Matilda Hobba, Simon Bagnasco, Alex Speakman, and Mac Wright have set up and launched Pembleton, dubbed an “ideas clubhouse”, after Bagnasco, Speakman, and Hobba left indie creative agency Bullfrog last month.

Speakman originally stayed on at Bullfrog in a reduced capacity, but has now left entirely.

Wright moves from his previous post as a senior creative at Saatchi & Saatchi. Prior to Bullfrog, Bagnasco and Speakman worked alongside Wright at Saatchi & Saatchi for seven years.

The group will aim to deliver creative and strategic work for all manner of brands and businesses, offering a flexible model in the wake of an increasing number of clients rejecting retainer models and brands bringing capabilities in-house.

See also: Honda overhauls agency model, appointing H+Co and creating in-house agency

Alex Speakman, Matilda Hobba, Mac Wright, and Simon Bagnasco

“We wanted to create a place where everything was stripped back; a team of four senior people, across three key disciplines, working hand-in-hand with those closest to the business problem, on a project basis,” Hobba said.

“A place where brands and brand custodians receive the creative and strategic focus they need, from experienced talent they know can deliver. All without layers or fluff.”

The four partners bring together strategic, creative, and project management experience to the venture, representing a collective portfolio of awarded work for brands including Toyota, Arnotts, Kmart, TAC, Mecca, and the Royal Australian Mint.

When Bagnasco, Speakman, and Hobba left Bullfrog last month, they said they were doing so to launch their own venture. All three had held the partner position for less than a year.

A spokesperson said Bullfrog had long been aware of Bagnasco, Speakman, and Hobba’s aspirations to start their own company and bring to life “a brilliant idea” they had nurtured for many years.

“We knew that when we brought them on board and have supported that passion over the last 12-months.

“They are going to pursue that now, but they leave on extremely good terms – in fact, Alex will be staying on with Bullfrog in a reduced capacity, that will give him the freedom and flexibility to make this idea a reality and continue to support our clients as he has done brilliantly over the last year.

“We genuinely wish them all the best and can’t wait to see them bring their passion to life.”

See also: Three Bullfrog partners leave agency to launch business

Nine has appointed Fiona Dear, the current EP of A Current Affair, as the network’s director of news and current affairs.

Earlier this week, rival Seven promoted Chris Salter to Melbourne news director, replacing veteran Shaun Menegola. Salter will report to newly-appointed editor-in-chief and director of news and current affairs Anthony De Ceglie.

Dear will oversee the roster of Channel Nine programs, from the 6pm news bulletins, breaking news teams, Today, A Current Affair, and 60 Minutes.

Michael Healy, director of television at Nine said that Dear “perfectly understands” Nine’s news culture.

“We are excited to see her lead the outstanding team of people in television news to bring the full range of news and current affairs to our audiences,” he said.

Dear began her career in work experience at WIN Wollongong and since then has worked through the WIN Network, including working in Wagga Wagga as a reporter, and Canberra as a reporter and chief of staff.

“I got a call from Nine inviting me in to talk about life,” Dear said, “And look where that took me, from Canberra to the COS in Sydney at the heart of our beating news brands, it was exhilarating and scary all at once. I was in no doubt I was working with the best in the business.

“I’m honoured now to be given this role, and I look forward to the challenges, the news that makes our business great and leading our people as we tell Australia’s stories every day.”

Dear led the ACA team for the past five and a half years including the handover from previous host Tracy Grimshaw to Ally Langdon.

“A Current Affair is a special family, it’s a team who care passionately about getting to the heart and soul of every story and I’m so proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of this brilliant team. I won’t be taking my eye off the ACA ball, but we will be announcing a new Executive Producer in due course,” she said.

See also: Nine marks 100 days until 2024 Paralympics with commentary lineup

Paul Murray first arrived at Sky News Australia in 2008, delivering opinion during news hours. He started hosting a format not dissimilar to what he has now in 2010. They were good years for the business. (It was in 2009 that Mediaweek TV started on sister channel Sky News Business with Bridie Barry co-hosting.)

Back then Sky News Australia operated under the leadership of Angelos Frangopoulos. Now under Sky News Australia CEO Paul Whittaker, Murray is as feisty as ever, continuing to grow his audience as he powers through his 15th year of opinion-led evening programming.

Paul Murray was the first of the conservative broadcasters to be granted evening airtime. Since then Sky News Australia has built a conservative wall around him that now starts with Chris Kenny at 5pm and cycles through hours hosted by Peta Credlin, Andrew Bolt and Sharri Markson before Murray clocks on at 9pm.

Paul Murray Live audience growth

After previously hosting for two hours a night for several years, Murray is back to a one-hour program.

It’s a tight format and, even for some who don’t share his politics, entertaining. The highlight of the program is his opening editorial. It’s an ad-free zone that lasts for up to 30 minutes. “The editorial is longer than it’s ever been,” Murray told Mediaweek. “No ad break and no script. Multiple topics, multiple cameras and different pieces of content inside that.

“Five years ago the show would be an editorial and then a panel of guests for the whole hour. There would be a reset with different guests for the second hour. Two hours is a hard slog.”

A lot of his audience enjoyed that longer program. However, the numbers for the current format, and the channel, are good.

Sky News is the #1 non-sport channel on Foxtel, up +24% YOY. Sky News Regional is also seeing record growth, up +20% YoY.

Paul Murray Live is Sky News Australia’s longest-running opinion program. Ratings so far in 2024 indicate the show is up +29% YOY on Sky News on Foxtel and up +32% YOY on Sky News Regional.

Paul Murray on the road with Paul Murray Live Our Town specials

Our Town episodes return

Paul Murray Live is back on the road this year, with the regional Our Town series returning for its sixth season, in partnership with Harvey Norman. During 2024, Our Town will be celebrating what regional Australia has to offer. This Sunday’s Our Town episode at 9pm AEST will be broadcast from Parkes, NSW.

‘Fair dinkum, real-life pissed off’

Murray is justifiably proud of what he has achieved as a broadcaster. “I pride myself on being a broadcaster. I understand many people would disagree with the content. But I hope there is an awareness of the broadcasting, particularly how unique it is to ad-lib on TV for 30 minutes every night.”

Part of the attraction is seeing just how pissed off he might be on any particular night. What is making him so cranky?

“I am fair dinkum, real-life pissed off at what this mob get away with,” he told Mediaweek. “This mob” of course a reference to the Albanese Government.

He has a few ways he justifies his anger. “When interest rates went up for the first time during the campaign in 2022, Chalmers and the rest of them were waving and pointing to a cost of living crisis. So what do 12 other interest rate rises mean?

“It also really pisses me off when the ‘straight press’ flip from what was a crisis to what they now excuse.”
More on Murray and media later on.

One of the many graphics Murray uses to vent his frustration with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

Murray the President and the PM

In recent years Paul Murray was close to former PM Scott Morrison, a relationship that started when Murray talked to him on radio when Morrison was opposition leader. Back then Murray was piloting mornings on 2UE when it was still a news-talk station. For a time hosting the show, from of all places, inside The Sydney Morning Herald newsroom.

Murray admits now that at times he was perhaps too close to the former PM.

“Sometimes you end up fighting some battles on their behalf, perhaps a little irrationally. When you get close to some people you become overly focused on the miniature and can mean you start getting blinded to what’s really going on. As a rule, access is always a very complicated thing for the media. You have to get close in order to know what’s going on. I have to say that without that proximity we wouldn’t have got some of the opportunities we got. In 2019 it gave me the inside run on what nobody else could see. By 2022 things had changed.”

Among the benefits was helping get Murray into the White House and time with then-President Donald Trump. A meeting which some have pointed out was perhaps not Murray’s finest moment. When brought up, he explained to Mediaweek how a planned 20-minute Q&A on camera with the President turned out to be a three-minute doorstop. “It took a lot of hard work too. They don’t offer it to you, you have to go and get it. I’ve played that day in my head a thousand times. I joke about a bogan kid who got to go to the White House.”

Murray still managed to get interesting quotes from Trump about China and Australian prime ministers Turnbull and Morrison in that time.

The bogan kid is also a politics nerd. Murray recalled how during the press conference with Trump and Morrison inside the Oval Office, he edged away from the press pack to go and inspect the Resolute desk at the other end of the office. The famed desk first arrived in the White House in 1880. It was later used by Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. It was removed after his assassination but brought back by Jimmy Carter and has remained in the Oval Office ever since.

Frank Underwood in the Oval Office

“The single most famous piece of political furniture in western politics,” said Murray. “I got closer and closer to it, no one was stopping me. I eventually lent on it and then did a Frank Underwood (US President in House of Cards played by Kevin Spacey) bang, bang on the desk. That’s when the Secret Service intervened!” Murray was recreating the infamous scene in the epic ending to the second season of the Netflix show.

Murray also noted, “You can get a better selfie than with the President, the Prime Minister, laughing, and in the Oval Office.”

Paul Murray in the famous photo of the host with Scott Morrison and Donald Trump. The photographer was News Corp reporter Andrew Hough (now Investigations editor at The Advertiser)

How much does Murray dislike Albo?

A lot. Recent commentaries on Paul Murray Live have bristled with terms for the man he has nicknamed Airbus Albo: “Slippery. Liar. Gaslighter. A disgrace. And that’s me pulling back sometimes!

“I can’t stand it when politicians present themselves as one thing at an election and then are being the exact opposite once they get to power. He made promises the Labor Government would lower the cost of living. It has only got worse. He said he would lead a government more transparent than any other.

“I can’t stand his ‘I’ll be the prime minister that will take responsibility’ and then at every turn it is someone else’s fault. It’s not a mystery that I didn’t vote for him. My deep frustration is that he is let off what in the past would have sent the media crazy for a week.

“Imagine if Tony Abbott or Scott Morrison had made women cry at a domestic violence rally. People would still be talking about it. Albo says he wishes her well and then points to news footage as if it’s the Zapruder film [of the JFK assassination] and he’s off the hook. The footage shows a lady crying.

“Albo is a career politician who has been incredibly skilled at doing everything you need to get there. Once you get there, you should have to be what you promised to be. If he promised that he’d always shift the blame and that $36 a week is enough to deal with the cost of living, then you couldn’t be annoyed.

“The budget [which Murray refers to as a Ponzi scheme], which gives power rebates to mansions, is the same budget that buys the prime minister a new private plane. I reckon you can point that out.”

Sky News multiplatform delivery

Murray wants to continue broadcasting for as long as he can. He keeps viewers watching the traditional Foxtel business. He is also a part of the Flash news app experiment. He’s a growing force online thanks to the aggressive Sky News multiplatform content mix. “The reaction to what we do in regional Australia has been massive. It’s so amazing that in places like Broome, Parkes, Launceston or Cairns that people will stop me at the airport or the pub and say ‘g’day’. A lot of viewers have come with me on the journey and I am part of their day. That must be good for a business that people subscribe to in different ways.”

One of his memorable viewer moments was in a cigar bar [he hasn’t been tempted to give up the smokes he said] in Malibu Beach. “A guy walked in, looked at me and said, ‘Why do I know you?’ I explained I wasn’t an actor. He eventually worked it out. ‘I’ve seen you on YouTube’.”

See also:
Sky News Australia is second-fastest growing news publisher on YouTube globally
How Sky News is capturing more people on more platforms

‘The cynical, jaded mind of a bearded bloke on Sky News’

“At times, like many performers, there is part of me filled with enough self-doubt to make you want to prove yourself wrong,” said Murray.

“That keeps you humble. I don’t have an exposure to the media industry whether it be going to parties or getting offered free tickets to different things. I just do the work and I’m happy if people like it.”

Murray has two young daughters and spends a limited time at home with the family. “That’s hard for anyone who works at either end of the day. When I am at home I am with the kids and they couldn’t give a shit about what their dad does on TV. I sometimes get a bit scared that when they are older some people might judge them because what somebody has said about me.”

Paul Murray Live and Paul Murray Live Our Town are available to stream at SkyNews.com.au or by downloading the Sky News Australia app. Also available to watch on Foxtel and Sky News Regional or stream on Flash.

Ratings sources: Linear – OzTAM National STV & Reg Panel, All Day, Ave Aud, Share %, & Overnight 14.01-18.05.2024 Vs. STLY

Monday: Murray on the media – From Morning Joe to Steve Bannon

David Marr will take over as host of RN’s Late Night Live until the end of the year, following the retirement of veteran presenter Phillip Adams after 33 years.

Marr is a Walkley Award-winning journalist whose career has included editing The National Times, and reporting at The Bulletin, Fairfax, The Guardian and the ABC, where he hosted Media Watch, was an investigative journalist at Four Corners, and presented arts programs.

Of his new gig, Marr said: “I’m honoured and terrified. It’s going to be a ball.”

RN manager Dina Rosendorff said replacing Adams was never going to be an easy task.

“While we celebrate Phillip’s career it is also exciting to welcome David, who I’m sure will resonate with the most intellectual and loyal radio audience in the country, the Gladdies and Poddies.

“David is the right combination of intellect, curiosity and, of course, a wicked sense of humour. We are all delighted that he’s agreed to take up this role until the end of the year.”

Adams’ last broadcast will be on 27 June. Marr starts with Late Night Live on 15 July.

The announcement of Adams’ replacement comes as Mediaweek spoke to ex-ABC presenter Josh Szeps this month, revealing he didn’t feel comfortable continuing at the broadcaster.

He said: “I’m a misfit. I’m a child of refugees, but I’m a white Australian. I’m a gay guy, but I hate Mardi Gras. I have holocaust surviving grandparents but I’m conflicted about Zionism.

“I am a riddle wrapped in a bloody enigma. If you think that being a team player is the highest virtue, good for you. But don’t pretend to be a journalist. Journalism needs more contrarians, not fewer. More risk takers, not fewer.”

See also: Whatever happened to Josh Szeps? He’s doing very nicely, thank you

Canva has introduced its enterprise offering at the Canva Create event in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Canva Enterprise, one of the new products that aims to “redefine the way millions of people work”, allows big companies to create large quantities of visual content.

“This means you can manage an organisation of 20 up to 200,000, with multiple different brands and multiple different needs, and harness that creativity and achieve more goals with less friction,” Cliff Obrecht, chief operating officer of Canva, said at the company’s Canva Create press conference earlier this week.

“This has been the combination of about two years’ work focusing on making visual communication faster, easier and cheaper for large-scale organisations,” he added.

The offering also comes with more sophisticated reporting and admin controls, brand management requirements, and complex security to keep assets safe and on-brand.

Tools for design, content production, AI, and collaboration have been consolidated into one centralised account to scale impact while reducing cost and complexity, the unicorn said.

Brands can also maintain consistency with advanced controls to manage every aspect of a brand. Organisations can manage access to elements and templates in Canva’s library and control who can share content externally.

Rounding out the features are security tools designed to keep organisations safe. This includes MFA, SCIM, SSO, and Canva Shield, an advanced collection of Trust and Safety Tools, as well as indemnification for AI-generated content for eligible customers.

“We have deep and broad usage in over 90% of the Fortune 500,” Obrecht said. “So this really is what we’ve been what we’ve been asked to deliver.”

He also noted that among the organisations to already see huge efficiencies include FedEx and Expedia.

A new UI aims to speed up workflow, with a streamlined editing experience.

A new editing toolbar is designed to create more space and improve focus, and popular tools such as one-click background remover and Canva’s Magic Studio AI tools are now more prominent. The interface is customisable.

The platform has also continued accelerating its AI capabilities with the expansion of Magic Studio.

Its visual suite has also been updated with new products, including suggested editing, apps built by Amazon Ads, Google and Meta, Data Autofill and Bulk Create by uploading CSV or Excel files.

Canva has extended its acquisition of Affinity by making it a full-stack solution for designers, graphic designers, illustrators, and typographers. With Affinity v.25 and its new advanced editing options, such as variable font support, stroke width tool and support for ARM64 chips, Canva has supercharged its pro editing performance. 

Gruen returned for its 16th season last Wednesday with a clunky and unfunny episode. That’s because panellist Russel Howcroft was away sick and the dynamics didn’t work without him. He returned this week and Gruen was back to being incisive and hilarious.

In a segment about the promotional campaign for Hubbl, Howcroft said something that isn’t said out loud. When he talked about how TV would soon be replaced by streaming, host Wil Anderson gasped before joking that TV was the only thing he could do well.

TV is becoming a dangerous game and Howcroft’s absence from Gruen proves how wobbly things can get if the formula isn’t right. It’s like how Seven created their version of The Block (Nine) but then had to keep tinkering with the format.

House Rules (2013 – 2020) was about couples’ houses getting renovated by other contestants. It was hosted by Johanna Griggs, and then Jamie Durie. Once there was a “Crowded House Rules” with kids and then came a “Sky High” version on the Gold Coast. 

Now there is Dream Home (Sunday on Seven) hosted by Chris Brown and it’s House Rules with a new coat of paint. Luckily, none of the contestants appear to know House Rules because they all fall about in shock when told they are renovating each other’s houses. 

The prize money is the same ($100,000), and the couples are familiar, with the obligatory tradies who are into footy and beer. It’s good to see a former member of R&B dance group CDB, Brad Pinto, rolling up his sleeves, but will it be enough?

Chris Brown is out to “make some dreams come true” but his first Seven Project might become nightmarish going head to head with Travel Guides, Nine’s surging comedy hit which has moved to Sunday. Gruen keeps it head down, but rates well, later on Wednesdays.

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

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

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

This week on the episode After the Flood, Bodkin and Dark Matter are reviewed.

After the Flood (BritBox, series) In the aftermath of a devastating Yorkshire flood, an unidentified man is found dead, and PC Jo Marshall (Sophie Rundle) becomes fixated on uncovering the truth behind the man’s death.

Dark Matter (AppleTV+, series) Viewers are being promised a mind-bending thriller. Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) is abducted into an alternate version of his own life. To get back to his real family, Dessen embarks on a journey to save them from the biggest foe imaginable: himself. Based on Blake Crouch’s bestseller.

Bodkin (Netflix, series) Will Forte and Siobhán Cullen (Obituary) play true crime podcasters investigating a disappearance in a small Irish village. They investigate the nefarious goings-on swirling beneath the seemingly idyllic veneer of the titular small town in Ireland, where several mysterious disappearances occurred 25 years ago.

Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.

The Index Exchange has called for the industry to step up to eradicate made-for-advertising (MFA) sites, designed solely to capture ad revenue through minimal effort and low-quality content.

Regional managing director, APAC at The Index Exchange, Adele Wieser, told Mediaweek that the industry can no longer allow for MFA sites.

“We see there is an immense amount of value that can be generated for an advertiser through the programmatic ecosystem as well as across the open web. We want to sustain that,” she said.

“The industry needs to ensure that we are getting very forceful in our position around items like MFA, where they are actually leeching money from our core media in not only the Australian market but all markets.

“We can’t let it sustain because it’s going to be detrimental to the industry at large.”

The Index Exchange is an advertising marketplace that helps marketers reach consumers on the open web, through any ad format.

Over the last two years, The Index Exchange has undertaken a thorough audit of its exchange, scrutinising every domain and cutting ties with publishers that didn’t meet expectations of quality.

Wieser said this process was long and intentional in the way it was approached.

“We had to ensure that everything we were looking to remove from the Exchange was correctly vetted and validated to ensure that it was clearly MFA versus smaller content sites.”

While the exchange doesn’t outwardly publicise what its criteria is to be classed as an MFA site, Wieser assures that the “process of review and appeal with clients is very thorough and meticulous.”

A world in which MFA sites are completely eradicated isn’t off the table, but Wieser stresses it’s impossible without collaboration.

“In saying this, it’s the internet, we’ve never really been properly able to stomp out any major issues.

“Nefarious actors will continue to evolve their businesses, and we need to evolve at the same pace, if not slightly ahead of them in order to capture it before it becomes a bigger problem moving forward.

“Looking at advertisers, they have this level of vigilance around where the money is going, and how much return that is generating off the back of investment.

“We want to continue to demonstrate the exceptional value that programmatic can deliver for these partners.”

This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Nick Morgan and Sandy Ho from the video and content commerce platform Vudoo reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge, and career goals.

The Mediaweek series showcases their diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions by bringing together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.

Nick Morgan, CEO and founder, Vudoo

Favourite podcast/read – The ‘All-In’ Podcast. It’s my weekly dose of tech, business and economics.

Current streaming binge – ‘Bloomberg Originals’. It’s a superb production that’s riveting, entertaining, and offers fresh viewpoints on the biggest topics impacting the business world. 

Guilty pleasure content – I love ‘Is it Cake?’ I watch it with my 7-year-old, and I can never pick which one is real! 

What do you have on repeat – Radiohead.

Best career advice – Don’t listen to anyone who tells you you’re not strategic – they’re projecting.

Leadership hero – In the early days of starting up Vudoo, when things were really tough and challenging, I found myself in need of wisdom, courage, and inspiration.

Winston Churchill became my unexpected guiding light. I read 10 books on the life of the ex-British PM, dissecting his legacy from different angles and political perspectives. His journey became a source of grounding and motivation, helping me stay focused and inspired through the highs and lows of building Vudoo from the ground up.

Best training course/session – I did a little course way back when I was 20/21-years-old, called ‘Train the Trainer’. It taught me the importance of using the right methods to empower others to train effectively. It was a simple yet powerful three-step method: first, explain what you’re going to do; next, demonstrate while talking them through it; and finally, perform the task silently. It was one of the first short courses I ever did, but it’s a methodology that has stayed with me ever since.

I wish someone had told me – That 90% of a founder’s job is wearing risk. It’s one thing to know risk, but it’s an entirely different thing to wear it.

Favourite place to network – I’m not one for networking events. I thrive more in natural settings.

Something that’s surprised you about the industry – I’ve been blown away by how advanced some players in the media industry are here compared to others globally. Their level of innovation is really impressive.

What is your hot take on the industry – The internet’s about to change radically, where consumers are going to shop wherever they want, whenever they want. It’s going to be a big shock to many brands and retailers because they’re going to potentially see a big drop off in traffic to their website over the next 12-18 months.

Meanwhile, other global retailers will introduce new and innovative technology to win-over those shifting customers, making it crucial for brands to stay on top of the competition.

Career goal for 2024 – Continue to grow the fantastic team at Vudoo and establish our North American leadership. 

Sandy Ho, Marketing Manager, Vudoo

Favourite podcast/read – A Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek. A friend put me onto it, and I love how it covers topics from business to personal relationships and social behaviour because everything in life is interconnected.

Current streaming binge –  Baby Reindeer. I binged the first four episodes in one sitting. It’s a dark comedy drama that’s raw, gut-wrenching, and witty – all rolled into one. Absolutely brilliant acting as well.

Guilty pleasure content – Gogglebox. I’m a sucker for reaction videos, and Gogglebox introduces me to new shows while letting me indulge in some people-watching. It’s a win-win!

What do you have on repeat – Any song by SZA.

Best career advice – Learn from everyone around you. Whether they’re senior, junior, or even outside your workplace, everyone has something unique to offer. Soak up their knowledge, observe their approach to work, and pick out the best insights from each person.

Leadership hero – Jane Lu, founder of Showpo. We share a similar background – we both started out in accounting to please our parents, but then took the leap to quit our jobs and follow our passion without telling them! Except of course, she had the guts to start her own business.

Growing up in a traditional, conservative Asian household, taking such risks is a big deal to the family, and I admire her for sticking to her guns to chase her dreams despite facing multiple setbacks.

Best training course/session – Moz has some really great educational resources for SEO. The free, one-hour guide is excellent for beginners because it’s broken down into six bite-sized videos that are really easy to follow and digest.

I wish someone had told me – That everyone’s on their own timeline. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others but we’re all running our own race.

Favourite place to network – You can network anywhere! Whether it’s at a conference, LinkedIn, or even at your partner’s work functions, there’s always a chance to meet like-minded people and make connections.

Something that’s surprised you about the industry – The slow adoption of interactive, shoppable videos by businesses. Video marketing can be a costly investment, and while you may have the most eye-catching video that looks good, unless it’s interactive and shoppable, it becomes a missed opportunity to instantly convert viewers into buyers.

What is your hot take on the industry – Gen Z will significantly influence the evolution of creative media formats. We’re already seeing a shift in content types and platform choices, and eventually, traditional methods of advertising and content will become obsolete. 

Career goal for 2024 – Embrace more challenges that push me out of my comfort zone! 

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To take part in future editions of Meeting of the Minds, please email: [email protected]

Past editions of Meeting of the Minds.

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Top image: Nick Morgan and Sandy Ho

CHEP Network has announced the promotion of Tash Johnson to national head of integrated production.

Johnson will now be responsible for managing CHEP Network’s production capabilities across disciplines including film production, editing, 3D animation, motion design, sound recording, VFX, content creation, social, and influencer management. 

She will also be responsible for facilitating clients’ access to the various capabilities across Clemenger Group agencies, like the group’s experiential agency, Traffik, and its production arm, MADE:THIS.

According to CHEP chief creative officer Gavin McLeod: “Tash is the kind of person who goes the extra mile to turn crazy-good ideas into reality. She firmly believes that to do right by our work – and our people – we must evolve and adapt for the future, by being at the cutting-edge of innovation in creative production.”

Johnson has led award winning campaigns including Samsung’s Flipvertising and Performance Enhancing Music, Karicare’s Anne Geddes’ Feed the Real, and IKEA Australia’s The Uncreakening. 

Commenting on her promotion, Johnson, said: “CHEP Network has produced many memorable and award-winning campaigns in recent years, thanks to our unstoppable and talented group of people and partners.

“Connecting our many production capabilities will only further strengthen our offering and produce exceptional creative outcomes for our clients.”

Johnson added that she was excited to explore the benefits of emerging technology like generative AI, and adopt them into the production process.

The move follows the departure of Nick Zonnios from his position as head of PR at CHEP, who joined Icon Agency as director of consumer to lead its newly launched consumer practise, as Mediaweek revealed.

Earlier this month, Clemenger Group welcomed its first graduates, Anna Upton and Harriet Watson, into its Redhanded and Porter Novelli teams, following the launch of its inaugural Agri Graduate Program.

See also: 
Exclusive: CHEP’s Nick Zonnios moves to Icon Agency
Clemenger Group launches industry-first Agri Graduate Program

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Top Image: Tash Johnson

The Australian has launched a new investigative podcast from multi-award winning journalist and host of The Teacher’s Pet, Hedley Thomas. The podcast is supported by Harvey Norman.

Bronwyn tells the story of  Bronwyn Winfield, a mother of two girls, and her disappearance in 1993 in a surf town in New South Wales.

In the midst of a separation from her husband Jon, Bronwyn vanished and left her girls behind. Her family and friends never heard from her again. 

Winfield was 31 when she went missing.

The podcast is supported by editorial coverage in The Australian including interactive digital features, video, and photo galleries. 

Bronwyn host Thomas said: “Sadly, there are many unsolved cases of women who disappeared and were treated by police back then as runaway wives and mothers abandoning their children. They all deserve to be closely examined with all the resources we can muster.

“Through the incredible power of podcasting, we hope that we will make a profound difference by shining a light on Bronwyn’s disappearance.”

Harvey Norman has supported each of Thomas’ podcast investigations, including Shandee’s Story and The Night Driver. 

His 2018 podcast The Teacher’s Pet has had more than 80 million downloads worldwide, and followed the story of Lynette Dawson, who disappeared without a trace in 1982. 

At the time, Dawson’s husband Chris Dawson had been accused of grooming the family babysitter, a then 16-year-old schoolgirl. In 2022, Chris Dawson was found guilty of Lyn’s murder after the state made the case that the motive was to replace her with the schoolgirl, and avoid the financial devastation that a divorce would bring.

The Australian’s editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn said the team was “thrilled” to announce the new podcast. 

“The Australian has developed a reputation for world-class podcasts and Hedley is a trailblazer in this form of storytelling, using the power of audio to shed light on cold case suspected murders. The story of Bronwyn is an absolutely compelling quest for truth and justice.” 

The first two episodes will be released free via registration at bronwynpodcast.com with subsequent episodes available only to subscribers of The Australian. 

With Vivid Sydney 2024 beginning this week, QMS is using the festival to showcase campaigns from brands including Kia Australia, Visit Victoria, Foxtel’s Hubbl and Kayo, Universal Pictures, Chemist Warehouse, AAMI, Coca-Cola, Sony Pictures, Omega, Medibank, Rimowa, Aware Super, Vicinity Centres, Live Nation and Audible.

The 14th annual Vivid Sydney festival runs from 24 May to 15 June and will focus on this year’s artistic direction: “Vivid Sydney, Humanity.”

QMS’ bespoke advertising packages will place clients in key Vivid precincts during the festival, which is expecting another strong year. The 2023 festival drew almost 3.5 million people to Sydney – up 30% on 2022 – and contributed more than $200 million to the NSW economy.

QMS general manager, City of Sydney, Olivia Gotch, said QMS is “excited to celebrate this year’s Vivid Sydney festival with the community and a stellar line-up of advertisers who will be – literally – lighting up the streets.

“This celebration of creativity, innovation and technology is the perfect fit for our world-class City of Sydney digital street furniture network, sitting at the very heart of the Sydney market and connecting with 33 of Sydney’s most prestigious and progressive suburbs.”

Highlighting the impact of QMS’ campaigns during the festival, Kia Australia’s general manager of marketing, Dean Norbiato, said Vivid Sydney is “an important partnership for the Kia brand to showcase our technology story and the QMS City of Sydney network provides a bespoke solution to extend our campaign reach and impact.”

Vivid Sydney 2024 is the latest in a line of major events for the outdoor company, with the Olympics and Paralympics on the horizon. 

The Paris 2024 Digital Screen Network supports both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and was launched in April with partners include Allianz, Stan, Toyota Australia, and Patties Food Group. 

See also: John O’Neill: Paris Olympics and Paralympics pose huge advantage for brands. Are you ready to play?

According to MOVE 1.5 2024, the QMS City of Sydney digital street furniture network reaches over 90% of key surrounding areas outside its local government area – including Woollhara, Waverley, Randwick, Bayside, Mosman, North Sydney, and the Inner West.

Australia’s first Vogue-branded cafe is coming to Sydney’s Darling Harbour in May, launching under a licensing agreement with Lowan Capital Pty Ltd and Condé Nast.

Vogue Cafe Sydney will be an all-day cafe and restaurant, housed in ‘The Ribbon’ building. The cafe is scheduled to open this week, alongside the start of VIVID Sydney.

Editorial director and publisher News Prestige and Conde Nast titles Australia, Edwina McCann, said: “I’m excited for Vogue Cafe Sydney to open this month in the cosmopolitan Darling Harbour precinct joining Vogue cafes in locations such as Beijing, Doha, and Istanbul. 

“The team at Lowan Capital has designed a space that is a perfect combination of fashion and food. I’m especially proud of the artwork that will be displayed inside the cafe, which has been carefully selected from the Vogue Australia archives and includes some of our most iconic shoots with Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett photographed by Will Davidson, Margot Robbie photographed by Mario Sorrenti, and Adut Akech photographed by Josh Olins.”

Spanning 550 square metres, Vogue Cafe Sydney will cover two floors of dining with a cocktail bar overlooking Darling Harbour. The interior design, led by interior architect Callie Van Der Merwe and Roberto Zambri from COOOP, pays homage to the history of the magazine through images from the Vogue Australia archive.

“Sydney’s rich and diverse culture, together with bountiful produce, provides us with the opportunity to curate a truly international food experience,” said Peter Wang, director of Lowan Capital. 

“We are proud to be a part of this latest global trend, where Vogue Cafe will introduce a dynamic fusion of fashion and gastronomy to Australia’s vibrant hospitality scene.”

The Vogue Cafe menu will be created by hatted chef Zachary Ng, and feature modern Australian cuisine with an emphasis on local, seasonal, and sustainably sourced produce. 

Cocktails will showcase Australian natives and liquors from Australian distilleries, and coffee made with Vogue Café branded ground coffee is available for takeaway.

Brands can effectively foster connections, both online and offline, by identifying and leveraging people’s shared interests

The study into connection by research and insights company TRA aimed to discover if brands are connecting with their audiences.

The multidisciplinary work brought together cultural analysis, a qualitative study, and nationally representative surveys of more than 2,000 people across Australia and New Zealand to understand how people are connecting with brands and what the future of connection looks like.

Among the top factors that make people feel connected to brands include loyalty schemes (46%), supporting causes they care about (39%), and partnerships with groups or interests they feel connected with (27%), according to the study.

Colleen Ryan, partner at TRA, said the good news is that although some people feel connected to brands, there is a clear opportunity to deepen this connection.

“Connection is a feeling – a shared feeling. We tend to think of people connecting by hanging out together in physical spaces. It was surprising to find that posting online increases people’s sense of connection across everything, virtual and real,” she said.

“People have developed a new skill set that allows them to create connections with people they have never met, people who share their interests, which removes the hard work that is often required to make a connection face to face. It cuts out the need for small talk. Brands have evolved a different mastery, one that is designed to deliver reach. Broadcast skills are, by definition, created around universal principles and common denominators.”

Among younger demographics, the study found partnerships with other favoured companies are particularly influential.

People feel connected when brands get involved with things that interest them or partner with groups or other brands that share their interests. This contrasts with the one-to-one personalisation that many brands are moving towards.

Only 2% of people in Australia and 5% in New Zealand spontaneously mention personalisation as something that makes them feel connected to brands.

The TRA research also revealed that adults who post online have an enhanced sense of connection compared to those who do not regularly use social media.

Adults who post online have an enhanced sense of connection, not only in virtual environments but also in real-world interactions, in comparison to those who do not regularly use social media. People also felt two to three times more connected to community groups, sports teams and religious groups.

“Our connection study delved deeper to identify how brands can create emotional connections with their customers,” Ryan continued.

“The research confirmed we are in a new age of connection. Human connection has adapted, and we have developed a new set of skills to connect with people with the same interests and world views as us.

“It’s not demographics, it’s not life stage, it’s not even platforms that connect us. It’s interests. Instead of trying to speak to everyone through common denominators or demographics, brands need to get in the crosshairs of their audience’s interesting interests.

“By using this approach brands will forge connect ions with customers on their terms – and they can do it at a scale that drives real growth.”

To understand how brands can uncover these connections, TRA’s cultural strategy and data teams developed a methodology by simply building a richer more relevant context of what surrounds a customer and a brand, called an “echo-system map”.

Ryan explained an “echo-system map” shows individual shared interests and the why behind the connections.

“Using this, we can identify unique and interesting points where audience tastes, interests, and values overlap – often in unexpected ways.

“To create the map, we ask a person about their range of interests and influences, their heroes and villains, and the why behind these to collect rich data. The result is an interactive diagram of connections and a world of possibility for marketers and their brands that can be used to gain inspiration on how to make emotional connections with customers.

 “For brands, these smaller shared spaces of connection can bridge the gap between mass and personalised marketing.”

See also: TRA makes six hires across Sydney and Melbourne

–

Top image: Colleen Ryan

TV Report 23 May 2024:

Nine TV Report

NRL – Bulldogs v Dragons

Nine’s draw for the evening was the Bulldogs v the Dragons which saw the Dogs dominate, winning 44-12 at Accor Stadium in Sydney. The Indigenous Round opener saw the Bulldogs score seven tries in the second half alone. 

A Current Affair

Over on A Current Affair, the program met with desperate renters claiming that an ‘angel’ agent has put them through hell and met with a retired couple lock in a insurance dispute after a storm damaged their home.

Seven TV Report

AFL – Bulldogs v Swans

On Seven, the Western Bulldogs went up against the Sydney Swans as the Swans recorded a smashing, beating the Bulldogs 102-88. The win has kept Swans at the top of the ladder and gave them their 10th win for the year.

Home & Away

Earlier in the night was Home & Away as Remi made a choice, Eden considered peace with Levi and Justin got a taste of Hollywood.

10 TV Report

The Project

The Project on 10 reported on the cost of living crisis hitting young Aussies the hardest, spoke to Steph Catley on Arsenal playing in Australia and welcomed Taskmaster’s Tom Gleeson & Wil Anderson to the desk. 

Taskmaster Australia

On 10’s Taskmaster Australia, the series returned with contestants Josh Thomas, Jenny Tian, Lloyd Langford, Anne Edmonds and Wil Anderson. They built the scariest scarecrow, made chess cool and danced the silent disco.

ABC

7:30

7:30 investigated if British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of a surprise early election would pay off and Sarah Ferguson spoke to Israel’s strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and cricketer Nathan Lyon. 

Restoration Australia

Host Anthony Burke meets a Brisbane couple who were determined to return a vandalised, graffiti-daubed wreck to its right full place as one of the city’s finest mansions. 

SBS

DNA Family Secrets

Liverpool-born Maureen wonders if her father was an African-American GI who fell in love with her mother during World War II, which could mean she has family in the US.

Wednesday 22nd May 2024: VOZ Total TV Ratings Overnight Top 30 – Programs ranked on reach

Total People TV Ratings

Nine’s The Summit recorded a total TV national reach of 1,483,000, a total TV national audience of 515,000, and a BVOD audience of 52,000.

Nine’s A Current Affair recorded a total TV national reach of 1,496,000, a total TV national audience of 1,028,000, and a BVOD audience of 62,000.

Seven’s The 1% Club recorded a total TV national reach of 1,541,000, a total TV national audience of 813,000, and a BVOD audience of 35,000.

Also on Seven, Home & Away recorded a total TV national reach of 1,350,000, a total TV national audience of 836,000, and a BVOD audience of 93,000.

10’s airing of MasterChef Australia recorded a total TV national reach of 1,183,000, a total TV national audience of 597,000, and a BVOD audience of 45,000.

See Also: TV Report 22 May 2024: MasterChef contestants participate in microwave mania

People 25-54

Nine’s The Summit:
• Total TV nation reach: 481,000
• National Audience: 204,000
• BVOD Audience: 30,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 431,000
• National Audience: 286,000
• BVOD Audience: 35,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 439,000
• National Audience: 222,000 
• BVOD Audience: 26,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 455,000
• National Audience: 225,000
• BVOD Audience: 19,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 395,000
• National Audience: 239,000
• BVOD Audience: 53,000

People 16-39

Nine’s The Summit:
• Total TV nation reach: 187,000
• National Audience: 68,000
• BVOD Audience: 15,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 164,000
• National Audience: 108,000
• BVOD Audience: 18,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 175,000
• National Audience: 85,000 
• BVOD Audience: 15,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 176,000
• National Audience: 80,000
• BVOD Audience: 11,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 170,000
• National Audience: 111,000
• BVOD Audience: 31,000

Grocery Shoppers 18+

Nine’s The Summit:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,113,000
• National Audience: 378,000
• BVOD Audience: 42,000

Nine’s A Current Affair:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,153,000
• National Audience: 792,000
• BVOD Audience: 50,000

10’s MasterChef:
• Total TV nation reach: 929,000
• National Audience: 475,000 
• BVOD Audience: 36,000

Seven’s The 1% Club:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,198,000
• National Audience: 634,000
• BVOD Audience: 28,000

Seven’s Home & Away:
• Total TV nation reach: 1,048,000
• National Audience: 649,000
• BVOD Audience: 74,000

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