Can your ambassador beat Robert Irwin? Talent Index opens to brands

Talent Corp is opening its Australian Talent Index to brands and agencies for the first time, allowing marketers to nominate ambassadors and other high-profile talent for independent consumer measurement.

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Successful participants in the 2026 research wave will receive data designed to show how their nominated talent performs beyond follower counts and audience size. Nominations are now open, with Talent Corp describing availability as limited.

What brands will get from the Talent Index

The data set will measure factors including audience suitability, trust, awareness and likability. Brands will also be able to benchmark their nominated personality against the top 10 competing talent measured in the research.

Talent Corp said the expanded access is aimed at helping marketers assess current ambassadors, compare potential campaign partners and make investment decisions using consumer sentiment data.

Mark Noakes, Managing Director of Talent Corp, said: “With the 2026 Talent Index expected to deliver new insights into talent performance, audience appeal and commercial fit, this is an opportunity for brands and agencies, for the first time, to secure the data they need to support their next campaign, ambassador or influencer decision.”

Noakes said the Index was designed to move talent selection beyond “social media metrics, audience size and gut feel”, giving marketers a clearer picture of audience connection, trust and relevance across key demographics.

Australian Talent Index enters its fifth year

The Australian Talent Index is now in its fifth year and measures consumer attitudes towards Australian public figures. Talent Corp will release its 2026 Australian Talent Index and Top Talent Report following this year’s research wave.

The 2025 Index named Robert Irwin Australia’s most popular broadcast personality for the second consecutive year. Talent Corp pointed to Irwin’s expanding commercial profile, including his Bonds partnership, as an example of how audience sentiment can inform brand decisions.

How the research works

The Index is based on a survey of more than 2,000 Australians conducted with research, insights and strategy firm Lewers. Respondents are asked about their recognition and opinion of a range of personalities, producing an Index score from -100 to +100.

The methodology also asks respondents to describe personalities in their own words, with responses classified against an emotional library of more than 20,000 words and phrases. A word-association exercise is then used to measure consumers’ instinctive reactions to each personality.

Talent Corp was founded in 2020 by former Macquarie Media executives and works across brand ambassadorships, influencer campaigns, media campaigns, content creation and speaking engagements.