She’s no stranger to cutting through the noise.
But in the lead-up to the 2025 Women in Media Oration, where she’ll serve as MC to comedian Kitty Flanagan’s keynote, Dee Madigan isn’t cracking jokes, she’s issuing warnings.
The Campaign Edge executive creative director, known for her sharp political insights and unflinching commentary on gender dynamics, has pulled back the curtain on a trio of challenges facing women in media, advertising and business more broadly.
In conversation on Mediaweek’s Newsmakers podcast, Madigan unpacks why working from home could entrench disadvantage, how corporate Australia might be inching toward a “backlash era”, and why sexism hasn’t gone away… it’s just shape-shifted.
On the surface, remote work seems like a win for women juggling paid labour and unpaid caregiving. But Madigan sees a different story playing out beneath the home-office desk.
“I think the danger now is women are overrepresented in terms of working from home,” she said. “And that’s a long-term problem.”
For agencies and advertisers trying to build inclusive leadership pipelines, this is more than an HR footnote, it’s a structural red flag.
The risk, according to Madigan, lies in invisibility. When you’re not physically present in the office, you’re less likely to be noticed for stretch projects, sponsorship, or promotion.
“If you’re not seen, then you’re not going to be considered,” she said. “Culture’s hard to build when people aren’t around. Soft skills, mentorship, those sideways conversations, they matter.”
The issue calls into question how hybrid models are impacting creative collaboration, talent retention and ultimately, campaign outcomes.
Are we designing systems around convenience, or performance?
Madigan’s solution? Flexibility, sure. But not at the cost of connection. And certainly not at the cost of future female leadership.
You can hear Madigan chat to Mediaweek’s Natasha Lee here:
Beyond flexible work, Madigan warned of a growing tension simmering beneath progress. And it’s not coming from where you might expect.
“We are definitely going to see a backlash. We shouldn’t underestimate that,” she told Newsmakers. “No time in history have men lost so much power in such a short time.”
It’s not just the diehards pushing back. Madigan says even so-called allies, men who openly support feminism, can falter when it means giving up space, influence or access.
The result? A subtle undermining of gender equity gains, couched in neutral-sounding language like “best person for the job”.
She pointed to the removal of diversity measures in global politics and hiring as key danger signs, drawing a straight line between what’s happening in the US and what’s quietly unfolding in Australia.
“When companies remove diversity as something to consider, men start creeping back in greater numbers than is fair,” she said adding that diversity isn’t charity, it’s strategy.
“Agencies without inclusive teams are, quite simply, ill-equipped to reach the modern market”.
Todd Sampson and Dee Madigan on The Gruen Transfer.
For all the gains women have made, Madigan says the gender war has simply moved underground.
“Sexism hasn’t disappeared, it’s just gone cleverer,” she said. “It’s systemic, it’s subtle, it’s still the boys’ club…but now it’s harder to call out.”
This sleeker, more insidious brand of bias often flies under the radar. No overt slurs. No smoking guns. Just fewer opportunities. Less airtime. More plausible deniability.
And in an industry where brand safety, optics and optics fatigue are real, women face the added pressure of self-policing their own complaints, afraid to be labelled as overreaching, dramatic or “crying wolf.”
“We’ve got to be careful,” Madigan noted. “But it’s really hard to be careful, because it’s more subtle than ever.”
For media professionals navigating post-pandemic pivots, new budget pressures and audience fragmentation, it’s tempting to view gender equity as a social issue, important, but not urgent. Madigan flips that on its head.
Diversity isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a commercial imperative. Especially in advertising, where understanding the market means reflecting the market.
“If you’re targeting an increasingly diverse audience and you don’t have people in your agency who are diverse, you’re just not going to do well,” she said.
Madigan’s commentary isn’t just a rallying cry for change; it’s a cautionary tale for those content with surface-level progress. Because the forces pushing women back aren’t gone. They’ve just got better lighting.
Dee Madigan joins Mediaweek’s Newsmakers podcast this week to dig deeper into the forces reshaping gender dynamics in media, politics and advertising. From boardroom blind spots to the future of creative workplaces, you won’t want to miss what she has to say.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or click here.
The Women in Media Oration Gala Dinner takes place Wednesday, 28 May, at Dockside, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney. To get tickets click here.
The Australian Radio Network’s (ARN) sweeping internal overhaul has claimed another high-profile departure with KIIS 1065 Content Director Tony Aldridge stepping down after more than seven years at the network.
Aldridge’s exit comes amid a period of dramatic change inside the business, as the broadcast giant grapples with mounting financial pressure, workforce cuts, and the weight of its blockbuster talent deals.
Aldridge was a key figure on The Kyle and Jackie O Show, specifically the duo’s decision to network into Melbourne.
The timing of his departure comes less than a year after the network inked a headline-grabbing 10-year, $200 million deal to keep Sandilands and Henderson on-air, and just weeks after ARN signalled a fresh wave of redundancies and structural upheaval.
Kyle and Jackie O
That eye-watering contract was always going to invite scrutiny. The duo are undeniably ARN’s crown jewel, but the cost of retaining them is starting to bite.
Since the contract was announced in late 2023, job cuts have rolled in steadily. Dozens of roles across sales, content, and marketing have been eliminated.
The list includes former Chief Commercial Officer Peter Whitehead and long-time content boss Duncan Campbell, who was moved into a consultancy role. Lachy Mansell, who contributed to the KIIS breakfast show, is also stepping away from radio in early June.
While the Melbourne expansion of Kyle and Jackie O was seen as a revenue opportunity, early results haven’t shown the audience uplift ARN may have hoped for, putting even more pressure on the show’s commercial return.
At its May AGM, ARN Media formally launched a three-year transformation program aimed at cutting $40 million from its cost base, roughly 20% of its cash expenditure.
The stated goal: free up capital to reinvest in growth-driving initiatives.
CEO Ciaran Davis painted the transformation as future-focused, saying, “We are recalibrating the operating model, culture and cost base of the business to drive consistent growth.”
Chair Hamish McLennan echoed this, framing the cuts as “difficult but necessary” to shift resources toward content, tech, and monetisation.
But for staff, the implications have been immediate and personal. Davis confirmed that 70 to 100 roles would be impacted by a pivot toward offshore outsourcing, particularly in backend operations.
For some long-serving employees, including Group Business Director Nathan Feldman, the change was enough to prompt voluntary exits. Feldman, who had been with the company for over a decade, opted not to stay on, citing the time as right “to back myself and step into what’s next.”
CEO Ciaran Davis
Part of ARN’s recalibration involves new blood in the executive ranks. In late 2024, the company appointed former Nine sales chief Michael Stephenson as Chief Operating Officer, a move widely interpreted as succession planning for the CEO role.
“Michael is the right person at the right time,” Davis said, pointing to Stephenson’s proven ability to commercialise content and drive revenue in a disrupted media environment.
His task now is to future-proof ARN’s business model and find fresh ways to monetise its assets across audio, digital, and branded content.
ARN’s failed bid to acquire Southern Cross Media last year added to the pressure, leaving the company exposed in a soft ad market.
The transformation plan, ambitious as it is, appears to be ARN’s bid to regain commercial momentum while justifying the strategic bets it’s placed on marquee talent and digital expansion.
SXSW Sydney has unveiled the first wave of speakers for its 2025 Music Conference, with a globally diverse line-up of culture-makers, strategists and industry leaders set to tackle the state of independence, global scalability, digital strategy, and AI’s growing role in music.
Leading the announcement is Emmy Award-winning music supervisor Jen Malone. Known for her work on Euphoria, Wednesday and Atlanta and Dr. Marcus Collins, former digital strategist for Beyoncé, now a best-selling author and marketing professor.
Other high-profile names include Alex Berenson (All Flowers Group), Brian Hobbs (SXSW Austin), Andrew Batey (tech entrepreneur), and global industry players from the UK, Hong Kong, Mexico, Singapore, Germany and India.
Local talent will also feature prominently, including John Watson (Midnight Oil, Gotye), Daphne Berry (Airing Your Dirty Laundry), Kartini Ludwig (Koup Music) and Mardi Caught (The Annex).
“SXSW Sydney is about big ideas, bold conversations and unexpected connections,” said Claire Collins, Head of Music. “It’s a chance to hear directly from the people who open doors — the buyers, curators and deal-makers — and to better understand how to cut through, stay independent, or scale globally.
“Whether you’re building a team, exploring how AI can support your creative and business goals, or just looking for inspiration from other creative industries, this is where the conversations start.”
This announcement follows last month’s artist showcase reveal, which includes Jamaica Moana, Cardinals and Sacred Hearts, with more speaker sessions, panels, workshops and over 300 artist performances still to come. Last month SXSW announced its first keynote speaker.
Here’s the confirmed list of music speakers so far:
Jen Malone (Music Supervisor, Black & White Music), USA
Dr Marcus Collins (Culture Academic and #1 Selling Author), USA
Alex Berenson (Senior Director of A&R, All Flowers), USA
Andrew Batey (Founder & Co-CEO, Beatdapp), USA
Brian Hobbs (Director of Music Festival Programming, SXSW), USA
Daphne Berry (Podcast Host, Airing Your Dirty Laundry), AUS
Hallie Anderson (Co-Founder, Rareform Agency), USA
Jashima Wadehra (Founder, Ode), USA
John Watson (President, John Watson Management / Eleven Music), AUS
Jono Harrison (Music Industry Consultant), AUS
Justin Sweeting (Co-Founder & Music Director, Clockenflap Festival), Hong Kong
Kartini Ludwig (Founder, Koup Music), AUS
Lucy Atkinson (Senior Agent, ATC), UK
Macarena González (Live Talent Coordinator, Apodaca Group / Pal Norte Festival), Mexico
Mardi Caught (Head, The Annex), AUS
Meng Ru Kuok (Group CEO & Founder, Caldecott Music Group), Singapore
Patrick Daniel (Project Manager, Reeperbahn), Germany
Priya Dewan (Founder & CEO, GigLifePro), Singapore
Roochay Shukla (Head of Creative Marketing India and South Asia, Believe), India
Sally Dunstone (Partner and Agent, Primary Talent), UK
You can buy passes here.
Mediaweek is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Barrett as the new editor, marking a significant step in the publication’s evolution.
Barrett, a seasoned media commentator and journalist, brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the Australian media landscape to the role.
This isn’t Barrett’s first role with Mediaweek – he held the role of Deputy Editor in 2015-16.
Since then, he has worked in digital communications roles at SBS Australia, NSW’s Department of Customer Service, and at National Seniors Australia.
Most recently he oversaw Education and Building industry titles as Head of Content at digital start-up BrandX Live.
Barrett is deeply passionate about the media industry. He has written about streaming video for publications including The Guardian, ABC News, and his own email newsletter Always Be Watching. He is also regularly heard on radio around Australia as an industry commentator and TV critic.
Dan Barrett is returning to Mediaweek.
“Media in Australia is wonderfully noisy with a passionate community of professionals,” Barrett said. “In returning to Mediaweek I look forward to recognising that robust spirit as the team reports on the successes and personalities of our industry.
“There are also difficult challenges facing the media too. We are all feeling the uncertainty of greater platform competition, financial pressures, and the impact of AI integration into all of our workflow and output. Mediaweek is not immune to those pressures and we are with our audience in the trenches as we move forward.
“With the Mediaweek team, I’m looking forward to having honest, authentic conversations around where we are going as an industry – exploring what we can all do to build our industry and find opportunities as they arise.
“It’s a genuine thrill to be back at Mediaweek,” he added. “They say you can’t return home again, but I’m eager to give it a go.”
Barrett will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the team which includes Agency Editor, Alisha Buaya, Media Editor, Natasha Lee and contributing digital producer Tom Gosby, working closely with Head of Content Frances Sheen.
“I’m delighted Dan is joining the team,” said Sarah Chapman, General Manager. “His knowledge of the industry and passion for journalism will be invaluable as the title continues to evolve.”
Barrett’s role is effective immediately.
QMS is celebrating Vivid Sydney 2025 with 30 blue-chip brands joining the party across its premium City of Sydney digital street furniture network.
Brands include AAMI, Estée Lauder, Netflix, Westpac, NAB, Chemist Warehouse, Amazon, Blackmores, Paramount, Mazda, Amex and MYOB will feature across the digital outdoor media company’s City of Sydney network during the festival, which runs from 23 May to 14 June.
The 15th annual Vivid Sydney festival transforms the city for 23 days and nights, fusing art, innovation and technology in collaboration with leading artists, musicians, thinkers and culinary experts, all under this year’s creative direction: ‘Vivid Sydney, Dream’.
Last year’s Vivid Sydney drew 2.42 million people to the city and contributed over $180 million in visitor expenditure to the NSW economy, according to Destination NSW.
This year, QMS has created bespoke advertising packages to showcase clients in key Vivid precincts during the festival, with strong audiences expected again this year following a record-breaking opening night and the busiest single night in the festival’s history, 9 June 2024.
Olivia Gotch, QMS General Manager, City of Sydney, said: “Once again we cannot wait for Vivid Sydney to transform our city streets into a canvas of creativity and innovation. This celebration truly reflects the values of our City of Sydney digital street furniture network and really makes our advertisers shine.
“This year, the level of demand to be part of our network during Vivid was very strong. We have over 30 major advertisers showcasing standout creative executions across Australia’s premier digital out of home network.
“As the city lights up, so too does our network – spanning 33 progressive and prestigious suburbs. We’re expecting strong audience numbers again this year and are excited to help our clients show off beautifully executed creative that matches the spirit of Vivid and amplifies its energy on the streets of Sydney,” she said.
The pace of AI is dizzying. Customer journeys are being compressed, search is being rewritten in real-time, and brand teams are scrambling to keep up.
But if you ask Man of Many publisher and co-founder Scott Purcell, the existential threats posed by large language models (LLMs), smart assistants, and AI-generated content can also be a once-in-a-generation opportunity, if publishers and advertisers adapt fast.
In a detailed LinkedIn post through his newsletter, Digital Media Digest, Purcell lays out a practical, and tactical, framework for how publishers can hold the line against AI-generated sludge and claim their place on the next frontier of attention.
Here’s the essence of his message:
Smart assistants and AI agents are increasingly managing full purchase paths, from research to transaction. In this new world, the search bar is being replaced by summarised, spoken, or interactive answers. Blue links? Already on life support.
According to Purcell, the key to competing in this new environment is quality, structured, human content. Not just because it engages readers, but because it teaches the AI what “good” looks like.
In short: real journalism now feeds the machine.
One of Purcell’s biggest reframes? Treat AI summaries, answer boxes, and even voice snippets as premium real estate, not free traffic.
“You’ve got to optimise titles, schema, and imagery so AI bots can repeat your brand messages verbatim,” he writes. “Then back that exposure with top-of-funnel content, video, display, podcasts. Think surround sound, not just point-and-shoot.”
Forget backlinks, unlinked brand mentions are now the new currency of authority in LLM-driven land. PR, thought leadership and high-authority mentions feed the algorithm, even if the click never comes.
Scott Purcell, Man of Many
In a world where AI answers appear on smart speakers, dashboards and wearable screens, creativity has to be flexible. “Assets need to behave like Lego blocks,” says Purcell.
Man of Many has already built its content pages with semantic headings, ImageObject markup and transcripts, so AI agents can quote them without losing context.
This matters for both visibility and brand safety. “Every asset becomes a machine-readable answer block,” he adds, helping brands hit both attention metrics and the AI jackpot.
With cookies crumbling and identity signals fragmenting, Purcell argues that bringing your own ID is non-negotiable.
Man of Many is rolling out one-click sign-ins and passing UID2 IDs directly into the programmatic pipes, giving advertisers the precision of a walled garden, while staying rooted in the open web.
The publisher is also leaning hard into sustainability and provenance. It’s a certified carbon-neutral operation and part of the “100 Per Cent Human” editorial initiative, a signal to brands that the content isn’t AI sludge, but crafted and cleared by real editors.
AI visibility now hinges on structure.
Purcell suggests publishers run regular Lighthouse tests and Search Console audits to make sure content is being rendered, indexed and surfaced by agents like Google Gemini.
He also urges marketers to refresh their keyword strategy: “People type weirder, longer questions into AI,” he says. “So meet them where they are.”
And crucially, as traffic from social and search splinters, Purcell advises shifting KPIs to intent-based signals like scroll depth, attention seconds, and post-click conversions.
With Google’s new AI Overviews already touching 1.5 billion users across 200 markets, Purcell says marketers need to start thinking beyond position and clicks. “Every mention inside an AIO is recorded as rank one, even if it doesn’t drive traffic.”
His advice? Add a “citation share” column to your weekly reports. Being named in an AI summary is now as important as being linked on page one.
The AI shift is messy, fast and full of hype, but Purcell argues that the fundamentals haven’t changed. “First-party data, product experimentation, and diverse revenue lines are the lifelines,” he writes.
Agencies and publishers that move quickly and think like product companies will earn a seat at the new table. Those who don’t? “They’ll find the game has moved on without them.”
As he puts it: Failing to choose a direction is still a choice, and it’s almost certainly the wrong one.
Wendy’s has launched its first major campaign in the Australian market with ‘Redhead Redemption’, an activation that offered free burger meals to redheaded customers on 26 May, World Redhead Day.
The initiative, created by Today the Brave and supported by strategic PR agency Burson, follows the brand’s recent store opening on Cavill Avenue, Gold Coast.
Promoted as a global first, the campaign aimed to challenge the social stigma often associated with red hair. Redheads (and those willing to become one for a day) were invited to enjoy free meals and VIP treatment in-store, including a red (!) carpet entrance.
View this post on Instagram
Wendy’s cheekily acknowledged rival McDonald’s in a viral Instagram post, inviting famous fast food redhead Ronald McDonald to join the Redhead Redemption.
View this post on Instagram
The campaign spanned influencer activity, social media, out-of-home, and earned media. It marks the beginning of a broader effort by Wendy’s to establish a foothold in Australia’s competitive fast-food market.
“This is the start of an exciting journey for an awesome brand,” said Jade Manning, Creative Partner at Today the Brave. “We bring a wonderfully underdog spirit and some much-needed female energy to the fast food scene in Australia.”
Sarah Hatcher, Head of Brand at Wendy’s, described the campaign as “bold, playful, and uniquely Wendy’s,” adding that it was designed to rally the brand’s growing local following.
Jessie Gogan, Deputy Market Lead for Burson Australia and New Zealand, said the campaign aimed to celebrate redheads of all kinds, “natural, dyed, or delightfully disguised”, in a lighthearted and inclusive way.
In-house and hybrid agency consultancy -lution has named Mike Worden as Chief Media Officer and Partner as it continues to expand into media advisory space.
Worden brings over two decades of experience from across both agency and client-side roles. He joins the -lution team from Endeavour Group where he led media and effectiveness, including building and transforming the internal media function. Prior to this, he served as Managing Director of EssenceMediacom.
His appointment is part of a broader wave of talent joining the consultancy. Nicola Smith-Cullen, former Group Head of In-House Agency at Accent Group, has come on board as a Creative Operations Consultant. Josh Cave, previously Client Partner at Oystercatchers in London, has also joined as Consulting Project Lead.
In his new role, Worden will lead -lution’s media advisory offering, helping brands design, build and optimise progressive in-house and hybrid media models that deliver greater transparency, performance and efficiency.
Worden said of his appointment: “The media industry is undergoing its biggest shift since the advent of digital and more brands are choosing to in-house some part of their media operations as they look to make their budgets work harder.
“I’ve seen first-hand how transformative this can be for a business, and I’m really excited to work with the incredible team at -lution to help more CEOs and marketing leaders tap into these solutions.”
Chris Maxwell, founder and CEO of -lution, added: “Mike’s appointment brings firepower and credibility to our growing media practice. His track record across in-house and external agency leadership roles is unmatched, and we’re excited for what this means for our clients as they seek more control, accountability and value from their media investments.
“Mike has been working with us for a couple of months supporting our brand partners to redesign their current media models, as well as future proofing and automating media processes, and he’s made a significant impact already.”
This expansion of the team reinforces -lution’s philosophy of bringing in exceptional client-side talent, strengthening its ability to deliver advisory and implementation support across creative, operations, martech and media.
Integral Ad Science (IAS) has released its milestone 20th edition of its Media Quality Report (MQR) providing advertisers and publishers with benchmarks across display and video ad formats on desktop, mobile web, mobile app, and connected TV (CTV) environments to measure the quality and effectiveness of their digital media campaigns and inventory.
The report spotlights the evolving dynamics of the digital advertising landscape with a focus on the open web.
Key highlights include a significant rise in non-optimised ad fraud rates, an increase in the proportion of brand risk attributed to offensive language and hate speech in these environments, and a stabilisation of viewability rates as marketers shift toward new metrics such as attention.
“As digital media complexity accelerates, IAS remains steadfast in empowering our partners with the transparency, precision, and protection they need to succeed,” said Lisa Utzschneider, CEO of IAS.
“The 20th edition of the MQR underscores the critical need for proactive media quality strategies to ensure marketers can drive performance while protecting their brands from the evolving and multi-faceted risks in the programmatic advertising landscape.”
The report also includes highlights about Australia including ad fraud with rates in optimised campaigns are slightly higher than both global and APAC averages. Desktop display fraud sits at 1.5%, compared to 1.1% globally and 1.3% across APAC, highlighting the need for consistent fraud protection strategies.
Australia boasts some of the highest viewability rates in the region with desktop video viewability hit 89.8%, while mobile app display reached 82.6%. Video ad completion rates are equally strong, with desktop video completion hitting 94.9% — a sign of mature creative optimisation and user engagement.
The report noted that Australia also shows strong time-in-view across mobile environments, with mobile web display averaging 15.75 seconds, well above the global benchmark of 13.65s. Mobile app display also holds steady at 13.11 seconds, indicating solid user engagement on mobile-first platforms. While desktop TIV trails slightly behind global averages, mobile continues to offer strong opportunities for deeper audience attention.
Australia maintains moderate overall brand risk (1.4%) on desktop display, according to the report. However, risk from offensive content and violence remains elevated, with 51.8% of brand risk on desktop display attributed to violent content, highlighting the need for continued use of brand suitability tools during key news cycles or political moments.
1. Ad fraud rates 15x higher for non-optimised campaigns
The MQR reveals that fraud rates for campaigns lacking fraud mitigation strategies (non-optimised) rose by 19.0% year-over-year – reaching a four-year high of 10.9% by the end of 2024. The rate of fraud in non-optimised campaigns was 15x higher than those campaigns that utilised anti-fraud Despite the increasing sophistication of fraudulent actors, campaigns that implemented fraud protection remained largely shielded, with optimised campaign fraud rates decreasing by 9.8% year-over-year globally to a steady 0.7%.
2. Offensive language, controversial content, and hate speech on the rise
While global brand risk overall decreased by 10.6% from 2023 (and down 39% from 2021) to a record low of 1.5%, the nature of brand risk is shifting. The share of content flagged for offensive language, controversial content, and hate speech on the open web increased to the highest levels seen since 2020. Globally, the share of offensive content rose by 72% year-over-year highlighting the evolving nature of online risk.
3. Global viewability rates stabilise
After years of consistent increases, global viewability rates plateaued in 2024, rising only 1.6% year-over-year. Notably, desktop video viewability increased by 5.4% to achieve a record high of 83.9%, reflecting continued growth in digital video consumption across every channel – both emerging and more traditional. While overall viewability remains high, marketers are beginning to prioritise additional measures of ad effectiveness, such as attention. By considering situational factors such as an ad’s environment, alongside interactions like clicks or eye movements, attention can approximate the extent to which impressions drive brand messaging allowing advertisers to optimise towards business results
• Adfraud in APAC mirrored worldwide trends, optimised adfraud levels stayed the same year-on-year for desktop display (1.3%) and mobile web video (.3%). Desktop display fraud impressions fell from 1.1% to .8%, while mobile web display rose from .4% to .5%
• Viewability rates for the APAC saw desktop video increasing from 69.2% in 2023 to 88.9% in 2024, performing above the worldwide average of 83.9%. Mobile web video grew moderately from 81.6% to 83.3%.
• Time-in-view across APAC is higher than the worldwide average, surpassing EMEA and America. While mobile app display reduced from 16.09 seconds in 2023 to 14.06 seconds in 2024, desktop display and mobile web display remained largely unchanged at 20.07 seconds and 15.74 seconds.
• Brand Risk: While overall brand risk decreased, APAC saw consistent increases in violence, offensive language, controversial content, and hate speech throughout the year. Violent content surged from 43.5% in H1 to 54.3% in H2 on desktop display in 2024.
In its 20th edition, the MQR continues to serve as the trusted global standard for actionable digital media quality insights. As the digital ecosystem evolves rapidly with advancements in AI, changing consumer behaviours, as well as a shift towards performance-driven strategies, these insights continue to help advertisers, publishers, and platforms navigate these challenges and achieve superior results. IAS’s Research team analysed the more than 280 billion digital interactions captured daily by IAS at the impression level to create the Media Quality report.
Top image: Lisa Utzschneider
Youth-focused digital education company Year13 has announced the appointment of several former Atlassian executives to senior leadership roles, marking a major step in its strategy to become a fully AI-native platform and expand into international markets.
Pirow Cronje has joined Year13 as Head of Operations. He brings a decade of experience at Atlassian, including leadership roles across financial planning, product strategy, and customer analytics. Cronje was involved in Atlassian’s IPO preparations and go-to-market planning. At Year13, he will oversee the company’s operations and support the integration of AI across its technology and commercial platforms.
Year13’s transformation into an AI-native platform is being led by a series of new initiatives designed to support young people navigating life after school.
Central to this strategy is the launch of “Career Coach”, an AI-powered tool offering personalised career guidance.
Developed in partnership with Microsoft and piloted in North Carolina, the tool draws on individual and labour market data to provide tailored recommendations. It is slated for rollout across Australia and internationally by 2025.
The platform’s AI capabilities are further reinforced by its collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG on the AI Amplified program, which introduces students to emerging technologies such as large language models.
Year 13’s AI Amplified Program
More than 10,000 modules have been completed since the program’s inception, with a target of 50,000 completions this year.
“We’re thrilled to have Pirow join the team as we are reimagining the business to have an AI-first product stack and expand our offering into global markets,” said Will Stubley, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Year13.
Will Stubley, Year13 Co-Founder
Cronje’s appointment follows the recent onboarding of former Atlassian product and engineering leads Nick Menere and Mark “Chai” Chaimungkalanot.
The pair are leading Year13’s redevelopment of its digital tools, including an AI Agent program that offers students round-the-clock personalised support. The tool is currently in beta testing.
According to Stubley, the shift toward AI enables the company to build more agile systems and offer tailored services to students navigating post-school life. “AI allows us to catapult ideas further than we imagine. We can move faster, build smarter and personalise the support we provide,” he said.
Founded to support Australian students in their school-to-work transitions, Year13 combines digital learning tools, career guidance, and partnerships with education providers and employers. The company’s flagship products include its e-learning Academy and Virtual Work Experience programs.
“This is an essential time for us as we continue to enhance our tech solutions and expand our footprint into international markets,” Stubley added.
Nexxen has introduced a generative AI-driven assistant within its Nexxen Discovery insights tool, aimed at simplifying the transition from audience analysis to campaign execution. Dubbed nexAI, the feature is part of Nexxen’s latest upgrade to its data platform and is now live for clients including LG Ad Solutions.
The AI-powered user interface leverages generative technology to automate audience profiling, strategy development, and activation processes.
This includes instant generation of market research summaries, campaign presentations, and actionable strategies that feed directly into Nexxen’s demand-side platform (DSP).
“The Nexxen Data Platform has always been powered by advanced machine learning.” said Karim Rayes, Chief Product Officer at Nexxen. “With the introduction of generative AI and the nexAI Discovery assistant, we’re taking that foundation to the next level… removing friction from the entire workflow, enabling advertisers and agencies to move from insights to activation faster, smarter and with greater confidence.”
Karim Rayes, Chief Product Officer, Nexxen.
Key benefits of nexAI include shortened insight development timelines, easier access to Nexxen’s proprietary behavioural datasets, and streamlined activation capabilities.
Nexxen describes it as a tool that turns “complex datasets into clear, strategic guidance in an instant.”
LG Ad Solutions is one of the first adopters of the upgraded platform. The company is uploading its first-party data to Nexxen and combining it with contextual data from Discovery to identify audience trends and consumption behaviours. This integration supports the development of pre-campaign insights and media strategies.
“At LG Ad Solutions, we’re focused on translating data into real-world impact,” said Ioanna Protogiannis, Senior Director, Measurement and Reporting Solutions at LG Ad Solutions. “nexAI’s integration of generative AI into audience discovery marks a meaningful evolution — giving our teams the ability to surface insights faster and with greater clarity.”
The enhanced Nexxen Discovery tool interprets user behaviour across digital, social, and TV on-demand content, enabling brands to build multi-dimensional views of their audiences.
The new generative AI capability allows advertisers to produce audience reports that include brand share of voice, sentiment analysis, and tailored recommendations using only minimal input.
SLIK has named Kim Verbrugghe as its new Managing Director, strengthening its leadership team as the agency expands its offering in creative, technology and customer experience.
Verbrugghe will be responsible for guiding the agency’s strategic direction, with a focus on scaling operations, refining its client offering, and integrating services such as AI, innovation programs, and customer experience strategy.
She joins during a period of growth for the independent agency, which recently opened a Melbourne office to support increased demand.
In a joint statement, SLIK co-founders Kyle Bennett and Cooper LaPlanche said the appointment supports their long-term plan to remain responsive to shifting client needs, particularly as technology continues to reshape marketing delivery.
“As traditional network agencies reconfigure, we’ve designed our model to stay adaptable and focus on client value. Kim brings the experience needed to help grow that model in line with what our partners need next.”
They noted that clients are increasingly seeking help navigating new technologies, including AI, and are looking for practical support across innovation, execution and capability building.
Verbrugghe joins with more than 15 years of experience across agency and consultancy roles. She has held senior positions at firms including Deepend, Orchard, and BCG X.ventures, and has led strategy, product, and experience design for a wide range of Australian clients.
Her portfolio includes work for brands such as ALDI, Qantas, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, Hyundai, HOYTS, and Merlin Entertainments. She has overseen customer experience and innovation teams, launched digital products and services, and supported businesses undergoing change.
Verbrugghe said her focus will be on helping clients address complexity while building long-term value.
“The rise of AI is changing how marketing functions. Our role is to help clients adapt, whether that’s through innovation, better systems, or identifying growth opportunities. SLIK already has strong foundations in these areas. My goal is to build on that and ensure we’re delivering commercial value through both creativity and technology.”
She added that the agency’s long-standing relationships and practical approach to delivery were key factors in her decision to join.
Founded in Sydney in 2011, SLIK works with clients across multiple sectors, including Woolworths Group, nib, Darrell Lea, Nine, Qantas, and the NSW Government.
Following a number of new business wins, SLIK expanded to Melbourne in late 2024 and is now focusing on integrated solutions that combine creative, digital and CX disciplines.
Verbrugghe’s appointment comes as independent agencies continue to adapt their service models to meet client demand for flexible, cross-functional expertise, particularly in areas where marketing, design, and technology intersect.
Australian podcast advertising is charging ahead, and Shopify is at the forefront.
New data from the Australian Radio Network‘s iHeart and Magellan AI reveals the top 15 brands investing in podcast ads across the country during Q1 2025, with Shopify emerging as the biggest spender, cementing its position as a dominant force in this growing medium.
The latest report paints a vibrant picture of podcast advertising’s momentum in Australia.
Not only did overall spend increase steadily throughout the quarter, but March marked a record high for investment in 2025 so far. Growth wasn’t confined to just one genre either: comedy, society & culture, business, TV & film, history, and true crime categories all showed notable jumps compared to the same period last year.
This diversification signals that advertisers are broadening their horizons, tapping into niche audiences while maintaining reach across mainstream genres.
Shopify’s advertising approach leverages the breadth and depth of Australia’s podcast ecosystem, investing across a diverse portfolio of popular local programs.
Its campaigns span high-profile shows such as Dyl & Friends, How I Work, Outspoken, and the 7am podcast, alongside on-demand radio offerings from media giants Nine, Nova, and ARN itself.
This multi-platform presence ensures Shopify maintains a consistent, authentic connection with Australian listeners, a key factor in podcast advertising’s appeal to brands looking for genuine audience engagement.
The Q1 leaderboard includes brands from various sectors, reflecting podcasting’s appeal across industries.
After Shopify, Teladoc Health, Entain Group, and Westpac round out the top four, highlighting finance, healthcare, and entertainment companies’ recognition of podcasts as a powerful channel.
This variety underscores the medium’s capacity to reach consumers with tailored messaging in a trusted environment, making it an increasingly attractive option for advertisers seeking both scale and specificity.
Corey Layton
Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, emphasises the importance of data-driven strategy in podcast advertising’s rise. “Through our continued partnership with Magellan AI, we are pleased to see that advertising on podcasts continues to be a priority for brands, especially those that value authentic alignment and long-term strategic partnerships,” Layton said.
The Top Advertisers report taps into artificial intelligence to scan thousands of episodes from over 600 of Australia’s most listened-to podcasts, delivering nuanced analysis of which brands dominate the space.
The AI-powered insight enables marketers to make smarter decisions, optimising spend for maximum impact among highly engaged listeners.
The move signals a clear sign that podcast advertising is no longer a niche play but a central pillar of Australia’s audio advertising ecosystem.
24 Hour Business Plan (24HRBP) has appointed Vijay Solanki as Senior Advisor, marking a strategic push into the not-for-profit (NFP) and health sectors.
The announcement coincides with a new partnership between 24HRBP and Matchmore, an organisation connecting NFPs with donors and pro-bono services.
Solanki, who previously served as CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Australia and held roles at Unilever, Philips and Shazam, joins 24HRBP to help mission-driven organisations develop focused strategies with speed and clarity. His longstanding professional relationship with 24HRBP founder Andrew “Billy” Baxter underpins the move.
“I’m energised by the opportunity to help NFP leaders scale their impact through strategic clarity,” said Solanki. “Strategy doesn’t need to take months — in sectors like health and social impact, it simply can’t afford to.”
Baxter, who has delivered more than 200 strategic plans through 24HRBP and has held board roles across several NFPs, said Solanki’s appointment responds to a growing demand for agile strategic support.
“Not-for-profits face the same strategic challenges as startups and corporates including limited resources, high stakes, and the constant pressure to deliver impact.” Baxter said. “That’s why we’re excited to welcome Vijay to our team. Together we can help our NFP partners and purpose driven organisations develop practical and manageable business and marketing plans that supercharge their impact,”
The consultancy’s collaboration with Matchmore aims to extend access to strategy services across a network of over 500 NFPs. Matchmore Co-Founder Steve Hirst said the partnership will enable organisations to access “rapid, high-quality strategy that boosts both effectiveness and efficiency.”
Steve Hirst, Andrew “Billy” Baxter, Vijay Solanki.
24HRBP differentiates itself from larger firms by offering a workshop-led model that delivers clear, executable business and marketing plans in 24 hours. Clients to date have included UNICEF, Gowrie NSW, and Canteen.
Solanki said the goal is to create alignment across leadership teams and simplify decision-making. “Every impactful organisation deserves a clear, focused plan — and the confidence to execute it. That’s what 24HRBP delivers, and it’s exactly what the sector needs right now.” he said.
Solanki’s appointment and the partnership with Matchmore are effective immediately.
Top image: Andrew “Billy” Baxter, Vijay Solanki, Steve Hirst
As Thomas Henry writes in The Australian, her remarks, made on Insiders, came as parts of regional Australia continue to reel from flooding that has claimed five lives.
The backlash was swift, with Nationals figures accusing the broadcaster of politicising tragedy.
As Karl Quinn writes in The Sydney Morning Herald, while overall spending has stayed steady over five years, the investment in local storytelling has fallen off a cliff.
In 2023–24, Nine, Seven and Ten spent a combined $1.842 billion on programming, only slightly less than five years ago, but spending on Australian adult drama has halved.
The message, according to Danielle Long in The Australian, is to let the industry lead or risk stifling creativity, investment and economic growth.
Speaking at the Growth Agenda event in Sydney, leaders from the Advertising Council Australia, Media Federation of Australia and AANA responded to growing political scrutiny over gambling, junk food and greenwashing ads.
As Stephen Morris, Melissa Heikkila and Cristina Criddle write in The Australian Financial Review, making a surprise cameo at the company’s developer conference, Brin revealed he’s now working hands-on in Google’s AI labs, chasing the holy grail of artificial general intelligence.
His blunt message? If you’re a computer scientist and not working on AI, you’re wasting your time.
As Danielle Long writes in The Australian, the Tim Tam is already a homegrown hero, but now it’s turning heads in key overseas markets like the UK, US, Canada, New Zealand and Japan.
Chief marketing officer Jenni Dill says the response in the UK has been especially sweet, with sales outpacing expectations.