The industry has called Google’s decision not to deprecate third-party cookies in its Chrome Browser an “early Christmas present for Apple” and proof that Google cannot be relied on. Yesterday, Google announced its backflip, after delaying deprecation three times, most recently in April.

The tech giant’s original promise was that third-party cookies would vanish from Chrome by January 2020, a deadline that was slowly extended until the end of 2024, but the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised 39 “concerns” to be addressed before the plan could proceed back in January. 

In a blog post on Tuesday, Anthony Chavez, VP of Privacy Sandbox, said Google will now be proposing an updated approach that elevates user choice.

“We would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they’d be able to adjust that choice at any time. We’re discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out,” he added.

David Gaskill, founder and director of ZRO FOX, says the move by Google to keep third-party cookies does more harm than good in slowing the evolution of digital marketing, noting that “smart brands and businesses will continue to focus on sustainable, scalable data and technology solutions to deliver certainty of marketing investment.”

“My advice? Carpe diem. Seize the day and take control of your own destiny,” he said.

“This move by Google only reinforces that we can no longer rely on legacy big tech to innovate and drive the digital marketing agenda. Real growth and success will come from those who are innovating, evolving and challenging the status quo. If you’re not one of them, then it’s time to work with someone who is.”

Google’s announcement comes ahead of impending Privacy Act reforms, with legislation expected to be tabled in August. While it’s not clear how broad its scope will be, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus confirmed in May that the current laws are “woefully outdated and unfit for the digital age.”

Niall Hogan, general manager JAPAC at GumGum, acknowledged that the reforms are just days away, and Google’s decision signals a “step back from advancing privacy.”

“Stakeholders across the spectrum—regulators, consumers, and brands—have been pushing for more privacy-conscious solutions. Google’s decision is a missed opportunity to lead in privacy innovation,” he said.

Rachel Page, national digital sales director at Seven West Media, said Australia still faces one of “the strictest privacy overhauls around the globe.”

“Publishers, agencies and technology vendors who have already invested heavily in shifting their reliance away from third-party cookies still stand to benefit,” she told Mediaweek.

“Google’s announcement shouldn’t be a reason to undo that great work. The greatest outcomes will always be achieved by partnering with organisations prioritising user privacy while offering innovative, high-value advertising solutions with engaged audiences.”

However, Analytic Partners AU MD, Paul Sinkinson, proposed that third-party cookies “actually never worked the way many people thought.”

“You could have been doing better,” he said.

“Consistent testing has shown that relying on cookie-based measurement for planning your media leaves a load of money on the table – and you could already be missing more than half the clicks and views anyway due to issues with third-party data.

“It’s been very encouraging to see so many alternative solutions start to emerge, many of which were providing more certainty for marketers, and our hope is that those continue to build and gain traction as cookies continue to fade out, albeit more slowly.”

James McDonald, co-founder and director of Audience Group added that cookies “only ever offered a false promise of precision.”

“Cookies and third-party data are only 51% accurate, irritate consumers and undermine ad effectiveness. Use of cookies has been rubbish in terms of effective targeting, anyway.

“Cookies and third-party data may remain part of the mix but the mix must evolve. We recommend increasing your use of cookieless targeting solutions and first-party data programs that prioritise privacy to build consumer trust and drive results.”

According to James Bayes, The Trade Desk ANZ VP, the advertising industry has “moved on” and “realised the digital world extends beyond Chrome.”

“Today, we are engaged on devices, screens and apps across some of Australia’s fastest-growing cookieless channels including streaming, BVOD and digital audio.

“This has paved the way for far more superior identity solutions that aren’t controlled by Big Tech, like Unified ID 2.0, which represents a significant upgrade to the internet.

“Whilst Google appears to have finally acknowledged that the best option for them is to give consumers choice, the question remains – will Google really give consumers choice? Or will they make the decision for consumers and then bury consumers’ access to change it?”

Paul Blackburn, director of commercial data and e-commerce at News Corp told Mediaweek that it’s still “early days” and the company is keen to see more information on what Google’s decision to provide user settings actually means.

“For us, it doesn’t change anything too much,” he said.

“The message we spread at our D_Coded event earlier this year was that there are great new technologies that are privacy compliant and cookieless in nature already, providing a higher fidelity signal.

“The case studies we highlighted showed four times the return on ad spend than one might get versus third-party cookies.

“The thing that scares me the most however is I hope marketers aren’t seeing this as a reason to slow down in their approach to looking at privacy first cookieless solutions, because there’s marketing effectiveness gain that they are going to lose if they don’t lean into this stuff.”

The strategies that arose amidst the presumption that third-party cookies were going to disappear included the shift toward first-party data, privacy-respecting collection, and personalised experiences. Antonio Panuccio, head of data and technology at Enigma, said these are not solely linked to needing to ensure advertising return-on-investment. He said he hopes Google will still continue to push ahead with the Privacy Sandbox.

“It’s a recognition, particularly in Australia as of late, of consumers’ heightened awareness and desire for data privacy and security,” he said.

“We’ll see the prevailing commentary in the market calling for organisations to continue to invest in first-party data collection and investment into privacy-respecting strategies, but what I hope to see is Google’s continued investment, transparency, and timely deployment of the Privacy Sandbox initiative rather than letting the project slip into the ether which can be tempting with their partial reversal of course.”

Hadrien Huneau, national head of performance and programmatic at Atomic 212˚, wasn’t surprised by the decision.

“The challenge of developing a new solution to effectively replace a technology that has powered tracking and measurement for the entire Web for over 30 years was very ambitious,” Huneau said.

“Outside regulatory concerns, advertising effectiveness, and campaign performance remain critical for advertisers and publishers while the entire industry works toward better privacy controls. We will continue to guide and support our clients in navigating these current and future changes.”

Google’s shift to a user choice mechanism for cookies in Chrome won’t mean the end of deprecation efforts but it “may well accelerate the decline in cookie availability,” Chris Brinkworth, managing partner at Civic Data, said.

“Advertisers should continue preparing for a ‘cookieless’ future while also adapting to a more complex, mixed environment where some users have cookies enabled and others don’t,” he said.

“It is clear that Google cannot be relied upon when it comes to building plans around their statements. Smart advertisers should not just continue, but also increase their exploration and testing of multiple identity solutions and targeting methods, to ensure they’re not overly reliant on any single approach in this evolving landscape.”

Founder and digital media strategist at Prophesy Digital, Mehrak Saheb, quipped that Google’s decision is “an early Christmas present for Apple.”

“[Apple] is determined to own ‘privacy’ as their brand pillar but it’s a win for advertisers and publishers alike,” he said.

“If we’ve learned anything from the iPhone experience, it’s that given a choice, the majority of consumers will opt not to be tracked. We need to continue exploring better ways to target and track without relying on cookies.”

Apple’s Privacy Billboards

LiveRamp’s APAC MD Melanie Hoptman, said the news means marketers can keep moving towards signals with better connectivity, and Mediahub’s Gerry Bowness argued that cookie-based targeting will still be part of marketers’ toolboxes.

“The general public is more focused on consumer privacy than ever, so as marketers we need to ensure this is taken seriously whilst also designing the most effective campaigns for clients,” the agency’s head of digital said.

Natalie Hatch, strategic partnerships lead at KINESSO, noted that the industry shouldn’t stop prioritising privacy, because the impending legislation updates are “not on a Google timeline.”

“For clients, the continued investment into the development of a strong first-party data asset is still necessary, it is still and will continue to be a competitive advantage and a way to collaborate with publishers, adjacent clients and agencies in the future,” she said.

“From an IPG perspective, we will continue to work with Google to understand how this recent announcement impacts Privacy Sandbox and with other DSP, SSP and Publisher partners to work to continue to move ahead in leading a positive change for our industry.”

–

Top image: Rachel Page, Paul Blackburn, Paul Sinkinson, Gerry Bowness, Antonio Panuccio, Natalie Hatch

Tourism NT has appointed CHEP Network as its martech services partner.

The three-year partnership will see the agency focus on delivering a more personalised experience and data-driven digital marketing program for the Territory’s tourism sector.

CHEP Network will also offer strategic stewardship in marketing technology, encompassing services such as behavioural analytics, personalisation, experimentation, consent management, marketing automation, first-party data storage, and the activation and facilitation of data partnerships.

Mark Gretton, CHEP Network’s chief technology officer, said the agency is committed to enhancing Tourism NT’s capabilities and supporting a broader skills growth journey for the Top End and First Nations people.

“Building local skills in effective technology solutions that are both easy to execute and highly effective was central to our strategy,” Gretton said.

“The NT is blessed with First Nations heritage, cultural richness, and natural beauty. It’s a privilege to support the team in promoting these assets around the world. “We look forward to announcing new initiatives with Tourism NT in the coming months.”

CHEP x Tourism NT team

Kristie Beattie, Tourism NT’s director of digital and data, recognised CHEP Network’s balanced assessment of the organisation’s technological, capability, and operational needs, combined with a deep understanding of the Northern Territory region.

“For us, this is an incredibly significant partnership and something we have taken great care to get right,” Beattie said.

“We were impressed by CHEP Network’s depth of expertise in data-driven marketing, the agency’s understanding of our business and what challenges we face, and the team’s obvious passion and determination to implement the best solution that will deliver the highest return on investment for Tourism NT.

“Our goal is to harness the capabilities of first party data in enhancing brand experience and media performance, and we’re excited to embark on this journey with CHEP Network, alongside our wider group of partners and agencies.”

In May, Atomic 212 was reappointed to Tourism NT’s media account. The agency has worked for Tourism Northern Territory since 2016 and the Northern Territory Government since 2018. It was last reappointed to both accounts in 2019.

“Social and emotional wellbeing is not always linear,” according to Annie Wylie, senior manager of digital content at ReachOut Australia.

Wylie joined a host of speakers on day one of the First Nations Creators Program, held at Sydney’s Meta headquarters, which opened its doors for the first time to the media.

The program, now in its fourth iteration, is driven by Instagram Australia in partnership with Screen Australia’s First Nations Department. The initiative aims to foster Indigenous talent, providing practical and financial resources to support long-term career prospects for First Nations creators in social media and digital content creation.

Other speakers included Australian media personality and youth worker Brooke Blurton, managing director of social-first agency Hello Social Sam Kelly, and founder of digital talent agency Day Management, Genevieve Day.

Brooke Blurton and Meta’s Kirsty Wilson at The First Nation Creators Program

Emotional and social wellbeing for creators

Wylie hosted a discussion on the social and emotional wellbeing of content creators – the complexities of navigating creatorship on social media, and the additional challenges of the “cultural load” that First Nations peoples can carry.

For creators, Wylie underscored the importance of self-reflection on boundaries and what one is willing to share, prioritising self-care, understanding parasocial relationships, and, above all, taking proactive measures to help navigate interactions with online communities and prospective brand partners.

“You’re putting yourself out there, and when you’re putting yourself out there it can really nourish you, but it can also create certain challenges,” says Wylie.

Set limits and ask for help: Wylie’s tips

She shared four tips for creators: set boundaries, find balance, switch off, and ask for support.

When it comes to setting boundaries as a creator, including sharing personal information, Wylie advised, “reflect on what you’re willing to share.

“What’s important for me to share? What’s not one for me to share? What feels comfortable for me to share? And what feels uncomfortable for me to share?

“If you don’t feel comfortable with your business place being a place where you speak about your neurodiversity or your sexuality, or your relationships or your culture, then it’s really important to consider that because people will come to that account and expect that of you.”

She further championed adopting self-reflection on boundaries as a regular application for creators: “You might reflect on this every six months, once a year, or maybe it’s a quarterly thing.”

Wylie not only advocated for setting limits with followers – such as using Meta’s safety features to block comments and DMs with flagged keywords – but also recommended applying these practices with potential brand partners. This is particularly important for First Nations creators, she noted, to avoid tokenistic or culturally insensitive engagements. In both scenarios, Wylie suggested the approach of using pre-prepared responses.

“One of the ways you can make that a little bit easier is pre-prepared responses that say no in a nice way,” she says. “That way you’re not investing your emotional energy into that message.

“Where that can be particularly hard is with working with partners and contracts, where they might be asking you things particularly about culture.”

In such cases, Wylie recommended responses that “set the expectation so that they know what you have to offer.”

When it comes to finding balance, Wylie said, “You probably will want to talk about certain topics sometimes,” referring to the pressures and expectations audiences may have for creators to address difficult issues like mental health or culturally sensitive topics. 

To find a balance in handling conversations that can be demanding, she advised to “know in advance what those things are” that creators are willing to engage with.

She also assured creators that “if you’re finding you’re getting bombarded it’s okay to turn stuff off. You can use the Meta apps to set limits on certain things.”

For example, Instagram offers tools like break reminders, mute functions, comment controls, keyword filtering, sensitive content control, ad control, and restrict features.

Finally, Wylie emphasised the importance of asking for support.

“You guys are lucky because you’re all meeting each other in this setting,” Wylie told the room at Meta HQ. “You’ve got this inbuilt group of people experiencing very similar things, so you can lean on each other.”

One of the more complicated phenomena that content creators face is the duty of care they owe to themselves in managing parasocial relationships. As Wylie described, these exist when “people really feel like they’ve got a relationship with you.”

“That’s the beauty of all the work you do, but it can also be really hard.”

In this case, the lessons of boundary setting and preparedness become pertinent.

“Take time to do that reflection regularly so you really know where you’re willing to share what. And it’s okay to not want to share anything. You don’t have to share your culture, you don’t have to share your gender, you don’t have to share your experience. Don’t feel that just because somebody has this parasocial relationship with you that you owe them anything because you don’t.”

“So then, how do you enforce that boundary?” she continued. “It’s practice. It’s practising it, and practising sitting with discomfort.”

Long lasting bonds: Meta on the program

Kirsty Wilson, part of Meta ANZ’s global partnerships team, said the business was “incredibly proud to continue celebrating, elevating and amplifying some of Australia’s most creative and important voices through this program – we have empowered emerging First Nations creatives, equipping them with the tools to flourish on our platforms, and beyond.”

“One of the most powerful parts of the program is the feedback from the creators about how incredible it feels for them to be around other First Nations creators,” she said, “sharing stories, forming community and supporting each other.  We’ve heard that today from this group of 10, and the bonds that they form from the program are long lasting.”

–

Top Image: Annie Wylie

The BBC has released its annual report for 2023/24. The financials reveal that revenue has dipped meaning the broadcaster needs to find ways to secure its future.

One of those ways is through further job cuts. Coinciding with the release of the report, the organisation reported a plan to cut a further 500 jobs by March 2026 and has opened a round of voluntary redundancies.

There is no breakdown in the report about the BBC’s revenues in separate markets outside the UK, including Australia.

A fall in the number of TV licenses contributed to the fall in overall revenue. In the UK there were 23.9 million licences at the year-end compared to 24.4 million at the end of 2022/23.

As of 31 March, the BBC’s public service headcount was at 17,592 – a decrease of 0.5% compared to 2022/23. In 2018/19 the comparable figure was 19,231, a drop since then of 8.5%.

The BBC has reported revenue for the BBC Group (which includes commercial revenue) down 6% to £5.4bn for the year to 31 March 2024 with an operating deficit of £263m down from a deficit of £193m the year before.

BBC Commercial delivered sales of £1.9 billion (22/23: £2.1 billion) and EBITDA of £199 million (22/23: £252 million).

The BBC’s main commercial arm, BBC Studios, reported “good underlying growth” underpinning its ambition to double the 2022 revenues by 2028. BBC Studios achieved sales of £1.8 billion (2023: £2.1 billion) and EBITDA of £202 million (2023: £252 million), the third consecutive year the business has posted EBITDA over £200 million.

BBC Studios made a series of key strategic investments in the year, most notably taking full ownership of what it calls the profitable and fast-growing Britbox International.

Australia remains a key market for BBC Studios, although without details of the revenue results we don’t know just how key.

It’s a Bluey world

Highlights in Australia included the acquisition of Werner Films. Another significant change here will be the soon-to-launch live stream of the BBC News channel in the enhanced BBC app.

See also: Making Aussie content that works for FTA and streamers, locally and globally – BBC and Werner

BBC takes Bluey to the rest of the world outside Australia. And it is a world becoming increasingly obsessed with the Ludo Studios animated hit.

The annual report noted Bluey’s popularity soared globally as it became the second most streamed US show in any genre in 2023 according to Nielsen data. The award-winning children’s brand reached audiences in 140 territories amidst the launch of a game, immersive experiences, books and other merchandise, boosting sales for consumer products.

Bluey led the growth in sales for consumer goods with licensed products now available in over 50 countries.

Trophies picked up by Bluey include a BAFTA, an Emmy and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), for Best Children’s Program for the last five years.

A Bluey video game was launched on all major gaming platforms. There was an immersive recreation of Bluey’s Queensland home in LA and Chicago, which became the licensee’s fastest-selling experience ever. A Bluey’s Big Play stage show is touring the UK and Ireland until September 2024 and expanding into Europe as well as Abu Dhabi and Singapore. And the Bluey World immersive experience will open in Brisbane in November 2024.

Wait, there’s more. The Bluey Book Reads series, featuring Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Tom Daley and Romesh Ranganathan, has been viewed over 17 million times on the Bluey YouTube channel since launch in February 2024.

Tom Fussell, CEO BBC Commercial said: “The last financial year saw good progress against our strategic objectives through record investment – in content, premium digital services and select international production companies. Despite the challenging external environment, we saw good underlying growth and our long-term ambition to double the 2022 business remains. We will continue to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.”

BBC salaries revealed

The most-discussed part of the BBC Annual Report every year seems to be the breakdowns of the highest-paid on-air talent and executives.

Talking points this year included the continued #1 ranking for footballer-turned-TV-host Gary Lineker and the size of the salary paid to Radio 2 breakfast host Zoe Ball. It’s not Kyle and Jackie O money though…not even close!

There were also plenty of headlines about the increase in salary for newsreader Hugh Edwards who resigned from the BBC in April this year. He hasn’t read a news bulletin though since July 2023 after standing down following a photo scandal.

See also: Bluey drives BBC profits, but media frenzy around scandal overshadowed Annual Report

OMG has marked its fourth consecutive year as the leading holding company, sitting $295m above its nearest competitor and taking the top spot in the COMvergence Media Agency Billings and Market Share report.

Independent research company COMvergence publishes media agency rankings globally, including reviews of 22 holding group agencies and seven independents. Since the report’s inception in 2020, the holding company has maintained its market-leading position for four years in a row, crediting capability, structure, client resourcing, and its high retention rate across large international and local clients for maintaining its position.

“The capability OMG has across its wealth of brands continues to cement our number one position in market,” Peter Horgan, CEO, OMG ANZ, said.

“Sustaining this leadership position for four years is a testament to our focus on delivering the highest level of service and innovation for our clients, our market leading Omni platform and of course underpinned by the strength and diversity of our people.”

OMG said its success is the sum of its parts, from CHEP scoring Australia’s only Gold at this year’s global Caples Awards, in addition to picking up three silvers and a bronze. Resolution Digital has onboarded new clients myPlates, El Jannah, and the a2 Milk company.

Hearts & Science merged with sister OMG agency Foundation in June this year. Plus PHD won the McCain and AFL media accounts and a string of retentions, including Singapore Airlines, Volkswagen, and ANZ.

OMG emerged from the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as the best-performing media holding company, earning the highest combined total of Lions awards (including two Grand Prix) and shortlists.

Arla Foods has appointed Mediahub as its strategic media partner in New Zealand, extending the agency’s partnership with the brand; it was appointed media agency of record in Australia in 2022.

The agency will undertake full-funnel strategy, planning, and buying across all channels for the global dairy cooperative’s brands in New Zealand.

Sue Squillace, Mediahub CEO ANZ, said the appointment reinforces the agency’s trans-Tasman offering and ability to strategically partner with global brands despite locality.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to extend our strategic partnership into New Zealand and we look forward to being part of Arla’s ambitious growth journey of all their iconic brands on both sides of the Tasman.

“Arla Foods joins a growing list of clients who are seeing the benefits that Mediahub’s trans-Tasman model is having on their business, including New Balance and Bosch.”

Marion Roberts, general manager Arla Foods Australia and New Zealand, said: “Our relationship with Mediahub has gone from strength to strength, they have shown a deep commitment to understanding our consumers and brands and have consistently delivered successful integrated campaigns for Castello Cheese and Lurpak Butter.

“We look forward to the seeing the benefits of this thinking translated to our New Zealand business.”

Hugo Winter, GM of Mediahub, New Zealand, added: “We are truly excited to welcome Arla Foods as one of our foundation clients at Mediahub New Zealand and supporting our Australian counterparts to deliver local expertise. We look forward to working with Mai and the team to deliver stand out media solutions to help them grow their already iconic brands Lurpak and Castello.”

Strategy and planning are already underway, with the first campaign expected in market early 2025.

Mediahub extended its operations to New Zealand last year. Squillace said the use of already established, local, performance-focused teams who are able to respond to changing market conditions was part of the agency’s ambitious growth strategy, and its bid to become one of the strongest media brands in ANZ.

She said: “With proven experience across the NZ media sector, the Mediahub NZ team brings agility, new market thinking and a laser focus on generating business results, which we know brands and businesses need more than ever in the current environment.”

See also: Mediahub expands into New Zealand

–

Top image: Sue Squillace

Industry veteran Justin Ruben has announced the launch of new creative agency, Oblong.

With 25 years of experience in advertising, both locally and internationally, Ruben has worked for BBH New York, Droga New York, Publicis Mojo, and CHEP. Most recently, he was the executive creative director at Host/Havas before leaving in December 2023 to pursue a career as a freelance consultant.

“My inspiration for launching Oblong came from the desire to create an agency where we don’t just think about the work differently, but also the teams we put on projects,” said Ruben.

“Oblong is designed as a flexible model, allowing us to bring in specialist people depending on the project. We believe bringing people in with diverse backgrounds will lead to different shaped ideas and we will always get the best in class talent, both locally and globally.

“I am also a big believer in creating culturally relevant work that creates impact for clients, and with the rise of AI, it’s important we come up with unexpected ideas that robots can’t.”

Justin Ruben

Throughout his career, Ruben has worked on notable campaigns such as Bagelgate and Potato Pay for Kraft, putting Lionel Richie in a fridge for Tap King, Flipvertising for Samsung, getting Anne Geddes to change her style for Karicare, and the Peter’s Drumstick Summer Classic ad.

His work has earned numerous awards, including Grand Prix, Gold, Silver, and Bronze at major industry festivals.

“I’ve always loved the different shapes and forms that advertising can take and I believe now, it’s more important than ever, in this content heavy world that we create work that cuts through and taps into culture,” Ruben continued.

“Oblong’s model will also allow us to take on projects of any size, depending on their potential and the impact they can have.”

Oblong follows a trend of self-started agency ventures by adland stelwarts. In May, ex-Meta creative Jay Morgan launched the POPULA brand agency. That same month, Cam Blackley and Emily Taylor, former CCO and CSO of M&C Saatchi respectively, launched the “creative office” Bureau of Everything, supported by an advisory board that includes Jeff Goodby.

In March, David Gibson and Nathan Lennon, co-founders of Hawke’s Brewing Co and, like Ruben, former Droga New York employees, launched the independent agency The Ministry for Communication & The Arts to serve their brands and others.

See also: Hawke’s Brewing and ex-Droga pair launch creative agency, The Ministry for Communication & The Arts

La Famiglia has launched a new brand platform, To Die For, via independent agency Connecting Plots, aiming to uniquely position themselves in consumers’ minds. The campaign seeks to elevate their garlic bread from a non-essential Italian side dish to an everyday must-have by highlighting the extreme lengths people will go to for a taste of it.

To launch the new positioning, Connecting Plots has introduced a mascot willing to risk their life for a taste of La Famiglia’s garlic bread.

This move follows findings from the Goodman Fielder-owned chilled bread brand that despite widespread love for the Garlic Bread – which took top honours in the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘Great Australian Supermarket Garlic Bread Taste Test’ in 2021 – it had not seen this love translate into growth.

According to the brand, research indicates that consumers don’t see garlic bread as a necessity and tend to only consider it as a pairing for Italian cuisine: a perception which has been reinforced by La Famiglia’s Italian name and branding.

“We know people love our garlic bread, there’s an almost cult-like obsession with it,” said Rose Milan, head of portfolio at Goodman Fielder.

“The challenge we’re facing is lack of top-of-mind awareness and being seen as more than just a side to Italian food. Moving away from this is a critical step in growing our portfolio – showing that it’s a must have regardless of the occasion and cuisine.” 

“Everyone loves La Famiglia garlic bread,” added Matt Geersen, creative partner at Connecting Plots.

“Even those who probably shouldn’t, like our vampire. He’s a playful representation of just how irresistible the allure of our product is and a unique new angle for La Famiglia that is distinctly, un-Italian. We look forward to doing more with him in the future and building out the brand platform.” 

The campaign follows Connecting Plots’ recent (also death-related) work for Mad Mex, which teamed up with cult water brand Liquid Death to celebrate the annual return of its 1kg Big Burrito. The Murder Your Thirst promotion for customers taking on the Big Burrito combo challenge offered a grand prize of a burial plot in a cemetery.

See also: Mad Mex and Liquid Death bring back the 1kg Big Burrito via Connecting Plots

Credits:
Client: Goodman Fielder 
Chief Marketing Officer: Christine Fung 
Head of Portfolio: Rose Milan 
Portfolio Manager: Claire Egan 
Brand Activation Manager: Charlotte Booth 
Digital Brand Manager: Samuel Hoinville 

Creative Agency: Connecting Plots 
Chief Creative Officer: Dave Jansen 
Creative Partner: Matt Geersen 
Creative Partner: John Gault 
Account Director: Alana Spinelli 
Strategist: Jessica Brackstone 
Design Director: Blair Palmer 
Senior Integrated Producer: Rachel Smith Heffernan 
Creative Operations Director: Sarah Miller 

Stills Production Company: Louis & Co 
Photographer: Matt Baker 
Producer: Luke Della Santa 
Executive Producer: Louis Molines 

Media Agency: Initiative

AI continues to revolutionise advertising by enhancing targeting precision through data analysis and making it easier than ever to personalise ad experiences.

Through automated ad creation and the optimisation of content based on performance data, AI helps streamline media buying and generates content at scale. Insights from AI analytics improve campaign strategies, refining approaches for better ROI, and AI-driven chatbots provide immediate customer interaction and recommendations.

Overall, AI has made advertising more efficient, personalised, and data-driven, transforming how brands connect with consumers. One of the companies leading the charge on this technology at a global scale is Microsoft Advertising.

To examine the impact of AI on the advertising industry, Mediaweek has explored how Microsoft Advertising’s technology is helping its partners drive growth in new ways.

Cynthia Gutierrez, senior associate, paid search at dentsu said Microsoft Advertising’s AI assistant, Copilot, “seamlessly combines convenience and knowledge, offering swift and insightful responses.”

As Microsoft Advertising continues to evolve its business to meet the needs of the market, it distinguishes itself through its use of AI. This technology underpins features and capabilities designed to enhance advertising effectiveness and efficiency for SMBs (Small Medium Businesses).

“Its depth of information and unwavering reliability converge to create an experience that transcends mere utility, making it an invaluable digital companion. Whether unravelling complex queries or providing insights, Copilot stands as a testament to efficient problem-solving,” Gutierrez added.

Listen to the latest episode of Mediaweek Heavy Hitters: How AI will transform business performance

Copilot can be thought of as your everyday AI assistant, creating high-quality marketing easily and efficiently, while guiding you through campaign creation and answering questions along the way.

The AI enables predictive targeting, allowing SMBs to reach target audiences more effectively, making targeting smarter and keyword-free.

Sarah Koroma, senior associate, paid search at dentsu said: “I appreciate Microsoft’s innovative AI-powered conversational chat in their advertising platform. This feature not only answers daily queries but also guides through tasks such as creating campaigns, increasing efficiency.

“Copilot in Microsoft Advertising really helped to enhance the user experience and productivity in the platform.”

Automation and Optimisation:

AI automates and optimises ad targeting in addition to providing insights which ensures ads reach the right audience effectively while maximizing ROI. As well as the Copilot tool, Microsoft Advertising leverages AI to automate and optimise various aspects of ad campaigns.

Performance Max campaigns automate the creation and distribution of ads across multiple channels within the Microsoft Advertising Network. AI-driven algorithms continuously optimise bidding and targeting strategies, working to maximise conversions and ROI.

Display+ campaigns help find audiences as they browse online and drive brand awareness by creating display, native, and video ads in one workflow.

This automation not only saves time but also ensures that ad spend is directed towards the most promising opportunities for SMBs.

Enhanced User Experience:

For consumers, AI makes for a more engaging user experience through personalised recommendations, interactive chatbots for instant customer support, and tailored ad content.

AI also ensures smoother interactions and faster resolutions, enhancing overall satisfaction. As Microsoft Advertising responds to the needs of the market, the platform has undergone a refresh that has seen it built from the ground up.

Key features of the updated platforms have been simpler navigation and a streamlined signup process, with Copilot embedded throughout. The updates have also seen the introduction of a more intuitive, goal-based campaign creation flow for creating a campaign from scratch, as well as an easier way to import campaigns from Google.

In addition, the Budget Center helps businesses consolidate and visualise ad spend to help make more informed decisions.

Personalisation and Insights:

AI boosts advertising personalisation by analysing consumer data and tailoring ads in real-time based on individual user interactions and historical data, optimising content, and delivery to resonate with specific audiences.

Microsoft Advertising deliver personalised insights and recommendations to SMBs as algorithms analyse campaign performance data, audience behaviour patterns, and market trends to offer actionable insights.

As well as the automated tools, Microsoft Advertising employs a skilled team of specialists ready to provide guidance and personalised support.

This team works closely with advertisers providing assistance through strategic insights and data-driven recommendations, working to make the most of campaigns and boost a business’ growth. 

Elliott Knight, APAC SMB Director at Microsoft Advertising says, “the path to success with generative AI lies in advertisers being able to set clear objectives, adopting a growth mindset by staying informed and educated, leaning on trusted, skilled and objective partners, and remaining nimble to take advantage of constantly shifting marketing dynamics.”

Microsoft Advertising’s ecosystem currently connects brands with over one billion people thanks to the most unique set of surface areas in the industry. Microsoft Advertising is “in the business of empowering yours”, a position built on a base of trust, innovation in generative AI and personalised partnership, helping SMBs looking to maximise advertising effectiveness and accelerated business growth.

Interested in how Microsoft Advertising can grow your business in new ways? Talk to an expert today!

Personal branding is a buzzword many understand, yet the potency of personal positioning often flies under the radar.

When we talk about personal branding, we go to into the associations people have when they think about you. And this comes about through how you express your values, your essence, and what you want to be known for.

However, personal positioning is the strategic counterpart to this – think of it as the secret sauce that makes the commercialisation of your brand faster and easier. It’s the quintessential bridge that connects your brand to your audience.

Imagine your potential clients/employers/partners knowing exactly who you are, what you do, how you can help, and why choosing you is their best decision—all within moments. This kind of clarity shortens their decision-making process, making it smoother and faster.

Branding vs positioning: know the difference

Branding is about who you are, what you are known for, why people can trust you, your reputation, and influence. It’s primarily about your identity.

Positioning, on the other hand, is largely about your impact. It’s a very action-oriented concept. You intentionally position yourself (or your business) strategically in marketplace to determine where, how, and to whom you want to have an impact.

You simply can’t have effective positioning if you don’t have a strong personal brand. That goes without saying (though I still said it anyway) But once you do have a solid, compelling personal brand, being strategic around your positioning can quickly amplify your influence and impact by leveraging your brand’s strengths and aligning them with market opportunities and audience needs.

Your strategic advantage

Think about positioning in the context of chess. The queen, rook, knight, and pawns each have a “brand”—you know the pieces, you recognise them by their appearance, are familiar with their capacity, and their reputation—but the the square on which the player positions the piece, in relation to the other pieces on the board which determines its potential next moves and capacity for impact at any given time.

Similarly, personal positioning is about strategically placing yourself in the marketplace for maximum impact, in alignment with your own strategic objectives at any given time.

It’s just good commercial sense.

Solid positioning makes it way easier for people to buy from you. You do still need to sell, but it’s way easier when the right people know you, know what you do, how you can help them, and why you’re a solid choice for them.

This differentiation helps potential clients see you as the obvious choice when they need what you offer. When people can easily grasp your “position”, it reduces the effort they need to put into evaluating you against others. They can see how you stand out and why you are the best fit for their needs.

Yielding high ROI in tough times

In over three decades of being a professional marketer, I’ve been up close and personal with many brands and agencies through a range of economic seasons. Including during the GFC in 2008, the dot-com bubble burst, the pandemic, and several other memorable ebbs and flows in the economy. 

Interestingly, the ROI on positioning is usually at its highest during periods of economic downturn. There is less competition than when the marketplace is thriving, and people are less receptive to selling and promotional-based messaging.

It’s an opportunity to reinforce brand presence in a strategic way, allowing you to reach more people more frequently and with greater attention than during periods where competition is fierce and everyone is trying to get known.

The IPA dataBANK case studies from the 2008 financial crisis show that brands with over 8% ESOV (excess share of voice) saw five times the business impact and 4.5 times the annual market share growth compared to those that reduced their SOV (share of voice)

Positioning is very much about how, when, how often, and in what way you’re getting your brand in front of people. There is no one-size-fits-all approach – for large organisations it may predominantly focus on advertising and PR and activations –  for smaller personal brands, it may be organic social media content, email marketing and other lower-cost ways to position a personal brand in front of the right people.

It requires understanding your audience and strategically choosing the right moments, frequencies, and methods to engage with them. Consistency and relevance are key.

Positioning is like smart investing

This strategic approach to positioning during an economic downturn is akin to buying low in the stock market. You get more leverage and maximize your investment’s potential growth as the market recovers.

By focusing on positioning rather than aggressive selling, you build trust and credibility. When economic conditions improve, you’ll be the go-to option for your audience, having already established your value and reliability during tougher times.

Because you’ve done good strategic positioning, you’ve made it easy for them to buy from you—they know what you do, how you can help them, and why you’re the best choice.

Just like investing in the market, positioning is about playing the long game. You’re not generally buying in to quickly sell; you’re investing for growth. Positioning is not like day trading; it’s about sustained effort and ensuring continuous growth and impact over time.

Contagious is set to present Cannes Lions Deconstructed at This Way Up, AWARD’s signature creative festival in Sydney next month.

The session aims to be the ultimate guide to award-winning advertising, drawing on expert insights from the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

While spending a week in the south of France, Contagious grilled Cannes jury presidents and global ad industry experts to dissect the state of creativity and the year’s most outstanding campaigns.

The result is a comprehensive overview of the strategies behind the smartest work of the year, which will take centre stage at AWARD’s signature creative festival on 14 August, packed with insights into all the happenings at the Palais and their implications for marketers in the year ahead.

Mandie van der Merwe, chair of AWARD, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Cannes Lions Deconstructed to Sydney following sold-out events abroad, including in London and New York.

“This will be an unmissable event for Australia’s creative community, offering a rare opportunity to learn from those at the forefront of global advertising and gain valuable insights that can transform our approach to creativity and innovation.”

The session will be hosted by Wade Kingsley, Contagious’ Australian lead, and will feature Aussie Cannes 2024 jurors Rose Herceg (chair, creative data), Michael Rebelo (creative effectiveness), and Tara Ford (Titanium) discussing the most highly awarded Cannes campaigns and the secrets behind winning a Lion.

Two parts of Cannes Lions Deconstructed will be the focus: Guttertech & Make-do Media, analysing winners who prioritised pioneering tech over cutting-edge AI for maximum impact, and Unlikely Heroes, which examines innovative campaigns that defied conventions and redefined what’s truly possible when it comes to creative and effective advertising.

Kingsley said: “If you want to understand the trends and themes that will shape the industry in the coming year, and get expert analysis of the most significant and directional campaigns from the world’s premier creative festival, this session delivers it all in one inspiring hour.

“Bring your colleagues and join us for one of the most insightful industry presentations of 2024.”

Prime Video said it is bringing simplicity back to streaming with improvements to its user experience that will begin to roll out globally this week, and become available to all customers in the coming weeks.

The new updates will feature personalised recommendations to users powered by generative AI, and allow users to “spend more time watching and less time browsing.”

“We’re always listening to customers and reviewing feedback, and it’s clear that many are in search of a more intuitive streaming experience,” said Kam Keshmiri, vice president of design at Prime Video.

“With the improvements we have made to the user experience, customers will be presented with an easy-to-navigate entertainment destination where they can discover new titles and enjoy favorites, as well as sign-up to or switch add-on subscriptions with just a few clicks. Best of all, they can do this while using a single login.”

When launching Prime Video, users will notice a new navigation bar, which will be home to purpose-built destinations including Home, Movies, TV Shows, Sports, and Live TV, as well as active add-on subscriptions, like Paramount+ or Hayu, allowing users to navigate by content type. 

Users can now also browse, sign-up, and manage active add-on subscriptions directly from the navigation bar. In Australia, users can explore 19+ add-on subscriptions by selecting Subscriptions.

The new personalised AI recommendations are powered by Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed AWS service for building and scaling generative AI application with foundational models, to generate personalised recommendations for customers.

Prime Video is also utilising Large Language Models (LLMS) to simplify the synopses for TV shows and movies, so users can quickly glance at a title description, rather than having to scroll to decide if it is something they want to watch.

Prime Video’s new user interface comes off the back of the streaming service launching its ad-tier option in Australia in early July.

Australians are now shown ads on the service unless they upgrade to the ad-free option without advertising. In Australia, the upgrade will cost users an extra $2.99 per month.

See also: Amazon Prime Video launches ad option in Australian market

Australian homewares brand Breville has teamed up with creative agency The Cowboys for a global campaign to launch its latest espresso machine, the Oracle Jet.

The campaign revolves around the Unlock the Pro Within creative platform, appealing to time-poor gourmets seeking specialty coffee at home. The hero film depicts the transformation of everyday coffee enthusiasts into skilled baristas with just the press of a button.

The campaign has launched in Australia, the US, Germany, and the UK, with the creative being localised in additional markets worldwide. The media rollout spans FTA TV, digital platforms, and socials.

“For the launch, we aimed to capture effortless mastery,” said Jarrad Collings, creative partner at The Cowboys.

“The barista apron is a symbol of expertise, and we wanted to highlight how anyone can seamlessly transition to achieving  professional results at home.”

In addition to the long-form hero film, the campaign includes a series of short-form films focusing on key aspects of the espresso machine, an in-store experience using the machine’s LCD screen, and a Minds Behind the Machine documentary.

“Our latest campaign with The Cowboys illustrates how consumers can enjoy the café experience in their own kitchen,” added Breville’s head of global brand strategy and advertising, Noel Burchill.

“Our partnership with The Cowboys has spanned eight years, during which they’ve consistently shown a deep understanding of our business and consumers. Their work on global product launches and category positioning has been excellent with a proven ability to transform complex technology into clear and compelling consumer propositions.”

See also: Miele names Lisa Saunders as marketing director AUNZ

Credits:
Creative agency: The Cowboys
Client: Breville
Production company: Rodeo @ The Cowboys
Director: Toby Morris
Director (Minds Behind the Machine): Matt Sterne
Producer: Henry Richardson
Photographer: David Collins
Post Production: Producible
VFX: Skyhouse
Retouching: Sterne Creative

Half Dome co-hosted an exclusive panel seminar with Meta product experts that explored the state of advertising on social platforms in 2024, held at the agency’s new offices in Melbourne’s Richmond.

Ego Pharmaceuticals, Online Education Services (OES), and 28 by Sam Wood were among the 70 brand attendees at the event.

The keynote panel included Ellie-Ann McDonald, agency partner at Meta, Joe Frazer, co-founder and head of digital at Half Dome, Tim White CMO at 28 by Sam Wood, and Becky Odams, account manager at Meta.

The panel unpacked the latest trends and strategies shaping creative performance across social platforms, delivering insight into Meta’s approach to product strategy and an understanding of the importance of influencer and lo-fi content in the current social media landscape.

Frazer said the opening of Half Dome’s new office in Richmond in late 2023 has given the team even more opportunities to host exclusive events like this seminar with Meta.

“Our new event space is perfect to get experts, clients and partners in a room and partner with Meta to talk through the issues shaping trends and strategies for our industry on social platforms.

“The convergence of paid media and organic and influencer marketing is a topic we have been discussing at great length in the agency, and getting Meta in the room, alongside a panel of our experts, really drove that home.”

 
“If there is one take away from today for our clients and the industry it’s this – a cultural shift is required in many organisations to unlock volume within social platforms. And make no mistake, volume should be your first priority. Our client Tim White at 28 by Sam Wood summed it up perfectly – don’t leave creative on the cutting room floor, lean into the concept of disposable creative.
 
“The cold hard facts are, if you are doing social creative well the auction dynamics are such that the underlying price of media can be 60% cheaper than not. For big businesses spending millions of dollars in these environments, there’s simply too much at stake to not be proactive.”
 
Will Harms, Half Dome head of clients and co-founder, added: “Your media agency should be leading these conversations as they are so close to performance in social channels themselves. The next 6-18 months are going to see some marketing teams thrive and some really struggle. There are pathways to success for keen clients asking the right questions.”

Creative agency MIK Studio has broken global records by employing its MIK Engage platform for 2024’s Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

The platform, a year in the making, allowed over 100 million votes for category voting across 34 different regions. There was a global voting increase of +143% year on year.

“The technology behind MIK Engage was meticulously designed to handle massive volumes of data while delivering real-time results,” said Luke Larsen, lead developer at MIK Studio.

“By integrating advanced algorithms and leveraging cloud infrastructure, we ensured that the platform could seamlessly handle the surge in traffic and provide a flawless experience for both users and broadcasters.”

The MIK Engage technology can cope with up to 5.7 billion votes per day, and for the Kids’ Choice Awards, delivered live results that were shared directly to the show broadcast. 

Two live votes occurred, resulting in almost two times the amount of votes from 2023, and were received across 25 different localised language sites.

According to MIK Studio founder Adam Callen, the result has been a “truly global experience.”

“We are incredibly proud of what MIK Engage has achieved. Our platform has transformed how audiences interact with live events, providing real-time, reliable, and scalable voting solutions,” he said.

“Seeing it successfully manage millions of votes across 34 countries is a testament to the talent we have in Australia, and particularly in Adelaide. It shows that we can compete on the world stage.”

MIK Studio’s collaboration with Nickelodeon comes as Mediaweek spoke to SpongeBob SquarePants voice actors Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob) and Bill Fagerbakke (voice of Patrick Star) about the 25th anniversary of the Nickelodeon show, and how their characters’ friendship, seen on the show for 25 years, doesn’t stray far from real life.

“I recognise things [in my life] that are big themes of the show, such as friendship. Friendship is extremely important to me. It’s a way to pass the time we have on this orb and it makes everything more pleasurable to have friends,” Fagerbakke said.

Kenny agreed, and added that Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants saw him in SpongeBob.

“I knew Steven [Hillenburg] years before SpongeBob was ever spoken about, he saw aspects of me in SpongeBob and aspects of SpongeBob in me,” he said.

See also: Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke: 25 years under the sea with SpongeBob SquarePants

Monday 22 July 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s Tipping Point recorded a total TV national reach of 1,532,000, a total TV national audience of 791,000, and a BVOD audience of 57,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,984,000, a total TV national audience of 935,000, and a BVOD audience of 69,000.

Seven’s The Hunters recorded a total TV national reach of 1,322,000, a total TV national audience of 460,000, and a BVOD audience of 26,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,302,000, a total TV national audience of 907,000, and a BVOD audience of 109,000.

10’s airing of Have You Been Paying Attention? recorded a total TV national reach of 1,345,000, a total TV national audience of 820,000, and a BVOD audience of 28,000.

See Also: TV Report 22 July 2024: Tom Gleeson hits the podium to play Deal or No Deal: Celebrity Jackpot

People 25-54

Nine’s Tipping Point:
• Total TV nation reach: 388,000
• National Audience: 189,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 646,000
• National Audience: 289,000
• BVOD Audience: 37,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 456,000
• National Audience: 313,000
• BVOD Audience: 62,000

10’s Have You Been Paying Attention?
• Total TV nation reach: 586,000
• National Audience: 365,000
• BVOD Audience: 17,000

People 16-39

Nine’s Tipping Point:
• Total TV nation reach: 149,000
• National Audience: 68,000
• BVOD Audience: 14,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 264,000
• National Audience: 106,000
• BVOD Audience: 19,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 221,000
• National Audience: 152,000
• BVOD Audience: 37,000

10’s Have You Been Paying Attention?
• Total TV nation reach: 209,000
• National Audience: 134,000
• BVOD Audience: 8,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+ TV Ratings

Nine’s Tipping Point:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,205,000
• National Audience: 627,000
• BVOD Audience: 46,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,511,000
• National Audience: 712,000
• BVOD Audience: 55,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,009,000
• National Audience: 712,000
• BVOD Audience: 87,000

10’s Have You Been Paying Attention?
• Total TV nation reach: 1,077,000
• National Audience: 661,000
• BVOD Audience: 22,000

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 23 July 2024:

Nine TV Report

The Hundred with Andy Lee

Later in the night, Nine aired The Hundred with Andy Lee.

The panel took to the podium and representing Australia, New Zealand and the US was Kate Langbroek, Guy Williams and Mike Goldstein.

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program investigated why the Olympic mascot has people scratching their heads and highlighted how Australian swimmer Lani Pallister beat the odds to earn her place in Paris.

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

Before Britain’s Got Talent was Home & Away as Theo rumbled Remi and Bree’s secret, Cash closed in on the River Boys and Irene hit rick bottom. 

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 looked into how Kamala Harris broke a record only a few days into her presidential bid, spoke to young Aussies who are panicked over HECS debt and also spoke to comedian Nick White.

Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia

On 10’s Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, the show returned for it’s second season and old English Sheepdog Angus is a local celebrity who has let fame go to his head.

The Cheap Seats

Taking a look at the week that was were The Cheap Seats hosts Melanie Bracewell and Tim McDonald as Mel Tracina, Broden Kelly and comedian Urvi Majumdar joined in on the action.

ABC

I Was Actually There – Nicky Winmar

It’s a day etched into Australian sporting folklore for all the wrong reasons. A moment on a footy field where Nicky Winmar, a proud Noongar man, called out racism.

SBS

Great British Railway Journeys

Michael Portillo admires the oldest football trophy in the world and hears how the passing game was born in the home of Scottish football. Young footballers training at the Jimmy Johnstone Academy invite Michael to join them on a big day for one teenage player.