Gary Vaynerchuk, chair of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, boasted about selling USD$150k worth of hoodies, sweatshirts, beanies and socks from his brand VeeFriends in four hours through live shopping.
In his LinkedIn post, he called live shopping a “huge untapped opportunity” and said the industry would be talking about it the same way AI is spoken about.
Live shopping is not too different to the idea of home shopping on TV and purchasing orders via phone.
Live shopping is a presentation featuring a host who showcases products to viewers who can purchase those items in real time. The experience also allows the viewers to interact with the host by asking them questions or participating in demonstrations through chat boxes.
China has been at the forefront of live shopping for almost a decade. In 2023, the live streaming e-commerce market in China boomed to nearly five trillion yuan, from 420 billion yuan in 2019, according to Statista.
That is expected to surge to 8.16 trillion Yuan (AUD$1.73 trillion) by 2026.
Australia is only starting to get on board with the trend, and Bread Agency is leading the way with department store retailer Big W, which has already hosted several live shopping streams this year.
Amaury Treguer, co-founder of Bread Agency, spoke to Mediaweek about the rise of live shopping, how Big W talked to their audience, inside the production and the future of the trend in the local market.
Amaury Treguer: ‘The fact that you’ve got branded content where we are selling you something and you’ve got an average view rate of nine minutes is pretty impressive.’
“It’s very fresh in the country,” Treguer said of the trend, adding the agency is “big believers in the format.”
Inspired by its success across Asia, the US and Europe, he said his team believe it is a game changer for many retailers.
Treguer shared that Big W was already having internal conversations about jumping onto the format before meeting with Bread.
“It took us a fair bit of time to chat to them, make sure everyone within the business was comfortable with the idea as well.
Websites are getting very sophisticated, and the user journey is super seamless. However, the reality is that you’re still facing a website with white backgrounds and product images, which is fairly static and doesn’t offer much more.
“The most advanced would have videos, and that’s usually in fashion with Net-A-Porter and ASOS leading that way with mini clips of the garments moving. But otherwise, it’s a pretty static environment.”
Treguer shared that at the time of filming (late June), the live stream drew in a couple of thousand viewers connecting across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
He called it a “good viewing rate” and noted that the average view time was around eight to nine minutes.
“The fact that you’ve got branded content where we are selling you something and you’ve got an average view rate of nine minutes is pretty impressive.
“When was the last time that you watched a nine-minute video online? I think that’s one of the most outstanding stats.”
Big W chose Mel Buttle (right) for her approachability and alignment with the retailer’s core audience and paired her with Jess Smith (left), who is Senior Category Marketing Manager of Play, for her expertise in the space.
Treguer appreciated Big W’s approachable tone with their customers on social media and use of employee-generated content, which creates a sense of proximity.
“It’s not necessarily overly polished, but the majority feels quite authentic and real.”
Big W’s foray into live shopping reinforces the “sense of proximity”, which is doubled down by the chat function between the presentation and the viewers.
“The chat function is powerful because key questions that come through will be answered by the committee manager. Others are then sent to the host and product expert to answer.”
He noted that answering questions adds to the proximity because it creates a connection and closeness.
“People are often surprised and grateful when we answer their questions live online. We’ve seen people ask a question, and then that same person jump back into the chat to say thank you because they didn’t expect it would get answered.
“It almost catches people off guard because they don’t fully understand how the format works yet.”
Another part of the proximity is the role of the host in engaging with the viewers, reminding them to visit the Big W, gamifying the experience with surveys and quizzes, and prompting people to ask questions from whichever of the four platforms they are watching from.
Treguer explained that as host, comedian Mel Buttle, reminded audiences multiple times to send their questions to her or toy expert Jess Smith in the chat box, which is displayed on a screen.
“I like the ongoing interaction because it creates a continuous dialogue between us—the team producing the stream in the background with the client—and the host.”
Big W’s foray into live shopping reinforces the “sense of proximity”, which is doubled down by the chat function between the presentation and the viewers.
In terms of preparations for the live shopping event, Treguer revealed that it begins with a couple of briefing/chemistry sessions with the host and expert.
He explained Big W chose Buttle for her approachability and alignment with the retailer’s core audience and paired her with Smith, who is Senior Category Marketing Manager of Play, for her expertise in the space.
On the day, the crew set up the studio in the early afternoon to do two rehearsals of the presentation before going live later in the evening.
“The idea is to fine-tune it, so it feels like a good story to watch. We call ourselves the story-selling agency, and I think being specialised in social commerce, it’s about creating a story that is of value for the audience.”
The studio set features two cameras with operators, someone live editing and another on the shopping platforms. Meanwhile, one staffer oversees community management and answers questions, as the other funnels questions to Buttle and Smith.
Treguer believes live shopping is going to be big in Australia and Big W’s lead in the space will create a “domino effect”.
“The more we talk about it, the more people will see the format as an engaging platform.”
He shared that since the launch of Bread Agency, there has been growing interest and conversations with brands about live-stream shopping.
“There’s some certain nervousness about the fact that it’s live, especially with conservative big retailers. The live elements stress them out because their legal teams and external communications are not that flexible and are too much of a risk for them.”
As a result, brands hesitant to jump into live shopping have opted to start with shoppable videos, which demonstrate the product, can be replayed and link to purchasing the products.
With Big W’s toy sale as the fourth ever live stream under Bread’s belt, Treguer said there are plans for more in the new financial year.
“We want to make the production as cost-effective as possible so we can turn live more frequently.”
He explained that the plan is to continue to attach live shopping streams with Big W’s specific promotional events across different categories, from beauty, tech, toys and baby.
Amaury Treguer: ‘We enjoy all the preparation, but when we go live, it’s like, ‘OK, everyone has their role to play,’ and we all jump into action.’
Looking ahead, Treguer said that Bread and Big W have a good partnership and continue to learn about the live shopping experience.
“We work closely together, and you can feel the chemistry both on set and afterwards. We celebrate successful shoots with a bit of champagne. Of course, not every shoot ends that way, and we do a lot of them. But live streaming adds a whole new level of intensity.
“When it’s game on, it’s game on, and I love the energy it brings. We enjoy all the preparation, but when we go live, it’s like, ‘OK, everyone has their role to play,’ and we all jump into action.”
Treguer believes live shopping will be further embraced by the Australian brands and retailers this year, especially with the potential arrival of TikTok Shop.
He said the platform’s popularity overseas will make it a highly anticipated innovation in the local market.
“I think it’s going to help retailers realise the power of live-stream shopping. I think it’s going to broaden the mindsets of people and make them realise the importance of a live-stream shopping strategy.
“From my end, I think the most important one is probably TikTok Shop. It will be a game changer, and we will leverage it for our clients.”
With Bread already on the front foot of producing live shopping streams, Treguer said he’s already fielding conversations from interested brands and potential clients wanting to jump on the trend.
“The shop entertainment elements are so critical. There’s a need for making it engaging, and that’s what makes it successful.
“It can’t just be a new sales funnel. It needs to be more than this. It needs to be edutainment – educational, entertaining. And the ultimate goal is to sell product.”
Top image: Amaury Treguer, Jess Smith, Mel Buttle
News.com.au has rolled out a redesigned mobile app, aimed at delivering a more intuitive user experience and expanded advertising options in line with changing news habits.
The refresh follows extensive consumer research and internal collaboration across product, editorial and delivery teams. The result is an app experience that prioritises speed, personalisation and mobile engagement.
New features tailored to audience habits
The new app introduces an expanded homepage with fast access to key categories including politics, finance, sport, travel and entertainment. A mobile-optimised vertical video feed delivers breaking news and viral clips, allowing users to swipe through content seamlessly.
Also exclusive to the app is In The Know, news.com.au’s popular daily quiz, which invites users to test their knowledge in an interactive format.
Mick Carroll, Editor-in-Chief, Free News & Lifestyle, said: “The news cycle this year is moving rapidly – every day, things are happening that will personally impact every Australian, in ways they haven’t even realised yet. With this app we are getting Australia’s best journalism to our audience where, when and how they want it.”
Kerry Warren, Editor, news.com.au, added: “Whether you care about politics, finance and crime or sport, entertainment and lifestyle, you can find it all on the news.com.au app.”
Kerry Warren
Ad innovations for clients
The update includes a new ad suite with high-impact formats such as full-screen takeovers and social-style units. The 20+ creative options include video, interactive features, maps and galleries, designed to blend into the app environment without interrupting content flow.
Pippa Leary, Managing Director and Publisher, Free News and Lifestyle, said: “Our investment in this significant upgrade marks the beginning of a series of improvements aimed at boosting audience engagement and delivering better outcomes for our clients.”
Pippa Leary
‘Don’t Miss a Ding’ campaign
To support the launch, news.com.au has introduced a high-impact, integrated campaign built around the concept of app notifications. Titled Don’t Miss a Ding, the campaign plays off the alert sound that signals breaking news, anchoring it in news.com.au’s vibrant brand identity.
The campaign spans digital, social, radio, audio, TV and out-of-home channels, targeting high engagement periods throughout the day.
According to Ipsos iris May 2025 figures, news.com.au reaches 11.8 million Australians monthly, with 270 million browser page views and 22 views per user, the highest engaged reach in the top 10 news brands.
Source: Ipsos iris Online Audience Measurement Service May 2025, Age 14+, PC/Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet, News category (excl. Weather & Aggregators)
Top image: Mick Carroll
Sky News Regional will continue to broadcast across key regional markets in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland following a new multi-year agreement between Sky News Australia and Network 10.
The announcement comes as Network 10 finalises its strategic expansion into regional Australia, completing its acquisition of critical broadcast licences.
Network 10 expands regional footprint
The deal follows Network 10’s acquisition of Southern Cross Austereo’s television licences in Queensland, southern New South Wales, and Victoria in December 2024, and its more recent purchase of the WIN Network’s northern New South Wales and Gold Coast licences in May 2025.
These acquisitions position the network to consolidate its presence across major non-metro markets.
Under the new agreement, Sky News Regional will continue to broadcast free-to-air on Channel 56 in Victoria, southern NSW and Queensland, and Channel 53 in northern NSW and the Gold Coast.
It provides 24-hour access to live news, commentary, sport, and weather content from Sky News Australia and FOX SPORTS News.
Sales integration and commercial opportunity
As of today, Network 10’s national sales team will represent all advertising inventory for Sky News Regional.
This alignment allows for a unified commercial approach and expands Network 10’s advertising offering across key regional markets.
The move is expected to appeal to advertisers looking to reach audiences outside metropolitan areas with consistent messaging and placement.
Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10 and Head of Streaming and Regional Lead for Paramount Australia, said the agreement was in line with the company’s broader regional strategy. “This deal also leverages the expertise of our unified national sales team, broadens our advertising inventory and national market offering, giving our clients and partners unparalleled access to key regional audiences,” she said.
Beverley McGarvey, President of Network 10 and Head of Streaming and Regional Lead for Paramount Australia
Meanwhile, Sky News Australia Chief Executive Paul Whittaker said the channel was created to serve regional Australians with essential news coverage and has steadily built its audience since launch. He added that the new agreement with Network 10 ensures continued free-to-air access for regional viewers to Sky’s live news, opinion, documentaries, sport, business and weather content.
Audience growth and programming highlights
Since its launch as Sky News on WIN in 2018 and its rebrand to Sky News Regional in 2021, the channel has reported steady growth.
In 2024, it reached over three million unique regional viewers, with average audiences up 23 percent year-on-year, according to internal data.
The channel’s programming includes live political and business coverage throughout the day, with presenters such as Kieran Gilbert, Andrew Clennell, Laura Jayes and Ross Greenwood.
Primetime opinion programming features hosts including Chris Kenny, Peta Credlin, Andrew Bolt and Sharri Markson.
The long-running Paul Murray Live, now in its fifteenth year, continues to air Sunday to Thursday. The Paul Murray Live: Our Town series, which focuses on regional communities, will next broadcast live from Mount Gambier on 27 July.
If you’ve got a secret but you need to tell someone, anyone, give Kate Murphy a call.
As National Commercial Strategy Director at Nova Entertainment, she’s spent the past year keeping one of the company’s most significant partnerships under wraps: an exclusive deal with FlightStory, the UK-based company behind The Diary Of A CEO.
Now, it’s official, and Nova holds the rights to sell advertising around one of the world’s most influential podcasts in the Australian market.
“Absolutely pumped,” Murphy says of the win. But this wasn’t luck. It was a carefully considered pitch process that began on the other side of the world.
How a podcast show meeting turned into a global partnership
The conversation began at a podcast show in London, where Nova’s Chief Growth Officer Adam Johnson first met with the FlightStory team.
“About a year and a half later, we received an email from Christiana Brenton, their Chief Revenue Officer,” Murphy recalls. “She asked if we wanted to participate in the RFP process. We were absolutely pumped.”
FlightStory, led by entrepreneur and author Steven Bartlett, has become a serious force in global media. The Diary Of A CEO (or DOAC), its flagship show, features long-form interviews with major names across politics, entertainment and business, including Michelle Obama, Jay Shetty, and Trevor Noah.
The podcast records 60 million listens per month globally, has more than 11 million YouTube subscribers, and over 25 million followers across social platforms.
Australia is now the fourth-largest market for the show’s subscriber base. And FlightStory saw enough potential in the local audience to justify finding a commercial partner here, its first beyond the UK.
Stephen Bartlett from Diary Of A CEO
A pitch built on evidence, not assumptions
Murphy says Nova took a “show, don’t tell” approach to the tender process.
“We knew Bartlett and his team weren’t a ‘go with your gut’ kind of operation,” she says. “They rigorously test everything, so we had to show our thinking, not just talk about it.”
That meant pulling together a full sample partnership pitch for a hypothetical brand, showcasing what a FlightStory x Nova campaign might actually look like in-market. Arjun Kantaria, a senior strategist, pitched that solution live in person to the FlightStory team, while Nova introduced them to the people who would represent their shows across Australia.
“It was a real whole-of-business response,” Murphy adds. “Creative, marketing, sales, integration, everyone was on board. And FlightStory showed up in the same way. There was chemistry from the beginning.”
Beyond The Diary Of A CEO: A full FlightStory slate
While DOAC is the headline act, Nova’s exclusive rights extend to FlightStory’s wider podcast network. This includes talent like broadcaster Davina McCall, relationship expert Paul C. Brunson, and human performance scientist Dr. Kristen Holmes.
These creators weren’t chosen by chance. FlightStory uses its in-house analytics platform, FlightRadar, to identify high-potential hosts and content based on audience behaviour and cultural relevance.
“This isn’t just about a podcast,” Murphy explains. “It’s a collaboration with a global market leader. We’re applying those learnings here to benefit our business and our clients.”
Nova Entertainment’s Kate Murphy
What it means for Nova’s audio ambitions
Nova has been steadily building out its podcasting strategy over the past few years. The addition of FlightStory, and the commercial rights to one of the most influential podcasts in the world, marks a major step forward.
“There’s no doubt Bartlett is one of the most influential voices of this generation,” Murphy says. “The podcast is only the start. He’s built this really wide circle of influence around himself, and audio is at the centre of it.”
Murphy adds that FlightStory content fits neatly into Nova’s existing creator ecosystem across broadcast, digital and social.
“It complements what we already do: unlock significant advertising and partnership opportunities for Australian brands. And FlightStory content hits that profile perfectly.”
On the ranker… and beyond it
Murphy acknowledges that The Diary of a CEO’s scale will help boost Nova’s podcast ranker performance, but says the real value lies elsewhere.
“In Australia alone, they’ve got 2.5 million unique monthly consumers across audio, video and social,” she says. “Of course, those metrics matter, they increase visibility. But what doesn’t show up on a ranker is the level of influence this show has. Or the way Stephen connects with his audience. That’s where the real value lies.”
What’s next for FlightStory in Australia
FlightStory has made clear it wants meaningful, purposeful growth in international markets, and Australia is a key part of that plan.
“They’ve got the vision, the leadership, the people, and importantly, the influence to realise that ambition,” Murphy says. “And they recognised that we share those values. We’re both independent operators. We both understand that long-term success means shared success.”
In an increasingly competitive podcast market, FlightStory’s decision to choose Nova as its Australian partner signals confidence not just in Nova’s reach, but in its approach. For Murphy, it’s a milestone. But it’s also a foundation.
“It’s a privilege,” she says. “But now the work really starts.”
Proving the big tent nature of the Future Vision global TV exchange, being held this week at Melbourne’s ACMI, Aussie streamer Stan held a launch event to kick things off.
Held at restaurant Victoria by Farmer’s Daughters in Federation Square, Nine’s Managing Director of Streaming and
Broadcast, Amanda Laing hosted the event. In attendance were featured speakers at the conference Richard Gadd – writer and star of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, Soo Hugh – writer and showrunner of Apple TV+’s critical darling Pachinko, and Sally Wainwright – creator, writer, and director of BBC’s Happy Valley.
Future Vision is a three-day event. The first day of the conference, which starts today 14 July, is an industry conference exploring this year’s theme of ‘Optimism in the Face of Uncertainty.’ For those unable to attend the conference in Melbourne, there are virtual tickets available to watch the event via live stream. It will offer insights on what Australian television programs are selling and what international markets are looking for next.
9:30am – Keynote
Richard Gadd with moderator Tony Ayres
11am – From Passion Project to Breakout
Richard Gadd, Soo Hugh, and Harriet Dyer (Colin From Accounts) with moderator Debbie Lee
12:05pm – Spotlight with Sally Wainwright
Sally Wainwright with moderator Penny Smallacombe
2:25pm – Future Voices & Disruptors
Catherine Smyth-McMullen, Danny Philippou, Tig Terera with moderator Nicholas Verso
3:30pm Adapting Pachinko
Soo Hugh with moderator Corrie Chen
4:55pm Longterm Collaborations
Asher Keddie, Imogen Banks, Liz Watts, David Michôd with moderator Bruna Papandrea
James Zipeure has been appointed group CEO of Australian martech company Mortar AI, as the business targets international expansion and launches a new marketing mix modelling (MMM) capability.
Zipeure will oversee Mortar’s rollout across the UK, US and Asia, with the former Havas ANZ chief operating officer also taking responsibility for the full deployment of Mortar’s core platform suite. The appointment comes as Mortar adds an integrated MMM module to its offering, designed to help marketers optimise, forecast, and reallocate spend in real time without overhauling their existing tech stacks.
“Marketers everywhere are grappling with fragmented systems, rising costs, and increasing pressure to prove impact,” said Zipeure. “Mortar solves these challenges by streamlining operations and putting real performance insights at their fingertips.”
He added: “As we scale across the UK, US and Asia, our focus is clear: to build a global platform that simplifies marketing and drives growth.”
A specialist in marketing and digital transformation, Zipeure brings experience from senior executive roles including chief information officer for APAC and founder of performance automation platform Exact AI. He joined Mortar as CEO in November 2024 and now steps into the newly created group CEO role.
Peter Michell, Chairman of Mortar AI, said: “James brings a rare mix of strategic thinking, technical depth, and commercial focus. He understands what’s broken in marketing and how to fix it. This signals a new phase for Mortar as we move from ambitious disruptor to trusted global partner.”
Mortar’s core suite includes Mortar DS, its data and audience layer; Helix, a campaign automation engine; and the newly launched MMM module. The platform is currently used across the retail, automotive, and FMCG sectors, enabling real-time campaign optimisation and spend modelling within a single interface.
Founded to help marketing teams streamline performance operations, Mortar integrates systems including CRM, CDP and advertising platforms, with an emphasis on automation and usability.
The Media Store has appointed senior strategy and marketing leader Tanvi Singh as its new Head of Strategy and Planning.
In the role, she will help solve client business objectives through strategy, data and insights. Singh will be responsible for reviewing and innovating current client strategies, while also overseeing new business pitching.
She brings 14 years of global experience to the independent media agency, having worked across Australia, Southeast Asia and India, to drive effectiveness for leading brands in banking, fintech, retail and FMCG sectors.
Her most recent role was at M&C Saatchi, where she was a Senior Strategy Consultant, overseeing connection strategy and planning for Woolworths.
Prior to this, she spent almost four years at Mindshare, where she was Strategy Director for clients including NAB, BP, Nike, University of Melbourne and Blackmores and as a Strategy Director at Vizeum, overseeing strategy and communications planning for MYOB, Sonos, Mini and PayPal.
Singh also spent several years in Malaysia, as Strategy Planning Lead at Isobar before moving internally with Dentsu to their Melbourne office. Her work has been recognised with a raft of industry awards, including multiple gold APAC Effies, regional Effies, plus Spikes Asia and Campaign Asia.
She has been a passionate contributor to the industry through her work with the MFA, thought leadership in WARC, and now as a grand jury member at the New York Festivals AME awards.
“As we continue to focus on providing industry-leading, multi-channel media solutions, we’re excited to have someone of Tanvi’s significant expertise to lead our strategy and planning offering,” The Media Store Chief Operating Officer, Jacquie Alley, said.
“Tanvi brings a diverse skillset to The Media Store, having worked across brand, CX, digital media and channel planning. As an engineer turned marketer, she is well-placed to lead both strategy and planning for the business, with her proven track record of driving impact with creative use of media and technology.
“We look forward to working closely with Tanvi to invigorate our current client strategies, while also seeking out new business opportunities.”
Singh said of her appointment: “Our industry is changing faster than ever before, and there’s increased momentum among clients looking to independent agencies to drive growth for their business. I believe TMS has an impactful proposition in ‘Re-imagining Media’ to offer to clients and the industry.
“Stephen [Leeds, CEO] and Jacquie are a strong leadership duo who have built an incredible agency culture, and I’m excited about what’s coming and look forward to partnering with them to do great work.”
Top image: Tanvi Singh
Orange Line has partnered with US-based health and wellness company Sports Research to lead a full-funnel digital strategy focused on e-commerce performance.
Sports Research is a family owned and operated company that was founded in 1980 and based in Los Angeles. It offers over 300 nutritional supplements and workout products.
The independent digital marketing agency will oversee Sports Research’s digital strategy covering search engine optimisation (SEO), conversion rate optimisation (CRO), email and SMS marketing, paid media, website development, and data and analytics.
“Partnering with Orange Line has been an exceptional experience,” Marshall Spellmeyer, UI/UX Designer at Sports Research, said.
“They bring stellar organisation in their ways of working, clear communication, and a truly enjoyable team dynamic. Their innovative, forward-thinking strategies consistently adapt to evolving market and technology trends, keeping our brand ahead of the curve.
“Every interaction with Orange Line reflects a commitment to excellence and insight, making collaboration both effective and genuinely fun to partner with such a great team. I’m confident we’ll see rapid success partnering with Orange Line and value their team tremendously.”
David Klein, Co-Founder at Orange Line, added: “We’re really excited to work alongside Sports Research during this important phase of growth.
“With our team members based in both Sydney and LA, we’re able to offer seamless, real-time support across time zones. Combined with our data-driven approach and strong commercial focus, we’re well-placed to help accelerate their growth and deliver long-term impact.”
This partnership expands Orange Line’s growing US client base and further establishes the agency as a leader in delivering performance-driven, digital marketing solutions for global clients.
Earlier this year, the agency was named the digital marketing partner for The Australian Institute of Personal Trainers (AIPT) and Foundation Education.
Orange Line oversees paid media, SEO, CRO, content and data & analytics for both brands, leveraging their expertise to drive growth and enhance digital performance.
By Liz Penton, Integrated Communications Planning Lead, Innocean
Another day, another plan bleeding rows of TARPs and CPMs. After a decade in the trenches of comms planning for the world’s biggest brands I’ve learned our industry is fundamentally obsessed with the wrong thing.
Ad land worships the traditional reach plan, while ignoring the power of cultural influence.
This obsession with old school reach results in emotionless plans that are fuelled by cheap media, where planners mistake efficiency for effectiveness. They ignore the death spiral of linear TV, yet act surprised when people tune them out. It’s the habit of turning a blind eye to data that helps reveal who people really are, overlooking the very human behind the ad.
While your plan is gathering dust, real people are just…living and shaping their life through culture. They’re listening to their favourite podcast on Monday, playing Futsal Tuesday, streaming a new series on Thursday and watching e-sports on Sunday.
That’s not a reach plan. That’s a cultural ecosystem.
And while our industry is in a battlefield of fragmented media and declining attention. The truth is, you’re not losing attention because it’s hard to get. You’re losing attention because you’re building boring plans that ignore real people’s interests.
It’s time to stop making excuses. Here’s how you drag your plans out of the dark ages and start making an impact.
Firstly stop deprioritising culture. Ignoring it is costing you.
Still pouring millions of dollars into dying channels because they were proven 30 years ago? Culture isn’t a risky line item, it’s the force that moves and shapes your audience. Culture lives and breaths throughout media and has the power to command attention and generate brand relevancy.
A recent report shows ad land burns through nearly $287 billion on boring, dull, ineffective media. Meanwhile, culture is where actual human attention lives, and it’s really not that hard to capture. Now is the time to adapt, not because it’s trendy but because irrelevance is the only other option.
Your audience isn’t a demo. They’re fans.
To understand culture, you need to invest in data that makes sense of cultural signals and sees people as more than a 25-54 age bracket. Try switching it up and start with the cultural interest first. From punk rock to park runs, explore how broad and diverse fans really are. You’ll be surprised who shows up. & yes, 50 year olds still go to punk rock shows. Stop stereotyping and start seeing them.
Go beyond the traditional pale, male and stale partner lists.
You can’t reflect culture if all your partner audiences all look and think the same. Deliberately expand your partner briefing and think how you might be able to include new media and partners who speak to marginalised and non conventional groups. If you’re a planner that chooses not to invest in media that serves these communities, it signals one thing: you’re not interested in them.
Unleash your partners. They aren’t vending machines.
Whether it be creators, a gaming partner or a musician, stop sending rigid briefs and expecting magic. You are stepping into their domain. They built their following, they know their community and know their influence. Trust them, pay them fairly and co-create something worth paying attention to. The results will speak for themselves.
Lastly, embrace fearless creativity or the work stays boring.
The biggest cultural opportunities aren’t killed by clients. They die from a thousand internal cuts of hesitation. It takes one act of uncertainty to completely drain life from a promising plan.
In ad land, cultural partnerships are often the last line to be added onto a plan and the first to be cut. Challenge your approach to planning. What if culture was the first line on the plan, with an entire strategy and multichannel ecosystem around it? Or what if you looked at the hidden cultural opportunities within your existing channels? The best work requires dedication and creativity; keep pushing forward.
So, what’s it going to be?
Are you going to deliver the same traditional, dust collecting plan that gets built without a thought? Or are you going to build something that becomes part of the culture that people actually crave?
The choice is yours.
Top image: Liz Penton
Mindbox is cementing its presence in Australia and the APAC region with the senior appointments of Brendan Dowling and Frazer Cromley.
The independent consultancy has 25 years of experience in solutions for digital marketing and media services, including strategy, media, consulting, insight and analytics, technology, and customer experience.
Dowling joins the team as Head of Data and Platforms from Dentsu, where he was Head of Product, while Cromley steps into the role of Client Partner from his previous role as Product & Technology Lead at Wavemaker.
Nic Halley, Founder and CEO of Mindbox, told Mediaweek the recruits provide the firm level of conversation with clients, working with them on their IT department, internal marketing and governance on data.
“Our work goes far beyond media alone, and that’s what makes it so exciting. Instead of looking at metrics like CPMs or CPCs, we focus on tracking results in detail, measuring changes, and defining how those changes evolve with our clients. That’s important to us.
“The model that we work with, a type of agnostic, transparent consulting model, has landed well for us over the past few years, and the addition of Brendan and Fraser just takes it to the next level.”
Dowling added that part of Mindbox’s aim is to bridge the jargon gap between Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Technology Officers and Chief Finance Officers.
“We get in the middle of that and help those departments work closer together, it’s one of the core things that we focus on.”
Halley added: “Unless you’re talking at that level and unless there’s an understanding and clarity over what you’re doing, it’s crucial. And that’s an area that I would suggest is our secret sauce.”
Brendan Dowling and Frazer Cromley
For Dowling, joining the independent consultancy from a holding company is an exciting shift.
“There are a lot of different things that I’ve learned over the years working with larger companies. But taking a slightly different approach to data and technology, like we do here at Mindbox, we’re a lot more involved on the inside of the infrastructure with clients.”
“What that means is we’re typically much closer to where decisions are made, to where we can help our partners extract greater value from things like long-term investments in data and technology.
“It means that we can get to the crux of what the business challenges are without a lot of extra layers in the way.”
Halley explained that the Mindbox business, half of which is focused on media and the other on consulting, has a different approach to data and products.
“We build all the tech on the client side, and we work to manage that. It’s not about building an ecosystem that we stamp Mindbox on the side of it and then put markups all the way through it.
“Success for us is that the client owns all their data. The client owns the feeds that are coming through there. Our relationship with them is the management and curation, and also the relationships we build.”
Dowling added that in his role, he will also look at bringing data and insight into the different complex layers of technology and data.
“I’ve been working on these things for many years for different companies. There’s an awful lot to learn, and I think it’s getting harder for marketers and clients alike to stay on top of all of the various things that are changing in the marketplace.
“I can say that it’s probably more complex than it’s ever been with all the various media channels that everybody’s trying to transact in.”
As brands continue to invest in data and technology, Brendan noted that proper governance around data is an under-invested gap.
“I think there’s a very real fear out there from many marketers and clients about pending changes to the Privacy Act and all these different things.
“A lot of what’s missing is the rigour around understanding where data is stored, who’s allowed to access it, what you’ve captured consent for to go and run a transaction for.
Generally speaking, many clients have a lot of technology that they’ve purchased over the years. It’s that integrated layer that brings things together like permissions, use cases and how we extract value from the money that we spend building the technology and capturing the data.
“That’s typically where I see probably the biggest gap and where the biggest opportunity is to help marketers essentially win.”
Halley likened other businesses’ approach to investing in technology to “putting rims on a wheelie bin” and noted that many companies spend on expensive platforms.
“A lot of the work we do when we start work with a client is to bring it down to what’s fit for purpose.
“You can have every execution, but if your data isn’t right and your data isn’t clean, you’re working in two jurisdictions, or that data needs to be shared, then it’s pointless, it’s useless.
“We’re seeing, particularly in this market, a lot of contraction in what people’s contracts are with these people, and it’s back to what can we use, what’s giving us information, what’s giving us value.”
Nic Halley
When it comes to emerging technology, Dowling said that the most exciting things ahead are what is happening outside of adopting large language models and how the connection can be simplified between advertising and marketers.
“There’s a very real disruption happening now where, over time, there are fewer points involved in a consumer journey for them to get from searching for something to then realising the answer to that.
“Right now, we have search marketing, social marketing, programmatic marketing, and marketing across all of these different channels. There are all these different touchpoints that exist in today’s market.
“I think in the future, you’re going to see fewer touch points over time and almost a need for an immediate response from typing in a prompt into an agent of some description that’s going to respond almost immediately with what people are looking for.”
Dowling added that he sees it as one of the biggest disruptions since the emergence of the broader internet and programmatic trade.
“There’s a huge change happening that over time will significantly disrupt, especially the programmatic trading ecosystem. Everything in that space fascinates me, and it’s going to be a very interesting few years.”
Dowling noted that Mindbox clients are thinking ahead about emerging AI and being value-driven.
“There are massive opportunities there as long as we stay focused on how we are helping our clients,” he added.
Looking ahead, Dowling said the industry can expect him and the Mindbox team to be hard at work, future-proofing their clients and ensuring they understand the tech they are using and adopt emerging trends to drive growth.
“You should expect to see us introducing a range of products that specifically focus on helping clients take advantage of their data assets and activation methods. You’ll see us focusing a lot more on being very agnostic to all platforms.
“We’re 100% focused on ensuring that our clients can continue to trade on all of them, no matter what happens with any technology changes.”
Halley added that Mindbox’s focus is on value and “working towards business goals at the client side.”
Top image: Brendan Dowling and Frazer Cromley.
Alastair Lynch has been announced as the new co-host of SEN Tassie Breakfast, joining Brent Costelloe on the Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) program following the departure of Tim Paine.
Paine left the show last month to become Head Coach of Australia A. His replacement, Lynch, is one of Tasmania’s most decorated athletes, known for his 17-year AFL career that included 306 games, 633 goals, and three premierships with the Brisbane Lions (2001–2003).
Lynch also received All-Australian honours and was named in the Fitzroy and Tasmanian Teams of the Century. He was inducted into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame and elevated to icon status in 2010, and most recently joined the Queensland Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Currently a board member of the Tasmania Devils, Lynch maintains strong ties to the state’s sporting community. Speaking on his new radio role, he said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Brent and the SEN Tassie Breakfast team. I’ll always be a passionate Tasmanian, so I’m looking forward to sharing the stories, celebrating the wins and having a laugh with listeners each morning.”
James Sellar, Commercial Manager at SEN, said Lynch’s connection to the local sporting community makes him an ideal co-host: “Alastair is a household name in Tasmanian sport and a natural fit for SEN Tassie Breakfast. His experience, passion, and connection to the local community will bring a fresh energy to the show.”
SEN Tassie Breakfast airs Mondays and Fridays from 7am to 9am on SEN Tassie 1629am Hobart, SENTrack Launceston & Devonport 1611am, and the SEN app.
Autobarn is marking its 40th anniversary with a new brand platform ‘All For The Drivers’ via Melbourne agency Spinach.
The retailer, part of Bapcor Limited, operates more than 140 stores nationwide and an online store serving automotive needs across Australia.
Bapcor Executive GM, Retail, Megan Foster said: “We have the products our customers need and want, but where we truly win is our friendly, passionate experts. We needed to remind our customers what sets us apart.
“Having worked with Spinach in the past, we knew the team, the quality of their work and their unique style of getting in the trenches. That made them the perfect partner for this important piece of work.”
Spinach and Autobarn worked together on developing a new brand direction aimed at strengthening the retailer’s connection with a broad customer base. From there, the retailer and agency tapped into the warmth and approachability of the business, the brand platform ‘All for the drivers’ was born.
The new positioning aims to engage a diverse audience, including women who make up half of Autobarn’s customers, and challenges conventions in a sector often focused on revheads.
The updated brand direction launches with a campaign featuring a 60-second TV commercial features a cast of Autobarn team members and was shot on location at a drive-in during the Melbourne winter.It is also supported by shorter versions for social media, broadcast video on demand (BVOD), and digital channels.
“To have the whole of the business so enthusiastically embrace and participate is something I’ve not encountered during my 25 years in advertising. This level of passion drives everything forward, and we love the result,” Spinach Executive Creative Director Dom Megna said.
Bapcor General Manager, Marketing, Simon Davenport added: “The Autobarn brand relaunch has been a long time in the making, and now we’re finally here with an amazing finished product.
“There’s so much excitement and anticipation across the business to see it come to life. Our refreshed positioning goes straight to the heart of our customer pledge, to be customer-obsessed and support all car owners on their automotive journey, no matter who they are or what their needs may be.”
CREDITS
Bapcor
Executive GM, Retail – Megan Foster
General Manager, Marketing – Simon Davenport
Marketing Operations Manager – Meagan Hill
Marketing Specialist – James Tavitian
Creative Service Manager – John Lumampao
Social & Content Manager – Kurtis Jones
Digital Design Lead – Murray Pearce
Spinach
Managing Director: Nicole Miranda
Executive Creative Director: Dom Megna
Creative Director Art – Justin Groves
Design Lead – Jenna Tompkins
Account Manager – Paige Sobczyk
Production Manager – James Williams
Production
Spinach/Comma Films: Will Gunn, Ayden Aramze
Producer: Simon Hoy
DOP – Aaron Farrugia, Jensen Cope
1st AD – Cameron Watt
Edit/Post: Marco Damiano
Audio: Production Alley – Ben Lowe
Music – Sam Harding
Greater Bank has launched its first integrated campaign with the independent creative agency It’s Friday.
The campaign shows audiences the bank’s new Digital Home Loan, offering a faster way to apply for a home loan and save money, online and in under 15 minutes without paperwork.
The campaign invites Australians to rethink their current or future home loans and consider a new option that works on their terms.
The TV commercial features life-sized museum exhibit diorama showing a traditional home loan process, with an Australian family posed as exhibits. This is part of a broader effort to highlight Greater Bank’s investment in delivering greater value to Aussies.
The campaign will run across broadcast, online video, outdoor, radio, digital, and social channels.
“For Greater Bank, home loans have entered the digital age – fast, easy, and actually built around you. So we built a museum to remind everyone what the old way looked like,” Vince Lagana, Chief Creative Officer It’s Friday.
“If you’re still filling out forms and waiting on hold, you’re not applying, you’re time travelling. Frozen in the home loan past like a relic. Time to break free.”
Kate Messenger, Head of Brand and Marketing, NGM Group, added: “With Greater Bank’s Digital Home Loan campaign we wanted to launch a new era in home lending and It’s Friday’s campaign delivers on the boldness of that ambition —giving borrowers the confidence to move decisively toward a better way of doing things.”
Credits:
Creative Agency: It’s Friday
Client Greater Bank
Head of Brand and Marketing, NGM Group – Kate Messenger
Brand and Campaign Manager – Garry Hazell
Senior Marketing and Campaign Specialist – Amy Bowd
Marketing and Campaign Specialist – Hannah Bowtell
Production
Director – Justin McMillan
Executive Producer – Susannah Myerson
DOP – Peter Eastgate
Production Designer – Sam Lukins
Casting – McGregor Casting.
Post Production
Post Production – Heckler
Executive Producer – Will Alexander
Post Producer – Coralie Tapper
Editors – Lucas Vazquez & Daniel Page
Online Artist – Julian Ford
Compositor – Jed Morrison
Key Visual and C4D – Adrien Girault and Jordan Sykes
Sound
Music & Sound – Heckler Sound
Executive Producer – Bonnie Law
Composer – Johnny Green
Sound Designer – Dave Robertson
Media
Atomic 212
But as David Knox writes in TV Tonight, with Seven now hosting the show after blindsiding Nine in a 2022 deal with Are Media, the ceremony has become more polished, and more political.
Some industry players say the judging process has grown murkier, with ratings now part of the mix and less clarity about how winners are chosen.
As Kevin Perry reports on TV Blackbox, the latest statement acknowledges the offence caused during a 9News Melbourne bulletin back in January, when Jones made remarks that sparked backlash among viewers.
The latest update comes just days after Nine decided to sideline Jones for the network’s Wimbledon coverage.
Speaking on Radio National Breakfast, Segal pointed to coverage of an explosion at a Gaza hospital, accusing the broadcaster of spreading a “manipulated narrative” that wrongly blamed Israel.
But Olivia Ireland writes in The Sydney Morning Herald, the ABC swiftly pushed back, defending its reporting and noting that any factual issues were quickly corrected at the time.
As Steve Jackson details in The Australian, 69X Minutes was meant to be disruptive, dangerous, and dropped weekly.
When Mediaweek spoke exclusively with Molan back in February after the announcement, she explained how the deal came about: “When I saw Elon’s post about the show I took a screenshot and then sent it to so many friends of mine saying, ‘oh my gosh this would be amazing – can you imagine?’
But, instead of shaking the heritage news foundations, it’s gone suspiciously quiet.
Since launching their YouTube channel in February 2023, the group has posted content at breakneck speed, averaging six videos a day, and it’s paid off.
As Sam Buckingham-Jones reports in The Australian Financial Review, in May, they briefly became the most-watched YouTubers in the world, and they’ve stayed in the global top three for the past 12 weeks.
As Sumaiya Chowdhure writes on Sky News Australia, Jess Davis and her husband, basketballer Tyson Hoffman, reportedly left workers without more than two weeks’ pay as their business spiralled into liquidation.
In his first interview since taking the reins in March, Banducci tells The Australian Financial Review’s Sam Buckingham-Jones that he’s got a clear mandate to invest in technology and expand TEG’s footprint as global competitors like Live Nation loom large.
Among the ideas on the table: allowing fans to share an empty seat with a mate, or upgrade their spot via an app mid-show if better seats open up.
As Bronwen Clune writes in Capital Brief, listings on sites like Hiive, EquityZen and Forge are offering investors a backdoor way to get in before Canva’s much-anticipated IPO, even as the Aussie design unicorn insists it doesn’t allow it.
These private exchanges let early employees or investors offload shares to cashed-up buyers looking for pre-listing exposure.