Ciaran Davis, the chief executive of ARN Media, has dropped a few bombshells along the way in his 14 years leading the radio broadcast group.

Arguably the two biggest have come in the past few weeks. First was the announcement of a takeover offer for SCA. The second was yesterday when the business revealed contract extensions for two of its key hosts – Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson plus Christian O’Connell.

Davis was at pains to point out yesterday the two are unconnected. He explained to Mediaweek that yesterday was all about the talent, and he wouldn’t be discussing the SCA takeover.

Regarding the significant increase in talent fees, Davis was also guarded. On the deal, he did share: “On the construct of the contract, we like it in terms of the layers. The revenue share affords an opportunity for everybody to earn good money. There’s upside for everybody. The ownership of shares is a good thing as well.

“There is an increase in base salary. The additional elements also ensure that everybody is motivated to make it successful.”

ARN broadcaster and shareholder Christian O’Connell

Calculating mega-star salaries

Davis: “The revenue share announced by ARN Media yesterday is triggered by incremental revenue growth on the stations the stars broadcast on. There are 7,000,000 shares being issued [in total] to the three and they don’t vest until the contract period is over. We think we have spread the risk and reward with the talent.”

See also:
ARN signs Christian O’Connell to new long-term contract: Will he move from Gold to Triple M?
Kyle & Jackie O say yes to 10 more years with ARN, Jase & Lauren axed as K&J invade Melbourne

Competitive interest in Kyle and Jackie

Choosing his words carefully about any bids from competitors to poach any of the broadcasters, Davis said: “There is competitive interest in great talent everywhere in the world.”

Speaking about the broadcasters in both Sydney and Melbourne, Davis added: “Their success is phenomenal and continues to be. For the last 10+ years, we have had a strategy of recruiting and retaining the best talent and this was part of it. As to whether other networks were talking to them, I’m sure they were. I would if I was another network.”

Ciaran Davis, Jackie O, Kyle Sandilands, and ARN content director Duncan Campbell

Networking breakfast

While the company has confirmed Kyle and Jackie will be live into Melbourne in the future, there is a risk the audience may not welcome a Sydney-based breakfast show. “There is a risk in any changes you make,” said Davis.

“There was a risk putting Christian on in Melbourne when we brought him over from the UK. There was a risk when we took Kyle and Jackie O from 2Day FM. The continued audience growth we see from Kyle and Jackie and the growth in younger audiences they attract, and the increase in listening to their catch-up podcast out of Victoria, suggests they will be successful.”

ARN is prepared for any competitors trying to spoil the networked offering by proclaiming they are the live and local breakfast option. “The style of program and content Kyle and Jackie do is universal. Over the last 12 months there hasn’t been as much Sydney focus. While live and local is an important part of radio, this is such a unique show with such great chemistry. There aren’t many shows in the world that could do that.”

Axing Jase and Lauren

It’s not every day a radio executive would pull the pin on a program with a cume audience over 1m in a market the size of Melbourne.

“You are right, a cume over 1m is terrific. What we had to look at for the next couple of years what was the revenue potential. We have had cume for a long time, but we are still not writing as much revenue as we think we can. It’s a tough decision, but we have to make that decision on how much revenue we think we can write from the audience Kyle and Jackie can generate.”

Fans of Jase can perhaps be pleased that they might still him on the ARN airwaves. “Jason is still under contract and Jason will be staying,” confirmed his boss. As just to what that might be, Davis paused…and then shared, “To be announced.”

One week left for Jase and Lauren, but Jase remains signed to ARN

Getting Melbourne ready for Kyle and Jackie

Just when Kyle and Jackie will start of Melbourne’s KIIS 101.1 is yet to be revealed. The company hasn’t revealed the 2024 start date, which should be at the start of survey on Monday January 15, 2024.

Is there a chance they could do a sneaky week of Kyle and Jackie O into Melbourne beginning December 3? “To be announced,” said Davis wishing to move the conversation on.

Selling Kyle and Jackie to advertisers

Davis said the ARN sales team is poised to move on selling the next 101.1 breakfast team. “We have a terrific team already in place. The show attracts both agency and direct clients. They have a very popular show and generate great audiences.

“We will have to prove the audience for advertisers and then educate advertisers on the kind of show it is and the connection it has with the audience. Then show how advertisers can benefit being associated with the engagement the audience has with Kyle and Jackie.”

Is the Melbourne audience ready for Kyle and Jackie plus Intern Pete, Pedro, Mayo, Josh? “You asked me the same question when Christian came. Was Melbourne ready for an English accent on the radio.

“The Melbourne audience is the same as the Sydney audience, and any audience in the world. Some people won’t like it and some people will. Those that do like Kyle and Jackie tend to love it and are very loyal, passionate listeners. We absolutely believe will generate those down there.”

As to whether the team need to broadcast much out of Melbourne, Davis said occasionally they will be. He noted they are not always in Sydney either with Kyle sometimes broadcasting out of Sydney. Sometimes from an exotic location, and other times during an Australian Idol road trip.

Jackie O with the K&J team at ACRAS this year

The future home of Christian O’Connell

ARN imported Christian O’Connell from the UK. He managed to build a new show and take it to the top of the ratings for 27 of the last 28 ratings surveys. Then ARN goes and re-signs O’Connell this week for five more years.

In the background though ARN is trying to acquire the Triple M network. A move that means it would have to sell off Gold 104.3, the home of The Christian O’Connell Show. Surely they would not abandon the broadcaster?

Davis: “I don’t want to link the two things [a new contract and acquiring Triple M]. We have been talking to Christian [regarding contract renewal] for a period of time. He is signed to the network.”

Has Christian asked where he might be broadcasting from next year? “He is under contract to ARN. Today I would just like to focus on the new contract.” Ok.

As to whether Christian O’Connell could be networked into other markets live, Davis said: “Don’t know I would say. We will focus on Kyle and Jackie into Melbourne first.”

Contract negotiations…tetchy?

When asked who was the toughest in contract negotiations – team O’Connell or team Kyle and Jackie O – Davis replied: “What about team ARN? Contract negotiations can be tetchy at times. But that is the nature of good negotiations. Everybody has approached it in a professional and logical way. That has been pleasing because it shows there was trust between the parties and good intent from all wanting to continue working together. That was very evident as we went through the process.”

As to questions the CEO fielded from the ARN board, Davis replied: “The board had questions about the appetite from the audience for Kyle and Jackie O over that period of time, the ability to grow the audience and the ability to grow revenue off the back of that.”

Exploiting the IP

With two expensive talent packages to feed every year, Davis indicated there was scope to exploit the talent even further. “As audio consumption continues to digitise even more there are lots of opportunities we are looking at around The Christian O’Connell Show and The Kyle and Jackie O Show.”

Davis was not willing to be drawn about Mediaweek’s suggestion of a potential Intern Pete program.

Australia’s event industry has had a strong post-Covid recovery and is forecast to pass $10 billion in the next five years. 

In the post-lockdown excitement for events, News Corp launched its Events and Experiences division in a bid to grab a bigger share of the space. Mediaweek spoke to Diana Kay, general manager, events and experiences, about the media giant’s experience.  

“News Corp decided to create a centralised events and experiences division just after Covid, and I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to be GM of E&E. Three years later, we have delivered about 90 event programs in the last 12 months alone, during a period where the events industry has been really hurting,” said Kay.

“I think you’re either on one extreme or the other – you were either completely hurting and out of business to some degree, or you’re at our end where we were converting our events business into what became a live journalism program.”

While the transformation was challenging for New Corp sponsor brands were keen to stick it out. “Most of the sponsors of our programs didn’t walk away,” she said.  

“Brands were still striving for a connection with their audience, and they wanted to stick with us as we worked through the reshape of our programs – and we did that successfully. Everything from The Australian’s Global Food Forum, to launching new programs like The Australian’s e-commerce summit, and mature programs like Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out.”

Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out

Kay points to News Corp’s longstanding partnership with financial multinational American Express as an example of how brands can become part of the events. 

“American Express is one of the key brands that I love to refer to, because of the outcomes. We’ve got a very clear outcome for the programs that we’re running, whether it’s delicious Month Out or Vogue’s Fasion’s Night Out – AmEx sponsors both. We know what our outcomes are, but for AmEx, often it is about cardmember spend and Cardmember growth. In the case of programs like Fashion’s Night Out, it’s about merchant acquisition.

“We take on all their objectives and make them ours, and we work our event and experience strategy around those KPIs to help them achieve their targets.”

Kay is focused on significant growth strategies for the next 12 months and beyond as the business works for a greater share of the booming category. 

“The Australian turns 60 next year, so I’m already deep in the weeds of planning that program – it’s going to be huge. We will continue to build on and invest in the Future series, they have proven to be sensational, and hyperlocal in their focus,” said Kay.

The Daily Telegraph’s Future Sydney: Bradfield Oration.

“The Bush Summit was one of our biggest initiatives this year. I’ve had the fortune of working on that for about three years, but this year we were tasked with scaling the Summit, and taking it out of New South Wales to all the other marketplaces.”

See Also: In Pictures: News Corp Australia’s national Bush Summit in Tamworth

“If you look at any of the research and data, they’re predicting the space to be about a $10.2 billion business for Australia, with growth of about 5.5% through to 2028. You can see in the resurgence of concerts, tours, and the like that we’re all seeing and feeling – it’s not dying down anytime soon,” said Kay.

“The thing I have learned is that you cannot replace the experience someone has with any media asset that allows them to remember that experience better than an event does.”

Compiled by Jasper Baumann and Tess Connery

Cracking the case on UnTRUE: The Underdogs – Catch a Cat Burglar

LiSTNR has pulled out its detective hat and launched UnTRUE: an (un)true crime podcast for kids. The first season of UnTRUE: The Underdogs – Catch a Cat Burglar is adapted from the children’s graphic novel of the same name by Kate and Jol Temple and illustrated by Shiloh Gordon. 

The podcast has also launched alongside an Australian-first companion game on global metaverse platform, Roblox.

Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke with Lorna Clarkson, head of LiSTNR parenting and kids’ entertainment, to speak about how the podcast came to be.

UnTRUE: The Underdogs – Catch a Cat Burglar has its origins further back than just this year, with Clarkson saying that the idea first came to her well before that.

“It was two amazing things coming together at once into this new project. Probably six or seven years ago, when I was creating new podcasts for Kinderling for kids, I was a massive true crime fan. I was getting into Serial and the big zeitgeist true crime podcasts at the time. I thought, well, I’m really into this, but obviously it’s way too dark for kids. How could we do a true crime podcast for children? What would that look like? 

“Last year we had the opportunity to record these incredible books called The Underdogs, which were written by Kate and Jol Temple. They had already produced and released a series of five books at the time, and they’ve released another one since. When I read the first book, the idea about the true crime podcast came back to me, and I wondered if we could bring these two things together.”

Lorna Clarkson

Launching alongside a Roblox companion game provides another way for kids to get involved with the podcast, and is something that Clarkson came about almost by accident.

“When you have a fun idea, and then that inspires other creative people to have even more fun ideas – that is basically what happened. We were talking about the podcast internally with the team in Melbourne, we’d been speaking to them about how we might distribute the podcast and where it could go. Someone on their team was already playing around with developing in Roblox and said, ‘I think I could build Dogtown in Roblox.’

“He started building the environment in this world of Roblox, and as we developed the podcast, he developed the world. So it really went hand in hand.”

Clarkson said that UnTRUE: The Underdogs – Catch a Cat Burglar has been designed to not just be a good time for kids, but also for the parents going along for the ride. 

“We wanted it to work on two levels. I’ve worked in kids’ podcasts and content now for nearly nine years, and it’s always important to me that the content that we make works for the kids – it’s really fun, it’s really well produced, and it’s really engaging. But we also know that most of the time, the parents are in the room as well, often they listen in the car. We want to make all of that content a co-listening experience so it’s just as much fun for the adults to listen to, as it is for the kids. 

“Right from the start, the whole script, the sound design, everything was thought about on two levels constantly. What jokes are we putting in there? What are the production techniques that they’ll recognise from true crime podcasts? There’ll be recordings from some of the witnesses and that kind of stuff we know that adults will really get, but at the heart of the story, it’s just a great mystery that kids will love getting into.”

[Listen to UnTRUE: The Underdogs – Catch a Cat Burglar here]

LiSTNR launches the newest season of Bedtime Explorers Puppy Pals 

LiSTNR has launched Season 11 of Bedtime Explorers Puppy Pals, the children’s meditation podcast for kids to drift to dreamtime learning all about host Amy Taylor-Kabbaz’s favourite furry friends. 

Episode one is all about the Labrador and how the breed is loving and helpful, with Amy suggesting, “Let’s be helpful and kind and full of love like our Puppy Pal, the Labrador.”

The Border Collie featured in episode two is inclusive, playful and full of fun, the Blue Heeler is loyal and the German Shepherd is strong, brave and protective. 

[Listen to Bedtime Explorers Puppy Pals here]

The 2023 Australian Podcast Award Winners

The Australian Podcast Awards (APAs), has announced its winners for 2023 across 30 categories.

Taking out the biggest award of the night, Podcast of The Year, was the True Crime series The Lawyer, the Sniper & the NSW Police. The podcast shares powerful testimonies from two survivors of the NSW Police workforce. It also took the top spot for the Best Interview Podcast.

Podcast of the Year – The Lawyer, the Sniper & the NSW Police

Selected by the APAs, Podcast Champion was awarded to APA multi-year award winners Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley’s Life Uncut. Listeners’ Choice went to mum and daughter duo Kat and Latisha Clark’s Basically Besties. 

Finding Ruby – The Fight of My Life took the title of Best New Podcast while Inside The Tribe took home Best True Crime podcast.

[The full list of winners can be found here] 

Podshape’s new spirituality podcast ‘The Village Crazy Lady’ with Mikki Fisher promises to celebrate the chaos 

Touted as not a typical spirituality podcast, The Village Crazy Lady won’t have all the answers but will be full of swear words and pop culture references.

Host Mikki Fisher will ask the questions everyone is too afraid to ask and aims to empower listeners to trust themselves and their own intuition. 

Mikki Fisher said: ‘I can’t wait to bring the world of woo and spirituality into the mainstream! And in such a fun, funny and human way!’

The podcast releases on November 27th.

[Listen to The Village Crazy Lady here]

Tatjana Pandurevic’s new podcast Moonshot delves into the minds of thinkers 

Hosted by Tatjana Pandurevic, a former athlete who transitioned into a tech executive, Moonshot delves into the minds of thinkers who dare to dream and aim for greatness. 

Tatjana on why she started the show: “I hope that sharing these conversations can be a spark for others who are also looking to take their own moonshots in life.  I want to continue building this platform to create a community of like-minded individuals who are committed to their own personal growth journeys”.

New episodes will be released every 2nd Wednesday.

[Listen to Moonshot here]

Indigenous-led podcast network, BlakCast, launches in partnership with ARN’s iHeart

BlakCast showcases and supports podcasts proudly platforming the stories of First Nations Peoples and people of colour. 

Launching in partnership with ARN’s iHeart, BlakCast empowers First Nations Peoples and people of colour to reclaim their narratives, strengthen cultural identity and contribute to a more inclusive Australia, by showcasing emerging talent from Indigenous communities and other Australians from minority backgrounds.

BlakCast will launch with podcasts including Black Magic Woman, Yarning Up, Curtain the Podcast, Unapologetically Blak, Meet the Mob and Coming Out Blak.

[Listen here]

TAB New Zealand has entered a non-binding agreement with Sports Entertainment Group to acquire SEN NZ’s digital and audio businesses – including the SENZ brand, app and website, and its network of 28 radio stations across 29 frequencies.

The move comes just over two years since SENZ hit the airwaves.

The deal will cost TAB NZ$4 million cash, and the transaction is also paired with a content supply partnership. The transaction is expected to see an operational handover commence on February 1, 2024, subject to completion of legal agreements.

SEG’s Australian business, SEN, will make all SEN programming available on SENZ frequencies. SEN NZ will remain the commercial arm for SENZ Digital & Audio, sourcing third-party advertising revenue for the business under new ownership. 

SEG will earn commission income on advertising revenue it sources.

SEG chairman Craig Coleman said of the transaction: “We are delighted to have helped shape a business with the New Zealand sports fan at its centre. The transitioning to the new ownership structure and supporting commercial agreement enables the SENZ Digital & Audio to become part of a broader, integrated and improved sports and wagering offering.

“Importantly, this transaction removes start-up losses from our operating performance. In FY23, our New Zealand business represented a negative $2.4 million drag on underlying EBITDA. SEG continues to focus on reducing net debt in FY24. This transaction aligns with this objective in addition to several other proposals and initiatives under consideration.”

The sale comes as Craig Hutchison, SEN’s CEO and chief motivator at Sports Entertainment Group, has been the subject of ongoing examination of the group’s business model. In September, the Herald Sun ran an article headlined: Craig Hutchison’s business woes after $9.2m loss.

In response, Hutchison told The Sounding Board podcast that “We made $4.8m profit EBITDA. There were some markdowns and impairment of assets that created a paper loss. We have made money every year. We haven’t had a year where we haven’t made money. Would we have liked to have made more? Yes. It is my job to make more for our shareholders per annum? Yes.”.

See Also: Hutchy explains what is really going on at SEN after Herald Sun report

By Dave Levett, managing director, Murmur Group

Nearly two decades ago the world of marketing fundamentally shifted.  2007 brought a quantum shift in consumer behaviour as Apple – a brand historically known for its portable music players – launched its first mobile phone. iPhone’s launch was a key milestone in the ‘mobile revolution’ beckoning in the smartphone era and transforming how people communicate, access information and engage with digital content.

And without doubt 2024 will bring another dramatic shift in consumer behaviour – as the exponential growth of AI powers a game-changing move from traditional “Search Engines” to the rise of “Answer Engines”. 

As this shift takes hold, some brands will find themselves at a crossroads, forced to reconsider marketing strategies and redefine key marketing metrics.

And with the metamorphosis underway, it is crucial for brands to comprehend the significant impacts looming on the horizon.

1. Search is fundamentally changing

‘Zero click searches’ already make up a large portion of search queries as Users continue to look for desired results.   

Recent studies have shown more than 50% of customers don’t click an organic or paid result.   If what consumers are looking for isn’t in the first few results of a Search Engine Results Page (SERP), Users quickly revert to the top of the page – and type in a new search query, to try and refine the answers.

However, with the recent – and rapid – take-up of AI-fuelled “Large Language Models” (LLM’s), such as ChatGPT and Bard, Users are getting their answers faster, without having to use multiple Search queries, or click through to various links.

2. Adoption of LLM’s is growing

Earlier this year, the impact on LLM’s for traditional Search Engines like Google, and Microsoft saw them start to incorporate a ‘Generative AI’ layer into the overall search experience. 

Google launched this in the US with an experiment called ‘SGE’ (Search Generative Experience) – which summarises and provides personalised context to a User’s query by using highly ranked index pages. 

The impact of Google’s SGE-powered results page, lead to providing far less space for organic search results – prioritising Paid Ads, and SGE results above Organic results.

Google will protect its key revenue source – Paid Search – but if your brand isn’t paying for Search Ads, it will be bumped down the page – replaced with SGE results.  And the bottom of the page is not where you want your brand to be.

Brands will see a decline in Organic Traffic coming from Google as an increasing number of results will be zero click.  Meaning, they need to supplement this loss of organic traffic, through another source – likely to be ‘paid search’.

3. The price of doing business for ‘search’ will increase

As brands invest more in Search Ads to drive demand the competitive marketplace will inflate and the cost of doing business for ‘paid search’ will increase.

As Byron Sharp recently noted “Paid search is like shelf space” – and if the price of Search increases, there will be an increasing number of brands that “close the doors of the store”.

To help reduce the impact of rising search costs, brands need to transform their organic content strategies from an “SEO focus” to an “AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) focus”. 

To maximise AEO, brands should structure organic content, snippets and most importantly, providing direct answers to common consumer questions about your category will be crucial for LLM’s to pick up and show to a User.

Brands must use formatting techniques  to deliver content that is concise and presented in a clear and organised manner.

4. Marketing metrics will radically change

For many years, “Search” has been commonly thought of as one element of ‘physical availability’ – the determination of how easy it is for consumers to find and buy a brand in a practical sense.

Thanks to the work of Les Binet & James Hankins “Share of Search” (showing which brands are gaining more of today’s buyers through organic listings) has been used by brands and marketers, as a proxy marketing metric to understand current market share and forecast future sales activity.

However, once organic results are pushed further and further down a Search Results Page, the ‘physical availability’ for these brands will dramatically reduce and  consequently, impacting negatively on a brand’s ability to sell.

As the price of doing business increases and puts pressure on marketing budgets, brands must be prepared to make tough decisions on which channels deliver effective results against objectives; which channels remain in plan; and which channels should be sacrificed.

As the dynamics of consumer behaviour shifts, the way people find products, and search for services or solutions will also change. 

I predict 2024 will be the year that the rise of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) takes centre stage due to a dramatic reduction in ‘zero-click searches’.

For brands and marketers, the implications will be profound – affecting budgets and planning, altering search behaviour, reshaping organic traffic and the surge in the cost of ‘paid search.’

It’s imperative that brands and marketers start to build out both their AEO strategy as well as their SEO strategy as we move headlong into 2024.

–

Top image: Dave Levett

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has settled in the defamation case he launched against the ABC after the broadcast of a speech by Brittany Higgins. 

The National Press Club speech, made by Higgins alongside former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, was aired in February 2022.

Dr Matthew Collins KC, the barrister representing the ABC, confirmed the settlement on Wednesday morning. Justice Michael Lee, who is presiding over the case, is yet to order costs.

Whilst Lehrmann has settled his case against the ABC, he will still be going ahead with defamation action against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson in relation to a February 2021 interview with Higgins that aired on The Project. In the interview, Higgins made the allegation that she had been raped in an office of Parliament House.

Whilst he was not named, Lerhmann claimed that “his name was widely trafficked as the culprit on social media and the internet generally”. His lawyers echoed that message, saying that “it was “notorious in Parliament House and elsewhere that Mr Lehrmann was the person alleged to have assaulted Ms Higgins”.

Earlier this year, Lehrmann dropped his legal proceedings against News Corp after reaching an out-of-court settlement. He was taking defamation action against both News Life Media – publisher of news.com.au – and Samantha Maiden, news.com.au’s national political editor.

In the News Corp case, Lehrmann claimed that he was identifiable in two news.com.au articles which have now been updated with an editor’s note that reads “News.com.au notes that a criminal charge of sexual assault was brought against Mr Lehrmann and later dropped. News.com.au does not suggest that he was guilty of that charge.”

See Also: Bruce Lehrmann drops defamation proceedings against News Corp

Last month, changes to Queensland law resulted in Lehrmann being revealed as the previously anonymous “high-profile” man charged with two counts of raping a woman in Toowoomba. The charges came from October 2021, and Lehrmann has not yet been committed to stand trial. 

Nearly three weeks after its Australian debut, Paramount+ has announced that NCIS: Sydney is now officially the most-watched local series since the launch of the platform in Australia.

The first two episodes of the eight-part series are available to stream now, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

In the U.S., the premiere episode is approaching 10 million viewers across CBS and Paramount+, while claiming the title of top new show of the television season and the #1 most-streamed CBS Network series premiere ever on Paramount+.

On Tuesday, 14 November, the premiere episode was the top show of the night in viewers (5.6m L+SD) and lifted to 7.25 million viewers in most current data.

CBS re-aired the premiere on Saturday, 18 November, bringing the cumulative viewership of the first episode to 9.65 million viewers.

See Also: NCIS: Sydney a hit for US audience on opening night this week on CBS

In Canada, airing on Global, NCIS: Sydney is the top scripted series in the country this season, and #3 series overall in English-speaking Canada.

Beverley McGarvey, EVP, chief content officer and head of Paramount+ Australia said: “We are absolutely delighted that audiences locally and internationally have embraced NCIS: Sydney with its stellar cast and compelling storytelling. We are so appreciative of the opportunity to utilise the world class NCIS brand to tell quintessentially Australian stories and it has been so productive to work closely with our colleagues at CBS and Paramount+.”

Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said: “These viewer numbers for NCIS: Sydney demonstrate the global strength and popularity of the NCIS franchise, and highlights how strong characters and story telling continues to resonate with the CBS audience.”

See Also: NCIS Sydney’s Todd Lasance: “We’re in the big league now”

Are Media has appointed Katherine Davison as the editor of the prominent Australian celebrity news and entertainment brand, WHO, to guide its omnichannel content strategy and elevate the household brand to new heights.

Davidson, formerly the managing editor of entertainment, lifestyle, and commercial editorial at Seven Network’s 7NEWS.com.au, is set to commence her role on Monday, November 27.

Davidson joined 7NEWS.com.au in 2019 as the senior front page editor. Her career also includes roles such as executive editor at Pacific Magazines’ newidea.com.au, Femail editor at Daily Mail Australia, deputy editor of That’s Life, and commissioning editor and features writer for Time Inc in London.

In her capacity as WHO’s editor, Davidson will collaborate with Susan Armstrong, Are Media’s general manager – entertainment. Armstrong expressed enthusiasm about Katherine’s appointment, stating, “Katherine is an incredibly talented editor, with great experience across print and digital brands both here and in the UK.”

She specified that Davidson will be joining the team, “to lead the omnichannel content strategy on WHO and to take this much-loved brand to new levels.”

Further, Armstrong highlighted WHO’s significance within Are Media’s Entertainment Vertical, which also encompasses Woman’s Day, New Idea, Royals Monthly (By New Idea), TV WEEK, Take 5, and That’s Life.

Commenting on her appointment, Davison emphasised the brand’s longstanding delivery of “trusted” celebrity news to Australians. She described seeing the opportunity to contribute to the brand’s story during a time when multi-platform reach is crucial.

Katherine remarked, “At WHO’s core is captivating, insightful and real entertainment content that connects with a discerning audience. The potential for maximising this cherished connection across print, digital and commercial is enormous.”

This announcement aligns with Are Media’s recent strategic editorial appointments, including Grace O’Neill as editor of the new print version of ELLE Australia, Tessa Ogle as digital managing editor, fashion and beauty, and Sophie Tedmanson as editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

–

Top Image: Katherine Davison

IAB celebrated a successful year with guests from across the industry at the NSW Teacher’s Federation Conference Centre in Surry Hills for its end-of-year party. 

Matt Rowley, CEO of Pedestrian Group and chair of the IAB Australia Board, kicked off formalities with opening remarks that looked back on the industry body’s 2023 and its achievements, as well as its impact on the industry and how it has improved.

IAB Australia CEO Gai Le Roy then took to the podium to acknowledge and celebrate the IAB’s work in the industry, including the launch of its new digital audience measurement currency Ipsos Iris, its collaboration with MFA, ACA and AANA on the Advertising Pays report.

“I’m really thrilled that we’re getting more and more of those data pieces, stories, and things that we can stand by and yell to the high ceilings.”

In the learning space, Le Roy celebrated the launch of two industry-university co-created micro-credentials. “Again, it is no small feat to actually develop postgraduate-level training programmes and get them out in the market in an industry that’s changing constantly,” she said.

Le Roy also acknowledged the IAB’s efforts into putting aligning the industry opposition on privacy and feeding into the government process, which she said was “a huge amount of work”.

“Many different organisations from all sectors of the industry coming together to say we have functioning ecosystem where data can trade in a responsible way and keep out industry going,” she said.

Looking ahead to its work privacy review matters, Le Roy said next year will be another huge year for the IAB working with government and the industry to the privacy review.

Le Roy also highlighted the IAB’s education programming, which includes 12 major events on their roster, it’s mentorship program and e-learning program with over 1600 learners enrolled in a least one of their programs.

On the state of the market, she said: “I’m trying to think what the markets like at the moment, but where I landed is the market is in this really weird state of efficiency and innovation seeking. So we’re trying to look back we’re trying to deal with a market that’s a little bit slow, we’re also trying to reinvent.

“It’s a really interesting space at the moment where we know good things will come out of it. It can be a bit tough what we’re going through at the moment, but that’s some of the feeling that I’m getting from the market at the moment.”

Casting her eye into 2024, Le Roy shared that key points of focus for the year ahead will be data and privacy, collaboration with other industry bodies, and sustainability.

–

Top image: Matt Rowley and Gai Le Roy

Adriano Zumbo was sent home from Dessert Masters 2023 in a shock elimination on November 21 and while we were sad to see him go, he did reveal some MasterChef Australia secrets.

Given he’s been setting challenges on the hit TV series since its inception (how can we forget the Croquembouche), Mediaweek was keen to talk to him about how those challenging Pressure Tests are set.

In an interview post-elimination, Zumbo revealed that he did, in fact, set the challenges he presented to the contestants.

“When you’re setting a challenge, you’ve got months or a couple of weeks to prepare and come up with an idea,” he said, adding, “You come up with what you want to put on there and as long as they like it and agree with it, then you present it on set.”

Adriano Zumbo, Dessert Masters, Ten

According to the renowned Pastry Chef, sometimes the producers “have a vision in their head” for the challenge.

“You then work around that or sometimes they’ll let you come up with it,” he said. “And if they like it, they’ll go with it.  Sometimes they just want you to do your signature, whatever that is, so usually you’ll see some chefs come on and they’ll do what they do in their business and maybe make it a little bit more extravagant.

“Once you’ve been on there a few times and they start to mix it up.”

Adding with Dessert Masters it was good to be on the “other side just to experience it and understand what everyone goes through”.

When questioned about how different being a contestant was, Zumbo said it was a whole other ballgame.

“When you’re in there, on the other side, you don’t have that time to create it,” he said. “You’ve got to do it and get it done and make something special in that short timeframe.”

Adriano Zumbo and the cast of Dessert Masters 2023. Ten

How Adriano Zumbo felt after Melissa Leong’s touching speech

After Zumbo’s exit was announced, Melissa Leong made a “touching” speech.

“Ads, you take a look around right now. You are surrounded by people who have been inspired by you to follow their pastry dreams,” she said. “You have shaken up the industry from the moment you walked into it. In a way, you are the original Dessert Master and will always be our Sweet Assassin.”

When asked what this meant to him, Zumbo said: “It’s pretty touching to have that kind of effect over the years. Sort of inspiring people to get in the industry and doing what they do.

“You want people to enjoy the industry and making desserts, and all those kinds of things. I feel very honoured to have that sort of respect or effect on people.”

Dessert Masters continues Sunday – Tuesday at 7.30 pm on 10 and 10Play.

Seven Network and creative agency Emotive have unveiled their “It’s Just Not Cricket” out-of-home campaign ahead of the KFC BBL13 (Big Bash League) season, challenging traditional cricket advertising, and spotlighting the “fun and spectacle” of the matches.

Created in collaboration with artist Kris Andrew Small, the campaign comprises a series of posters celebrating the T20 game’s anti-establishment elements. Neon kits, broken bats, and flame throwers prominently feature, capturing the essence of the Big Bash League, appealing to families, young fans, and the distinctive “bucket heads.”

Seven Network & Emotive BBL13 – Circus Hits & Neon Kits

Larissa Ozard, director of marketing – brand, product, and trade at Seven, emphasised the unapologetically vibrant nature of the BBL, stating, “As a competition, the BBL is unashamedly big, bold, and colourful.

“Really leaning into the ‘It’s Just Not Cricket’ mentality to promote our live and free coverage, we wanted to show how the fun and spectacle that surrounds every match is what makes it so entertaining to watch.”

Darren Wright, group creative Director at Emotive, added his perspective on the campaign, stating, “From the promo launch back in August to working on these fairly bonkers posters with Kris, we’ve consistently said that flame throwers make everything better.

See Also: Darren Wright joins Emotive as GCD from Clemenger BBDO

“It’s that kind of attitude that we’ve applied to creating ads about cricket that I’m very pleased to say look nothing like ads about cricket.”

In August this year it was announced that Seven had appointed Emotive to work with its in-house marketing and creative teams.

Melissa Hopkins, chief marketing and audience officer of Seven, commented: “I’ve known Simon and the Emotive team for years and I’m very excited to tap their expertise and talent to help reset the Seven brand, in partnership with our great marketing and creative people.”

The “It’s Just Not Cricket” campaign is currently live across key cities, paving the way for the BBL13 season starting on December 7. Cricket enthusiasts can catch all the action live and free on Seven.

See Also: Seven teams up with Emotive on in-house marketing and creative teams

Screen Australia has announced that over $900,000 of story development funding will be shared between 18 feature films, 10 television dramas, two online projects and one virtual reality (VR) project.

See Also: Graeme Mason exit interview: What’s next for departing Screen Australia boss?

Included in this slate are 16 projects that have been supported through the Generate Fund, 13 through the Premium Fund and two through the Online Development Fund.

Among the funded projects are children’s animation series Wishes, following five-year-old girl Lucy and her young Guardian-creature Kino; feature film Dust from the playwright of the critically acclaimed Prima Facie, Suzie Miller; the latest comedy/drama series from Celeste Barber, Codependent; and the second iteration of virtual reality series, Lustration 2.0.

Screen Australia Head of Development Bobby Romia said, “This diverse slate of projects reflects a rich tapestry of creativity, from animated family adventures to thought-provoking dramas. It presents a wealth of opportunities to showcase and nurture the incredible talent we have here in Australia.

“We’re committed to continuing our drive to invest in ambitious, quality content for audiences far and wide and I’m excited to see these teams transform their visions into compelling narratives,” said Romia.

The complete list of development funding approvals for television, online, and feature film can be found here.

Celeste Barber (Codependent), Jayden Rathsam Hua (Matriarch) and Suzie Miller (Dust)

The Screen Australia projects funded for development include:

Codependent: An eight-part comedy/drama that follows marriage counsellor Darcy (Celeste Barber), a romantic who lives in a coastal Australian town and is entrenched in her tight-knit community. But Darcy is forced to face her own relationship demons when her husband leaves her for someone new – untangling 15 years’ worth of an intertwined life while continuing to share empathetic nods with her troubled clients. Attached is writer/producer Celeste Barber and writer Belinda King whose credits include Wellmania, with Alexandra Keddie (The Housemate) producing.

Dust: From Bunya Productions and playwright of the critically acclaimed Prima Facie Suzie Miller, Dust is a feature film set during an environmental crisis on the day a strong wind completely covers Perth with a massive red dust cloud – triggering a wakeup call that forces a group of individuals to look in new directions. The film positions itself as a look into how humanity deals with chaos, how we navigate vulnerability and how it is in reaching toward each other that we find the essence of our humanity. Dust is from director John Sheedy (H is for Happiness, Runt), writer Suzie Miller (Prima Facie play) and producers Greer Simpkin and David Jowsey, whose credits include Limbo.

Lustration 2.0: This six-part VR drama fantasy series is a follow-up to the Lustration VR series. This second iteration follows Bardolph and Gallus, who are two protectors of The Between, a realm where the dead go in order to cleanse or ‘lustrate’ themselves before crossing over to pure happiness. But when an evil target slips through their grasp, everyone and everything in The Afterlife begins to unravel. Lustration 2.0 is from writer/director/executive producer Ryan Griffen (Lustration, Cleverman), writer Hannah Belanszky, producer Carolina Sorensen (I’m Wanita) and executive producers Nathan Anderson (Lustration, Awake: Episode One), Wolfgang Bylsma (Lustration) and Wadooah Wali.

Matriarch: In this horror feature film, self-made woman Connie (29) moves into her husband Calvin’s (35) traditionalist Chinese family home for the third trimester of her pregnancy. As cultural differences and tensions rise surrounding the impending birth of her son, Connie finds herself at the centre of a demented ritual to appease an ancient and decrepit god. Matriarch is co-written and directed by Jayden Rathsam Hua (Sushi Noh, The Key of B) and co-written and produced by Ivy Mak (Swift Street, Sydney Sleuthers).

Metal Fish Falling Snow: A feature film based on Cath Moore’s award-winning novel follows the story of 12-year-old neurodiverse Dylan, who is driven across the Australian outback to live with her Grandfather William when her adored mother dies suddenly. Accompanied on her journey by her mother’s boyfriend Pat, along the way Dylan struggles with what it means to be of colour, and must confront her fears and falsehoods about the skin she is in. Metal Fish Falling Snow is a drama and magic realism film directed/produced by Olivia Peniston-Bird and written/produced by Cath Moore, whose credits include Graceful Girls and Sister Song.

Pick Up: From Kindling Pictures and inspired by a true story, Pick Up follows Koen, a musician on the cusp of fame, battling a chronic illness. Introduced to fecal transplants, he begins an intense daily poo pick up from strangers. As his life grows increasingly public, Koen struggles to maintain his donors’ expectations while navigating the bizarre world of bodily waste, upon which his health now depends. Pick Up is an eight-part series about the intricate dance of transaction and intimacy, the complexities of falling in love and the daily demands of a chronic illness. Pick Up is created, written and directed by Taylor Ferguson, whose credits include Fake and Year Of. Emelyne Palmer and Imogen Banks (Fake, Safe Home) are producing and executive producing respectively.

Senescence: This eight-part science fiction series follows ambitious 26-year-old dropout Mia as she gets caught in a battle whilst trying to save her mother from a degenerative illness. Senescence is written, directed and produced by Madeleine Parry (The Angels: Kickin’ Down the Door), written by Maddison Connaughton and produced by Peter Hanlon (The Angels: Kickin’ Down the Door). Joan Sauers is attached as script editor.

What I Like About Me: This romantic comedy young adult film is told through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin, whose summer is turned upside down when her best friend starts dating her childhood crush. But as plus-sized Maisie pushes herself out of her comfort zone and into the limelight of the local beauty pageant, Maisie realises the things she loves about herself have been there all along. What I Like About Me is written by Jenna Guillaume, with Erica Harrison (A Beginner’s Guide to Grief) attached as script editor. Hayley Adams and Michelle Melky of Scattered and Love Songs are producing and Alex Reid and Tom Maynard are executive producing.

Wishes: A 26-part fantasy family children’s animation series about a five-year-old girl, Lucy, and her young Guardian-creature Kino. Whenever Lucy feels the struggles of others and wishes she could do something to help, Kino materialises into Lucy’s world of magical solutions, helping her shape them into selfless acts of kindness. Wishes is directed by Ana María Méndez Salgado and produced by Carlos Manrique Clavijo whose credits include My Little Sumo, with Colin South (The Strange Chores, Little J & Big Cuz) attached as executive producer.

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Top Image: Wishes

Yeastie Boys, the world’s smallest multi-national brewery located in New Zealand, has partnered with VML to make a drinkable bouquet of flowers called a “Blokequet’ in an effort to promote positive mental health and encourage more open discussions between men.

New Zealand experiences alarming rates of self-harm in men. Yeastie Boys sought to give men a reason to socialise over a beer; to connect with and talk to each other on a deeper level than is often achieved.

The Blokequet concept was inspired by the fact that most men receive their first bunch of flowers at their funeral, looking to put a positive spin on the narrative. It is available as a limited-edition release, and with every can sold is also a donation to New Zealand’s attitudinal change group, the I AM HOPE foundation.

“We know we need to open up to our close mates – but showing up with a bunch of flowers isn’t the typical thing to do… showing up with some beers and having a chat is,” noted Yeastie Boys general manager, Joshua Sanford.

Kim Pick, executive creative director, VML (Aotearoa New Zealand), praised the many partners that have “stepped forward to rally behind the Blokequet launch to get men checking in on each other and to raise awareness and support for men’s mental health.” 

I AM HOPE founder, Mike King mentioned how support between men, “doesn’t have to be a really serious talk. It can be as simple as asking your mate if they’re OK.” 

He commented, “The reality is, most men in New Zealand socialise over a beer. That’s when they will really connect and talk with each other, so it’s a really big opportunity for us to start encouraging those kōrero to include mental health.”

See Also: WPP announces merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to create VML

Starcom Australia and production company Sloane Media have collaborated with Subaru Australia for a new season of Great Australian Detour on Nine and 9Now.

This season features Subaru’s first all-electric SUV, the brand-new Solterra, and it promises to showcase some of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes and epic places.

Subaru’s Great Australian Detour is currently being broadcast on Nine every Saturday at 12.30 pm until 23 December.

Airing over nine episodes, the series sees Subaru Australia brand ambassador Andrew Daddo driving the Subaru Solterra to the Snowy Mountains and Far North Queensland to showcase the vehicle’s versatility.

The show represents the second season of Subaru’s Great Australian Detour, with last year’s instalment the most watched television program at that hour across all the Free-to-Air (FTA) networks.

The campaign also includes a partnership with the Ben Fordham LIVE program on Nine’s 2GB radio station. Every Friday until 23 December, Fordham encourages NSW listeners to call in and share the best places they have discovered while on a road trip and go into the running to win an all-new Subaru Crosstrek SUV. A nationwide radio campaign is also running in other states to support the series. 

Trent Whitechurch, Subaru Australia’s national marketing manager, said the new season represents the “Subaru way of life” following the success of the first series.

“This time we raised the bar by detouring to some of the most beautiful and iconic places around Australia. We put the all-new, all-electric Subaru Solterra and its SUV capability to the test, The result is truly epic, and we invite everyone to take the time to explore their own backyard and all it has to offer!”

Manon Jardin, Starcom account airector, said celebrated the partnership between Subaru Australia, Sloane Media, Nine and Starcom on the new season of Great Australian Detour and added: “At Starcom we believe in the power of great content.”

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Top image: Andrew Daddo

Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Peters, Jarlsberg and Vittoria Food & Beverage have scooped top awards at Cartology‘s inaugural retail media awards, that took place on Tuesday 21 November 2023.

Cartology managing director, Mike Tyquin commented on the quality of campaign pitches across all categories, saying, “These awards truly demonstrate the effectiveness of retail media with customer insight at the core.” He continued, “Clients were clear on objectives, which enabled us to unlock the right insights and the right solutions to drive better campaign outcomes.” 

Judge Jane Saleh spoke highly of the calibre of the finalists, describing the Jarlsberg campaign as, “a true example of knowing the customer and the nuances of the category.”

She elaborated, “The deli counter shopper is a captive audience, so engagement through deli counter screens, decals and sampling really leveraged the theatre of the store environment.

The campaign messaging was clear throughout the customer experience both online and offline, and there was something truly in it for customers through sampling which brought the right customers back into the category.” 

Cartology listed 30 awards submissions, 13 finalists and four category winners representing strategic thinking and innovation in retail media. The 2023 winners were:

Best omnichannel campaign
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners: Sprite Lemon+ launch.

Best small supplier campaign
Vittoria Food & Beverage: Jarlsberg Month with an Honourable Mention to Good Goods Who Gives a Crap launch into Woolworths Supermarkets 

Best event activation 
Peters Ice Cream: Summer of Ice Cream event with an honourable mention to Remedy Drinks for their Winter Essentials event activation

Best use of Customer Insights 
Nestlé Purina Petcare: Cat Give Back. 

The overall 2023 Cartology Campaign of the Year Award went to Vittoria Food & Beverage’s Jarlsberg.

See Also: Cartology partners partnership with Haben to extend its large format screen network

Are Media’s marie claire has announced the winners of the 2023 Women of the Year Awards at a red-carpet event at the Foundation Hall of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney on Wednesday.

The awards ceremony, which celebrates game-changing women striving to build a brighter future, was attended by more than 150 winners, nominees, identities and media. 

Georgie Abay, editor of marie claire, said it was an honour to recognise the women nominated for their commitment, passion and bravery.

“As leaders in their chosen fields, these game changers are leading with courage and rejecting the status quo in order to build a brighter future for our next generation.

“All of our winners are true icons across every field, from politics, social justice, sport and business to health, advocacy and entertainment,” she added.

Abay also highlighted marie claire’s 28 years of advocating for change through its work. She said: “There’s nothing we won’t talk about, and we’re not afraid to tell it like it is.”

“With a proud history of agenda-setting journalism, mixed with a glamorous dose of fashion and beauty, marie claire is an iconic global brand that informs and steers Australian women.”

The winners were selected by a panel of judges including Grace Tame, Jessica Mauboy, Teresa Palmer, Janice Peterson, Kylie Kwong, Christine Holgate, Sarah Harden, Are Media CEO Jane Huxley and Georgie Abay.

The awards ceremony was sponsored by Kérastase, for a second consecutive year, and supported by Napoleon, Glenlivet, Dr Lewinn’s, Swarovski, MECCA M-Power and Volvo.

The winners of the 2023 Women of the Year Awards will be featured in the December issue of marie claire, which is on sale from November 23rd.

Introducing the 2023 marie claire Women of the Year Awards:

Champions of the Year:       The Matildas
Entertainer of the Year:        Kylie Minogue
Eco Warrior of the Year:       Lottie Dalziel
Voice of Now:                        Chanel Contos and Maria Thattil (joint)
Powerhouse of the Year:      Professor Megan Davis
Advocate of the Year:           Hannah Diviney 
Designer of the Year:            Rebecca Vallance 
Rising Star of the Year:         Ruva Nywenga
Changemaker of the Year:   Jess Hill
Creative of the Year:             Amy Manford and Made Up Stories (joint)
Icon of the Year:                    Sam Kerr 

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Top image: Jane Huxley

Sharon Winsor – a Ngemba Weilwan woman from Mudgee in Central Western New South Wales who overcame the loss of her first child to stillbirth and was later the victim of domestic violence – has been named the overall winner of the 2023 Shine Awards.

The Awards are a joint initiative between The Weekly Times and Harvey Norman. Each category winner has been awarded a $2500 voucher from Harvey Norman and the overall Shine Awards winner receives an additional $5000.

Winsor launched her business Indigearth in 2012 to provide 25 premium bush foods made from ethically sourced, sustainably harvested Australian native products as a way to overcome depression and despair.

Demand by chefs and home cooks for native foods has steadily increased since, allowing Winsor to further develop and introduce a range of responsibly sourced products. Today, Indigiearth offers more than 200 products including native foods, candles, diffusers and a new all-natural skin care range.

Winsor said: “Growing up in the bush and thriving off country are some of the greatest memories of my life. Starting the business when I was living in Sydney, many years ago, was born from my passion for bush food, and excitement to want to share culture with the world.

“My greatest personal achievement yet is that I am still here.”

Harvey Norman chief executive officer and judge Katie Page paid tribute to the 124 women who were nominated this year, as well as Winsor.

“The contribution of overall winner Sharon Winsor is extraordinary. Overcoming huge adversity, she has created a brand that elevates Australian bush foods and creates economic opportunities for Indigenous communities in the process,” Page said.

Now in its seventh year, the Shine Awards are a collaboration between The Weekly Times and retailer Harvey Norman, which celebrate rural and regional women who make a difference in their communities and industries.

Herald & Weekly Times chairman and News Corp Australia community ambassador Penny Fowler said “Throughout the past seven years we have worked in partnership with Harvey Norman to shine  a light on more than a thousand women across rural and regional Australia who really make a difference in their communities.

“The Shine Awards reflect our company’s belief in creating positive change through news and advocacy.

“Since the awards’ launch in 2017 there have been many challenges and opportunities – from drought to devastating fires, then floods and a pandemic. And now, things are tough around the country for so many as we face a cost of living crisis.”

All finalists’ stories feature online and in print in a Shine magazine inserted in The Weekly Times, and in The Australian on Thursday November 23.

2023 Shine Awards Winners

Belief: Josie Clarke, NSW. Founder of Ability Agriculture.
Courage: Lyndee Severin, Petermann, Northern Territory. Cattle farmer and tourism operator, Curtin Springs Station.
Dedication: Kathy Duff, South Burnett, Queensland. Councillor and community champion.
Grace: Sharon Winsor, Mudgee, NSW. Founder of Indigiearth.
Passion: Claire Harrison, Bridgewater on Loddon, Victoria. Fitness instructor and health and wellbeing advocate.
Spirit: Amanda Loy, Coleyville, Queensland. Cowgirl and founder of the Cowgirls Gathering event.
Youth award: Annie Pumpa, Braidwood NSW. Global beef genetics supply chain manager.