Business of Media
‘Spamming’ Sportsbet cops record $2.5m fine
Online gambling company Sportsbet has been fined a record $2.5m for spamming customers trying to unsubscribe from its platform. Sportsbet also has paid $1.5m of refunds to customers, reports News Corp’s Chris Griffith and Jared Lynch.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said the $2.5m fine was the biggest it had issued for spamming in Australia.
ACMA’s investigation found Sportsbet had sent more than 150,000 marketing text messages and emails to more than 37,000 consumers who had tried to unsubscribe. Sportsbet also sent more than 3,000 marketing texts that had no unsubscribe function.
These texts and emails were sent between January 2020 and March 2021 and offered consumers incentives to place bets or contained alerts about upcoming races.
Chinese hackers attack local media group
Chinese state-affiliated hackers have targeted a major Australian media company, stealing passwords and data using a publicised vulnerability within hours of the software flaw being revealed, reports News Corp’s Ben Packham.
The nation’s biggest cybersecurity company, CyberCX, said the attackers moved swiftly to exploit the Log4j vulnerability in December last year, gaining access to the company’s IT systems before it had a chance to patch the affected software.
CyberCX said those responsible for the attack used “tradecraft consistent with Chinese state-sponsored actors” to gain access to the company’s mobile devices management software.
The company – which was not News Corp and understood not to be Nine Entertainment – was initially notified of the security breach by the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The attack occurred on December 10 – the same day the Log4j vulnerability was publicised, sparking a rush by users around the world to close the potential backdoor.
Ben Roberts-Smith case hit with twists as Nine‘s source unmasked and witness backs down
The defamation trial of Ben Roberts-Smith has been hit with a series of dramatic twists; one SAS witness is backing away from giving evidence against the celebrated soldier, another may do the same, while a third has been unmasked as a source for Nine‘s journalists, reports News Corp’s Perry Duffin.
The court is expecting to hear from multiple members of the SAS throughout the coming weeks including two soldiers known only as Person 56 and Person 66.
Nine‘s barrister Nicholas Owens SC, on Wednesday, told the court he believed Roberts-Smith’s legal team had contacted two high profile lawyers – Philip Boulten SC and Peter Hodges.
In that contact, Nine claims, Roberts-Smith’s lawyer, Arthur Moses SC, “expressed” that the interests of Person 56 and Person 66 may not be ”properly protected” when they are called to give evidence against Roberts-Smith.
The identities of the SAS witnesses are closely guarded secrets known only to their lawyers and others closely involved in the defamation trial.
Nine claims Boulten and Hodges “through means unknown” were put in contact with Person 56.
TikTok announces new updates to community guidelines
TikTok has announced it will introduce a set of new updates to its community guidelines to promote the safety, security, and integrity of its platform.
The new updates will be implemented over the next few weeks and will target safety concerns around dangerous acts, eating disorders, harmful ideologies, and overall platform security.
Community feedback, recommendations from TikTok’s Safety Advisory Council and advice from experts in areas like digital safety and security, content moderation, health and wellbeing, and adolescent development have prompted these upcoming changes.
The first of the major updates will be to their ‘dangerous acts and challenges policy,’ which will aim to prevent the spread of suicide hoaxes, an issue that previously sat within the platforms suicide and self-harm policies.
Additionally, the social media platform will be working with experts to launch new videos from various creators that call on their community to follow four steps when assessing content online – stop, think, decide and act.
Community members can view these videos at their #SaferTogether hub on the Discover page over the next week.
TikTok will also extend its policies around eating disorders – broadening its current process of removing content that promotes eating disorders to also removing content that promotes disordered eating, such as over-exercise and short term fasting. In addition, the platform will be working with eating disorders experts, researchers, and physicians to address this.
Another update to their guidelines includes clarifying the types of hateful ideologies prohibited on their platform. In their update, they referenced ‘deadnaming, misgendering, or misogyny as well as content that supports or promotes conversion therapy programs.’
Lastly, the platform will expand its policy to ‘protect the security, integrity, availability, and reliability of our platform,’ by prohibiting unauthorised access to TikTok, as well as banning the use of TikTok to perpetrate criminal activity.
Media Agency
M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment announces Harrie Jack as creative lead
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has announced that they have appointed Harrie Jack as creative lead.
With over 12 years’ experience across both Sydney and London, Jack is a passionate creative with deep experience in developing integrated ideas that connect with culture, getting people talking on social, through PR and via content and experiences.
Upon returning to Sydney, Jack has spent the last four years building and running creative teams at Magnum & Co, and most recently Hello Social. Jack built the Converse All Stars influencer campaign, where she brought to life the Converse brand mission through Gen Z specific creative and content collaborations, as well as GoDaddy Office Anywhere to promote its partnership with Microsoft Office 365.
“For me, it’s key that the work I do has purpose, and so joining M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment – a team built on connecting brands to audiences through their passions – felt like a natural fit.
“Having the opportunity to create work that drives emotion and action is an incredible opportunity and I can’t wait to hit the ground running with some big and bold thinking in 2022,” said Harrie Jack.
MediaCom holds on to lucrative Mars Inc. account
Mars Inc. in Australia will continue its account with MediaCom, more than three years after the GroupM agency was appointed to buy and plan for its brands.
The deal will continue until 2025 and will encompass Mars Wrigley, Mars Petcare and Mars Food.
Mars Australia spent around $20 million in advertising in 2021, according to Nielsen Ad Intel.
Yaron Farizon, MediaCom Australia CEO, told Mumbrella: “Mars has been a long-term client for us here in Australia and we are super excited and proud to continue our partnership with Mars locally, doing work that pushes boundaries.”
Meanwhile, GroupM agency Essence was also appointed to manage biddable media.
Nunn Media Sydney makes five new hires after business wins
Nunn Media has appointed Richard McCosker as group account director at its Sydney office, as part of five new hires as a result of business wins.
Joining the independent media agency appointed McCosker as group account director after a stint at Frontier Australia as a senior account director for just over a year.
He was previously communications planning director at PHD for four years where he led the planning and strategy across a diverse portfolio including SC Johnson and Ferrero.
McCosker said of his appointment: “The decision to join was a simple one – Nunn Media are extremely well respected by their clients, media partners and among peers. To be part of this next growth phase, helping their clients to succeed, was a brilliant opportunity for me.”
Richard McCosker and Lien Tran
In the past he was the marketing manager of Rebel Sport, client strategy manager at Fairfax Media and Southern Cross Austero’s strategy director.
Also joining the Nunn Media is Melanie Otuhouma stepping into the role of channel planning director, following her stint at Ooh Media as strategic client solutions director.
Digital manager James Rigby has joined from Venatus Media, Ashleigh Lord has been appointed as account executive from the Seven Network as has Lien Tran who was most recently at Initiative.
CHE Proximity officially rebrands as CHEP Network
CHE Proximity has rebranded as CHEP Network to deliver on its new positioning of being built for ‘New Economy Creativity’.
The change has been a catalyst for the company to “reimagine” the business around a new economy and develop a new model to ensure creativity, media, technology, and data is at the centre of their client’s growth following the Covid Pandemic.
CEO Justin Hind said of the rebrand: “The past two years have brought irreversible change to the way we work, shop, socialise, exercise and live life every day. That change has been a catalyst for us to reimagine our business around the new economy, and the development of a new agency model that will ensure creativity, media, technology, and data is at the heart of supporting our clients’ continued growth, no matter the challenge or channel.”
The rebrand will straighten the agency’s capabilities and make it easier and flexible for clients to engage with certain or all aspects of the agency.
The CHEP Network includes CHEP Media, CHEP Consulting, CHEP PR, CHEP Creative, CHEP Research, CHEP Social, CHEP Data & BI, CHEP Tech, CHEP Experience, CHEP Design, and CHEP Content.
“Flexibility and accelerated responsiveness are fundamental to how our clients run their businesses in this era. The CHEP Network is designed to mirror the structure and pace of change our clients experience every day,” he added.
Radio
Kyle Sandilands claims it would be ‘racist’ to sack Whoopi Goldberg
Kyle Sandilands has claimed it would be “racist” to sack Whoopi Goldberg after her controversial comments about the holocaust on her US talk show.
The 50-year-old shock jock has waded into the saga, which saw Goldberg, 66, narrowly avoid the axe from ABC’s The View, which instead suspended her for two weeks despite calls for her to be fired.
“Cancel culture is now over. It’s finished. Now no one’s going to get cancelled. If Whoopi Goldberg didn’t get cancelled, then that’s the end of cancel culture,” Sandilands said. “And they can’t cancel her, because she’s a black woman. And that is racist in itself.
“Why didn’t Whoopi Goldberg get cancelled for saying that s**t about the Holocaust? Because she’s a black woman.
‘That’s the only reason she’s not fired. Because they were like, ‘Oh, she’s not a fat, rich white person! What are we going to do with an actual black woman? Nothing!’”