News isn’t just the brand building powerhouse we know it to be, it delivers hefty bottom-of-funnel results, too.

Brands investing in Total News have seen up to +14% uplift in sales, +56% increase in customer acquisition and +88% market share increases against those who have not. In addition, brands achieved +88% profit growth – an important commercial dividend that will make every marketing and finance expert sit up and take notice.

These supercharged sales results aren’t just a one-off phenomenon. Research has found brands across industries see an average 4X return ($3.90 for every $1.00 spent on news advertising), whatever the timeframe.

The significance of Total News in the media mix is increasingly obvious. However, Australian market mix modelling shows us that some organisations are currently underinvesting in Total News media spend relative to optimal levels. To achieve maximum ROI impact and reap these rewards, research and evidence supports brands spending 7.5% of their media budget on Total News.

Which means there’s a lot of impact being left on the table in current media mix allocation.

Why total news matters

The reasons Total News achieves such full-funnel pay-off is threefold. Firstly, Total News continues to deliver mass reach across all demographics with a monthly readership of 20.6 million Australians.

Notably, these include the eyeballs that matter commercially. Total News, relative to other media, is more likely to be chosen by segments that are cash rich and economically resilient. Among these cohorts reading news are the all-important ‘super NEOs’ developed by Dr Ross Honeywill and measured by Roy Morgan. These consumers are 2.5 times more likely to earn at least $250,000 per year and are three times more likely to invest and spend their money compared to other demographics.

The second reason Total News is delivering bottom-of-funnel dividends is through data-driven sophistication. Marketers are increasingly looking for audience-based engagement, and they’re relying on first-party data to achieve it. They’re expecting agencies and media partners to harness data-driven insights to attain action ready audiences in an environment that can move them through the funnel. Australia’s leading news publishers have this capability in spades.

When data insight and advertisements placed in news environments combine, there’s substantial pay-off. Research shows 74 per cent of campaigns using the right audience targeting in Total News delivered close to double sales impact, versus 40 per cent of campaigns that did not.

The third reason Total News uniquely delivers through the funnel is the ‘lean-in’ nature of consumers digesting and navigating news content. Total News consistently records longer dwell times thanks to vetted and professional content that secures attention. This makes for an environment geared to generating effective sales outcomes for brands.

In fact, ad exposure in Total News is only getting stronger against other platforms in the media mix. Heatmapping studies reveal Total News’ ad exposure as a percentage of dwell time is 55.3%, compared to 46.2% on Facebook and just 16.9% on YouTube.

Look at these unique elements through bottom-of-funnel metrics and the case for Total News as a whole-of-funnel media play is even more apparent. Total News advertising drives +23pp lifts in purchase intent and brand advocacy on average, as well as +29pp gains in word-of-mouth compared to other media channels. 

To borrow the words of News Corp Australia managing director of National Sales, Lou Barrett, the latest research reaffirms Total News as an indispensable tool for brand building, as well as an incredibly reliable channel for driving sales.

“This presents an invaluable opportunity for brands to reassess their budget allocation and place a greater emphasis on Total News to achieve both their brand and sales objectives simultaneously. It’s time for brands to recognise the power of Total News and leverage it to unlock untapped commercial potential in their marketing strategies,” Barrett says.  

Isn’t it about time you consider placing greater emphasis on Total News in your media mix to maximise both the brand and sales effectiveness of your campaigns? 

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Top image: Vanessa Lyons

Earlier this year, News Corp Australia announced the launch of The Growth D_Stillery, a dedicated research and intelligence service offering consumer insights to help marketers navigate brand challenges, anticipate consumer trends and understand where best to invest.

See Also: Behind The Growth D_Stillery: News Corp’s newest research and intelligence offering

The Growth D_Stillery amplifies key research insights on trade marketing platforms, and on News Corp Australia channels. As a part of its release into market, the platform has launched a series of vodcasts hosted by News Corp Australia’s director, Growth Intelligence Centre Dan Krigstein, with guests from all corners of the marketing world. 

The most recent lot of Growth D_Stillery vodcasts were recorded at Sydney’s Luna Park as part of the 2023 Advertising Week conference, and Mediaweek was on the ground to catch up with those recording episodes. 

This week, Mediaweek spoke to Susan Coghill, Tourism Australia’s chief marketing officer.

Sitting in the ice-cream-parlour-turned-News-Corp-studio at Luna Park, Mediaweek caught Coghill as she came off stage from her Beyond the Famous Faces presentation. Speaking about the value of having a presence at the conference, Coghill says that “I love telling our story, I think we’ve got a lot to share.”

“For us, playing an active role in the marketing industry here in Australia is really important – it helps us get our story out around how we try and market Australia, and it helps us build support and efficacy within the marketing world as well.

“Contributing to the dialogue around what makes great marketing is very important. There’s no doubt also that having a program like this also raises the profile of us as a brand to work with – whether it’s our agency partners, our media partners, or even young, up-and-coming marketers who might want to work with us.”

Turning her attention to the recording of The Growth D_Stillery Vodcast episode, Coghill says that she ended up on board with the series as a part of the Advertising Week coverage. 

“With News Corp being a good partner, they are finding opportunities to talk to marketers of all different stripes to help really build out the content around the campaign. 

“I came to the conference because I’m a bit of a nerd about marketing. I do love telling a bit of our story, I like sharing the journey that we’re on. So I think the chance to sit down with the guys from the D_Stillery was just an extension of that.”

Susan Coghill at Advertising Week

When asked about how she’s currently feeling about the state of the wider industry in 2023, Coghill is very firm that no matter what challenges lie ahead, the industry is doing just fine.

“I remain entirely optimistic about our industry and about where we’re going. God, if there’s one group of people who can solve a problem, it’s people in the marketing and media industry! We are literally problem solvers at heart, whether it’s for brands, clients, businesses, or whatever.

“Yes, I think we’re at an inflection point, I think there’s a lot of change coming. But marketers are nothing if not adaptable, and will find a way to take that change and turn it into a positive.”

As for what exactly the challenges are that the industry is falling at the moment, Coghill points to one big hurdle in particular – attention.

“The marketing landscape, the media landscape, the technology landscape – it has never been as big and daunting as it currently is. The path to getting consumer attention has never been more challenging, there’s so much competing for their attention. Finding your way through that, wading through a lot of the noise to find the signal that’s most important for your customer, I think that can be quite challenging. “

Ultimately, when asked what she hopes viewers get out of the Vodcast episode, Coghill says that it’s a similar message she delivered in her Advertising Week session – nail the basics and ignore external distractions.

“All lines point to focusing on the essentials and not getting distracted by a lot of the noise out there. I’m a big believer in getting your marketing fundamentals right before absolutely anything else.

“Then, If you really understand your category, if you really understand your consumer, you can start to make well-informed choices about how to best reach and engage them.”

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Top Image: Susan Coghill

Advertising Week APAC saw flocks of media, agency and adverting industry folk make the trip to Sydney’s Luna Park earlier this month. Mediaweek was on the ground, covering the event alongside Samsung Ads, and speaking to some of the event’s major players.

Mediaweek chatted with Alex Spurzem, general manager, Australia and New Zealand, at Samsung Ads, and asked him about his thoughts on Advertising Week and what brings him to the event.

“It’s always the people for sure,” Spurzem said. “It’s like you’re meeting your friends and family and bumping into people and catching up. The networking is the main event.”

Spurzem said that the highlight for him during the event was he felt there was a great mix of topics, both local and global.

“The event is always a good bellwether for the trends in the industry and the topics that people are concerned about. So I suppose the overall mix is my highlight.”

He described Ad Week in three words: “Must Have Event.”

Last month, Mediaweek and Samsung Ads launched a video series called Behind the Screens.

The five-part short-form series presents interviews conducted by Mediaweek editor-in-chief James Manning.

Each episode features a key player in the TV sector who shares insights about the latest trends in the sector from changing viewing habits to advertising business models. The guests have been brought together to discuss challenges, opportunities and the transformation of the TV landscape.

Guests across the series feature executives from Nine, Seven, Foxtel Media, Paramount ANZ, the IAB, EssenceMedia and Samsung Ads.

Samsung Ads is Advanced TV advertising. Its smart TV advertising solutions are built on data from millions of Smart TVs in Australia.

You can watch and podcast Behind the Screens powered by Samsung Ads.

Episode one podcast
Episode one video

Episode two podcast
Episode two video

Episode three podcast
Episode three video

Episode four podcasts
Episode four video

Episode Five video
Episode five podcast

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Top image: Alex Spurzem

Oxygen360 was established in 2006 by founder and managing director Cameron Jurd. 

The business began as a creative and production space off the back of Jurd’s background at Nine, running the creative services piece.

Since then, the independent agency has expanded its client portfolio and offering. Jurd spoke to Mediaweek about the agency’s core strength, the key to keeping its long-term clients, and Oxygen360’s exciting year ahead.

Jurd on leading Oxygen360 and its offerings

Jurd shared that he oversees every part of the agency – from the economics of the business to managing that day-to-day. He leads Oxygen360’s client service on a number of businesses and the output of the agency, be it media or creative.

The agency expanded its offering to include media a few years ago. It brought in marketing and media communications consultant Andrew Lamb to run the media side of the business.

“We had a lot of clients asking why we didn’t do media and say they’d rather deal with us. So we’ve been in the media side of the business for four to five years.”

How Oxygen360 ensures clients get the “best bang for their buck”

Oxygen360 specialises in retail and DR – direct response, which Jurd called their “bread and butter.”

“We’ve done wonderful brand-building exercises with some fantastic brands over the years. But our core is, what I’d like to think is the essence of what we do, is about getting a return on investment for our client partners,” he said.

Jurd noted that the agency is very focused on every dollar spent needing a return and using the agency’s features to make that happen.

“The fact that we’ve got production, creative, media strategy and planning and buying all under one roof means there are economies of scale there. Everyone is very focused on ensuring that our clients get the best bang for their buck,” he added.

Jurd said the agency’s people and its capacity as a full-service agency to provide creative, brand and media strategy to its clients is its core strength. He noted that the agency boasts a production team, a soundstage, a studio, voiceover booths, and edit suites and designers.

Jurd said that being the agency owner and having a daily presence at the business, along with their no-nonsense approach, gets them the results they want for their clients. “I often have conversations with clients at odd hours of the week, and I’m more than happy to do that. We’re certainly very much invested in the success of our clients,” he added.

Jurd also noted that the agency focuses on above-the-line, traditional media. He said the agency firmly believes in the power of those channels, particularly TV, where they use TVSquared attribution software to achieve great results. “We’re all about attribution measurement, driving that cost down for the client, and keeping the advertising return on investment as solid as we can,” he said.

The key to keeping client relationships

Among some of Oxygen360’s longest-service clients are PD Insurance (formerly Progressive Insurance), having worked with the brand for almost eight years on various insurance products in Australia and New Zealand.

Jurd also noted their creative work with FetchTV, who has been with the agency for almost eight years.

For the past year, the independent agency has worked with Viking Cruises. Jurd said: “They’re a fabulous brand, a great bunch of people, and we’re enjoying that process.”

When it comes to keeping long-time clients, Jurd noted that while it is not an easy task, the key to strengthening those relationships has been to immerse themselves in their client’s business and understand the outcomes needed.

Jurd highlighted being nimble for their client as an important factor. “You can’t afford to be too rigid, particularly with a lot of the brands. You’ve got to be nimble to find a way to ensure they’re making a little bit more noise than what they’re probably entitled to and that they’re getting a bigger bang for their buck,” he said.

Jurd also noted Oxygen360’s policy of their senior people working on the business day to day. He explained that neither he nor Andrew Lamb, senior editor Andrew Yoole or creative director Adam Searle work hands-on, with the support of their team.

“That’s really key because a lot of the time, we find we’re dealing with GMs or owners of businesses, and they want to know that they’ve got the most experienced team working for them,” he added.

Navigating business during 2022 and the exciting future ahead

The pandemic was a turbulent time for the industry. However, some agencies thrived; fortunately, for Oxygen360, that was the case.

“We had a very good time through the pandemic on the back of some great retail results that we’re able to help some clients with.

But when turning his attention to this year, Jurd noted that while they’ve taken a bit of a hit and the market is tough, the agency is still performing above where they were in 2020.

Jurd revealed that Oxygen360 has an exciting venture ahead, including content plays with a couple of their clients.

“I can’t talk too much about that at the moment, but that’s on the horizon,” he hinted.

Jurd shared that he has been proud of the agency’s results in the current climate and noted that while some adjustments on cost around and TV advertising, “it certainly a good time to be advertising from a financial point of view. There are some good deals to be had out there” he said.

“But I think, for us at the moment, it’s just focusing on some of these new opportunities we’ve got around some content that we’re doing and ensuring that our list of clients that we’re working with now are comfortable and happy because they’re all going through challenges as well.

“Everyone’s feeling a little bit uncertain. We’ve been, I guess, buoyed by the results that we’re seeing some of those clients good,” he added.

Why the IMAA is important and worthwhile for Oxygen360

Oxygen360 joined the IMAA in 2022 and has benefitted from its membership with the industry body, including insurance.

Jurd noted that there is still more the industry can do as a community of independent agencies.

“I like the fact that the IMAA has been putting some pressure on federal and state governments to use Australian-owned independent agencies. That’s very important and worthwhile.

Jurd said that the IMAA provided independent agencies with a platform to discuss their businesses and brand. He also highlighted the impact of IMAA Academy with a few new people in their office taking part in the program and benefitting from the education.

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Top image: Cameron Jurd

ThinkTV has announced the TV advertising revenue figures for the six and 12 months to 30 June 2023.

The TV advertising market, which includes metropolitan free-to-air, regional free-to-air, and Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) excluding SBS, recorded combined revenue of $3.6 billion for the year to 30 June 2023, down 7.9 per cent compared to the same period ending 30 June 2022.

In the June half, TV advertising revenue was $1.6 billion, a decrease of 11.8 per cent when compared to the same period ending 30 June 2022.

Total revenue for the metropolitan free-to-air networks was $1.1 billion for the six months to 30 June 2023, down 15.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. For the 12 months, metropolitan free-to-air advertising revenue was $2.5 billion, down 10.6 per cent.

ThinkTV CEO Kim Portrate said: “It has been a challenging 12 months for advertisers, broadcasters, and consumers alike which is reflected in these figures. Yet, despite the economic headwinds the wider industry faces, BVOD growth continues.”

Investment in BVOD platforms 7plus, 9Now and 10 Play saw revenue increase 6.9 per cent to $188 million for the six months to 30 June 2023. BVOD revenue for the total financial year was $391 million, up 6.1 per cent year-on year.

ThinkTV CEO Kim Portrate added: “These results show that even as budgets contract, marketers continue to invest in all forms of today’s television, a testament to its reach, targeting and effectiveness. This reinforces the power of Total TV to drive business outcomes.”

In February, ThinkTV announced the total TV advertising revenue figures for the six and 12 months to 31 December 2022.

The total TV advertising market, which includes metropolitan free-to-air, regional free-to-air, subscription TV and Broadcaster Video on Demand (BVOD) and excludes SBS, recorded combined revenue of $4.1 billion for the year to December 2022, which was up 1.2 per cent compared to the same period ending December 2021.
 
In the December half, TV advertising revenue was $2.1 billion, down 3.7 per cent when compared to the same period ending December 2021, according to the media company.

Read more: ThinkTV reports total TV advertising revenue is up $4.1 billion for 2022

Barbie remains at the top of the Australian box office

This weekend, the Australian box office made $17,137,264, down 27% from last week’s $23,053,978. 

It’s almost been a month since release and Warner Bros’ Barbie still has the world at her perfectly manicured feet, holding the number one spot for the fourth weekend in a row! Aussie fans are still flying to the cinemas in droves (bringing in $6.8 million, down 92%), globally, the film has surpassed the $1.18 billion mark.

While we already knew director Greta Gerwig has been smashing records (becoming the first solo female director with a billion-dollar movie) she has also achieved becoming the highest-grossing female director of a live-action movie since 2019’s Captain Marvel which was co-directed by Anna Boden.

Universal’s Oppenheimer also continues its ongoing box-office success, bringing in $2.9 million for its fourth weekend, down 49% and sitting pretty in the number two spot.

Coming in at number three for its second week in cinemas was Warner Bros’ Meg 2: The Trench. Starring Jason Statham, the action-horror flick took $1.7 million, down 46%.

The inspiring, thrilling, and action-packed story, Sony’s Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, debuted at number four this week. The David Harbour-led film took $1.2 million at the box office for its first week in cinemas.

And finally, rounding out the top five was MKS Retail’s Jailer, debuting at number five. The film took $1 million in its first week.

Falling out of the top five this weekend was Universal’s Asteroid City (debut), Maslow Entertainment’s Talk to Me, Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Zee Studio’s Gadar 2 (debut) and StudioCanal’s Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter (debut).

#1 Barbie – $6,872,982

The Victorian Government and Gemba have released The Value of ‘You Can Be What You Can See’ report. The report highlights that investment in women’s elite sports offers corporate sponsors a clear edge in a competitive landscape.

The report also highlights the major opportunity for corporate sponsors who capitalise on current underinvestment.

The main findings shown in the report include: 

• For every $1 a corporate sponsor invests into the visibility of women’s elite sport, supports the realisation of – on average – $7.29 in customer value for the sponsor.
• Early corporate supporters of women’s elite sport in Australia are benefitting from more than $650 million in customer value annually.
• Sponsorships of women’s elite sporting properties outperform men’s elite sporting properties in brand awareness, brand consideration and customer conversion.
• Greater uplifts in significant brand attributes such as ‘quality’, ‘experts’, ‘supportive’, ‘Australian’, and ‘innovative’ are being realised by current corporate sponsors.

The report states that closing the sponsorship gap between women’s and men’s elite sport in Australia would require an uplift by corporate Australia of more than $125 million annually – however, this gap closing over the next 15 years would see $49 billion in customer value being created for those corporate partners.

The Victorian Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spence said: “Corporate sponsorship of women’s sport can deliver powerful benefits for companies that want to partner with clubs and athletes. Continued growth and the demonstrated value proposition of women’s elite sport make it a compelling investment for corporate sponsors, and these findings reinforce how big an opportunity exists.”

The Victorian Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Sarah Styles said: “We’ve seen fantastic growth in opportunities for women to be professional athletes in Australia, but a significant gap remains in how our women athletes are being supported by corporate organisations.”

The full report can be found here.

See also: Matildas World Cup TV ratings: Matildas v France clash sets new Seven and Optus Sport records

The Boomtown collective has announced the appointment of Brian Gallagher, the former chief sales officer at SCA and the brains behind the Boomtown initiative, as its independent chair.

Gallagher became chairman when Boomtown launched in 2019, with the aim of championing regional Australia and its importance to advertisers.

Boomtown is powered by SCA, WIN, Seven Network, ARN, ACM, News Corp, Nine NBN and Imparja, who all have substantial regional footprints and offer advertisers a range of channels reaching a combined audience of 9.3 million regional Australians living outside the five major capital cities.

As independent chair, Gallagher will provide continued strategic guidance and alignment to Boomtown’s marketing and education efforts, contribute to marketing activity, and collaborate with relevant industry bodies, among other activities.

Gallagher said of his new role: “Boomtown has been an outstanding success in raising not only the profile of regional Australia but investment by national brands into reaching and engaging with regional communities.

“It has effectively myth-busted incorrect perceptions that regional audiences deliver lower ROI to advertisers, and instead highlights the size of the opportunity for brands wanting to engage with a significant market that’s diverse, growing, and have similar, if not higher, disposable income than their metro counterparts.

“It’s a privilege for me to be able to chair the Boomtown collective on behalf of its members and to continue the great work that has been achieved and is yet to come.”

Nathan Patrick, Boomtown committee member and Nine commercial director, said: “Brian has been an outstanding Chair and public face for Boomtown since its inception and is a true advocate for regional Australia. We are delighted to have Brian take the independent Chairman role and continue that advocacy and advisory role for Boomtown.”

Gallagher has more than 30 years of experience in the media sector, most recently at SCA where he spent eight years. He has also worked in sales leadership positions at the Nine Network, and Network 10, and was CEO of Full Circle Entertainment and Full Circle Media and CEO of Ignite Media Brands.

Gallagher new position is effective immediately.

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Top image: Brian Gallagher

Paul Wilkinson has announced his departure from Half Dome as its head of commercial.

In a LinkedIn post on Monday, he shared the “bittersweet” news and thanked the team at the independent agency for his time.

Wilkinson wrote: “Bittersweet to announce that my time with Half Dome has come to a close.

“I’d like to thank the whole team down there for a spectacular ride, I’ve learnt so much in the last 2 years that I will carry with me for a long time.

“Particular shout-outs go to Catherine Smith, Joe Frazer, Will Harms, Rhett Mitchelhill, Renee Murray and Tom Frazer – a top team that bring a real family feel to the workplace.

“As for me – I’ll be doing the school run and getting the spring veggies ready to go in the ground – then it’s onto the next challenge, whatever & wherever that may be. In the meantime, if you need a hand give me a shout, I’ll be happy to help.”

Half Dome recently unveiled its new brand positioning centred on the agency’s promise to unlock the ‘Whole Potential’ of its clients and people.

The independent media agency’s rebrand comes as the agency celebrates its sixth year of operation.
 
During which time Half Dome has grown to a 65-person strong agency representing clients in Melbourne, Sydney, Geelong, and Ballarat across full-service media planning and buying, SEO, and creative performance production.

The independent agency engaged external brand consultants Untangld and creative agency By All Means to assist the agency develop its positioning and new brand identity. The discovery process included extensive interviews with staff, clients, the industry, and external partners and extended for more than nine months.

The new brand positioning reflects the agency’s commitment to attracting and retaining clients and people who share a challenger mindset and are energised by the concept of developing boundary breaking work which will be remembered as the best in their career.

See also: Half Dome unveils new brand positioning as it celebrates six years in business

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Top image: Paul Wilkinson

News Corp Australia has announced senior appointments for the company’s digital revenue division to drive growth across the organisation and enhance the company’s digital experience for clients.

• Jessica Gilby has been promoted to national head of digital
• Dianna Molinaro has been promoted to the role of commerce commercialisation director

News Corp Australia managing director national sales Lou Barrett said: “We have some of the best digital talent in the country in our business and I’m delighted to announce these promotions from our internal talent pool.

“They are key appointments in our national digital revenue team that reflect our commitment to enhancing the digital capabilities of our sales force. By investing in the digital revenue team, we aim to provide exceptional digital solutions to our clients and drive revenue growth in the digital space.”

Jessica Gilby

Gilby will lead an expanded team of digital leads and directors across the business, developing client solutions across data, content, commerce and video.
 
The team will be charged with commercialising News Corp Australia’s digital product offering and delivering best in market digital solutions to the company’s clients nationally. Reporting to Mark Brownie, general manager Digital Revenue, Gilby’s appointment is effective immediately.

Under Gilby’s remit, new group digital lead roles will also be introduced, reporting to state digital directors Kate Marshall (NSW) and Christopher Jeffs (VIC).

Dianna Molinaro

Molinaro also steps into her new role as commerce commercialisation director immediately, and will support Gilby in driving growth of the total commerce business. Having held a range of digital and commercial roles during her 11 years at News Corp Australia, Molinaro brings a wealth of experience to the position.

Brownie said: “Our digital revenue division creates sustainable and profitable growth for the company through the commercialisation of audience and data. We are able to do this by turning the innovation that comes out of the client product business into growth opportunities for our clients and partners.

“Along with the new appointments, we are expanding our footprint in the programmatic space by growing the teams underneath Sid Nair, who heads up data and programmatic growth, and Paul Oyama, our head of programmatic supply solutions.

“Our new and expanded structure allows us to deliver market-leading digital solutions to our partners and clients, at scale, and positions us well for strong growth this year.”

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Top image: Jessica Gilby and Dianna Molinaro

Initiative has won the media services account for Priceline Pharmacy following a three-month competitive pitch.

The agency’s remit will encompass the pharmacy brand’s media strategy, planning and buying for offline and online, including display, performance and addressable.

Initiative national MD Sam Geer said of the win: “We are ecstatic to be working with yet another iconic Australian brand. Priceline’s appetite for digital transformation and extensive bricks and mortar footprint make them an aspirational and perfect partner for Initiative.

“This partnership further advances our market-leading retail portfolio and offering, adding the culturally powerful verticals of health and beauty. The potential to create career-defining work together is very exciting, and both parties have the ambition and hunger to achieve it,” he added.

Sarah James, managing director, Melbourne said: “Our strategic capability and understanding of Priceline’s business, coupled with our market-leading tools and clear passion and energy were key factors in influencing Priceline to appoint Initiative as its media partner. This is a brand that clearly believes in having a strategic long-term plan to drive growth and we’re excited to work with Priceline to achieve their objective.

“Australia’s media landscape is evolving fast, and we are proud to be bringing our market leading approach to benefit Priceline,” James added.

Gabrielle Tully, Priceline’s head of marketing, said: “We’re very excited to work with the Initiative team. We loved Initiative’s progressive approach which will help us attract and engage new customers to achieve growth plans.

“Their team impressed us by demonstrating advanced data and tech capabilities paired with strategic media thinking that will help optimise our media investment. We’re excited to work with a fast-paced, strategic media agency that shares our ambitions to drive results.

“With the external marketplace increasingly changing, coupled with a refocused Priceline marketing approach, it was time to review our media services account. PHD has been an important agency partner, and I thank them for their support for close to a decade,” she added.

The agency’s appointment is effective immediately.

Pollinate has announced the appointment of Kirsty Bloore as research director in Sydney, effective immediately.

Bloore brings over 25 years of research experience with her, spanning quantitative and qualitative research, data analytics and strategy across global media and technology companies. She is currently on the board of the Beacon Foundation and has also previously held roles as vice president of Research and Strategy APAC for Viacom and Principal for Mavis Growth Partners.

Bloore will be responsible for managing the strategic consulting and insights business’ key media and technology partnerships, including Google Australia and YouTube APAC.

Pollinate Chief Executive Officer, Howard Parry-Husbands, said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Kirsty to the team as we continue to expand the business through way of exceptional talent.

“Kirsty’s experience in research leadership roles across technology and media businesses will help drive further growth for the business, including delivering better results for all our clients.

“She will be a key asset to the business, with her stakeholder management experience, strong influencing skills and passion for industry trends set to be a vital part of Pollinate’s future.”

Bloore said of joining the consultancy: “I’m thrilled to be joining Pollinate during this period of growth, working on challenging projects with a fabulous team and an impressive list of clients.”

Pollinate is part of the fast-growing marketing and strategic consulting business, The Influence Group, which also owns Social Soup, the largest influencer marketing business in Australia and New Zealand.

Bloore’s appointment comes after the appointment of Shannon Kenna as the managing director of both The Influence Group and Pollinate in its Canberra offices.

Kenna, who began in the role on April 4th, brings with her a diverse skillset spanning marketing, media relations, research, and corporate communications.

See also: The Influence Group and Pollinate’s Canberra MD Shannon Kenna reveals her direction for the business in the year ahead

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Top image: Howard Parry-Husbands and Kirsty Bloore

Hotwire has announced the appointment of Melissa Cullen to the new role of managing director (MD) of communications for the Asia Pacific region (APAC). 

In her new position, Cullen is responsible for the Hotwire business in Australia and will expand the reputation and relationship services footprint across APAC.

Heather Kernahan, global chief executive officer of Hotwire, said of the appointment: “We were looking for an experienced tech communications leader with the drive and ambition to expand our communications and public relations services in both capabilities and reach as we build with clients across Asia Pacific.”

“Mel’s experience in running her own agency for more than a decade, her work as a senior communications strategist with global tech brands and her leadership role in the PR industry are a fantastic combination that bring value and expertise to Hotwire clients and our team,” she added. 

Melissa Cullen and Heather Kernahan

Cullen will work alongside Anol Bhattacharya, MD of Marketing APAC, deepening the consultancy’s offerings in communications strategy, public relations, media relations, digital marketing, crisis and issues management, content production, executive thought leadership services, account based marketing, corporate narrative platforms and influencer management. 

Cullen said of appointment: “I am thrilled to be joining Hotwire to lead our communications services across APAC into an exciting new growth chapter. Hotwire is a truly global agency with deep expertise in technology communications and marketing and I am really looking forward to partnering with our clients to share their stories of success and deliver real commercial impact.”

Previously, Cullen worked in senior roles at Icon Agency, Finchco and Ogilvy, leading on major clients including Salesforce, Westpac and Microsoft.

Prior to this, Cullen was co-founder and managing director of Res Publica, where she spent fifteen years designing and delivering successful communications programs for some of Australia and the world’s best-known brands and businesses including Lion, Unilever, Westpac, Jurlique, Priceline and Gatorade.   

Throughout her career, Cullen has held several leadership roles within the Australian public relations industry including Chair of the Public Relations Council and Board Member of The Communications Council. 

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Top image: Melissa Cullen

Today the Brave has been appointed Carnival Cruise Line’s (CCL) creative account, adding to the full-service agency’s growing roster of clients.

As one of the most globally recognised brands in the travel and tourism industry, CCL is experiencing an exciting period of growth, fuelled by the escalating demand for cruise holidays.

Appointed to accelerate the brand’s strategy and creative, Today the Brave will be supporting CCL to help drive Australians to reappraise, experience, and embrace the value of a cruise, enticing them to jump on board.

Celia Wallace, partner, Today the Brave, said: “Following a challenging period for the cruise industry throughout the pandemic, the category is on a trajectory of ambitious global expansion. And Carnival Cruise Line is poised to capitalise on this wave of growth.”

“Today the Brave will be working with the CCL team to unlock the value in their brand platform, ‘Choose Fun’, reminding Australians of the possibilities of a cruise”, added Wallace.

With two of the fleet currently deployed in Australia; Carnival Splendour sailing year-round from her Sydney homeport and Carnival Luminosa operating seasonally from Brisbane, the Carnival brand is one of the most locally known and respected in the cruise industry. 

Anton Loeb, senior director, sales and marketing, said: “Today the Brave’s approach to capitalising on new opportunities meant they were a natural partner for us at Carnival Cruise Line. While our growth plans are ambitious, we’re confident that the strategic thinking and unique approach to creativity will help us achieve our goals.”

Carnival Cruise Line is the World’s Most Popular Cruise Line and was the first cruise line to sail over 100 million guests.

Since Today the Brave’s launch in mid-2022, the agency has worked with clients including True North, Coposit, Zambrero, the University of Sydney, AMP North, News Corp, HOYTS and Mercury Capital. Founded by Jaimes Leggett and business partner Celia Wallace, alongside creative partners Jade Manning and Vince Osmond, the agency is led by their guiding principle of Bravery, which reflects how they behave, measure, and show up in the world.

See also: Today the Brave expands capabilities with launch of dedicated media offering

The Australian marketing industry is gearing up to host its inaugural In-House Agency Summit.

Presented by the In-House Agency Council (IHAC) the event is set to take place on September 11th in the Hunter Valley wine region. The event is free to attend for all in-house agency teams. 

The In-House Agency Summit is Australia’s only conference focused on this growing segment of the industry. No longer a trend, in-house agencies have become firmly entrenched as part of the holistic marketing ecosystem and are now a mainstay with more than 78% of Australian marketers now working with an in-house agency. (IHAC In-House Landscape Survey 2023)

The summit aims to bring together professionals from the marketing industry to discuss the future of in-house agencies and explore emerging trends. The event will provide insights, practical knowledge, and networking opportunities for leaders in the in-house creative, production, media and marketing fields.

Chris Maxwell, IHAC executive chairman, said: “The in-house agency model in Australia is going from strength to strength. This summit is a watershed moment for the industry where we can come together, share, learn, and network. All in-house agencies are welcome to join and thanks to our partners Storyteq and -lution attendance is free for in-house agency teams.”

Developed in partnership with in-housing consultancy -lution and sponsored by creative automation platform Storyteq, the summit is set to host brands including Tourism Australia, CBA, Foxtel, Youi, NRMA, Seek, Newscorp, Asahi, Stan, TAL and Mona.
 
Attendees can expect insights from global and local in-house agencies, discussions on the future of brands and creativity, exploration of generative AI and production automation, as well as plenty of time to network with in-house agency peers.
 
Nick Thomas, -lution partner and chief strategy officer, said: “-lution is delighted to be supporting the region’s first-ever in-housing conference. As Australia’s leading experts in building and optimising in-house agencies, we’re looking forward to sharing our insights with the in-housing community.”

• 660,000 watch more drama on The Block
• 656,000 tune in to watch David Aumua blow the coaches away with his rendition of You Say

Total TV Ratings, August 7

3,510,000 supported our Aussie Matildas in a thrilling match against Denmark in Seven’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, up 13%.

1,678,000 also sat down for Seven’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Pre-Game, up 11% and 1,068,000 stayed on for the Post-Game, up 9%.

1,461,000 viewed The Voice Australia where 12-year-old NSW student Gezel Bardossi left the coaches in awe, up 23%.

1,226,000 watched Nine’s The Block as the Blockheads chose their houses, up 54%.

835,000 watched 10’s Hunted Australia Extraction as the final three Fugitives made it to safety, up 33% and 709,000 tuned in for the Finale, up 37%.

Overnight TV Ratings, August 14

Primetime News
Seven News 986,000 (6:00pm) / 963,000 (6:30pm)
Nine News 840,000 (6:00pm) / 831,000 (6:30pm)
ABC News 619,000
10 News First 228,000 (5:00pm)/ 165,000 (6:00pm)
SBS World News 176,000 (6:30pm)/ 135,000 (7:00pm)

Daily Current Affairs
A Current Affair 692,000
7.30 543,000
The Project 191,000 6:30pm / 294,000 7pm

Breakfast TV
Sunrise 213,000
Today 180,000
News Breakfast 88,000

Seven won Monday night with a primary share of 22.7% and a network share of 31.4%. 7TWO won multi-channels with a 3.9% share.

513,000 began their evening in Summer Bay with Seven’s Home and Away where Eden wondered if he could trust Cash and Dana risked blowing her own cover. Then, 656,000 singing fans tuned into The Voice Australia. David Aumua, 24, blew the coaches away with his inspirational performance of You Say by Lauren Daigle and Nyree Huyser, 37, who sang Stone Cold by Demi Lovato, prompted Guy Sebastian to ask: “Where have you been hiding?” 

Nine’s A Current Affair (692,000) looked at how police arrested a man on August 14 after he was filmed by fellow passengers shouting during a flight from Sydney to Malaysia. The plane was turned around after a mid-air emergency incident. Then, 660,000 watched The Block where a Body Corporate meeting was called over Steph’s dad who worked on House Four without being paid or inducted.

SEE ALSO: The Block 2023 Recap Episode 5: More tears as a Body Corporate is called to discuss Steph’s dad

On 10, The Project (191,000 6:30pm / 294,000 7pm) welcomed Aussie singer-songwriter and star of Gold Diggers Eddie Perfect, the brains behind the Beetlejuice musical. He revealed how hard he had to fight for his vision which has now had eight Tony nominations. The Traitors Australia as things began to heat up in the grand old manor. Elias (Faithful) was murdered while award-winning actor Gyton (Faithful) was banished during the Banishment ceremony. 250,000 watched on. Have You Been Paying Attention? then followed for 533,000 as Alan Davies, Urzila Carlson, Marty Sheargold, Melanie Bracewell and Ed Kavalee were quizzed to see if they’d been paying attention by host Tom Gleisner. 

543,000 watched ABC’s 7.30, which looked at the decline in the big four’s auditing quality with fears of a corporate collapse. Laura Tingle also interviewed Alicia Ferguson-Cook and the series saw how new research showed alarming levels of antisemitism on university campuses. Then, on Back Roads, Heather Ewart headed to Tasmania with two intrepid line dancers who were on a boot-scootin line dancing tour of the nation, raising money to help others. 458,000 tuned in. Then, 325,000 watched Four Corners which detailed thousands of Australian babies who are born exposed to their mothers’ drug use every year. 374,000 then stayed on for Media Watch.

The highest rating non-news show on SBS was Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes with 80,000 tuning in to see actor Charlie Hardwick show Robson Green the hidden gems of the East Durham Coastline on his journey to find fresh ways of spending time in the outdoors.