Back for more: News Australia rallies brands to buy local

News Australia has launched the second year of its Back Australia campaign, adding a focus on supply chain security and local manufacturing to its push for consumers to buy Australian.

Harvey Norman, Ampol, Bunnings, Qantas, AAMI, Journey Beyond, Gippsland Critical Minerals and News24 are backing the campaign, which will run across the publisher’s News Network.

READ MORE: Back Australia campaign lifts support for Australian-made products: YouGov

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Calls for more Australian manufacturing

Research The Growth Distillery conducted in September found 85% of Australians wanted more onshore manufacturing, while 73% were concerned about dependence on overseas suppliers.

Shoppers also wanted more help identifying Australian products, with 83% calling for clearer labelling.

News Australia national advocacy director John Lehmann said: “One year on, the pressure on Australian households and local businesses has not eased, demanding a far deeper commitment to growing our domestic capabilities and industries. Back Australia provides a powerful platform where everyday spending choices feel purposeful for consumers, while giving brands an authentic opportunity to actively shape our nation's economic future.”

The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail and The Advertiser will cover regional manufacturing, local agriculture and community initiatives.

News.com.au will focus on small-to-medium businesses and practical advice about buying local, while The Australian will examine domestic capability, supply chains and investment.

Major brands back the campaign

The first campaign generated more than 19 million content impressions between 26 October and 9 November 2025, according to News Australia’s internal data.

A YouGov evaluation commissioned by the publisher in April 2026 found 86% of audiences exposed to the campaign were willing to redirect up to $100 a week towards Australian businesses. That figure reflects intended spending, rather than recorded purchases.

News Australia chief revenue officer Lou Barrett said: “In year two, we are building on significant audience momentum by using our network to showcase how leading brands are actively driving local capability and protecting what makes Australia ours. Year one proved that when you give Australians a compelling reason to buy local, they respond in a powerful way, and year two deepens that connection between Australian consumers and the businesses backing our future.”

This year’s campaign will run across a network reaching more than 16 million Australians, according to the Roy Morgan iris figures cited by News Australia for the 12 months ending June 2026.