The standard corporate media lunch is on notice. Recognising that younger demos actively dodge stuffy networking events, News Australia has traded white tablecloths for cold pints and an ibis trophy to court the booming independent agency sector.
The publisher recently hosted its inaugural ‘Indies Agency Pub Trivia’ night, drawing more than 70 representatives from 15 different independent agencies.
While the focus remained heavily on engaging junior and mid-weight talent, senior leaders from shops like This Is Flow also joined the fray.
A two-pronged indie strategy
News Australia Head of Independent Agencies NSW Natalia Papas and National Head of Client Marketing, Growth and Experience Natasha Cormier spearheaded the concept. The independent space has evolved at a breakneck pace and they realised their engagement strategy needed to evolve right alongside it.
“Gone are the days where the lunches and the standard entertainment options are what engages people and what they remember,” Papas said. “We wanted to have that two-pronged approach, where Frontiers was very much a senior play, and Indies Agency Pub Trivia was a way to connect with a younger generation.”
The trivia format offered a relaxed environment for agency players to interact with the News Australia team and key brands like Tubi.
Andrew ‘Bucky’ Bucklow stumping the trivia crowd. Image: supplied
Enter the bin chicken
news.com.au reporter Andrew Bucklow took on hosting duties for the evening. He wrangled the crowd through three rounds of trivia, and a celebrity baby photo challenge.
But, the ultimate drawcard was the decidedly unconventional prize on offer.
Instead of a standard bar tab, the winning team earned the right to take home the ‘Bucky Bin Chicken Trophy’.
Bucklow presented the shiny ibis to the crowd with a mix of pride and mild horror.
“I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that I have been immortalised as a bird that is famous for being a dirty public nuisance, but it is kind of on brand for me,” Bucklow said.
He warned the victors they had to proudly display the bird in their office until the next trivia night. But did question whether that served as an incentive to play harder or a reason to intentionally lose.
The winning team from Thump Media and branded, ‘The Strait of News’. L to R, Bethany Ross, Natalia Papas, Costa Panagos, Sherdil Khan, Brendan Roy, Kelvin Nguyen, Isabella Johnson, then L to R below is Ashleigh Schultz, Rianna Danis and Alisha Benakis. Image: supplied
Puns, pints, and future plans
The independent agency sector embraced the spirit of the night, unleashing a barrage of pun-heavy team names. The roster included Pretty Fly for a KPI, The Strait of News, Game of Phones, and The Fabulous Four Eyes.
Given the enthusiastic turnout, News Corp is already eyeing a broader rollout. Papas suggested the trivia format could become a quarterly fixture and potentially expand across other consortium teams or into different states.
“Honestly, for me, the most important thing about today is relationship building,” Papas said. “This is all about creating those moments of connection, actual genuine relationship-building exercises.”
Feature image- Andrew Bucklow.