Henry Innis has won the coveted Leadership Award at Mediaweek‘s 2024 Next of the Best Awards. Robert Irwin, Celia Garforth, Brittany Banfield, and SCA’s Jimmy and Nath were also among the winners, announced at an awards ceremony held at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney. 

The awards night, hosted by KIISFM’s Mitch Churi, celebrated the advertising, media, and marketing industry’s leaders of today and tomorrow.

Innis, the co-founder and global chief executive at Mutinex, took to the stage to accept the Leadership Award and told attendees: “I just want to thank everybody in this industry, my team, who are the most fucking intelligent, amazing people to work with ever, and the entire industry, including clients, agencies, publishers, and all of you guys who have gotten behind us. You’ve made my dream come true, and I hope we can change the world of marketing effectiveness together, so thank you so much.”

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here host Robert Irwin celebrated his first win as co-host of the 10 reality TV show, taking home the trophy for On-Screen Content – Talent.

SCA bagged the most awards of the evening with three gongs, including Jimmy and Nath winning the Audio Talent category, Leon Sjogren taking home Audio Producer, and Brittany Banfield, the marketing director at LiSTNR, taking out the Marketing – Media Company category.

Atomic 212º also had an impressive haul, with general manager of media technology Tom Sheppard winning the Data and Research category, and national managing director, Rory Heffernan, being crowned the winner of New Business Growth.

The Change Maker Award went to Tiff Ng, founder and chief storyteller at The Social Story.
 
Special Australia’s head of strategy, Celia Garforth won in the Creative Agencies category, while the Media Agency winners included OMD’s Nicholas Chin, and Today the Brave’s Jacqui Capel representing indie media agencies.

The Culture Award went to Emily Cook, general manager of dentsu Queensland.
 
The Think News Brands Award for the Best Use of News Publishing went to Nathan Livingston, Brittany Daniel and the News Corp team for the Samsung Z Series campaign.
 
Trent Thomas, Mediaweek publisher and managing director, said: “The Next of the Best Awards is a special event for Mediaweek because it recognises and supports the amazing work done by the people who will be driving the media industry forward both now and into the future.
 
“These winners were recognised by the most prestigious judges in media, and their accomplishments couldn’t deserve to be more celebrated. We are very proud to provide a platform to do that.”
 
Brittney Rigby, Mediaweek editor, added: “Good people deserve to be recognised, and I’m very excited to recognise this crop of the industry’s Next of the Best. A big congratulations to our winners and finalists, and thank you to our incredible panel of judges, who put so much time and effort into the difficult job of picking just one winner for each category.”
 
Mediaweek’s Next of the Best Awards was supported by platinum sponsors News Corp, Think News Brands, and Blis, while the award show’s gold sponsors included NBCUniversal, Meltwater, Pinterest, The Brag, TrinityP3, and Sound Story.
 
The full list of Mediaweek‘s Next of the Best winners (bolded):

Leadership

Henry Innis, Mutinex
Toby Aldred, Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and The Neighbourhood
Kate Blakeley, ARN
Erin Hudson, PHD
James Lambert, GroupM
Joshua Lee, Zenith
Jaimes Leggett, Today the Brave
John McNerney, Yahoo
Brad Palmer, JCDecaux
Davor Vilusic, carsales

Ad Tech

Andie Potter, PHD
Janette Higginson, Index Exchange
Surbhi Mishra, oOh!media
Taylor Svarc, OMD
James Vongdara, Paramount

Audio Talent

Jimmy and Nath, SCA
George Sargent, SCA
Leigh Livingstone, Popcorn Podcast
Nicola Dale and Di Edwards, Over the back fence – with Di and Nicola
Sean Brown, SCA

Audio Producer

Leon Sjogren, SCA
Jenna Benson, ARN
Luca Gonano, Nine Radio
Lindsey Green, SCA
Ashleigh Smith, SCA

Changemaker

Tiff Ng, The Social Story
Ellie Angel-Mobbs, SCA
Poppy Reid, The Brag Media
Emma Watkins, Emma Memma Films
Sarah Young, oOh!media

Creative Agencies

Celia Garforth, Special Australia
Toby Aldred, Saatchi & Saatchi Australia and The Neighbourhood
Psembi Kinstan, DDB Group Melbourne
Jaimes Leggett, Today the Brave
Jade Manning and Vince Osmond, Today the Brave

Culture Award

Emily Cook, Dentsu
Andrew Harris, UM
Enrico Resuta, News Corp Australia
Jessica Winch, essenceMediacom

Data and Research

Tom Sheppard, Atomic 212
Stefania Accardo, News Corp Australia
John Cochrane, VMO
Tara Coverdale, oOh!media
Dan Krigstein, News Corp Australia

Digital Video – Talent

Esme Louise James
Dr Matt Agnew
Karla Paniagua Coutinho
Anthony Farah
Justin Hill

Marketing – Brands

Harry McGregor, Asahi
Rosie Fay, Lion
Antonia Icaza, Advisible
Jessie Petterd, iSelect
Natascha Rey-Barry, NBCUniversal

Marketing – Media

Brittany Banfield, SCA
Marcus Billingham-Yuen, News Corp Australia
Rosalinde Czysnok, News Corp Australia
Claudine Hall and Joyce Li, Are Media
Holly Moody, Val Morgan

Media Agency – All Agencies

Nicholas Chin, OMD
Justin Arlt, Wavemaker
Sarah Heitkamp, Zenith
Cameron Law, dentsu
Sophie Price, essenceMediacom

Media Agency – Independent

Jacqui Capel, Today the Brave
Rory Heffernan, Atomic 212
Euan Macdonald, Half Dome
Jonathan Mandel, Bolster Group
Annie Marendaz, The Media Store

New Business Growth – Agency

Rory Heffernan, Atomic 212
Emilia Ball, Dentsu
James Lambert, GroupM
Adam Steward, Hatched
Celia Wallace, Today the Brave

On Screen Content – Talent

Robert Irwin, Paramount
Michael Genovese, Nine
Ursula Heger, Paramount
Hannah Sinclair, Nine
Georgie Tunny, Paramount

On Screen Content – Producer

Keeshia Pettit, Life Uncut
Rachael Brand, Paramount
Ashley Carter, Nine
Chris Perry, Fremantle/ Eureka
Caro Wallace, Paramount

PR

Brittany Stack, Seven
Tess Fisher, Paramount
Jonelle Lawrence, Clear Hayes
Hayley O’Connell, Paramount
Julie Wright, Anchor & Co

Publishing

Scott Purcell, Man of Many
Sohan Judge, Val Morgan Digital
Laura Masia, Pedestrian Group
Erina Starkey, News Corp Australia

Salesperson

Tim O’Connor, Vevo
Marissa Duque, Paramount
Christopher Fifer, Seven
Lisa Marie Lavocah, Mamamia
Sophie Monaco, Paramount

Social Media Specialists

Kieran Simpson, Paramount / Roving Enterprises
Jenna Benson, ARN
Patrick Effeney, Nine
Georgina Harris, Endemol Shine
Joshua Summers, Warner Bros

Best Use of News Publishing

Samsung Z Series phone – Nathan Livingston and Brittany Daniel, News Corp Australia
True North – Lucia Ordenes Sanchez, News Corp Australia
The AFR, About Time Watch Fair (ATWF) 2023 – Nine Publishing
High Flyer – Amanda Upton, Nine

By Claire Fenner, national CEO, Atomic 212°

With the advertising market the way that it is, it’s very tempting for marketers and businesses to fall into a cost-cutting mindset. Budgets are tightened and every dollar is scrutinised for maximum efficiency. While reducing wasteful spending is important, simply slashing budgets without careful optimisation risks leaving significant revenue on the table.

In this environment, data-driven approaches like media mix modelling – which provide valuable insights into past campaign performance – are all too often misapplied to solely justify reductions rather than to maximise effectiveness.

Media mix modelling analyses vast amounts of past campaign data and contextual inputs to understand what combination of channels and tactics drive the best results, as well as the impact of other internal and external factors. By looking at the contribution of various factors, including media investment, price, economic variables, and competitive activity, the modelling can predict future outcomes based on the existing mix, as well as different scenarios or combinations of these inputs. The risk occurs when brands simply cut the channels with the lowest predicted performance to maximise efficiency.

By focusing only on cutting underperforming channels rather than testing ways to improve them, we’ve seen clients leave up to 10% in missed growth opportunities on the table. Beyond this, there is a huge opportunity growth opportunity from increasing investment in the strongest performing channels.

In tough markets, marketers need to work smarter, not simply spend less. A more holistic approach to media mix modelling is required to fully leverage its capability to deliver incremental growth with refined spending. This means avoiding the trap of sub-optimal cost-cutting and instead using testing and optimisation to ensure no stone is left unturned.

To avoid leaving growth on the table, marketers should take a test-and-learn approach to media mix modelling. With smaller budgets, the focus should be on refining the channel mix toward what works best historically, then maintaining a testing budget to gradually expand the channel mix while mitigating risk, to prove to the business the opportunity to scale the investment.

More generous budgets give the opportunity to enhance lower performing channels through experimentation. Testing new tactics within a lower-performing channel can improve overall performance and is a strategy worth considering before removing a channel entirely, where budget permits. There are so many factors that will impact a channel’s performance, including reach, frequency, dayparts, formats, durations, audience targeting, and creative. It’s not unheard of for us to conduct A/B tests in lower performing channels and find unexpected wins that boost results for clients above the baseline prediction.

While these suggestions will enhance the application of modelling to inform growth rather than cost cutting, all too often, lack of buy-in from other business stakeholders prevents marketers from fully leveraging this opportunity in their media mix modelling. People outside marketing may question the validity of modelling outputs or the methodology and fail to see it as a growth tool. Additionally, years of budget cuts can ingrain a “cost-cutting mental model” that is difficult to shift.

A critical first step in establishing buy-in from key stakeholders is engaging key decision-makers – including the CFO or representatives from finance – early in the model-building process to establish confidence and take the opportunity to address any concerns. Getting others onboard requires both simplifying complex methodologies and demonstrating accuracy through “hold out” testing. With buy-in addressed, marketers are freed to leverage modelling not just as a cost savings exercise but a way to refine spending and test optimisations that can drive significant incremental gains for the business.

It’s also critical for marketers to avoid falling into the trap of only considering the short-term role of media, focussing purely on the CPA without considering longer-term brand objectives. Relying solely on these predictions risks falling into the “garbage in, garbage out” trap. The modelling can only work with the historical data provided, so unique contextual factors or new innovations will likely not be accounted for correctly. Hypotheses must be formed and tested to continuously optimise for growth. 

With rigorous testing frameworks and engagement across departments, marketers can absolutely shift their organisation’s mindset around marketing spend and the value of media mix modelling to unlock real short-term and long-term growth, especially in a challenging market.

See also: Atomic 212° rolls out O’Brien’s first campaign aimed at younger demo

–

Top image: Claire Fenner

A brand new studio dedicated to Nine Radio’s Olympic coverage has been built at the 2GB building in Pyrmont, Sydney. 

Facing the main broadcast booths where Ben Fordham and Ray Hadley usually sit, 2GB’s head of content Luke Davis told Mediaweek that tech manager, Cameron Roberts, and his team have turned a general office space into a world-class Olympic studio.

“This space will not only service these Olympics but will be an interactive studio that we can use for our rugby league and other broadcasts into the future as well,” he said.

“It’s not just for a two-week event, it’s going to be something that holds us in good stead for many years to come.”

The studio has been fitted with four TVs to ensure there is complete coverage of all events at all times.

“There’s a total of 46 venues across the Olympics, and we have a view of 44. There’s never a time when all 46 are used at one time, but we’ve got the view to have a look at everything,” Roberts said.

“While we’ll have a schedule of what’s happening if we see something interesting that’s happening at a particular venue, we’re able to cut in, pop it on the preview TV, and then put it on the main TV and start commentating on it.

“With these feeds, they have the embedded audio that the IOC provides which means if the commentators aren’t specialists in a particular thing, we can cut into their commentary if we need. But most of the time, we’ll be doing our own commentary.”

Across the two-week period, 2GB will be on air for 150 odd hours commentating on the games. It will have a team in Paris and a team in Sydney, who will broadcast right across Nine Radio’s network. 

Heading into his seventh Olympic Games, Hadley leads the commentary team in Paris, where he will be doing the swimming commentary with Libby Trickett and the athletics commentary with Jane Fleming as co-commentator.

18 people consisting of talent, producers, and journalists will be travelling to Paris for the games and Nine’s two radio breakfast shows, Ben Fordham at 2GB and Ross and Russ at 3AW will be taking their programs over to Paris for the first week of the games.

In terms of the actual Olympics studio, the room will be host to a number of general sport commentators who Davis says “are jacks of all trades that can call any sport.”

“The team in Sydney will be led by Mark Levy, followed by Carl Langdon, Bill McDonald and Bill Woods.

“We are on air from six o’clock each night, starting with a national edition of Wide World of Sports, which will be a daily preview of what to expect for the day’s coverage overnight. 

“Then, our coverage will go right through until the breakfast shows the next morning at 5:30. There are always surprises at the games, and we’re ready to go for all surprises.”

DDB Group Melbourne, including Mango Communications, has launched new work for Vodka Cruiser to promote the Vodka Cruiser Cola.

The bewitching, occult-themed campaign invites audiences to ‘Embrace Your Dark Side’ and ‘Hex Your Hex’ at hexyourex.com.au – an alias which redirects to the Vodka Cruiser website.

The social-first integrated campaign has been supported by an earned media effort, a partnership with Tinder, a launch party featuring witches, contortionists, and tarot readers, as well as influencer partnerships including The Bachelor runner-up Bella Varelis and Love Island star Cassidy McGill, both of whom had an item from their reality TV exes hexed at the launch party by real witch Angela Dix.

Speaking to Mediaweek, general manager of Melbourne, Alex Lefley, and DDB Melbourne’s head of copy, James Cowie, discussed the interplay between earned and creative to deliver greater “fame moments” for brands.

According to Lefley, the campaign intended to introduce “a new, darker side” to Vodka Cruiser brand.

“We kicked off with research, which found that WitchTok had amassed more than 6.2 million videos on TikTok and 50 billion views, and that Gen Zs were also almost twice as likely to hold onto items from past lovers,” he said.

“This was the springboard for creative team Annie [Sullivan] and Josh [Brown] to the creative platform.

“Throughout the entire campaign, we worked hand-in-hand with the creative team from start to finish, from the audience insights, through to the social asset development, media and influencer event and partnerships — we worked as one.”

Cowie agreed. “The results are testament to the success of this collaborative approach,” he said.

“The campaign clearly resonated with our audience, because there was overwhelming demand, with all hexes and accompanying four-packs claimed within 24 hours of the giveaway’s launch. All the right eyeballs were on it.”

The campaign’s launch included a giveaway of hexes via an online portal along with four-packs of the new Vodka Cruiser Cola flavours, which was boosted on socials, Tinder, and online.

He believes “the willingness to embrace and push for bold creative work” is a must.

“To resonate with consumers and drive an emotional reaction, we need to constantly be evolving the work and pushing for insight-led campaigns that deliver real results.”

Lefley added that the secret to building successful partnerships between departments “falls into a handful of key areas.”

“Mutual respect for the skill needed in each craft, understanding of the nuances of earned media, and most importantly a shared passion to fight for good work,” is what’s needed, he said.

“We’re incredibly lucky we have clients who are prepared to take a leap with us but knowing that we’re all fighting for the best possible work with the client goes a long way.”

Mango recently teamed up with athletic brand New Balance and wellness platform Kic to launch a second campaign partnership – a run club for young women and non-binary folks across the country to learn how to run with confidence, forming part of Kic’s eight-week challenge (KICRUN).

Last week, DDB Sydney and Westpac Group joined forces to release a second musical number for State of Origin Game One. The pair first teamed up last year for a commercial starring a singing banker and referee bonding over both professions being maligned. This iteration saw the banker return to the field to sing about how much more can be done with “one single dollar.”

The latest string of work follows the Group’s June announcement that it had promoted Melbourne MD, Mike Napolitano, to the newly-created role of Melbourne Group CEO.

“Having spent so much of my career at DDB Melbourne, I am incredibly proud of Mike and the whole team for what they have achieved in the last few years,” DDB Group AUNZ CEO Andrew Little said of Napolitano’s elevation.

See also:
DDB and Westpac launch another musical State of Origin ad
DDB promotes Mike Napolitano to Melbourne Group CEO

Credits:

Agency: Mango Communications/DDB Group Australia
Client: CUB/Vodka Cruiser
Creatives: James Cowie, Josh Brown and Annie Sullivan
Head of production: Sonia McLaverty
Production company: The Producers
Director: Amber Mealing
Sound production: Sam Hopgood, Bang Bang Studios
VO: Madeleine Vizard

Atomic 212° has been appointed to the Darrell Lea media account. The country’s biggest independent media agency will work closely with Darrell Lea’s marketing team across media planning and buying, performance marketing, programmatic, and social media.

“We’ve all grown up with Darrell Lea. It’s an iconic brand and a great business, and we’re very excited about continuing to drive consideration and purchase for the Darrell Lea range in stores across Australia,” Ashleigh Carter, Atomic 212° head of client service, said.

Darrell Lea is one of Australia’s best-known brands, employing more than 500 people in Australia, New Zealand, and the US and producing 1 billion chocolate bullets a year.

Johanna Campbell, Darrell Lea’s general manager, marketing and innovation, added: “We are thrilled to be entering into a strategic partnership with Atomic 212° in media buying. Atomic 212° will help us connect with even more Australians, to tell our unique and compelling Darrell Lea story.

“The team at Atomic 212° have the right mix of agility, expertise and resources to support us. With their data insights, media strategy and a team who know us and our story, we will continue to grow.”

The Darrell Lea appointment follows a series of client wins and retentions for Atomic 212° over the past 18 months, including BMW Australia and New Zealand, Bupa, Craveable Brands, Entain (Ladbrokes and Neds), the Northern Territory Government, Tourism Northern Territory, Northern Territory Major Events Company, Victoria University, My Muscle Chef, Ponant, Growth Faculty, Sydney Water, VetPartners, Adyen, and UKG.

Atomic 212° ranked #1 among independent agencies in the 2023 calendar year in terms of new business wins, including client retentions, according to the latest report from COMvergence.
 
The agency also hired Sylvia Pickering as Melbourne general manager this week. She joins from GroupM’s Mindshare, where she was managing partner on the NAB account for almost five years. In her new role, Pickering will report to national managing director, Rory Heffernan.

Chief digital officer James Dixon recently told Mediaweek the next goal is to crack the top 10 this year, and the top 5 in the next three years. In the past few years, Atomic has “firmly actualised as the largest indie,” Dixon says.

“I think that was a big, hairy, audacious goal five years ago. And now it feels like we’re firmly there, if not heading to the next big, hairy audacious goal, being top five. We’ve got billings of $300 million now. Top five is $500 million. So potentially we can get there in the next three years.”

See also: Atomic 212° nabs Mindshare’s Sylvia Pickering for Melbourne GM role

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found promotions for a 7NEWS Spotlight program about vaping broadcast by Seven breached the accuracy rules in the Commercial TV Code of Practice.

The investigation found the program promotions inaccurately portrayed a participant as a representative of the tobacco industry. 

The ACMA found this to be inaccurate as there was not sufficient evidence to support the assertion that the participant, a doctor specialising in smoking cessation, is a representative of the tobacco industry.

ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said promotions for news and current affairs programs are subject to the same rules in the code of practice as the programs themselves.

“The brevity of program promotions do not exempt them from the broadcast rules,” she said.

“Special care must be taken around the accurate portrayal of program participants, including in broadcasts of a shorter format.”

Following the ACMA’s investigation and decision, Seven has agreed to delete the promotions from its website and social media channels, and not rebroadcast them.

Seven has also reminded its promotions team of its obligations around accuracy under the code of practice.

In May, the network announced Gemma Williams as the new executive producer for Spotlight, replacing Mark Llewellyn. Llewellyn left the program amidst its involvement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against 10 and Lisa Wilkinson.

Williams was previously Sydney bureau chief for Nine’s A Current Affair. She has also been a producer for 2GB’s Ben Fordham, and assistant chief of staff at Nine News Sydney.

Newly-minted editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie said Williams was “a next-generation talent and part of a strategy to recruit young leaders to Seven, setting up the news and current affairs team for the future.”

Williams said news and current affairs is her passion.

“It’s a great privilege to join such an experienced team who will continue to bring viewers unmissable major investigations and breaking news events from across Australia and around the globe,” she said.

See also: Seven promotes Chris Salter to Melbourne director of news, hires new Spotlight EP

With the Cannes International Festival of Creativity 2024 approaching, Mediaweek heard from representatives at Special Melbourne, Icon Agency, Innocean, Icon, DDB Group Melbourne, and Dentsu Creative about their favourite work and predicted frontrunners – from other agencies.

In a previous piece, Gillian Dalla Pozza (associate CD, Dentsu Creative), Ryan Fitzgerald (ECD, Special Melbourne), Wez Hawes (ECD, Innocean Australia), and Psembi Kinstan (group ECD, DDB Melbourne) all discussed the promising entries from their own offices, which they believe are their strongest contenders for a coveted Lion.

See also: Shift 20, The Daily Issue, and a mo DNA kit: Agencies’ Cannes contenders

Here, the group, plus Michael Knox (ECD, Icon Agency), share their thoughts on standout external work, locally and across the globe.

“Jon Evans of Uncensored CMO recently chatted with LIONS CEO, Simon Cook, and I heard that Jon, a proud owner of a couple of Lions himself, was also impressed to discover there are now 30 different types of Lion awarded in Cannes,” Knox explains. 

According to Knox, CHEP and M&C Saatchi are the local Cannes standouts, the former for its Climate Dr. Certificate.

“Taking a sickie for the planet seems like a great idea,” he says,“and the visual feast that is The Plastic Forecast will be amongst them there too,” referring to M&C Saatchi’s work with the Minderoo Foundation.

Knox’s other “obvious winners” include: 

WoMen’s football for Orange by Marcel

“Easily one of the standout pieces of work this year is Marcel’s campaign for Orange and WoMen’s Football. It’s brilliant. It was everywhere. Surprising ending, with a strong point of view. Simple and bloody difficult all at the same time. A genius (and appropriate) use of AI. Nothing fake about its impact – wins many.”

Everyday for Avios by Uncommon Creative Studio, London

“Cool, calm and in-camera, it almost feels old school. Craft does that. Perfect track. Buying flowers, eating an apple, sipping coffee. Earning points. Someone falls off. Reminds me of the slip in Nike’s Tag.”

Yellow Canteen for Dulux by Innocean Indonesia

“Innocean Indonesia’s ‘Yellow Canteen’ for Dulux is a story of discovery. Despite featuring a group of high-fiving scientists, it’s work like this that makes brands matter and keeps us relevant.”

UN Women Pink Chip for Degiro by AKQA Amsterdam

“I like to imagine the number of times it was considered too hard and how many people left the room during its explanation. Thankfully, enough stayed and saw it through.”

All The Ads for DoorDash by Wieden+Kennedy

“Wieden+Kennedy’s massive idea for DoorDash-All-The-Ads is another easy call. No-one enjoys paying for a spot in the Super Bowl. Everyone wants to hijack the big game, DoorDash did, in a big way.”

The Sound of Violence for Save The Children Hong Kong by Cheil

“A surprising approach using the Dolby Surround Sound Demo dropped cinema-goers in moments of child abuse. Chilling and unmissable.”

Special Melbourne’s Fitzgerald seconds Marcel’s WoMen’s Football as a Lions favourite. “It’s not exactly a dark horse, but it’s pretty hard to go past this one,” he says.

“There is tremendous power in the simplicity of this idea: take the remarkable highlights of the Les Bleus women’s football team and seamlessly superimpose the likenesses of their male counterparts over the top. The result? An unquestionable argument for the quality of women’s sport and a flawless demonstration of the gender-biassed nature of sporting support. More than anything, this idea transcended its medium and genuinely set the world on fire, achieving numbers for reach that are truly mind boggling.” 

Innocean Australia’s Hawes believes Special Australia’s Shift 20 Initiative for the Dylan Alcott Foundation “is more than deserving.” 

Shift 20 Initiative for the Dylan Alcott Foundation by Special Australia

“We worked with Dylan for our Kia Tasman campaign and put into practice the initiatives set out by his foundation during production,” he says. 

“It was a milestone moment to see the actors and actresses chatting to Dylan and our partners at Kia between takes; you could see how much it meant to them personally and what this representation will do once more brands start adopting the initiative.”

See also: The Shift 20 Initiative: Setting the standard for representation in advertising

Dalla Pozza says this year she’s “jealous of” Virtual Pro by VMLY&R (now part of VML following the October merger last year).

“As a direct and digital creative at heart, this one managed to turn some meaningless personal data dot points into a world-wide talking point,” she says.

“By wrapping it up in a surprise competition, it also found a way to get surfers boasting about their watch and the functions of it. With a very, very low budget, people were talking about Rip Curl and wearable tech again.”

While DDB Melbourne’s Kinstan notes, “You can look to the D&AD winners for a few picks that have Cannes written all over them.”

He echoes the vote for Shift20 and the Plastic Forecast as “two obvious standouts,” but adds, “I’d like to make a case for The Monkeys‘ Telstra Christmas campaign.”

“The campaign created an experience magical enough to get a huge population of Australian kids to engage and use payphones that have otherwise been forgotten,” he says. 

“I saw it on the news. I heard about it from friends outside of advertising. I’ve seen children pester their parents about it whilst walking past payphones – in May. I haven’t seen the case study tying it all together, but I hope it’s a belter.

“And whilst I also think the same conversation about ‘purpose’ will be had, I think we’ll see juries continue the trend from last year and try to reward campaigns for bigger brands and legitimate charities.”

Mediaweek’s Media Movers charts the biggest people moves in the industry over the past week.

This week:

Peter Costello stepped down as Nine Entertainment chairman and resigned as a director, effective immediately, three days after an altercation with a News Corp journalist.

Matt Holmes left Emotive three months after starting as head of PR and earned creative.

Scott Lorson stepped down as CEO of Fetch TV after 15 years in the role, replaced by Dominic Arena. Lorson will remain in the business in an advisory role until January 2025, while Arena will take over the top job from the new financial year. He has been a non-executive director at Fetch TV since 2022.

Clemenger BBDO launched a social, PR, and influence practice, Chemistry Set, and appointed Rhian Mason to lead the division as head of cultural design.

The Monkeys, part of Accenture Song, promoted Milla McPhee to chief strategy officer and Ben de Castella to head of planning.
 
Atomic 212° hired Sylvia Pickering as Melbourne general manager.
 
Bastion appointed Alexandra O’Neil as the integrated agency‘s head of brand marketing, spanning Australia and New Zealand.
 
Enigma appointed Lee Liversedge as creative director of brand, property, and place.
 
AKQA APAC finalised its merger and made key appointments. The agency will be led by managing partner, Brian Vella, who will report directly to global CEO and founder, Ajaz Ahmed. In Australia, AKQA will be led by managing director Jeremy Smart, and supported by general manager of Sydney, Justine Leonge.
 
R/GA promoted its VP, executive creative director of brand design for APAC, Ben Miles, to the newly-created role of chief design officer APAC.
 
After seven years with News Corp Australia, head of national trading and NSW consortium agencies, Alexandra Bliekast, is exiting the business.
 
Bread Agency made six new hires, significantly bolstering the existing team of three. Talya Kaplan joins as content lead. Katie Moon as social creative, Werner Coetzee as content creator and Carla Woodhouse. Maayke Louwerens steps into the role of social media manager. Scarlett Govey will join the agency as senior account director in early July.
 
Snap’s former head of agency development, Dina Bailey, joined Time Out Australia as commercial director.

News Corp Australia has appointed Ian Paterson to the New South Wales sales team as general manager, advertising sales, NSW. 

Paterson joins News Corp from his role as executive general manager commercial and membership at Collingwood Football Club. He also spent a combined 20 years at Nine Entertainment in a variety of sales and management roles including national sales director, managing director of Nine Melbourne, and director of commercial partnerships and affiliates. 

Paterson will report to managing director, national advertising sales, Lou Barrett, who said: “I have known Ian for 15 years and am thrilled he is joining us. He is an incredibly experienced leader, is well known and respected in the market and understands the opportunities and growth potential in this rapidly changing media landscape. I am absolutely confident he will drive a culture of excellence, accountability and continuous improvement within the sales team.”

Paterson will relocate to Sydney and start his new role with News in October. 

Speaking of his new role, Paterson said: “Having spent 25 years in the media sector, I’m tremendously excited to be joining News Corp Australia and leading the NSW advertising sales team. The media sector continues to evolve and at the heart of News is a strategic growth ambition driven by innovation. 

“Connecting with the Australian population like no other media organisation and delivering full service solutions to its partners puts News in the enviable position of being an industry leader with national reach and an unrivalled local identity.” 

The appointment comes as sales staff including head of national trading and NSW consortium agencies, Alexandra Bliekast, and head of sales – NSW independent agencies and major direct, Michael Desiere, exit the business amid an ongoing restructure.

On Wednesday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported News Corp Australia will “make up to 80 roles in its sales workforce redundant” as part of the restructure. 

A News Corp Australia spokesman followed up, telling Mediaweek: “Like most companies we do not provide commentary on employment matters but the story that first appeared in the Nine Entertainment tabloids, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, contained multiple errors, including the egregiously false claim 40 percent of sales staff were to lose their jobs.”

Felix mobile has launched a new brand platform starring a tree puppet, called Felix, via Thinkerbell and Starcom.

Part tree, all puppet, Felix is the brand’s new ‘spokes-tree’ featured in the brand work by Thinkerbell. Felix, on behalf of felix, highlights how the brand is ‘not all talk’, using his dry, tongue-in-cheek charm, analysing the ways humans use their phones.

Craig Merrett, head creative tinker at Thinkerbell, said: “It’s incredibly hard to find an Aussie telco that has a unique point of difference and isn’t only saying it’s doing good, but actually is. With the brand planting a new tree once a month for every new and existing customer, we took this brand truth to create a loveable new character that we’ll continue to harness going forward.”

Drew Groves, client service director at Starcom, added: “The proposition Felix brings to the market is hugely exciting, combining a refreshingly simple product with an authentic brand purpose. Our strategic approach to media centres around putting our new friendly ‘spokes-tree’ in contexts and environments that drive distinction for the brand amongst a cluttered category, whilst ensuring we ‘walk the walk’ when it comes to the brand’s care for the world around us.”

The brand platform has been brought to life across a range of touchpoints including OOH, online, VOD, social and Felix-owned assets, with more to come.

Kelly Beater, head of Felix mobile, said: “With our new brand platform ‘not all talk’, felix is bringing to life its mission to make mobile use cheaper, simpler and easier, and at the same time helping do some good for the environment.”

Credits:

Client: felix
Creative:Thinkerbell
Production: Larchmont
Director: Gary McCreadie
Editor: Lucas Vazquez
Puppet Production: Meg Ashforth
Music: Sonar Music
Media: Starcom

A new campaign from DDB Melbourne positions British Paints as the smart choice for house-proud Aussie DIYers.

The campaign uses dry, Aussie humour to prove that anyone can make a smart choice for their painting project when using British Paints.

In one film, Mitch has his ex-girlfriend’s name tattooed on his arm but proves that even he can make a smart choice when it comes to interior paint by choosing British Paints Clean & Protect.

Another film features Baz, a sun-bronzed exhibitionist in Budgie Smugglers who “hasn’t always made smart decisions when it comes to UV protection.” But even he can choose the right paint with British Paints 4 Seasons for his exterior paint job.

Rachel Ryan, senior brand manager at Dulux, said: “Choosing the right paint can be a challenge for consumers. We believe the playful, memorable nature of this campaign speaks to a broad audience and leaves them with an understanding of our products’ key benefits, making their choice to select British Paints that much easier.”

Anneliese Sullivan, senior copywriter at DDB Melbourne, added: “It’s great to bring some humour and heart to an iconic Aussie brand like British Paints. We know that choosing the right paint can be a stressful decision. But we think the dry humour in this campaign will really resonate with the army of Aussie DIYers out there in a meaningful way.”

The campaign launched with the ‘Ex Girlfriend’ film to coincide with the launch of the new and improved Clean & Protect product formula. The full campaign will feature across TV, BVOD, SVOD, online and social media.

It follows DDB Group Melbourne’s Hex Your Ex campaign for Vodka Cruiser, and the promotion of group MD Mike Napolitano to group CEO.

British Paints is part of Dulux Group. The parent company’s $20 million media account is currently up in the air, after it decided on Initiative just before the agency’s top leadership defected to set up a full service media unit at Accenture.

Credits:

Client: British Paints
General Manager – DuluxGroup Limited: Richard Hansen
Dulux Decorative Marketing Manager: Therese Winterburn
Senior Brand Manager – British Paints: Rachel Ryan
Product Manager – British Paints: Eleanor Wilcock

Agency: DDB Melbourne
Chief Creative Officer: Stephen de Wolf
Group Executive Creative Director: Psembi Kinstan
Group Creative Partner: James Cowie
Senior Art Director: Josh Brown
Senior Copywriter: Anneliese Sullivan
Senior Copywriter: Carly Dallwitz
Head of Craft: Adam Hengstberger
Head of Production: Sonia McLaverty
Online Editor: Tom Marley
Senior Business Director: Jessie Mitchell
Business Manager: Sam Simpson
Planning Director: Chris Regan
Production: Palomina
Director: Matt Kamen
DOP: Simon Walsh
Executive Producer: Kate Merrin
Production Designer: Ella Carey
Casting: Northside
Colourist: Marty Greer
Offline: c/o Palomina
Online: Tom Marley
Sound: Bang Bang
Sound Design: Tristan Dewey

Vinyl Group is looking to drive growth as the business pushes towards a $5.4 million accelerated entitlement offer.

The offer is 1-for-17 offer of new fully paid ordinary shares at $0.098 per new share – meaning that eligible existing shareholders will be able to subscribe for one new share for every 17 shares held, as the company works to raise proceeds of approximately $5.4 million, up $5.15 million.

The offer is fully underwritten by Peloton Capital and Red Leaf Securities. Backing the company are CEO of WiseTech Global, Richard White, executive chairman of Soul Patts, Robert Millner, executive director and CEO of Vinyl Group, Josh Simons, and non executive director Ken Gaunt who have indicated that they will commit $2.4 million through taking up the entitlement and shortfall offer.

Vinyl Group told the ASX it will look to use the funds to “accelerate user acquisition efforts on its Vinyl and Vampr platforms,” and to “reduce technology costs of the Jaxsta platform” as well as growing the company’s media business, The Brag Media. It has paused trading until the transaction is finalised.

The move comes after Luke Girgis left The Brag Media – owned by Vinyl Group – earlier this month. The publisher and managing director exited six months after he sold the business to Vinyl Group in a $10m deal: $8 million cash, plus a further $2 million in cash or stock based on financial performance.

Vinyl Group announced the leadership change, which it said followed a “thorough review of The Brag Media.” Jessica Hunter has been promoted to head of The Brag Media, and Lars Brandle promoted to head of content. Poppy Reid remains editor-in-chief.

The review and leadership changes will result in savings of $750,000 over the next year, the business said.

When Girgis and his co-founder sold The Brag Media at the end of last year, Girgis moved from CEO to publisher and managing director as a full time employee.

Vinyl Group rebranded from Jaxsta just weeks before it acquired The Brag Media, funded by an $11 million placement and debt facility from Vinyl Group investor Richard White.

Ladies In Black (Sunday on ABC) is the latest Australian movie to be turned into a TV series. This version re-casts every one of the original characters, which is a bold move to make considering how many others needed at least one actor for continuity. There is nothing to fear though, because it all clicks from the opening moments, meaning the transition from film to television is seamless and brilliant. 

The original movie, set in 1959, was a beautiful ode to the era of dressing up in your finest clothes to go department store shopping in the city. Nothing bad happened in the film and everyone got a happy ending but the TV series, now set in 1961, needs some drama. That makes the vibe less joyful, but it’s not a deal breaker. Perhaps one of its messages is how the innocence of the 50s is changing dramatically in the 60s.

Women in Black: Magda (Debi Mazar) and newcomer Lisa (Clare Hughes)

Every performance in Ladies In Black is spot on, and any actor putting their own stamp on the original characters does so without taking anything away from the perfect portrayals seen in the film. Everyone, from Claire Hughes, Jessica De Gouw, Azzi Donnelly, Russell Dykstra, Huw Higginson, Sacha Horler, Thom Green, Ngali Shaw, Julian Maroun, Todd McKinney, Peter O’Brien, Kate Box and Carlos Sandor Jr, is wonderful. 

The scene stealers, however, are Debi Mazar (Magda) and Mirando Otto (Mrs Ambrose) as they snark at each other through clenched teeth. Their ongoing battle for sales, prestige and control of Goodes’ store is quite delicious. Otto’s character is new, but she is very much a welcome addition. 

Australian movies that spawned TV series

The first Australian movie to become a TV series was Alvin Purple. Graeme Blundell starred in the hugely successful 1973 movie and 1974 sequel. His 1976 TV series proved to be hugely controversial and not very funny, leading to industrial action at the ABC. 

It took much longer for The Devil’s Playground (1976) to get a TV follow-up but the wait was worth it because Devil’s Playground (2014) with Simon Burke (Tom) was superb. Given the results of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse came out in 2017, perhaps a third and final TV series could wrap up this story even more.

Ladies in Black: Virginia Ambrose (Miranda Otto)

The Heartbreak Kid (1993) was quickly turned into Heartbreak High (1994) and the reboot series (2020) is now a global sensation for Netflix. Although Alex Dimitriades, Doris Younane and Nico Lathouris were in the movie and original TV series, only Scott Major (Rivers) has appeared across all three versions.

Romper Stomper (1992) became a TV series for Stan in 2018. Dan Wylie, Jacqueline McKenzie and John Brompton all revisited their roles, but the series had limited appeal, given the awful events from the film. 

Stan also commissioned two TV series of Wolf Creek (2016) following two movies. John Jarratt will soon return as outback killer Mick Taylor but it will be for a third movie, not another TV series.

The new TV production of Ladies In Black is from Bunya Productions and they have form in this area. Mystery Road (2013) and Goldstone (2016) continued with two series of Mystery Road on TV (2018 and 2020) along with a prequel Origin (2022).

ABC is commissioning another series of Mystery Road: Origin and that is great news. Surely it is only a matter of time before they make a similar announcement about Ladies In Black, which is close to being the best local drama of the year.

TV Gold: New episode of Mediaweek’s weekly TV podcast

Listen now on your favourite podcast platform for 30 minutes of TV reviews and recommendations every week from Mediaweek’s Mercado on TV columnist Andrew Mercado and editor-in-chief James Manning.

We want your comments, feedback and questions – [email protected].

This week on TV Gold: Ladies in Black, Clipped, The Cleaner

This week on TV Gold, a US docudrama with two Australian lead actors, a quirky UK comedy and a much-anticipated Australian drama.

Clipped (Disney+, 6 episodes) tells the story of the owner of the LA Clippers NBA team and the trouble he got into over secretly recorded racist comments. Playing the wife and the mistress of the Clippers owner are Aussies Jackie Weaver and Cleopatra Coleman.

The Cleaner (ABC/iview and BritBox) stars Greg Davies as a cleaner working on murder scenes after the police finish with the scene. The two series feature some notable guest stars including Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Lewis Jones, Harriet Walter and Zoe Wanamaker.

Ladies in Black (ABC/iview, 6 episodes) continues some of the storylines from the 2018 movie of the same name. The key cast is Debi Mazar, Miranda Otto, Jessica De Gouw and they are joined by newcomer Clare Hughes who has an impressive screen presence in her first professional role. A huge supporting cast includes Sascha Horler, Carlos Sanson Jr, Ngali Shaw, Todd McKenny, Krew Boylan, Gemma Ward, Hazem Shammas, and scene-stealer Peter O’Brien as a flamboyant fashion photographer.

Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia is pitching its creative account, with creative agencies already invited to tender for the contract. The incumbent is creative agency Richards Rose, which has held the account since 2016.

The Sydney independent Richards Rose was founded by chief executive officer, Digby Richards, and executive creative director, Adam Rose, who departed AJF Partnership to form the agency in 2016. It has since amassed a workforce of over 30, producing work for brands including doozy, Lindt, The University of Adelaide, Great Southern Bank, Colorbond Steel, Lindt, Stan, King Living, and Wild Turkey.

Following the win, Richards Rose first launched work for Mitsubishi Motors in September 2016 promoting the auto brand’s range of SUVs and introducing a new platform, Built for the time of your life.

Most recently, last August, the agency launched work for the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV featuring Australia’s beloved (and accident-prone) adventurer, Russell Coight – a character played by comedian Glenn Robbins.

The integrated campaign, which was produced in collaboration with Working Dog Productions, featured Coight trying his best to warn that the rugged Australian outback is no place for city slickers in fancy EVs.

Last April, Mitsubishi Motors Australia put its media account, said to be worth between $40 and $50 million, up for pitch. It was ultimately retained by the incumbent, GroupM’s Wavemaker.

That July, Mitsubishi’s spin-off electrical machinery manufacturing business, Mitsubishi Electric, appointed Paper Moose as its creative agency of record following a competitive pitch.

The agency launched a new brand platform for Mitsubishi Electric that November, A Life More Electric, in an effort to unite its consumer and commercial product lines in Australia and helping separate the brand from competitors.

Last month, Porsche Cars Australia announced it was also putting its creative account up for pitch, with DDB Melbourne the incumbent. DDB Melbourne first won the account in 2015 in a pitch supported by Trinity P3.

Mediaweek has reached out to Mitsubishi Motors Australia and Richards Rose for comment.

See also:
Paper Moose appointed as agency of record for Mitsubishi Electric
Paper Moose launches its first campaign for Mitsubishi Electric
Porsche Cars Australia’s creative account up for pitch

HCF has put members at the heart of its advertising in the new Value Ads campaign, turning advertising spaces into platforms for member stories and messages.

The initiative invites members of the not-for-profit health fund to take over 60% of the brand’s advertising airtime and out of home advertising, including bus stops and shopping centres, to share their personal stories.

Tatiana Papavero, HCF general manager of marketing, said: “At HCF, we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to bring value to our members.

“Consumers want enduring value, something this campaign shows HCF delivers in spades. We’re excited to share some of our fantastic members’ stories in this positive and authentic way.”

The Value Ads initiative builds on the success of the We Put Our Money Where Our Members Are campaign, providing selected members the opportunity to appear in advertisements.

In collaboration with Clemenger BBDO, over 6,972 unique ad placements have been secured across TV, radio, social media, digital platforms, OOH, and in-branch locations.

By showcasing real member stories, HCF said it is demonstrating its commitment to putting members first, providing value, and celebrating the diverse experiences of HCF members.
 
In an ad about HCF’s Thank You program, Jemma uses her national TV time to thank her doctor for her liver transplant and show the medals she won at the Transplant Games.
 
Another ad features Annie, who uses her airtime to remind her 18-year old son about household chores, highlighting HCF’s cover for dependents. While an ad for HCF Life Protect life insurance features Kurt, an underwater metal detectorist, trying to reunite a wedding ring he found at the bottom of Empress Falls, NSW with its owner.
 
Papavero said: “We wanted to highlight the value members are seeking, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
 
“This campaign demonstrates that true value goes beyond promotional offers; it’s about delivering meaningful benefits that enrich our members’ lives.”
 
In addition to traditional media placements, dynamic digital OOH allows HCF members to take over street-level advertising directly from their phones.
 
By scanning a poster, members can enter a message on a mobile site and if successful, see it appear on a poster in their area within 24 hours, further deepening engagement with the campaign.
 
Tristan Graham, Clemenger BBDO executive creative director, said: “HCF’s commitment to member value and its clear point of view make it easy to create breakthrough work that resonates with audiences.”

SBS has appointed Keiran Beasley to the role of national TV and digital sales manager, in a promotion from his current role as NSW executive manager.

Beasley replaces Andrew Mudgway, who resigned from the broadcaster in December following SBS’ decision to relocate the role back to Sydney from Melbourne.

Beasley has been in the NSW executive manager role since 2021, having joined SBS in 2012. Prior to SBS, he held roles with Nova and B105 in Brisbane.

In a note to staff seen by Mediaweek, SBS director of media sales, Adam Sadler, said he made the announcement “with immense delight.”

“After a rigorous recruitment process, Keiran was a standout among all applicants, and we are thrilled to have him on board to lead our National Agency Sales team.

Keiran has been a valuable member of SBS since November 2012, consistently delivering strong results and building solid relationships within SBS and with our clients. His dedication to our business, brand, people, and values is truly commendable.”

Last month, following Alone Australia season two’s BVOD success and overall growth on SBS On Demand, Sadler told Mediaweek that the event nature of the series brings in millions of people to SBS’ platforms and allows viewers to sample different content.

“Around 20% of season 2 Alone viewers have gone on back to watch season 1,” he said.

“For a platform like SBS On Demand, with its deep library, this is tremendously important as Alone is driving our active watchers and bringing people into the platform.” 

In 2023, Alone Australia drew more than 1 million viewers for each episode, with almost half of its audience coming from digital.

See also: Alone S2 drives SBS On Demand growth and ‘tremendous ROI’ for advertisers

–

Top image: Keiran Beasley

Whether it’s a childhood jingle that you can still sing word for word, or a campaign that influences the way you work today, everyone has an ad that has really stuck with them.

Mediaweek has been asking the industry to take a trip down memory lane, to find out all about the ads that made us.

Larissa Ozard – director marketing: brand, product and trade, Seven Network

Telstra BigPond Great Wall of China

“Back in 2005, I was in my early 20s and Telstra and Telecom before it had always been such a prominent brand in my life. I still remember when this ad first aired and how it was so quickly embedded into Australian culture. The saying ‘there were too many rabbits in China’ was used for many years after it first aired.

“The creative was simple but powerful, baked in a human truth that all parents could resonate with and delivered using humour to engage a nation. The look on the dad’s face when asked the question is priceless and unforgettable.”

Josh Gurgiel – head of POLY, oOh!media‘s creative and innovation hub

GEICO – Dikembe Mutombo Not In My House

“The sight of Dikembe Mutombo smashing a box of cereal out of a kid’s hands in the supermarket and then running off in sheer glee is quite possibly the funniest moment ever captured on film.

“It is often tempting to overcomplicate creative strategy in the pursuit of a basic human truth to inform an idea. But sometimes, it can be as simple as the fact that NBA defensive superstar, Dikembe Mutombo, just really loves blocking shots. In 2012, American insurance company, GEICO, based an entire advertising campaign around this fun fact. The ad showed Mutumbo joyously ‘blocking’ people in a range of everyday situations, and then references that customers who save money when switching to GEICO are ‘happier than Dikembe Mutombo blocking a shot.’

“Sure, the link to GEICO was tenuous (at best), but this ad was a perfect example of a brand trusting the imagination of their audience and the strength of their brand. They understood that advertising, for the most part, should be fun, frivolous and simple if it is going to cut through the chaos of common life and connect with consumers. They didn’t need to over-explain their service or over-emphasise an offer, they simply relied on the fact that the surreal image of Dikembe Mutombo smacking the ‘G’ out of the GEICO logo before sprinting off camera would be enough to capture their audience’s attention and create a memorable moment.

“And it was. At least in ‘my house.'”

Lucinda Boden – talent manager, Born Bred Talent

Dove Evolution

“As a 9-year-old, watching the Evolution ad by Dove absolutely blew my mind. With no prior knowledge of how the beauty industry works, it provided a clear insight into the manipulation of images to create unrealistic beauty standards. From bare-faced to heavily photoshopped, the model was unrecognisable from the woman who entered the frame.

“Even 18 years later, the impact of the ad remains significant, resonating with audiences and challenging perceptions about beauty in the media.”

See also: The Ads That Made Us: A big ad, Doing things #Likeagirl, How many Weet-Bix?

–

Top image: Larissa Ozard, Josh Gurgiel, Lucinda Boden

By Nina Christian, marketing futurist and global marketing mentor

The rise of AI provides new opportunities for us to expand our personal brand and engage with our network more often, at scale, with greater personalisation.

Personalisation, however, is vastly different to connection.

At the heart of it all, effective personal branding remains the human connection – regardless of how sophisticated the tech is. 

In our crazy-fast evolving landscape, creating a personal brand that resonates, influences, and leaves a lasting impact has never been more crucial.

This isn’t just about colours, logos, catchy-one-liners or even stated values; it’s about crafting a brand that embodies who you are and connects with others on a profound level.

The big opportunity right now is to become proficient in the integration of authenticity, strategy, and systems.

Together, these will support you in leaning into your own unique identity, influence, and impact.

As we move forward, the brands that will stand out are those that can combine cutting-edge technology with genuine human interactions.
 
Sounds good in theory, but applying is where most miss it.

So here are the five best ways I know to build a personal brand that people are naturally drawn to:

1. Embrace your true identity

Your personal brand starts with knowing who you are, what you stand for, and expressing it unapologetically and cohesively.

As I’ve explored at length in my book Marketing Me, this authenticity is the cornerstone of a brand that resonates with people on a deeper level.

2. Capture attention through connection

A powerful and connected brand is what people feel, and what their connection with you is at every single touchpoint. It’s not just about broadcasting your message, but creating meaningful interactions that leave a lasting impression.

A simple place to start is by subtly weaving select elements of your personal story into your brand in a way that feels natural and relatable. When people feel connected to you, they’re more likely to trust you and be influenced by your message.

3. Start with strategy

A lot of people over-complicate it, but it’s actually really simple.

What do you want to be known for?

Reverse-engineer everything from there and you’ll go from random acts of content and throwing spaghetti at the wall, to being focused and aligned and getting a better commercial return on your efforts.

4. High-calibre thought leadership
 
To truly stand out, you have to share compelling thoughts people are interested in. Because having thoughts that people actively follow is what makes you a thought leader, right?

This doesn’t mean churning out content for the sake of it, but creating relevant, perspective-shifting content that encapsulates your own, unique, original insights and ideas. Done consistently and well, it’s a superhighway to building authority and trust.

5. Set yourself up to be sustainable

It’s not enough to have sporadic bursts of activity; consistency is key. I would go as far as to say it’s the trump card at the moment.

The combination of brand and systems together consistently will give you that visibility. By developing systems that support your brand, you can maintain a steady presence and keep your audience over the long term.

—

This is where personal branding is at right now, and if you jump on this now you’ll have a huge head start – as you build a brand that resonates, inspires, and leaves a lasting legacy.

Remember, it’s not just about being seen; it’s about being felt.

Following this approach, you can build a personal brand that not only stands out but also creates a meaningful impact for you as well as your audience.

See also: Nina Christian: Personal branding isn’t just about self-promotion

–

Nina Christian is a Marketing Futurist, & Global Marketing Mentor who helps people do their marketing in a more human way. 

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM), Life Member and Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute & AMI State Chair (Vic) and for 20 years was director of marketing agency Braveda (Winner, Best Marketing Agency, Australian Marketing Excellence Awards).

Several years ago Nina saw the world of marketing shifting – this time as people became their own brands.  With this, she created a new business as a thought leader, combining her expertise in brand building with personal positioning, resulting in a breakthrough praxis known as Marketing Me® which she delivers globally to business leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs.

She is the author of the book Marketing Me: Take Charge of Your Personal Brand and Make Your Mark on the World which helps professionals who want to market themselves authentically, but don’t understand what makes them truly unique and significant or have the confidence to express their value in a way that feels good.

Being a hands-on mum of five children, Nina Christian has developed a knack for simplifying complexity. As a result, her systems and processes are practical, accessible and impactful.

Meltwater has unveiled strategic partnerships with Microsoft and the Walkley Foundation and made appointments to its executive team and board.

Chris Hackney has joined as chief product officer to lead product organisation and spearhead the strategic direction, expansion, and operation of the company’s product portfolio.

Joining the media monitoring company’s board of directors is Bryan Law, the chief marketing officer at go-to-market data provider, ZoomInfo.

Meltwater has simultaneously announced partnerships with Microsoft and the Walkley Foundation. With Microsoft, the business will deliver an integrated communications insights solution for Microsoft’s clients.

The collaboration combines Meltwater‘s listening tools and data with Microsoft’s advanced AI technologies. Business users of Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, who are Meltwater customers, can easily access real-time insights, such as brand mentions, sentiment analysis, key issues, and competitive benchmarking from within these tools.

Meltwater has also partnered with The Walkley Foundation.

Ross Candido, vice president, Meltwater ANZ and SEA, said: “Our aim is to contribute to a thriving media landscape, resilient to fake news and foster a well-informed public conversation. With its focus on recognising journalistic excellence, elevating the craft and fostering essential discussions about the industry’s future, our relationship with The Walkley Foundation and its awards provide the perfect fit to help us progress this goal.”

Shona Martyn, The Walkley Foundation CEO, added: “We use Meltwater’s media monitoring platform on a daily basis and their services play an integral role in the modern media landscape. We are grateful for their support.”

Meltwater has also introduced the integration of its influencer marketing solutions into its core social media platform. This brings together Klear, Meltwater’s influencer marketing tool, and Engage, its social media management tool. Customers will be able to unify their social media marketing strategies on one platform, removing the barriers between owned and influencer marketing efforts. 

“Our goal is to make accessing and using business insights part of everyday business communications. These solution updates do just that,” Candido said.

“Users can now interact with Meltwater’s analytics tools directly from the core applications they are comfortable working in. As a result, insights are not just a simple request away, but also presented in an easy-to-action, accessible way that drives strategic decisions.”

–

Top image: Ross Candido

Avenue C has leveraged the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament to launch the Diplomatico Rum campaign for American distilleries company Brown-Forman, targeted at affluent spirits drinkers in the Australian market.

Research by the independent media agency pinpointed the European football tournament as the ideal platform to create prominence and drive reach for the brand in alignment with its personality and craftsmanship, with over 60% of the target demographic following the sport.

The Heart of the Rum campaign will surround UEFA Euro 2024 on Optus Sport, encompassing both linear and BVOD platforms. Additional integrated Golden Breaks, sponsor billboards, and a brand lift study have also been secured to maximise campaign effectiveness.

Elena Gianni, group business director with Avenue C, added: “Working with Brown-Forman is always fun and exciting. The collaboration, respect and belief they place in us allows us to constantly look for solutions to elevate our brands and explore new avenues.

“Diplomatico is proof of this, from the initial presentation and each step along the way, the team have worked alongside us to make each touchpoint as relevant and impactful as possible and we look forward to our work translating into business results.”

Richard Dredge, senior brand manager at Brown-Forman, said: “Avenue C constantly think outside of the box when responding to our media briefs and this year’s response didn’t disappoint. We are extremely excited to see our Super Premium rum Diplomatico mixing with the stars of Euro 2024 through our Optus Sport partnership.

“We hope this campaign introduces Australians to Diplomatico Rum and encourages trial of our delicious liquid throughout the tournament leading up to World Rum Day on the 2nd of July.”

Credits:
Brown-Forman team:
Ollie Dickson – Marketing Director
Mark Fischer – Marketing Manager SP Portfolio
Richard Dredge – Senior Brand Manager
Dany Karpf – Brand Manager
Tianwei Pang – Integrated Marketing Communications Manager
Conor Fisk – Content and Social Manager

Avenue C team:
Melissa Mullins – Chief Strategy Officer
Elena Giannini – Business Director
Clare Zappia – Media Director
Chris Zoomerschoe – Digital Director

Partners:
META, Optus Sport and YouTube

The Brag Media celebrated the launch of Variety Australia and Twilio’s inaugural live business breakfast at Sydney’s 12-Micron yesterday with an awards ceremony and panel discussion.

The event saw industry leaders issue a rallying cry to the sector to work together more collaboratively, gain a deeper understanding of evolving audiences, and explore what the future of music festivals in Australia looks like.

The industry panel included Dr Christen Cornell (research fellow and manager, research partnerships for Creative Australia), Evelyn Richardson (chief executive for Live Performance Australia), Michael Christidis (co-founder of Untitled Group), and Linda Scott (commercial director APAC for Eventbrite), and was moderated by Lars Brandle, The Brag Media’s newly-appointed head of content.

They proposed solutions for key issues facing music festivals and live music in Australia, including understanding changing audience behaviours and purchasing patterns, the need for a focus on experiences, and problems of insurance and heavy-handed policing.

Christidis said: “The connection between promoters and ticketing companies is more important than ever. You need people to know and believe an event will sell out. If they don’t think it will, they’ll have a sense of security that they know they can wait until closer to the date.”

Richardson spoke to the need for governments at all levels to help reduce operational costs.

“Anything that reduces operational costs is going to be important, and state governments can do a lot to help reduce those costs. Insurance is a major issue, there is clearly market failure there and it needs to be addressed at a federal level.”

Variety Australia and Twilio’s Live Business Breakfast also honoured the achievements of individuals and brands shaping the future of entertainment, spanning music, comedy and theatre. Variety Australia and Twilio presented accolades across seven categories, highlighting talent and innovation within the industry over the past year.

The winners included: 

• Festival of the Year: Peter Noble’s Bluesfest.

• Best Australian Theatre Award: Michael Cassel Group’s production of & Juliet for its performances in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

• Best Australian Comedy Tour Award: Jimmy Carr’s Terribly Funny entertained audiences across the country with 89 shows nationwide.

• Best Australian Music Tour Award: P!nk’s Summer Carnival Tour sold 970,000 tickets, including a record-breaking 20 stadium shows.

• Variety Live Business Award: Untitled Group was recognised for selling more than 500,000 tickets in the latest summer season and achieving record results across a range of brands including Beyond The Valley and Wildlands.

• Promoter of the Year: Frontier Touring had a record-breaking 2023 producing 600 shows, 40 of those in major stadiums, and featuring tours for Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Robbie Williams, BLACKPINK, Kraftwerk, Paramore, plus homegrown talent The Teskey Brothers, DMA’S, G Flip and many others.

• Best Live Event Marketing Campaign Award: Fred Again was recognised for his innovative national ‘pop up’ surprise arena tour.

See also: Luke Girgis loses 5m options amidst exit from The Brag Media

Wednesday 12 June 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s Australian Swimming Trials recorded a total TV national reach of 1,973,000, a total TV national audience of 757,000, and a BVOD audience of 59,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,525,000, a total TV national audience of 1,057,000, and a BVOD audience of 74,000.

Seven’s The 1% Club recorded a total TV national reach of 858,000, a total TV national audience of 490,000, and a BVOD audience of 29,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,368,000, a total TV national audience of 873,000, and a BVOD audience of 104,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,193,000, a total TV national audience of 670,000, and a BVOD audience of 55,000.

See also: TV Report 12 June 2024: Adam Ferrier joins the Gruen crew to talk Telstra

People 25-54

Nine’s Swimming Trials:
• Total TV nation reach: 637,000
• National Audience: 244,000
• BVOD Audience: 33,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 424,000
• National Audience: 242,000 
• BVOD Audience: 31,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 281,000
• National Audience: 155,000
• BVOD Audience: 16,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 437,000
• National Audience: 276,000
• BVOD Audience: 58,000

People 16-39

Nine’s Swimming Trials:
• Total TV nation reach: 291,000
• National Audience: 117,000
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 172,000
• National Audience: 109,000 
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 114,000
• National Audience: 60,000
• BVOD Audience: 9,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 193,000
• National Audience: 130,000
• BVOD Audience: 35,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ 

Nine’s Swimming Trials:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,495,000
• National Audience: 576,000
• BVOD Audience: 47,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 928,000
• National Audience: 522,000 
• BVOD Audience: 45,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 668,000
• National Audience: 388,000
• BVOD Audience: 23,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,073,000
• National Audience: 686,000
• BVOD Audience: 83,000

Data © OzTAM and Regional TAM 2024. Not to be reproduced, published or communicated (electronically or in hard copy) in whole or in part, without prior written consent of OzTAM and Regional TAM.

TV Report 13 June 2024:

Nine TV Report

NRL – Sharks v Dolphins

Nine’s draw for the evening was the Dolphins v Sharks game at PointsBet Stadium in Sydney. The Dolphins ended up winning the match 30-28 after Nicho Hynes missed a late game conversion. 

Seven TV Report

Britain’s Got Talent

On Seven, Britain’s Got Talent saw judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli as they searched for golden-buzzer-worthy talent.

Home & Away

Earlier in the night was Home & Away as Mackenzie battled trust issues and Summer Bay was struck by a mystery illness.

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 reported on South Australia banning political donations, records tumbling at the Australian Olympic trials and spoke tot Sarah Millican with co-host Liz Ellis.

Taskmaster Australia

On 10’s Taskmaster Australia, contestants Josh Thomas, Jenny Tian, Lloyd Langford, Anne Edmonds and Wil Anderson were instructed to ‘get low’, Anne showed off her sporting prowess and, the live task saw contestants disguise their childhood memories with autotune.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The SVU must track down a mysterious suspect targeting tourists staying in hostels and race to identify one woman’s attacker before she opts to go home.

ABC

7:30

7:30 saw Laura Tingle interview Independent MP Monique Ryan plus experts say an updated flood zone modelling could leave thousands of homes “uninsurable”.

Restoration Australia

Host Anthony Burke meets a couple supersizing a beachside bungalow into a Sydney trophy home while still somehow trying to preserve its quaint 1920’s identity.

SBS

DNA Family Secrets

Georgina was conceived 34 years ago when her mum had a holiday romance with a Portuguese waiter. She’s now wondering if her father is still alive. Matthew grew up never knowing his father’s identity and wants to know if his ancestry is Caribbean.

The Responder

In saving Vernon, Chris finds himself in possession of Franny’s Encro phone, and quickly discovers that Franny will do anything to get it back.