Business of Media
Twitter seeks to reassure advertisers on Musk’s plans
Twitter is rushing to reassure advertisers that it will remain a safe place for brands after Elon Musk takes over the company, as the campaign groups that organised a Facebook advertising boycott in 2020 warn the Tesla chief’s focus on freedom of speech could increase toxicity and abuse, reports the Financial Times‘ Tim Bradshaw, Alex Barker and Hannah Murphy.
The San Francisco-based company has written to agencies in the wake of Monday’s $US44 billion ($62 billion) deal announcement, insisting the company remains committed to ensuring their ads are not placed alongside harmful or offensive content, according to an email seen by the Financial Times.
That outreach reflects concern that Mr Musk’s stated position as a “free speech absolutist” could hurt Twitter’s $US4.5 billion-a-year advertising business built around the social media platform being attractive to traditional marketers.
Agencies
Carat appoints David Dalgarno as group strategy director for Melbourne
Carat Australia has announced the appointment of David Dalgarno as group strategy director.
Dalgarno will lead the agency’s strategy offering in Melbourne as part of the 13 people strong national strategic function.
The new group strategy director has over 20 years of experience across the Marcomms industry, holding strategic roles within research, media and most recently creative.
Danni Wright and David Dalgarno
He joins Carat after a two-year stint as strategic planning director at independent creative agency, Mustard. Before joining Mustard in Melbourne he was group strategy director at OMD, Sydney.
Dalgarno will join Carat Melbourne’s Senior leadership team and will play a critical role in inspiring the agency’s people on the potential of media to make a difference to the clients’ businesses.
He will work closely with Danni Wright, chief strategy officer, Carat Australia, to drive the strategic product, with a focus on ensuring the strategic direction makes a difference to media plan and business outcomes.
Dalgarno will also be instrumental in driving Carat’s culture of Designing For People, by crafting media, teams and careers, to build experiences that last.
Ogilvy Network ANZ appoints Liana Rossi as head of culture and influence
Ogilvy Network ANZ has appointed Liana Rossi, the head of content from Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), to the newly created role of head of culture and influence.
Rossi joins the company after five years with MONA, which is Australia’s largest privately-owned museum.
The creative, who was the driving force within MONA’s internal agency, has worked on the festival Mona Foma, Air Mofo, Tassie’s largest craft brewery Moo Brew, wineries Moorilla and Domaine A, restaurants, accommodation, a charity and more.
Rossi brings to the new role her cultural insight and creative counsel to Ogilvy Network’s clients, as well as a deep knowledge and understanding of gaps and opportunities in emerging culture.
Prior to her time at MONA, Rossi worked on social and activation led projects for R/GA, Revolver, Special Group and We are Social. She also spent time at DDB Sydney where she contributed to the Sydney Opera House’s highly awarded #comeonin campaign.
Rossi’s agency career began at Present Company after several years contributing to Sydney’s cultural landscape via street publications, fashion blogs and working with emerging designers and artists.
News Brands
Alan Jones’ election comeback: ‘There will be no walking on eggshells’
Alan Jones hobbles from one recording studio to another aided by a walking stick, though he insists he only uses it “because they tell me to, it keeps me straight and all that”, reports SMH’s Michael Koziol.
The 81-year-old, who was at one point arguably Australia’s most powerful media personality, has been waylaid by back surgery for much of this year; 28 hours on the table across four operations.
Jones’ return in the middle of the election campaign is no accident, and he will have plenty to say about a contest which, so far, he calls “a campaign virtually of nothing”. But he is planning a long-term future, and protégé Jake Thrupp has previously talked about creating a new media home for Australia’s centre-right.
The first, short-lived iteration – Alan Jones Direct to the People – aired in December. Jones announced the venture at a press conference at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel, although given conjecture he might run for parliament, the actual announcement proved a little underwhelming.
Technical difficulties notwithstanding, Jones regards the trial run as a success. He claims the seven shows reached 6.2 million Australians, but the team did not provide evidence by deadline and the Herald and The Age could not verify the claim independently. The first video has 117,000 views on Facebook; the seventh has 19,000.
This time Jones is broadcasting from impressive, purpose-built studios in inner-city Chippendale. Previously vacant and “a real pigsty”, Jones had the 240 square metre space fitted out with three studios, a control room and a booth, plus an office and kitchen. Thrupp and two other staff painted the walls themselves.
Jacqui Felgate joining 3AW breakfast after leaving Channel 7
Jacqui Felgate’s next career move has been revealed, with the former Channel 7 sport presenter and reporter joining 3AW breakfast, reports News Corp’s Jackie Epstein.
Felgate is presenting the foodie segment with Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft each Friday and started today.
“When Ross Stevenson is kind enough to call and offer you a role on such an iconic show I jumped at the chance,’’ Felgate said.
Fan ‘suffered delusion’ into thinking he could date Erin Molan
An obsessive fan told a court he became so infatuated with media personality Erin Molan that he believed he was going to start a relationship with her, reports News Corp’s Lauren Ferri.
The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in Manly Local Court on Thursday to using social media to bombard the TV presenter and columnist between 2016 and 2021.
According to court documents, he first became aware of Molan after watching The Footy Show in 2015 and “developed an infatuation with her”.
Radio
Dave Hughes to host 2022 Siren Awards
Comedian and 2DayFM breakfast host, Dave Hughes will host the 18th annual Siren Awards for excellence in radio on May 5 at the Beresford in Sydney.
Hughes was set to host the radio ads award show in 2021 but had to withdraw last minute after getting stuck in Melbourne. He was replaced with Lawrence ‘Moonman’ Mooney.
Earlier this month, the Australian radio industry announced the finalists for the Siren Awards recognising the best radio ad or campaign of 2022.
Making the finalist list this year are Deloitte Digital Australia, Howatson & Company, The Monkeys, Wunderman Thompson, Enigma, Innocean Australia, Nova Entertainment’s CREATE, SDWM, Special Group Australia and The Hallway.
Cameron Ling joins K rock Breakfast
Cameron (Lingy) Ling is set to join the K rock Breakfast team on a permanent basis kicking off Monday, May 2nd. The three-time Cats Premiership player, former club captain and the official “unofficial” Mayor of Geelong is no stranger to the media since his footy retirement in 2011.
‘Lingy’ will continue his footy commentary work with Channel 7 however, but will now join K rock’s Tom Lewis and Lauren ‘Loggy’ Temuskos, as a new breakfast host.
K rock Breakfast host and content director Tom Lewis said, “Lingy has had a wonderfully long and colourful history with K rock dating back to his early Cats playing days and after playing the long game, his grand plan to sneak on to the show permanently has finally succeeded! I’d imagine the delight he’ll feel when we turn the mic on for the first time will be something akin to winning the granny in 2011?.. but not quite on the same level as 07.”
“We pride ourselves at K rock as being leaders in local and there’s no one who lives and breathes Geelong and the Surf Coast more than Cameron Ling,
“Whether he’s helping old ladies across Moorabool Street or showing the groms how it’s done at Point Addis. Lingy’s love for our local region is obvious, and he’s simply a cracking bloke to be around. He has more stories about footy and the Cats than you can poke a stick at, so strap yourselves in for a fair bit of that gear,” Lewis added.
Tom, Lingy and Loggy are set to take it “..one game at a time”, “..focus on the basics” and play “..team focused quality local radio” from Monday, May 2nd from 7am on K rock 95.5.
K rock 95.5 is part of the 100% Australian family-owned Grant Broadcasters radio network.