Seven has apologised after mistakenly identifying the wrong man as the Bondi Junction attacker. 

From around 8:30pm on Saturday, misinformation spread on social media that Benjamin Cohen, a 20-year-old UTS student, was the person who killed six people at Bondi Westfield on Saturday afternoon.

His name trended, and Seven repeated it: on its website, on YouTube – referencing the “40-year-old lone-wolf attacker Benjamin Cohen” – and on-air on Sunrise early Sunday morning, according to Nine, Guardian Australia, and The Australian. No images of Cohen were broadcast or published.

Later on Sunday, NSW Police confirmed the killer was Joel Cauchi.

Cohen told the Sydney Morning Herald: “It’s extremely disappointing to see thousands of people mindlessly propagating misinformation without even the slightest thought put to fact-checking or real-life consequences, and then using that information to push an agenda and spread hatred.

“Channel Seven has informed me that they will be issuing a formal apology.”

A Seven spokesperson said in a statement issued to Mediaweek: “The mistake was human error. It was escalated immediately and rectified. Seven sincerely apologises for the error.”

Seven’s coverage of the attack included a special bulletin last night, 7NEWS Presents: Tragedy in Bondi, which ran from 9.50pm.

Chief marketing officer Melissa Hopkins also praised an editorial from The Nightly and The West Australian editor-in-chief Anthony DeCeglie on LinkedIn yesterday, saying: “After a horrific Saturday event, I am proud to be part of a team graciously presenting the facts and keeping Aussies up to date.”

Cohen’s name was also published in the comments of the TikTok accounts for Ten, news.com.au, Nine News, and Daily Mail, and by verified accounts on X, including accounts with millions of followers. Cohen’s LinkedIn profile was shared across social media, and accompanied by antisemitic commentary, by people who claimed he looked like the attacker.

Following the Saturday attack, and before Cohen began to be falsely accused, many on X perpetuated misinformation that the attacker was motivated by Islamic faith.

Karen Percy, the president of the media division of the industry’s union, the Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA), said people are “quite rightly concerned” about media coverage of the attack. 

“If you want [to] call out bad journalism, there are a number of ways to do it, but via social media is not very effective. Media outlets only have to respond to official complaints,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

Percy encouraged people to file complaints with MEAA about ethical breaches by specific journalists who are members of the union, or approaching the Press Council, Free TV, or the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after contacting the media outlet first. She pointed out that the ABC and SBS have their own complaints mechanisms on their websites, and added that it can also be “worth getting in touch with your local MP, Senators, perhaps even the Communications Minister” Michelle Rowland.

Elfy Scott, a journalist, author of The One Thing We’ve Never Spoken About, a book on her mum’s schizophrenia, and MamaMia‘s former editor, responded to the way news reporting has commented on Cauchi’s mental health: “I just want to remind journalists and readers alike that there are ethical guidelines on reporting around mental illness and violence.” 

These guidelines, published by Mindframe, include not presenting a mental illness as the sole cause of violence and avoiding language that sensationalises the mental illness or defines a person by it. 

“If you see anything that you feel is violating these guidelines, it’s important that you feel entitled to report it with SANE’s StigmaWatch program,” Scott said.

“This is a sensitive and painful time for the country, but it’s important to stay vigilant about media failures when it comes to stigma, considering the vast amount of harm it can cause and the ways it deters people from seeking help when they need it.”

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See also: Westfield Bondi knife attack sees news figures spike as TV networks broadcast rolling coverage

Mat Baxter, the former Huge and Initiative CEO who recently returned home to Australia, has claimed Seven runs the risk of “scaring brands away” as the headlines against the network continue to stack up.

Across the past few weeks, those headlines have included: A former Spotlight producer claiming Seven paid for drugs, sex workers, Thai massages, and golf round to secure an interview with Bruce Lehrmann; Spotlight‘s EP leaving in the wake of the court evidence; an investigation into an expenses scandal by rival The Sydney Morning Herald, involving explosive text messages from former exec Bruce McWilliam; Seven apologising for misidentifying the Bondi Junction attacker; and CEO James Warburton reportedly leaving the network this week. 

“Sadly, the network doesn’t currently exemplify the qualities (or safety) marketers are looking for. Would you really want your company associated with them in the current circumstances? My guess is most people would say ‘no’,” Baxter wrote on LinkedIn over the weekend, in a post titled: “Network Seven is in danger of becoming a liability for clients.”

Baxter added that the “major turmoil” inevitably has consequences for media buyers and their clients.

“Ordinarily, the primary consideration for a television network winning advertising investment is the audience performance of individual programs and their respective efficiency. After all, it’s the program, not the network, that ultimately delivers value. Think of it like the music business, you don’t buy the label, you buy the artist.

“But this rule can be broken in extreme circumstances. Because if the ‘distributor’ becomes a worry, it can quickly bleed into the programs it sells. Put simply, brands never want to be tarnished by controversy or negativity, and this can easily happen by association.”

In the comments, strategist and founder of This is the Day Carl Ratcliff agreed: “An executive team who should know a lot better given who they are. And how many of us know them.”

Co-founder and director of Mediatel Events, the UK-based Justin Lebbon, wrote: “I do think TV is held a much higher standard than digital. If brands were truly concerned about brand association/brand safety they would much more concerned about what is going on in digital environments than they are.”

Baxter contextualised his feedback: he has “always admired and respected the Seven brand. It has an amazing heritage and has been a dominant force in Australian advertising for years.” And the remedy is simple, he suggested.

“Seven needs to move swiftly and decisively to demonstrate their historical core values and prove they won’t tolerate the sort of drama that’s presently playing out.

“Let’s face it, in 2024, there are plenty of options out there for advertisers and I think it’s imperative that Seven remain one of them.

“So, I hope they get their next moves right because the industry needs a strong and vibrant Seven.”

As news of the knife attack at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney made the media around 4pm Saturday, newsrooms quickly devoted resources to cover the stabbings.

Television, radio and online coverage responded as newsrooms realised the enormity of the tragedy.

Sunday newspapers across Australia devoted many pages to the murders. Below is a selection of front pages from Australia and a number of UK newspapers that covered the attack.

Front pages of Sydney Sunday newspapers.
Top image: Nine’s Karl Stefanovic live from Bondi Junction on Sunday morning

TV and radio news react quickly to Bondi attack

Nine and Seven both soon had reporters filing from the area while 10 News First at Five had coverage when it went to air.

Sky News kept viewers abreast of developments until it was able to start taking live images and then had a reporter in Oxford Street. Similarly, the ABC News channel devoted its airwaves to news from Bondi Westfield.

On radio, 2GB was quick to act. The station was taking the Continuous Call Team program when first reports were put to air. The show’s anchor, Mark Levy, was hosting from the broadcast booth at CommBank Stadium. He soon ditched the football to keep listeners updated on the unfolding story.

2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham was soon on air, sharing what we was learning about the drama. Fordham soon arrived at the 2GB studio in North Sydney to allow Levy to focus on the football later in the day.

The free-to-air broadcasters made the decision to suspend normal programming.

The Nine coverage was anchored by Mark Burrows and Deborah Knight. The Seven coverage was anchored by the Sydney weekend news presenters Michael Usher and Angela Cox.

Seven’s Michael Usher and Angela Cox on air Saturday afternoon

As the afternoon wore on the rolling news coverage ran into the 6pm news hours on both Seven and Nine. When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later made a statement about the tragedy it was run live on all FTA primary channels.

The PM’s statement was also broadcast live from Canberra on a number of international news channels including BBC News and Sky News UK.

Saturday evening news ratings

Nobody wants to claim a ratings win from such a terrible tragedy. What Mediaweek can reveal is that the audience numbers did spike for viewers watching the evening news bulletins.

Nine News at 6pm Saturday was up 148,000 week-on-week across the metro network. A climb of around 25%. The Sydney audience was up 66,000. A lift of about 50%. (All audience numbers average, all people. Comparison is with the Saturday bulletins one week earlier.)

Seven News at 6pm Saturday across the metro network was up 32,000. The Sydney audience was up 23,000. The growth was close to 15% for both numbers.

The national Total TV figures saw 9News and 7News each with a national reach close to 2m people.

9News had a national reach of 1,960,000. The average audience was 1,080,000 with a BVOD audience of 74,000.

7News had a national reach of 1,956,000. The average audience was 1,056,000 with a BVOD audience of 38,000.

10News had a national reach of 602,000. The average audience was 257,000, with a BVOD audience of 9,000.

The ABC News bulletin at 7pm was also up – growing close to 50,000 across the metro markets and in Sydney. The Sydney audience grew close to 50%.

Both Seven and Nine stayed with rolling coverage from Bondi into the evening as more reporters were deployed to the scene. Dedicated news services on Sky News and ABC News Channel were also live with reporters on location.

Sky News had Peter Stefanovic anchoring from the Sky newsroom. Laura Jayes was on location at Bondi and she was devastated to reveal on-air that she knew one of the victims of the knife attack.

Early Sunday start for Today and Sunrise

On Sunday morning, both Seven’s Sunrise and Nine’s Today started their weekend editions early.

Sunrise weekday co-host Matt Shirvington was in Oxford Street Bondi Junction. Only metres away from him, Today weekday co-host Karl Stefanovic was also reporting for the show.

British newspapers cover Bondi attack

A number of newspapers around Australia devoted their covers and many inside pages to the tragedy.

Sunday newspapers across Britain also kept readers informed of developments in Sydney. Below is a selection of both.

TBWA Sydney has made its managing director position redundant, with Tanya Vragalis leaving the role after three years.

Vragalis, who first joined the advertising agency in 2018 as head of business management, has held key client relationships with Amazon, Optus, and CUB/Great Northern Brewing Co.

She was promoted to general manager of TBWA Sydney in 2020 before assuming the role of MD in October 2021.

Mediaweek has reached out to TBWA for comment.

The news comes as the advertising industry grapples with ongoing economic pressures.

In February, UM made redundancies across Sydney and Melbourne.

Last month, two of WPP’s creative agencies – AKQA and Grey – were operationally merged, three and a half years after they were combined globally to form the AKQA Group. As a result, whiteGREY CEO Lee Simpson will leave the business because the whiteGREY brand will disappear.

It marked the holdco’s second merger in six months. In October 2023, WPP consolidated Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R into the single entity, VML. 

Vragalis’ exit comes a week after TBWA’s joint agency venture built for Telstra, +61, launched its first work. The creative partnership – home to the largest advertising account in the country – also unites independent creative studio Bear Meets Eagle On Fire (BMEOF) and Telstra’s existing media agency, TBWA’s Omnicom stablemate, OMD.

See also:
First Telstra work from +61, From Space to Your Place, launches
UM veteran Andrew Murray exits; agency makes redundancies
WPP announces merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to create VML

Gemma Hudson, WE Communications’ executive vice president of international health across APAC and EMEA, has announced her departure from the agency after 11 years.

During her tenure at WE, Hudson spent eight years leading and building its Australia footprint, and three years building its health sector internationally. 

Prior to joining WE Communications, Hudson held positions at Haystac, Edelman, and Burson-Marsteller in Australia, as well as at Red Door Communications, and The Workhouse in England.

See also: Australians remain sceptical of businesses and media: Edelman Trust Barometer

Hudson wrote on LinkedIn of her exit:

“From a local boutique to a global acquisition and from specialist sectors to a full-service integrated agency – I could not be prouder of the agency that we are in Australia today. I’m so privileged to have had the opportunity to be a part of building it.

“To Rebecca Wilson [executive vice president, international] and Tom Buchan [founder], thank you for taking a chance on this bolshy Northern English lass and affording me one of the most challenging (in a good way) and rewarding roles of my career to date. Thank you for your support and partnership.

“And an even bigger thank you to the many amazing people I’ve had the pleasure to work with both in Australia and around the global WE team – both past and current. So many pitches, so much incredible work and so much laughter and fun. There are far too many of you to mention individually – but you are truly all legends! And of course, thank you to all of the clients I serviced along the way. Without the team and clients, there would be no agency.

“Leaving is hard. Taking a step into the unknown is even harder. But it is also time for a new challenge and mostly, I’m excited for whatever comes next. But first it’s time for a wine and cheers to 11 years.”

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Top Image: Gemma Hudson

CHEP Media has won the University of Sydney’s media account. It will lead media planning and buying services across Australia and key markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

The agency will provide an integrated, whole-of-university media strategy to elevate the university’s brand profile and drive recruitment for undergraduate and postgraduate offerings.

Johanna Lowe, chief marketing and communications officer at the University of Sydney, said CHEP Media showed an understanding of the university’s ambitions in a competitive global higher education sector.

“We were impressed by CHEP Media’s strategic thinking, data-led planning, and use of technology that brings this to life in a way that taps into the moments that matter most for our future students when they are choosing where to study,” she said.

Lowe thanked the incumbent, Yango, for its work with the university.

Anna Cherry, CHEP Network’s chief media officer, said the agency’s ambition is to create a step change in efficient, effective outcomes for the institution.

“Today’s universities are paying close attention to game-changing technology, new competitors, evolving demographics and heightened expectations for personalised service. At the same time, the ‘age of the customer’ has arrived in the higher education sector, and students have higher expectations about their experience at university and what it will lead to.”

Other recent wins for CHEP Media include Compare Club, while CHEP Network was recently appointed by the Spirit of Tasmania as its creative agency of record.

Today, CHEP Network’s rebrand for Michael Hill went live, with Miranda Kerr announced as the jeweller’s first brand ambassador. CMO Jo Feeney first teased the brand refresh last week.

See also: Michael Hill jewellers enters ‘new era’ with brand refresh via CHEP

Carat Victoria has retained the media account for Beacon Lighting, continuing its six-year-long relationship with the retailer. 

The dentsu agency will be responsible for all paid media strategy, planning and buying, including brand, performance and programmatic.

Carat first won the Beacon Lighting account in 2018 before expanding the relationship in 2021. The partnership will now extend for a further three years.

Richard Lehocz, managing director of Carat Victoria, said: “To be able to continue to push the brand into new growth is a wonderful testament to the work done by the Carat team and the trust Beacon Lighting has in us, to drive never before growth for the brand.”

Prue Robinson, chief marketing officer of Beacon Lighting, added: “Over the years, the team at Carat have really grasped our business, goals, and especially our shift to trade, consistently enhancing our marketing plans. We’re eager to keep working together to reach our objectives.”

The extension of the relationship with Beacon Lighting follows Carat’s promotion of Toni Frith to group investment director – Victoria and appointment of Catherine Kealy as senior client director, leading Kraft Heinz.

Carat was also recently appointed by General Motors to handle all paid media strategy, planning, and buying for the launch of the Cadillac LYRIQ into the Australian and New Zealand markets. The appointment extended Carat ANZ’s existing relationship with GM, with Carat also responsible for all paid media for Chevrolet and Corvette.

Carat Victoria also recently won the media account for FunLab, managing all paid media for FunLab brands including Holy Moly, Strike, and Archie Brothers.

MD Lehocz joined the dentsu agency last year, when Danny Bass, media CEO of dentsu ANZ, called him a good fit for the role.

See also: Carat Victoria appoints Richard Lehocz as managing director

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Top image, left to right: Natarsha Kite, Prue Robinson, Nisha Rajamani

Matt Rossi is departing his role as head of growth at healthcare start-up Eucalyptus to start a new media buying service, Oodle.

Rossi spent the last seven years building internal creative and media functions for some of Australia’s biggest success stories, such as Koala, where he was head of creative, and Canva, where he was head of brand marketing.

At Eucalyptus, he was responsible for driving growth for its brands, Pilot and Juniper, with offerings such as channel expansion and brand storytelling that Oodle says it will offer at scale for its clients.

The media buying service launches with founding clients: fellow startups Hnry, Spriggy, and Koh. 

Rossi argued brand advertising should not be so opaque. “It’s arguably the single biggest lever to grow brands, but it’s also the lever with the most barriers in front of it. From inconsistent pricing to unreliable measurement and bespoke creative,” he noted.

Rossi noted that Oodle aims to offer something different. “We’re demystifying the industry and empowering brands to scale into brand channels with confidence.

“We believe effective brand media drives incremental conversions whilst improving brand metrics in the process. We care about media that works, and we know how to put plans together that drive growth.”

James Fuller, Hnry co-founder and CEO, called Rossi’s results-oriented approach a “refreshing change.”

“We know we’re in safe hands as we continue to scale Hnry’s increasingly sophisticated channel mix with Oodle.”

Charli Walters, Koh CEO, said: “Matt’s been invaluable to Koh’s successful move into brand channels. We’re thrilled to be able to continue that arrangement more formally with Oodle.”

Alongside integrated media planning and buying for brand channels, Oodle will be working closely with in-house teams to develop their campaign tooling and measurement expertise. Rossi said the business will focus on media strategy and buying for ‘growth-focused’ brands.

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Top image: Matt Rossi

By Jasmin Bedir, CEO at Innocean

If you have read some of my AI articles here before, you already know how I feel about the myriad of third party tools popping up every day in our inboxes.

They all sound so enticing, the solution we’ve all been waiting for to be on the “cutting edge” of media and marketing – and oh hey, look, there is an AI conference for us all just in time to learn more about them.

I know we are all looking for answers, and don’t we all love a good marketing conference, which for time-poor people is still the go-to method for learning and networking. Those events are always fun. I’m not judging you – I’m a regular there too. 

But it’s not where we should get our information from when it comes to AI, in particular not when said conferences are actually sponsored by the AI startups with their third-party tools. So resist, my friends – by all means, buy a ticket to that conference, but don’t expect wisdom for yourself or your staff.

As a matter of fact, stop listening to the talking heads. Say bye-bye to the knowledge workers and super charming sales execs and their super polished gimmicks.

These guys don’t have the answers we’re all looking for – they are mere passengers like the rest of us. But unlike you and I, these guys are more like a Frank Abagnale and what we really need are actual pilots.

Yes pilots, in the literal sense – ‘project pilots’ that will help you uncover a myriad of real-time business issues in compliance and governance, and won’t require you to write large cheques for tools that aren’t even your own. You can do them yourselves, in your business, right now.

But also keep an eye out for the real pilots who know where we should be going. Hint: they are not spouting their wisdom in LinkedIn posts, and they don’t work in marketing.  Yes, AI is complex, but you don’t have to have a PhD to understand the basics, and the lovely people at CSIRO have made it easy for us mere mortals to skill up.

So let’s go and ask the real questions, look behind the curtain, and get on the actual tools.

Or if it helps you, let’s pretend you’re the actual pilot and need to steer this plane.

You know, just like in Catch Me If You Can.

See Also: Jasmin Bedir: The trap of shiny new AI tools
See Also: Jasmin Bedir: Limitations of AI in an advertising agency
See Also: Jasmin Bedir: Ethical AI, the great oxymoron emerging in martech
See Also: Jasmin Bedir: Let’s all be Alice in Wonderland and fall down the rabbit hole of AI in marketing

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Top Image: Jasmin Bedir

First launched in Australia in 2006, the ANZ Falcon has made its return via Special Group and PHD, in a bid to educate customers about the banking group’s upgraded fraud protection technology, namely, ANZ Falcon.

The campaign ‘DoppelFalcons’ features customers and their lookalike falcons to illustrate how the tech can distinguish between legitimate customer activity and fraudulent transactions, with the DoppelFalcons keeping watch 24/7 to collectively monitor millions of transactions every day.

The film was directed by Steve Rogers via Revolver, with VFX produced by Alt.VFX.

Sian Chadwick, general manager marketing, Australia, ANZ said the campaign demonstrates the extent of the personalisation of ANZ’s fraud protection. 

“Rather than just one falcon, it’s almost as if everyone has their very own falcon, protecting them 24/7, whenever or however they pay, learning from thousands of data points on their transactions,” said Chadwick.

Ryan Fitzgerald, executive creative director at Special, added: “With fraud and scams on the rise, who wouldn’t want one of the world’s foremost avian predators on their side?

 “ANZ customers can feel a little bit safer with the DoppelFalcons in the world.”

The campaign, which includes extensions for ANZ Plus and Everyday Banking, will run across TV, online video, audio, out-of-home, print, social, search, and owned channels.

“The falcon has given us licence to play across a combination of trusted media environments and contextually relevant moments to highlight ANZ’s security features to a new generation,” added PHD Melbourne’s head of strategy and planning, David Bielenberg.

See also: BONDS launches ‘As worn by us’ brand platform via Special

Credits:

Client: ANZ 
General Manager of Brand Strategy & Marketing: Sian Chadwick 
Head of Marketing, Brand & Advertising: Patrick Barbaro
Head of Marketing, ANZ Plus & Deposits: Luana Hughes
Head of Marketing, Credit Cards & Personal Loans: Alex Djambov
Go-To-Market Lead – ANZ Plus, Deposits, Brand and Sponsorship:  Hayley Smith
Brand Strategy Lead: Tuulia Lampi
Production Lead: Sally Humphris 
Campaign Manager (Brand): Sarah Murphy
Campaign Manager (Credit Cards): Isaac McCallum 
Campaign Manager (ANZ Plus): Lisa D’Souza 
Campaign Manager (Communications): Amy De Petro
Campaign Manager (PR): Maggie Joyce
Brand Strategy Manager: Daniel Bese
Social Media Associate:  Stacy Oularis
Digital Campaign Initiative Lead: Krista Pech
Marketing Journey Expert – Marcia Gomes

Creative Agency: Special Australia
Partner/CEO: Lindsey Evans 
Partners/CCO: Julian Schreiber & Tom Martin
Partner/CSO: Bec Stambanis
Head of Strategy, Melbourne: Nathan Rogers
Strategic Planner: Laura Wiseman
Executive Creative Director:  Ryan Fitzgerald
Creative Directors:  Justin Butler & Leti Bozzolini
Creative Technologist: Laurent Marcus
Creatives:  Gabe Woodmansey & Jono Aidney
Team Lead & Director of Operations: Felicity Touzeau
Team Lead & Director of Business Management: Ollie May
Business Director: Meg De Laurier 
Business Manager: Ella Papilion & Lea Degove 
Head of Production, Melbourne/Producer:  Sophie Simmons 
Senior Producer: Glen Mcleod
Head of Stills Production: Nick Lilley
Director, Digital: James Simmons
Digital Producer: Gigi Song
Design Director: Dan Jones 
Designer: Jen Bailey

Production Partners:

Production Company: Revolver
Director: Steve Rogers
Managing Director/Co-owner:  Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer/Producer: Pip Smart
DOP: Simon Duggan
Production Designer:  Steven Jones-Evans

Casting: Peta Einberg Casting

Editing:  ARC Edit
Editor:  Elise Butt
Executive Producer:  Winnie O’Neil
Editor’s Assistant:  Carly Anne Kenneally

Visual Effects:  Alt.VFX
VFX Supervisor:  Jay Hawkins
VFX Producer:  Celeste Fairlie
Grade:  Trish Cahill

Music & Sound:  Rumble Studios
Executive Producer:  Michael Gie
Composer:  Jeremy Richmond
Sound Designer:  Tone Aston
Sound Producer:  Irene Kakopieros

Stills Production:  Louis & Co
Photographer: Mat Baker
Executive Producer:  Louis Molines
Producer: Luke Della Santa
Retouching:  Electric Art

Media Agency: PHD Australia
Managing Director – Simon Lawson
Head of Strategy -David Bielenberg 
Group Business Director – Jordan Smith 
Group Planning Director: Rawanne Auda
Planning Manager: Kate Phillips
Investment Director: Kaitlin Despott
Investment Manager – Emir Omanovic 
Digital Director – Callum Henderson
Digital Manager – Sam Cook 
Digital Executive – Millie Coad
Account Coordinator – Christopher Simic 
Activation Account Director – Rahil Shah
Head of Resolution Melbourne – James Hanley 
Experience Manager – Christen Fernandes      

PR Agency: ThrivePR
Executive Director – Snezna Kerekovic
Group Account Director – Nathan McGregor
Account Manager – Madeleine Rawson
Account Executive – Max Meaden
Social Media + Influencer Account Director – Bianca Wilmott
Digital Content Producer – Bethany Fuller
Senior Media Adviser – Brad Howarth

See also: ANZ Bank partners with Analytic Partners to optimise media effectiveness

British entrepreneur and podcaster Steven Bartlett captured the attention of the Australian media industry on Thursday morning at the Museum of Contemporary Art in a 60-minute interview hosted by News Corp Australia.

Bartlett is an entrepreneur, investor, speaker, author, and the host of The Diary of a CEO podcast. He joined the BBC’s hit TV show Dragon’s Den from series 19 as the youngest-ever Dragon in the show’s history. 

The Diary of a CEO has over 40 million downloads a month and is now one of the leading podcasts in Europe and one of the top business podcasts in the world.

The Growth Distillery‘s Dan Krigstein interviewed Bartlett on stage in front of a room packed with leaders including News Corp’s Lou Barrett and Mike Connaghan, Nova’s Adam Johnson, Seven West Media’s Lucio Ribeiro, AANA’s Josh Faulks, and Kaimera’s Trent McMillan.

Bartlett also announced the launch of Flight Studio, a global podcast media and technology company.

Steven Bartlett and Dan Krigstein

Asked about what drives him to succeed, Bartlett said: “There’s the public answer, that I had this dream, but the more work you do on yourself you realise the forces that are driving you are often a bit more subconscious and out of your control. 

“The more I’ve interviewed exceptional individuals – from the greatest CEOs in the world, to the greatest sports people in the world – I have come to give myself less credit for where I am today and give circumstances more credit.”

Bartlett added that that one of the biggest lessons he learned through his Diary of a CEO podcast was that a lot of people who achieve interesting things “are either driven or dragged, and in most situations, they’re being dragged.”

“When I say dragged, I mean there’s some kind of force in their life, which they’re not always in control over, that’s pulling you down the motorway. And that’s me,” Bartlett told the room.

“For me, that force was shame, it was insecurity, it was being black in an all-white area. We moved from Africa to the countryside in the UK when I was a baby, we were pretty much the only black family in the school of almost 2,000 kids.”

Ultimately, Bartlett said being a happy, well-rounded person means making sure all your needs are met over the long term. 

“Over the short term, you can get away with unmet needs. But the longer you play that game of unmet needs, whether that’s social connection, or relationships, or your health, life will eventually catch up with you.”

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Top Image: Steven Bartlett

“I seldom do any work on my own,” Toby Harrison, chief strategy officer, growth and innovation lead at Ogilvy AUNZ, has said.

“I tend to get good people to work with and then to try and find a way to make the magic happen, and giving people space and oxygen to be the best versions of themselves is what I’m all about.

“The thing I’m good at is helping bring out the best of other people in a way that makes a team absolutely hum.”

Harrison was speaking on the most recent installment of The Growth Distillery vodcast, with News Corp Australia’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein. 

Harrison emphasised the importance of meeting people on a human level wherever possible.

“In my world, and in the world of strategy, there’s a lot of people who are highly intellectual, and real powerhouses of logic. I’m not that like, I’m just a pretty normal bloke who tries to think about things in a relatively common sense way, and then put a bit of creativity in the mix. I think that’s quite refreshing for a lot of people, if you can just be human about stuff,” he said.

Speaking to Mediaweek after the episode, Harrison added that there was one question in the interview series he found particularly “tricky.”

“He said I really want to get your perspective on leadership and understand who you are as a person. And I’ll be honest, that’s quite a confronting question to be asked. 

“I did a little bit of soul searching and went, ‘okay, I’m going to do this, but I’m going to have to think really, really hard about it’. It was an interesting exercise for me, because I think sometimes you really need to figure out your opinions on things.”

Ultimately, Harrison said that there are a few key themes he hopes people take away from the episode.

“Don’t be cynical, the world’s way better place than we probably give it credit for.

“It’s okay to make mistakes – you learn from mistakes, and there’s a resilience that has to come from all of that.

“The other really important piece of the puzzle is that we have to invest in growing, and developing, and nurturing talent – and being okay to accommodate for how different that talent can be. I’ve always tried to find different people to be part of our business, because the business certainly doesn’t need another one of me.”

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Top Image: Toby Harrison

Gender equality movement Fck The Cupcakes hosted an event called Yeah The Pies last week to engage men in discussions around gender equality at the Innocean office in Sydney.

FTC partnered with Paramount, Infinity Bakery, and Bloke Coaching for the event, which was hosted by MasterChef champion and mental health advocate Brent Draper and professional coach Iain Schmidt.

More than 60 men from the industry baked pies together and were encouraged to cook up real conversations. The bakers included Tony Hale (CEO Advertising Council Australia), whose baking was Innocean CEO and FTC founder Jasmin Bedir’s personal highlight, Peter Horgan (CEO OMG), Chris Freel (oOh! Media), Stephen Wright (TrinityP3), Kerry McCabe (founder, UnLtd), and Andrew Tuitahi (Hyundai director of marketing and product).

The event was closed with an after-party featuring pies and a larger-than-life FTC cupcake.
 
Bedir said the event was an attempt to start an ongoing fun and meaningful program that brings men into the room on the topic of gender equality.

“The feedback we got was incredible – which confirmed that we are on the right track. We cannot wait for the next Yeah The Pies session, which we are planning for winter,” she added.

FTC aims to engage what it has identified as the 30% of ‘the movable middle’ men in the Australian population who are surveyed as successful, educated, and likely exposed to new ideas through their children. FTC believes these men are most likely to change in response to its efforts.

Bedir previously said that FTC’s sentiment that International Women’s Day is meaningless if women continue just to talk to other women has struck a chord.

“But it is incredibly difficult to get men at scale engaged in the topic of gender equality, which was confirmed by the Gender Pay Gap data.”

She explained: “The ‘Yeah the Pies’ program will be a blueprint for organisations to engage men the right way so IWD 2025 is not again another room filled with women and cupcakes.”

See also: F*ck The Cupcakes launches Yeah the Pies to engage men post-IWD
 

Morgan Stanley sees “a lot of merit in putting 2x FM radio groups together”, according to a report the investment bank has released as the potential deal between ARN and SCA looms. 

See Also: ARN and Anchorage’s ambitious dream to carve up SCA broadcast assets closer to realisation

LiSTNR is critical to the deal, it said, forecasting the platform to generate positive EBITDA in FY25e of $3.6m and positive FCF in FY26e.

“We expect LiSTNR will continue to growing top line and profitably meaningfully over the medium term.

“As a result of revised earnings estimates, we also revise our base case valuation for LiSNTR to $105m, based on a 2x EV/Sales multiple on FY25e revenues of $52.5m”

The report makes it clear that “Fundamentally, we see a lot of merit in putting 2x FM radio groups together. But a central problem is the media rules, which prevent the maximum cost-out potential.

“If the proposal goes ahead, we expect ARN would close its iHeart app… and shift all the talent + all content (podcasts) + all cross promotion of both radio groups into LiSTNR as a single audio streaming platform – that we believe would make both strategic + financial sense.”

In its argument that LiSTNR has been undervalued in previous deals, the report makes three key arguments.

The first is that traditional radio listenership is falling and its audience is aging without being replaced. As a result, the report argues that radio revenues look to be in “permanent structural decline”. 

“Radio’s share of consumer time continues to decline, as the overall population, but in particular younger demographics choose newer technologies for their audio/music consumption (e.g. Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music).

“Put simply, as the aggregate time spent-with-radio falls, this inevitably means Radio’s share of total advertising budgets in AU will also fall, and continue its already declining trajectory.”

The report does make the point that this doesn’t mean there is no value in radio audiences for advertisers today, and “we expect traditional radio will continue to attract a sizeable amount of revenue for years to come, but it will continue to decline”.

The second argument is that streaming audio platforms have grown significantly over the last decade in Australia and continue to grow, both in terms of users, subscribers, and time-spent.

“Global players dominate the digital streaming market… critically, LiSTNR is the largest local competitor to these global players in Australia, albeit at a smaller scale with ~2m registered users. But it presents a rare opportunity for a local radio company to compete, thus, in our view, it has strategic value, particularly because it could scale-up. We have a positive fundamental view of LiSTNR, as a product and as an advertising platform.”

LiSTNR could grow users, revenues, and EBITDA even faster if owned by a larger media group, rather than just Southern Cross Media Group, according to the report.

“Scale matters in a digital world. If there were multiple radio (or wider media) groups promoting LiSTNR this should boost registered users, not just because of brand awareness, but because of the benefit of having more proprietary digital content, which could assist making LiSTNR a larger player in the digital advertising market, better able to compete against the global competitors. 

“An enlarged LiSTNR, with more ad inventory to sell, would likely be better positioned to build an even more sophisticated range of ad products and ad tech stack and with the benefit of more 1st party data.”

Ultimately for shareholders, the report says the prospect of an ARN and SCA deal “could deliver some revenue and cost synergies for the new Co overall, as well as for LiSTNR,” however, not as substantial as if there were no media ownership rules in place.

“But, that is the reality of the current landscape, and we consider the prospect of media ownership laws being relaxed in the near term as relatively low.”

Sky News has announced that Chris Uhlmann will be joining the network as a political contributor.

Uhlmann will make regular appearances on the Credlin program alongside host Peta Credlin every Tuesday evening, starting from 16 April. Additionally, on Wednesdays at 11am AEST, he will join chief news anchor Kieran Gilbert during NewsDay to provide analysis on the latest political headlines.

Uhlmann will also be involved in major Sky News documentary projects and special investigations.

Speaking of his new role, Chris Uhlmann said: “I am delighted to be joining Sky News as a contributor. I have watched the network since its inception and have always admired its commitment to journalism though straight-shooting broadcasters like Kieran Gilbert and Laura Jayes. In 2010 I helped establish ABC News 24 and had a brutal reality check on just how hard it is trying to keep pace with Sky.

“Many have noted the network also encourages robust, opinionated debate. So robust it allowed commentators like Peta Credlin and Chris Kenny to passionately prosecute opposite sides of the Voice debate. Sky stands tall in the Australian media landscape. You may not agree with it, but you can’t ignore it.”

Paul Whittaker, chief executive officer of Sky News Australia, welcomed Uhlmann to the team, saying: “Chris Uhlmann is a highly regarded political journalist who, through his decades of experience, has covered some of the biggest stories that have shaped Australia’s political history. We’re delighted Chris joins our unrivalled political team to provide our viewers with astute analysis and thought-provoking commentary, backed by sharp political instincts and an intricate understanding of the machinations of government.”

Before joining Sky News, Uhlmann served as the political editor for the Nine Network from 2017 to 2022, following a two-decade career at the ABC, first as host of its Canberra breakfast program and later as political editor for flagship programs ABC News and 7.30.

Uhlmann has also co-written a series of political novels set in Canberra which were later adapted into the television series Secret City for Foxtel. He is also the co-author of the children’s book The Useless Tune.

Parkinson’s Australia, the leading national advocacy organisation for those affected by Parkinson’s disease, has unveiled a rebrand, including a new logo and tagline.

The new logo is a symbolic representation of the condition, with a prominent letter “P” to signify Parkinson’s, and an intricate design that evokes neural pathways and connections. Designed by the Adelaide boutique Toolbox, Its abstract shape subtly hints at the map of Australia, underlining the organisation’s commitment to serving the Parkinson’s community nationwide.

Accompanying this logo is the updated tagline: “Advocacy. Connection. Awareness.”

The rebranding effort is aimed at better reflecting the organisation’s commitment to driving positive change, and empowering individuals impacted by Parkinson’s. It comes as new insights from Parkinson’s Australia revealed a projected tripling of case numbers by 2050.

In support of the rebranding effort, Parkinson’s Australia has enlisted the support of former Australian Cricket captain Allan Border AO, who is living with Parkinson’s himself, for a new video campaign by the organisation’s in-house team.

Border will bring attention to the challenges faced by people living with Parkinson’s, and advocate for increased government funding.

The video campaign, filmed by colourblind.digital’s Benjamin Fleming, amplifies Parkinson’s Australia’s plea for $2 million in federal funding for critical projects and aims to accelerate national action to address challenges faced by those with Parkinson’s.

Last year, Allan Border: My Story, became Foxtel Group’s highest-rating documentary series of all time.

See also: Foxtel and Kayo Sports celebrates a bumper cricket season

Parkinson’s Australia’s CEO, Olivia Nassaris, stated that Parkinson’s remains one of the least understood conditions, despite being the second most common neurological condition in the world, one that impacts more than 1 million Australians.

“That’s people living with the condition plus family, friends, colleagues and team-mates,” said Nassaris.

“With incidence and prevalence rates set to skyrocket in the coming years, it’s imperative that we take proactive steps to address the challenges faced by individuals living with Parkinson’s and their families.”

Molasses has appointed Nichole Donovan to the newly-created role of client director following a string of business wins. 

Donovan, who joined the brand agency at the start of April, will manage the day-to-day projects for Molasses’ clients, in addition to supporting business strategy and offering insights and innovation expertise. 

Molasses was most recently appointed by Allied Pinnacle to lead its brand strategy, positioning, brand identity, design, campaign creative and strategy for Wise Wheat, a naturally grown wheat product. It also partners with brands including Pernod Richard, Duxton Vineyards, MILKLAB, Freedom Foods and Victa.

Dan Parritt, co-founder and brand director at Molasses, said: “Over the past six years we’ve steadily grown our work with FMCG and alcohol brands. As their service requirements evolve, we need the most experienced talent in place to ensure the agency continues to deliver the best advice, work and service to them.

“As well as being an awesome person, Nichole has a great understanding of strategy, creative, project management and production, and thinks with an entrepreneurial lens which is a perfect fit for what we deliver to our clients. We are delighted to welcome her to the team.”

Donovan joins Molasses with more than 10 years of client management experience, holding a number of senior roles at agencies including GHO, For The People, and Traffik. 

“The power of great branding and design in propelling brands further cannot be overstated and Molasses have built a great reputation in delivering just that for clients in FMCG and alcoholic beverages,” she said.

“I look forward to bringing my experience across our portfolio of clients, helping them to realise their brand ambitions.”

Donovan’s appointment comes after the agency developed a brand strategy and positioning for the sparkling wine brand Solara in February.

The Sydney agency developed the ‘Life with Fizz’ positioning – helping consumers ‘live with fizz’ with a brand doing better for the environment.

See also: Molasses develops brand strategy and new positioning for eco-conscious wine brand, Solara

The Monkeys has just missed out on placing in the top 10 of the Best 40 Campaigns Promoting Good category in WARC’s ACT Good Report 2024, a ranking celebrating the best creative campaigns from around the world that promote social and environmental responsibility.

The Australian creative agency’s campaign for the Government of Tuvalu, The First Digital Nation, claimed the #12 spot. 

The First Digital Nation campaign received plenty of industry acclaim and was ranked #5 in the ‘most creative’ local campaign category in WARC’s Creative 100 rankings.

See also: Australia ranked #6 most creative country: WARC

Meanwhile, Australia also missed out on making the top 10 countries.

The leader in the Campaigns Promoting Good category was The Last Photo for Adam&eveDDB in the UK, followed by Havas Paris’ campaign for the Anne de Gaulle Foundation. FCB Canada’s work for Adidas’ Runner 321 came in #3, and #4 was Chatpat by FCB Chicago and FCB India. Rounding out the top five was The Unshowables by French agency STEVE for its client Vision du Monde.

Elsewhere in the report, The Monkeys ranked #15 in the Best 25 Agencies Promoting Good category.

It trailed behind the #1 ranked Publicis Conseil of France, followed by the UK’s adam&eveDDB, and Havas Paris in #3. Taking #4 was FCB Canada followed by FCB India.

Isa Kurata, ACT Responsible co-founder, said the Good Report and ACT Responsible pursues its mission to promote, inspire and unite the advertising industry around social responsibility and sustainability.

“We truly believe that advertising has the power to educate, inform, and enact positive change. It must consistently serve as a catalyst for good and constructive influence.

“Collaborating with WARC to produce the ACT Good Report is an honour, and we see it as a valuable resource for agencies to enhance their dedication to social and environmental efforts.”

Amy Rogers, head of content, WARC Creative and ACTive Partner, noted the importance of creativity as a force for positive change.

“WARC is delighted to collaborate with Act Responsible to continue shining a light on the agencies, brands and NGOs that are creating breakthrough ideas that not only matter to society but can change behaviour.” 

More than 25 key industry representatives from Western Australia’s media and advertising industry visited Salvation Army’s Oasis House to learn more about the charity’s efforts to help support disadvantaged youth ahead of the upcoming Oasis Ball.

Along with the Oasis Committee, the representatives gathered at Mirrabooka house to learn more about how the industry’s fundraising efforts have supported Oasis House. The house is designed to provide young people affected by parents’ or guardians’ alcohol or drug addiction with a safe and stable environment and help them transition to independent living.

The Salvation Army’s Oasis Project supports young people between the ages of 16 and 25 who are marginalised and disadvantaged, many of whom have been sleeping rough, couch surfing, or living in unstable and unsafe arrangements.

The primary focus of the Oasis Project is Oasis House in Mirrabooka, but funds raised also support a range of initiatives aimed at providing these young people with a safe, supported, and sustainable accommodation option, empowering them during their transition to independent living.

Michelle Testa, Oasis Committee chair, said the aim of the gathering was to bring members from different parts of the industry to be the changemakers and relay the purpose of the ball back to their teams and organisations ahead of the Oasis Ball, which is now in its 27th year.

“We have an ambition to raise $150,000 to support The Salvation Army and Oasis House at this year’s Oasis Ball, but we also wanted to remind the broader industry beyond this one evening that we are a force for good, we can have a positive impact on our community and this is why we invited the industry to attend Oasis House, why we have created a video to spread the word of the work we are doing,” she said.

“I’ve been beyond thrilled to hear the stories of the morning getting back into offices and the shift in broader understanding of what we are aiming to achieve. It is a powerful moment to realise just how much our industry can do beyond our day-to-day work for clients to create very real and meaningful change.”

During the visit to Oasis House, attendees heard first-hand experiences of how the existence of the Oasis House, and other initiatives provided by the Salvation Army, changed their lives.

Previous recipients of Salvation Army care, Zac and Minnie, shared the personal stories of bouncing between foster care providers from birth, living on the streets, drugs and alcohol addiction to just get by before The Salvation Army was able to provide them with a bed and a place to call home, thanks to funds raised by the WA advertising industry via the Oasis Ball.

Testa added: “The visit to Oasis House was important to really remind our industry of what the Oasis Ball’s core purpose is and that is to connect our industry with our broader community and play a very real role in creating a better society that looks out for our young people and helps them when they need it.”

Candice Warner has become the second celebrity to be evicted from the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here 2024 jungle, in an experience she has called “life-changing”.

Speaking to Chattr post-elimination, the 39-year-old revealed how she would be implementing changes upon her return home.

“There is a lot of time to reflect [in the jungle] and you do reflect on your life. How you could have changed things,” she said.

“How you could have approached things differently. What kind of parent am I? What kind of parent do I want to become? Am I a good wife and the daughter that I want to be to my parents? I mean, there’s so much downtime in the jungle that these are all the things that you reflect on.”

Warner’s time in the jungle also gave her the chance to look at her life, particularly focusing on the “sacrifices” her cricketer husband David Warner had made for their family.

“I now know how he [David] feels when he’s on tour,” she said, adding that he “misses out” on a lot of things.

“I now have a better understanding of him and what he’s been through.

“I can now understand how he really feels and now, I might work things differently or make him feel much more included. I really hope that I can walk away from this jungle and implement some great changes in my life and I’m really looking forward to getting back and just being a better person.”

Warner also admitted she will miss life in the jungle, the friends she made, and the fireside chats.

“The conversations were quite wild and sometimes confronting,” she said before calling her exit “bittersweet”.

“You do really want to stay in and you really want to do well for your charity.”

Candice Warner’s charity, Dolly’s Dream, highlights the importance of protecting youth from bullying.

See also: I’m A Celebrity’s Denise Drysdale doubts her career would get off the ground in 2024

TV Report 14 April, 2024:

Nine TV Report

LEGO Masters: Australia vs The World

Nine’s evening began with the return of LEGO Masters.  

This season, four Aussie teams face four seasoned LEGO Masters teams from around the world. In the first build of the new season, teams are challenged to build a LEGO model strong enough to break through a sheet of ice.

60 Minutes

Over on 60 Minutes, the team investigated hours and hours of secret video recordings revealing a terrible scandal and the ingenious Aussies who are helping to save a tropical island paradise from sinking.

NRL Sunday Footy: Tigers v Dragons

Sunday afternoon also saw the Tigers take on the Dragons at Campbelltown as the Dragons thrashed the Tigers 24-12.

Seven TV Report

Farmer Wants a Wife

Over on Seven, Farmer Wants A Wife premiered its brand-new season, with host Samantha Armytage playing cupid to five new farmers, plucked from paddocks around the country.

A visibly nervous Farmer Bert was lost for words when he met 32-year-old customer service professional Karli: “Karli’s definitely distracting. Just finding the right questions and stuff is a little intimidating. I think there’s a bit of a spark in there.”

Bella, a 24-year-old marketing professional, took Farmer Dean’s breath away when she arrived in her gold shoes, designer handbag and city charm: “Wow! She’s bloody beautiful. Such a strong personality, very outgoing. She’s pretty flash, that’s for sure, but we got along so well. Unbelievable.”

The three farmers each invited five ladies back to their farms:

Farmer Bert: Caity, Karli, Caitlin, Lauren, April
Farmer Dean: Bella, Teegan, Tiffany, Kate, Hayley
Farmer Dustin: Sophie, Anna, Chloe, Izzy, Kara

7NEWS Spotlight

Special guest Ajay Rochester and a team of experts broke down the myths surrounding the weight loss wonder drug Ozempic. 

10 TV Report

The Sunday Project

The Sunday Project saw the program look into Iran launching an attack on Israel, explain how the Bondi stabbing attack unfolded and spoke to Annabel Crabb.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

On 10’s I’m A Celebrity, Hollywood star Frankie Muniz was the first celebrity to self-eliminate himself out of the jungle. He cited leaving the camp due to personal reasons, and feelings of guilt regarding his family. 

See also: I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2024: Meet the cast

ABC

Vera

Vera investigated a puzzling case when the body of a sickly young girl was discovered at the side of an isolated railway crossing.

SBS

Lost Temples of Cambodia

British archaeologist Pauline Carroll travels to Cambodia to explore the capital of the ancient Khmer Empire, Angkor, home to the world’s largest temple, Angkor Wat.