Did I misread the tone of the SCA half-year result yesterday? After the lousy numbers, it seemed the fight for ownership of the SCA assets was all but over.

Speaking to Mediaweek after the analysts call, SCA chief executive John Kelly said not so.

Kelly didn’t think it is by any means game over yet when it comes to the consortium getting its hands on the SCA radio and TV assets.

“This has been going four and a half months. If we were going to accept this offer [it might have happened by now].

“The two questions we pose are is this deal of value to shareholders and is it executable? Both are still significant questions for our board.”

A key word here is “executable”. A different operating model is emerging between what ARN is proposing and how SCA built its business.

Will audiences warm to networked breakfast shows?

ARN New Co [the proposed new-look ARN that will be KIIS, Triple M and a bigger regional network] will be networking breakfast shows in [at least] the biggest radio markets. A model yet to be proven in Australia.

Is future of breakfast networked or local?

SCA is big on local, both in metro and regional. Kelly indicated networking might take costs out, but there are challenges. “Our model is local announcers in local markets.”

Costs out are questionable too if some of those hosts are getting about $20m a year. Even if it is revenue-linked.

“The value we have created in advance of the offer coming has a significant impact on the offer. Has that been factored into the reaffirmed offer from the consortium? An offer that hasn’t increased.”

Not all shareholders though are on the same page as Kelly and the SCA board. The AFR reported yesterday some want change, and they want it now.

Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody: SCA’s local Fox Melbourne breakfast

Improving value…for whoever is in charge of SCA

John Kelly further explained: “It’s clearly a very complex deal. Not only are we getting some cash, but shares in a new company which has never operated before which will be KIIS, Triple M and half of a new JV not yet in operation.

“We have made considerable ground in laying the groundwork for an improved set of results in the future. We have done $30m of cost out which is more than 10% of our cost base. That has impacted some people and other aspects of the business including technology, contracts and marketing.

“The point we are making – unlike some of our other peers in media – we have actioned costs out and it’s nearly complete. That’s why we have the confidence to say we will improve our earnings significantly in the full year.

“We have only benefited $4.8m in the first half, but that will be $15m in the second half and then another $10m in FY25.

“That is a significant increase in value and earnings in the future.”

LiSTNR making a noise

Kelly also was enthusiastic about LiSTNR’s performance. “We have now completed our LiSTNR ecosystem. We are now utilising our first-party data where we can use it in targeting and that too gives us confidence about the digital outlook.

“We will break even in Q4 FY 2024, just three years since we launched LiSTNR. We now have 1.85m sign-ups.”

While LiSTNR might be about to break even, what does the future revenue and profit line look like?

Kelly: “We are talking about attracting new money. Trailing 12-month digital revenues are $28m. They are pacing to grow by 50% in Q3. We have new structures, new teams and a new way of selling.

“We are now competing with Meta and the other major [tech] players. Part of it is podcasts, part of it is radio, partly music channels.”

Kelly was clearly excited about the digital outlook and he stressed the determination they have about building digital profits.

“We have increased our digital audio client count in the past year from 650 to over 3,500. We are getting new clients who are getting success.”

Market outlook

Kelly wouldn’t be drawn on any Q4 market prediction. “Visibility remains at about 4-6 weeks. I do believe we will see an improvement in FY2025.”

The perspective on what success looks like for the NRL in its Las Vegas “experiment” might is a little different depending on where you are.

Mediaweek is lucky to be on the ground in Nevada where it all seems pretty exciting. That’s not just a buzz created by a free plane ticket and flashy hotel room. There’s real excitement too amongst the many thousands of fans who have paid their hard-earned to travel halfway around the world to watch four teams go into battle this weekend.

The Fox League studio set up on the Vegas strip

There’s plenty of hype…but it’s not all exaggerated.

Foxtel Group CEO Patrick Delany has been actively stoking the enthusiasm fire. Speaking on the site of the Fox Sports outdoor studio before the taping of the first episode of NRL 360, he told Mediaweek:

“This has been a very clever move by the NRL on many levels.

“Every season you need something new to excite people. Sometimes people get lulled into forgetting how good something is. You do something to restart the League. Last year we had the Dolphins. This year, if nothing else, this Las Vegas season launch has caused extraordinary press and chatter amongst sports fans in Australia.

“If you are going to do it anywhere, Las Vegas is the place to do it. It might get lost in Los Angeles or New York. This is the world capital of entertainment. From what I can see we are the big thing here this week.”

Streaming world: Patrick Delany with Julian Ogrin

How much did it all cost?

It’s been called a loss leader for the NRL and perhaps Fox Sports and Kayo Sports too. The NRL put a figure of a couple of million as their exposure. What about the Foxtel Group?

“When you look at our businesses we are as good as the sum of the parts. You can’t divide one piece when looking at profit. When the League comes to Vegas, we are the primary broadcaster with both of the games live. We would not spare the whip. We have a full production team for the games and our shows – NRL 360 and The Matty Johns Show.”

When asked about the mooted global investment opportunities facing the NRL, Delany said he understands the potential of another NZ team. Given the size of the contingent in LA from the UK he is also aware of the turnaround possibility for the UK Super League.

“I often read about these things in the newspapers and then ring Peter for an update.”

Matty Johns with NRL stars for the live audience

Foxtel Group’s biggest week of the year?

The cash register should be ringing this week for Kayo Sports and Fox Sports. NRL now, F1 this weekend, cricket now and AFL next week.

“It is all about getting subscribers,” said Delany. “We have Foxtel subscribers, and we are building traction with streaming subscribers. With Kayo Sports we are pushing into markets who don’t consider a product like Foxtel.

“News like this Las Vegas season launch is what we need to increase peoples’ consideration about subscribing or resubscribing.”

Delany and V’landys onstage

Kayo Sports’ new tier

Kayo Sports recently simplified its tiers and now offers 4K coverage for an additional charge. “These are the first NRL games to be streamed in 4K,” said Delany. “We have been doing 4K on Foxtel since 2018. It took a lot of engineering to achieve this. That’s part of this year’s development plan and there is more to come.”

Real winner in Las Vegas

After Mediaweek spoke with Delany, he spoke with Peter V’landys for the live audience ahead of the NRL 360 record. He asked the ARL chairman what a win looks like for him.

“The win isn’t so much the crowd that goes to the game. We are expecting at least 40,000-50,000 which will be a spectacular result. There’s been a lot of hard work done by Andrew Abdo [NRL CEO] and his team behind the scenes.

“The other success will be how many people watch this on [US channel] Fox Sports 1. It has a [potential] audience of over 100m in the US. We want that to be the start of a game on every week on Fox Sports 1 for the next six months.”

Delany also offered V’landys the chance to endorse Kayo which he accepted: “It’s the new model to watch the game. You can watch it anywhere on any device. It’s the future.”

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo with V’landys and the power behind the throne – Rachel Kramer who runs the NRL/ARL executive office

Las Vegas pre-game activity

For the fans and the industry partners there’s been plenty of activity leading up to the games. Public events included fan events in downtown Las Vegas, Vegas 9’s Rugby League Festival, a golf tournament, and plenty more.

Fox Sports is broadcasting episodes of NRL 360 and The Matty Johns Show from an elaborate set up in a corner of the Hilton Hotel Resorts World compound on the Las Vegas strip.

Andrew Voss has been juggling media commitments – juggling crosses back to his SEN 1170 Sydney breakfast show and filming for this weekly Fox Sports show The Fan.

Happily we also spotted rugby league rock and roll correspondent, author and entrepreneur Steve Mascord in the crowds. He’s in town filing for his multiple outlets and working on coverage of the Vegas 9’s Rugby League Festival for NRL.com.

Paul Kent and Buzz on the NRL 360 set

Paul Kent welcomed back, Buzz jeered

The first episode of NRL 360 for the year was broadcast Thursday night in Australia. It featured the very low-key return of Paul Kent to the show. While Kent is keen to downplay any highlighting his absence, the audience was very appreciate of having him back. When co-host Braith Anasta introduced Kent, there was a big cheer from the audience. Before the episode started, there were plenty of interjections of “welcome back Kenty”. Getting a selfie with the NRL analyst was also high on the agenda for some of the audience as they filed into the set.

Kent’s reception was different to how fans greeted Phil Rothfield. “Welcome back Buzz,” said Anasta. The crowd jeered!

Delany and V’landys with Fox Sports’ James Hooper (left) and Dan Ginnane

Spirit of Hunter S Thompson invoked

There’s plenty being written about the Las Vegas weekend and there’s still two days before the first player crosses the white line.

Nine’s Danny Weidler has gone on the record with “Las Vegas is offically a Rugby League town.” He delved deeper into Vegas week on the LiSTNR podcast Footy Talk during a discussion with Michael Chammas and Adam Peacock.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Andrew Webster is worth reading for his column Fear and mothering in Las Vegas. He invoked the spirit of gonzo journalism:

Amid the excitement of opening the season in Las Vegas this Sunday (AEDT), we’ve read about Papua New Guinea becoming the NRL’s 18th team; the North Sydney Bears coming back; the NRL buying the embattled UK Super League; the NRL setting up its own US Super League; and something or other about the season ahead.

In rugby league parlance, it’s been a dead-set proposal-a-thon.

What is the NRL thinking? Vegas. Vegas?! The ultimate adults’ playground some compare to Vietnam because you never come out as the same person who went in.

Has anyone from the NRL read Hunter S Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? Or watched The Hangover? Or tried to play rugby league with a head full of mescaline let alone count to 21? Evidently not.

See also: Talent airlift: Fox League stars prepare for NRL Round 1 Las Vegas double-header

Mediaweek partnered with Fox Group for the visit to Las Vegas

News Corp Australia has expanded its footprint in commercial content, boosting its stake in Visual Domain to 100 per cent.

The transaction will see News Corp Australia increase its stake in the Melbourne-based business Visual Domain from 70 per cent.

Managing director, commercial content, Mike Connaghan said the deal will add to the company’s fast-growing commercial content business. 

“Specifically, it allows us to provide more outstanding video services to our existing clients,” he said.

“We first invested in Visual Domain three years ago because we recognised video was increasingly becoming a very important medium for not only News Corp Australia but our clients too. Since that time demand for video advertising has grown some 27 percent. 

“This momentum has continued to grow and we can better scale it now thanks to our growing suite of commercial content brands.”

The increased investment in Visual Domain follows a similar move by the company to take full control over Medium Rare in December 2022 and a stake in finance news and marketing site Stockhead in May 2022. 

“Our portfolio of commercial content operations in the form of Visual Domain, Medium Rare, Suddenly and our internal creative agency Roller combined with our own audience networks and brands featuring market-leading first-party data means we can service our clients with the best campaign solutions.”

Visual Domain’s founders Reneece Brewster and Daniel Goldstein will now step aside from their roles. 

Visual Domain co-founders Renece Brewster and Daniel Goldstein

“Reneece and Daniel are great entrepreneurs who were among the first in the market to recognise video’s importance,” Connaghan said. 

“They have since helped thousands of Australian businesses to tell their stories and build their brands, a legacy we are excited to build on.”

Connaghan said Visual Domain veteran Arna Toffolo would now lead the business into the future and help build on its tier-one client base with clients such as National Australia Bank and MYOB.

“Arna has been key to Visual Domain’s success since coming on board almost a decade ago and is very well known in the market.

“We have clear ambitions to further grow Visual Domain’s position as the leading commercial video agency in terms of size, client roster and revenue.”

There continues to be a focus on the business model of the Craig Hutchison-led Sports Entertainment Group which trades as SEN radio and podcasts.

Doubts have been raised in the media in recent months related to continuing losses and its bank loan and its ability to repay that loan.

SEN yesterday revealed in its first half FY24 results it has booked a loss of $1.5m after tax. The company reported the figure includes a $783,000 one-off charge relating to acquisitions and restructuring.

Revenue for the six months was up 8% to $63m. Expenses climbed from $58.5m to $63m.

See also: Hutchy’s sports media empire ‘on the ropes’, as group’s ‘ability to survive’ questioned

Juggling SEN debt

SEN reported current borrowings of $28m with bank debt of $27m. It reported it has reached an agreement with its lender Commonwealth Bank.

Good news: The bank will renew and extend the loan facility for three more years.
Bad news: The new facility is only for $20m plus $2.4m working capital. And the bank wants a payment of $7m in 60 days.

The board said that the group has adequate resources “to support its going concern”.

SEN has scraped together funds toward repaying that $7m due.

The deal to sell SENZ to TAB New Zealand has closed realising NZ$4m. That NZ business “contributed significantly to the recent underperformance of the group” according to the directors. The NZ loss in the FY24 first half was $1.5m.

Will SEN sell more equity in sports teams?

A minor sale of just a 3.75% stake in its sports team business has raised $1.5m. A further $500,000 was raised selling 1.25%. The company calculated that values the collection of teams – Melbourne Mavericks (netball – the latest and final acquisition), Perth Wildcats (NBL), Bendigo Spirit (WNBL), Otago Nuggets (NZNBL) and Southern Hoiho (NZ Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa)  – is therefore valued at $40m. A more significant sale of some of that combined teams’ stake could ease some of the financial pressures. Grouping them might not appeal to all investors. Some of those licences are more attractive than others.

There will be a sigh of relief perhaps with a declaration from the board that “management does not expect any further material acquisitions”. It then optimistically added, “future surplus operating cashflows to be used to reduce the group’s current borrowings”.

CFO quits, internal candidate takes over

The timing was not ideal, but staff come and go.

The chief financial officer Chris Tan is departing for an unnamed “leading global live entertainment company”. He’s been with SEN since it was Crocmedia. While fresh blood from outside the company might have been attractive, the board has opted to play safe with an internal replacement – Trent Bond who was recently appointed as general manager finance.

Tan will finish the renewal of the bank loan and a transition period before he departs.

Two of SEN’s hit podcasts

Trading outlook

The company reported January 2023 revenue was up 6% YOY. It is forecasting FY24 growth in single digits.

See also: Broadcasting milestone: How SEN all-stars celebrated 20 years of sports radio

Cashrewards CMO Nicole Bardsley has left the role to become head of marketing at Uber, Uber Eats, and Uber Car Share ANZ Mediaweek can reveal. She begins on Monday.

Bardsley was at Cashrewards for two years, joining in January 2022. In her new role, she will report to Andy Morley, who last June was promoted to director of marketing of Uber and Uber Eats across Asia Pacific – spanning Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Australia, and New Zealand – creating the vacancy Bardsley has now filled.

Morley said an international search was conducted to find Bardsley, with the recruitment panel struck by her resume.

“The benefit of having a high performing marketing team in Australia – with a reputation for brilliant creative output and a chain of impactful locally crafted campaign work – is that we fortunately attract incredibly strong candidates,” he said.

“Our global selection panel was most impressed by the strategic acumen, brand expertise, passion for cut-through communications and historic impact Nicole has enjoyed across many roles throughout her career. I’m delighted to be able to welcome Nicole to the Uber team.”

Before her time with Cashrewards, Bardsley held roles with Westpac (head of brand, advertising & social), Virgin Mobile Australia (director of brand & customer), and Foxtel (head of strategic planning, marketing).

“Like many marketers, I’ve long admired and respected the brand work that Uber delivers time and again,” Bardsley said of the new role.

“Uber is finely tuned to culture and celebrated for that with a slew of successful campaigns, but what attracts me most to this role is the opportunity to build on a legacy of highly impactful and effective work with this exceptional team.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Uber, and I’m energised by the challenge of continuing to make Uber, Uber Eats, and Uber Car Share front of mind for millions of Australians and Kiwis who interact with the Uber platform every month – no matter where they’re going, or what they’re getting.”

At Uber, she will work with creative agency Special Group, whose Uber Eats work is among the agency’s most-lauded. Most recently, Special was responsible for Uber Eats’ Super Bowl work, which featured David and Victoria Beckham.

See Also: Did Uber Eats just win the Super Bowl?

Bardsley is not the only member of the marketing team to depart Cashrewards recently. At roughly the same time she began in the CMO role, the business named Matthew Poulier – formerly of Westpac, M&C Saatchi, and DDB – as head of brand. In January, Poulier left the brand to become global head of brand and content at Employment Hero.

Cashrewards is the country’s biggest cashback platform, with 2m members and more than 2,000 retail brand partners. In her time at the brand, Bardsley led her team to reposition and modernise the brand, improve the customer experience, and create a new investment strategy.

Last month, it named Lachlan Brahe as general manager of retail media.

Foxtel has announced its new TV technology device, Hubbl, will be on sale from 10 March in Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi retail stores nationally and via hubbl.com.au.

On 10 March, Hubbl will also unveil a national advertising campaign starring brand ambassadors Hamish Blake and Andy Lee. The multi-channel campaign will feature major placements across OOH, TV and digital, and aim to educate Australians about the benefits of the new platform in solving the current challenges with streaming.

Hubbl is a small device that plugs into any compatible TV. The entertainment operating system fuses local and global content including entertainment and sports, VOD, live channels, and the internet into one user interface. 

Foxtel will also be releasing Hubbl Glass – a new TV offering a 4K Ultra HD Quantum Dot Display with 8.2 million pixels, hands-free voice control and six speakers built for 360 Dolby Atmos surround sound. The device only requires an internet connection and a power cord, no other wires.

Dani Simpson, executive director of Hubbl, said: “With 18 global and local apps integrated into the experience, Hubbl will make streaming, searching between apps, watching and subscription management easy. We’re excited to get Australians Hubbl’n from March 10 with a simplified TV and streaming experience.

“With our nationwide advertising campaign launching on March 10, Hubbl will be unmissable. We want all Australians to know that Hubbl is the solution to streaming fatigue and frustration.”

The key features of Hubbl include:

• Plug and play: Watch free-to-air TV with or without an aerial, with an integrated TV guide inside the user interface.
• Single view: See all subscriptions in one view and have the freedom to add, pause and restart streaming apps anytime.
• Stack and save: Stack eligible streaming apps and save money.
• Hubbl Fusion: Streaming and free-to-air TV entertainment fused into one user interface. 
• Hubbl Search: search across streaming apps and free-to-air TV channels in one go using voice or text.

“It’s a very busy time” for Patrick Whitnall. The former Managing Director of Publicis Content, housed within Publicis Sports and Entertainment, became MD of the Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) in November, which held its awards show last night.

Speaking to Mediaweek ahead of the event, Whitnall said the influencer marketing space continues to grow and mature. It is increasingly incorporated into marketers’ overall mixes, as opposed to being left to PR and corporate communications to deal with, which he described as a “big move within the industry.”

“We see that influencer marketing has high engagement on the platforms. Whenever you see that type of success, brands will always follow. Brands want to be part of where you can create connections to large audiences and get better quality engagement,” he said.

Patrick Whitnall and Tegan Boorman, AiMCO chair

What he wants to achieve

While his MD tenure started in November, Whitnall has been part of the council since its inception in 2019. He has witnessed the organisation’s growth and achievements.

“It’s a real honour to take this role on and take it to where we want it to go,” he said.

At Publicis, the content division he led housed the Groupe’s influencer offering. He helped build the offering within the agency and saw its impact on brands.

“That grew into me being part of AiMCO when it started, being the first to join, and going from there. It feels like a natural progression.”

He said that having experience both client-side and agency-side gives him a balanced perspective of influencer marketing, from working with creators, to seeing the impact it can have on a start-up commerce business, to working at a big agency such as Publicis.

He is most keen to provide value to AiMCO members this year and move the industry forward, including its accreditation, which consists of six modules that take users from the beginning to end of working in the industry.

He also noted that he will spearhead better connections with government departments such as TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration], ACCC [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission] and APRA [Australian Prudential Regulation Authority].

Whitnall also mentioned an incoming guide for brands and talent agents on working with child and family influencers in collaboration with the Office of the Children’s Guardian. It’s a passion point for him.

Whitnall said the work ahead will be a “continual progression” and added, “There’s lots to do, and we’re always looking at trying to bring out research and that type of value to push our industry forward.”

What’s ahead

Whitnall looked forward to the innovation in influencer marketing in the year ahead, particularly for creators, such as the ability to monetise content and the growth of social commerce (selling through TikTok Shop or Amazon’s Influencer Program).

However, he highlighted AI as a space that, while exciting, should be approached with caution as it continues to grow.

“AI is being adopted in so many places, across agencies through to creatives who use AI to help inspire them. I think there’s an interesting dynamic that will be growing from AI influencers generating audiences and where that needs to go.

“Importantly, as that develops, the things that already exist in place are things that we still need to continue to ensure, such as authenticity, quality of content, and disclosure.”

Whitnall also noted that disclosure will continue to be a practice AiMCO advocates as it works alongside government bodies such as the TGA, ACCC and ATO [Australian Tax Office] as the industry evolves.

Whitnall continued that in addition to releasing research reports and holding industry webinars, the organisation will be focused on giving back to its members through member benefits, training and education, and networking events.

“We’ve got a big programme of events coming this year that we’re yet to announce. That our members are engaged in and want to be part of,” he added.

AiMCO Awards

At last night’s awards show, AiMCO celebrated the best of culture, creativity, community and collaboration at Doltone House in Sydney.

In his opening remarks Whitnall praised the calibre of work submitted across the 26 award categories, the influence it has achieved, and the connections created.

Some of the evening’s big winners were Wavemaker, Fabulate, Social Soup, Sling & Stone, and Hello Social, as well as creators such as Ben McIntosh, Jules Robinson, and Bridey Drake.

The Most Influential 2023 award went to the L’Oreal Groupe for its Maybelline New York x HERO social campaign, while the MacFarlane Brothers won Most Influential Creator 2023.

–

Top image: Patrick Whitnall

The Australian Influencer Marketing Council (AiMCO) has revealed the winners of the 2023 AiMCO Awards, which were held at Sydney’s Doltone House and hosted by Alright Hey and Starr McGowan. 

Comedy duo Lachlan and Austin Macfarlane, known as The Macfarlane Brothers, were recognised as the most influential creators, and also took out the best comedy and entertainment creator for the year.

Maybelline New York x HERO: Through Their Eyes campaign, by the L’Oreal Groupe, was awarded the most influential brand/industry nod and also took out the best entertainment/gaming campaign. 

The full list of winners includes:

Brand

• Best beauty/wellness campaign: Milky Foot Spring, Sling & Stone
• Best health/fitness/sport campaign: U by Kotex x Sez, Hello Social
• Best family/parenting/pets campaign: The Athlete’s Foot x Roblox: FITOPIA, LeapFrogger
• Best food and beverage campaign: Krispy Kreme Share the Joy, Sling & Stone (winner), Archie Rose Distilling Co. partners with Sydney Mardi Gras and Sydney World Pride, Archie Rose (highly commended)
• Best home/lifestyle/travel/auto campaign: Uber – Pride Ride, Hello Social (winner), Uber Red Cross, Hello Social (highly commended)
• Best business/finance/insurance/telco campaign: Uber – Young Earner, Hello Social
• Best entertainment & gaming campaign: Maybelline New York x HERO: Through Their Eyes, L’Oreal Groupe

Industry

• Best use of data: Uber x Young Earner, Hello Social
• Best influencer marketing technology/service: Fabulate
• Most effective collaboration/partnership: Uber – Pride Ride, Hello Social (winner), Uber red Cross, Hello Social (highly commended)
• Most effective campaign for ROI: Pepsico Simply Chips, Social Soup (winner), Uber Red Cross, Hello Social (highly commended)
• Best large agency/business: Wavemaker (winner), Hello Social (highly commended)
• Best boutique agency/business: Hoozu (winner), Day Mgmt (highly commended)
• AiMCO Trailblazer of the Year: Emma Woods, Social Soup (winner), Ash Jackson, Born Bred Talent (highly commended)
• Most influential: Maybelline New York x HERO: Through Their Eyes, L’Oreal Groupe

Creator

• Best food and beverage: Princess Honeybelle, Nicole Wade (winner), Places in Sydney Foodie, Adrian Widjonarko (highly commended)
• Best beauty/fashion/style: Jules Robinson, Figur
• Best comedy & entertainment: The MacFarlane Brothers, Neuralle Pty Ltd
• Best home/lifestyle/travel/auto: Bridey Drake, Born Bred Talent
• Best family/parenting/pets: Princess Honeybelle, Nicole Wade
• Best health, fitness, sport: Katie Williams, Day Mgmt (winner), Jeff Malone, Fit for Purpose (highly commended), Gabrielle De Ramos, The Gifted Group (highly commended)
• Best gaming/streamer: Reapz
• Best up & coming: Kat Zam, Born Bred Talent
• Influence for Good: Ben McIntosh, Day Mgmt (winner), Tom Forrest, Born Bred Talent (highly commended)
• Most influential: The MacFarlane Brothers, Neuralle Pty LTd

The 2023 AiMCO Awards were supported by TikTok for Business, Wavemaker, Kitly business, Hello Social, Meltwater, Social Soup, Talentpay Australia, and Tagger by Sporut Social.

See also: AiMCO’s Patrick Whitnall on influencer marketing being taken seriously

Nova 100’s new Melbourne breakfast show, Jase & Lauren, will officially hit the airwaves on Friday 8 March.

Hosted by Jason ‘Jase’ Hawkins and Lauren Phillips, next Friday’s launch date will give Melbourne listeners their first taste of the new show ahead of the Victorian Labour Day long weekend.

When it was announced that Kyle & Jackie O would be making their Melbourne debut, it came at the expense of Jase & Lauren on KIIS 101.1. After signing off with ARN in survey eight last year, the pair’s new home at Nova 100 was announced in early February.

See Also: Jase & Lauren jump ship to Nova, taking Ben, Liam & Belle’s brekkie slot

The current Nova 100 Breakfast Show team of Ben Harvey, Liam Stapleton and Belle Jackson will wrap up their breakfast hosting duties on Thursday 7 March, before taking the reins of Nova’s new national show Late Drive with Ben, Liam and Belle from 6-8pm on Monday 11 March.

Lauren Phillips said: “We’ve been genuinely overwhelmed by the response over the past few months and in particular the excitement of the last few weeks. No one is more excited to be back together and back on air than the two of us. We are counting down the minutes until next Friday. We’ve got plenty of stories to tell and lots of catching up to do. Melbourne, we are back and can’t wait to have a laugh with you.”

Jase Hawkins added: “The response from everyone has been overwhelming and we really appreciate it. It’s added a lot of pressure on that first show and those three hours of work, so I do feel we’ll need the weekend off to recover. Jokes aside, we are so pumped to have our dysfunctional family back together and we can’t wait to get on the air at Nova and catch up with everyone.”

Brendan Taylor, group programming director for the Nova Network, said: “We’re so excited for Jase and Lauren to kick off their show next Friday. In their short time with us so far, they’ve settled in seamlessly with the Nova family and I know they’re going to bring their best show to listeners this year.”

This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees News Corp Australia’s Tom Sheppard and Emily Van Arendonk 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.

Tom Sheppard, Client Strategy Director, Newsamp, NSW Consortium

Best career advice – “Don’t run away from or try to hide your flaws. Understand them, embrace them, and plan around them. You’ll be both authentic & more efficient.”

My favourite podcast/read – The Daily Stoic. As a creative and empath in a high-pressure environment, starting the day with a reminder to separate the overflow of emotion from the logic of the matter helps me to frame and remain efficient.

Current streaming binge – Currently enjoying bingeing through The Great British Bake Off on Foxtel. The calm, friendly energy of contestants and hosts, and the peaceful audio is a bit of an antidote to the overstimulation of the modern day to day.

Leadership hero – Out of left field, but also topical. Andy Reid, Head Coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Leads with intelligence, adaptability to the players currently on his team, kindness and an interesting mix of fun and no-nonsense structures.

I wish someone had told me – Basic financial literacy. Thankfully I met my wife.

Guilty content pleasure – Currently running through the Fast & Furious saga with my son. Enjoying the ridiculous evolution from stealing DVD players from a truck to ‘driving’ a car through a satellite in outer space. 

Best training course/session – It would be a tie. One of the most influential on me as a strategist at Newsamp, News Corp Australia’s Client Strategy and Solutions arm, was Nicole Velik’s Ideas Bodega. Her ideation structures and creative process exercises are still formats that I use to this day. For Leadership, I was lucky enough to go along to a week-long course with John Eales, who helped me understand the difference between a leader & a boss. Not being afraid to be human, or showing you can’t do it all. It takes a team to win, not a leader.

Your mentor – Too many to name over the years, but Daniel Lane was one of my first bosses during my first stint at News Corp Australia 15 years ago who taught me about bringing my authentic self to work, and then how to make my authentic self more professional.

Hot medium or show – If you haven’t seen The Rehearsal, you’re not interested enough in human behaviour. 

Favourite media event – A little (maybe a lot) biassed, but The Growth Distillery workshop events scheduled for 2024.  A dedicated research and intelligence offering available to brands, businesses and industries. Inspired customer thinking, created by diverse thinkers, and delivered through engaging and interactive workshops that fuels growth strategies for customer-focused businesses… Now that’s a pitch. 

Wish I’d done that – A little old now, but the P&G Superbowl ads for Tide were my favourite creative activation of the last few years. Subverting expectations, appearing to be advertising various consumer products, only to reveal that, in fact, it was a Tide ad. The way it played with people’s minds for a 5 hour commercial broadcast was an amazing example of taking a somewhat tired format (albeit with mass scale) and turning it into 5 hours of brand engagement.

Career goal for 2024 – Find my balance between achieving goals in senior leadership & being dedicated to the craft of strategy. I’m sure there’s a perfect balance/venn diagram between the two, and it’s my mission this year to find it.

Emily Van Arendonk, Strategy Manager, Newsamp, NSW Consortium

Best career advice – Figure out how to make your differences your superpower. Don’t hide behind normative thinking, embrace how your mind works and make that part of your unique style. It will go further than trying to mimic those around you ever will.  

My favourite podcast/read – I’m an absolute book nerd, always losing myself into the world of words. Atonement is a book I wish I could read over and over again but one that broke my heart. A true must-read. For work though I really enjoyed Start with Why by Simon Sinek. 

Current streaming binge – I’ve been loving the True Detective series on Binge. Nothing like a little bit of mystery crime to help stop the stream of work thoughts.  

Leadership hero – Steven Bartlett (insert watch this space #TheGrowthDistillery). He’s a leader who keeps his values central to the way he manages his business and builds his career. He doesn’t bend in the way the industry expects of a CEO and it’s that ability to shift expectations and succeed that I look up to. Being different, to be better. 

I wish someone had told me – There is no perfect process to strategy. Find the way that works for you, edit and adapt as you grow. 

Guilty content pleasure – It’s embarrassing how many times I have rewatched Friends…

Best training course/session – You can make anything a learning opportunity, I’m focused on holding a Growth mindset, being aware and listening to your weaknesses and seeking out opportunities to build on your ability. Whether it be applying to an esteemed course or speaking to your peers and organising learning sessions, everywhere can offer you experience and growth. 

Your mentor – I’ve had the privilege of collecting a range of mentors across my career. From working with Kathryn Kennedy from Beiersdorf when I first finished my undergrad to being paired with Gai Le Roy from the IAB mentorship program. Now I can call many people at my work a mentor including Head of Strategy & Solutions, Newsamp NSW Consortium, Danica Robinson and Client Strategy Director, Newsamp, Tom Sheppard. As a young woman still building her career I see mentorship as paramount to creating a career you’re proud of and opening doors you would never have known were there. 

Hot medium or show – I’m loving podcasts at the moment! From She’s on the Money, to anything from Shameless media, podcasting is filling my day!

Favourite media event – I was able to attend the SXSW event in Sydney last year and it was a stand out. As someone obsessed with creativity, the range of talks and panels was amazing. I’m hoping it returns again this year. 

Wish I’d done that – Written a book. Always obsessed with writing but never finished it… Maybe one day my draft will see the light of day. 

Career goal for 2024 – Start sharing more of the knowledge and skills I have had the ability to learn and build. It brings me so much joy to share and mentor, helping others find confidence in their abilities and approach a new way of thinking. I hope I can help others build their strategic thinking and #AuthenticEdge. 

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

For past editions of Meeting of the Minds see here

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Top Image: Tom Sheppard and Emily Van Arendonk

Award-winning global children’s audio storytelling brand Tonies has selected 303 MullenLowe as its integrated trans-Tasman agency of record, marking its entry into the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2024. 

303 MullenLowe will oversee all local marketing activities for Tonies, including strategy, creative, brand positioning, social media, public relations, influencer partnerships, content creation, events, and production.

See also: 303 MullenLowe taps Akkomplice’s Sara Oteri to lead Perth creative team as Damian Royce departs

Tonies market lead for Australia and New Zealand, Ulrike Becker said: “We were impressed by 303 MullenLowe’s breadth of capabilities and felt a strong cultural fit.

“We’re looking forward to working with a team that truly understands our brand and audience, and that can provide all our marketing requirements under one roof.”

While Karen Coleman, managing director of 303 MullenLowe Sydney, added: “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Tonies as it brings its outstanding children’s audio system into the local market, and into Australian and New Zealand homes.

“Launching into a new market takes a range of capabilities and we are delighted to be able to offer Tonies a fully integrated offering.

“It’s an outstanding product and with local know-how, Tonies will no doubt become a brand that resonates with parents and children alike here in Australia and New Zealand as it has done around the globe.”

The win is the first since 303 MullenLowe Sydney announced a restructuring of its senior leadership team, with Joanna Gray promoted to the newly established position of Sydney chief executive officer, and Coleman appointed as Sydney managing director.

The multi-disciplined agency lists the decision reflects its strategic direction to expand its services by seizing opportunities across the trans-Tasman market.

Attivo Group, the New Zealand-based marketing services company that owns 303 MullenLowe in Australia, reported last year it would be continuing its international expansion plans by acquiring US advertising agencies Deutsch New York and Hill Holliday. 

See also: 303 MullenLowe Sydney names Joanna Gray CEO, Karen Coleman MD in leadership restructure

News Corp’s news.com.au has launched its About Bloody Time campaign, a week-long editorial push for longer, Medicare-funded consultations for endometriosis diagnosis and treatment.

In February 2024, news.com.au conducted a reader survey of more than 1700 endometriosis sufferers. The results paint a picture that involves being denied pain medication, labelled as drama queens, and referred for psychiatric assessment by doctors dismissing period pain caused by endometriosis.

Whilst half of respondents had made the decision not to tell their workplaces about their diagnosis, more than 83% had taken time off work due to the pain.

The survey found that 34% of respondents had undergone more than two surgeries for endometriosis, with 7.4% reporting over seven surgeries.

News Corp found that 52.2% of respondents have spent more than $5000 on their treatment, including 71 respondents who reported having spent over $100,000.

The campaign will feature interviews with high-profile sufferers, women from rural and regional Australia, as well as experts, researchers, and doctors. A consumer marketing campaign will support About Bloody Time, with promotion across print, digital, radio and social channels. 

Ultimately, the campaign will encourage Australians to sign a petition calling for better Medicare funding, and to use the petition to encourage legislators to add a Medicare item number – to help more women be diagnosed sooner.

News.com.au editor Kerry Warren said: “One million Australian women have spent an average of seven years of their lives being told their endometriosis, a condition that causes chronic pain and infertility, is just bad period pain – take some pain relief and harden up. 

“But endo is not just bad period pain. It’s a chronic, often lifelong condition, and there is no cure. It affects every part of a woman’s life, from relationships and work to their ability to start a family. 

“But getting help is hard – for women from rural and regional Australia, it’s almost impossible. 

“The current Medicare system pays a very low rebate for gynaecological care, leaving women with two options: short consults that barely scratch the surface of their issues, or huge out of pocket expenses. For many, it’s both.  

“Women are tired of suffering in silence. Of being unable to access appropriate medical care, or being thousands of dollars out of pocket when they do. It’s About Bloody Time this changed.”

See Also: News Corp Australia celebrates 10 years of The Future Series

By Ben Gunn, co-founder and chief revenue officer at Fabulate

I took my 13-year-old daughter to one of Taylor Swift’s Sydney concerts. The Swift pandemonium didn’t just mark a kind of pop culture milestone I have never experienced; it signified the dawn of a new era in media — the Creator Era. In this era, traditional institutions take a backseat as digitally native individuals, known as creators, forge direct connections with their audiences across various media channels.

Swift is ultimately a creator, a brand. And the value of that brand has exploded, as she has had an astronomical rise as a central figure in culture, even being recognised as TIME Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year.

An RMIT professor has been quoted as saying that the concerts across Sydney and Melbourne have injected $558M+ into the economy. Taylor Swift’s ability to transcend traditional boundaries and connect directly with fans epitomises the essence of the Creator Era.

Events and moments like what we have experienced over the last couple of weeks highlight the evolving landscape: traditional media institutions face mounting challenges while new paradigms emerge.

Gunn and his daughter at the Eras tour

Creators across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube are redefining the media value chain. The traditional media model of bundling content shifted to unbundling, with the launch of players like Google and Facebook about 20 years ago, but we are now moving towards rebundling, driven by the influence of creators. These individuals wield immense power, shaping culture, commerce, and community through their authentic engagement with audiences.

Swift’s journey illustrates the transformative potential of creators. From breaking the mould as a young songwriter in Nashville to breaking through as a global superstar, her success demonstrates how creators are disrupting industries and rewriting the rules of engagement. By leveraging their unique voice and vision, creators like Taylor Swift can shape consumer behaviour and preferences, exerting influence across various platforms and industries.

The value these creators can bring to brands is phenomenal. Think of the visitors Sydney Zoo will now see off the back of Taylor Swift visiting that destination twice last week. The media value was calculated to be in the hundreds of millions and we saw creators jumping on it too.

In this new media landscape, streaming TV, professional sports, physical stores, TikTok, and creators themselves emerge as the new centres of the media universe. Brands and marketers must adapt to this shifting landscape by embracing the power of creators and understanding their pivotal role in shaping the future of marketing.

To thrive in the Creator Era, marketers need to rethink their strategies and embrace authenticity, creativity, and community-driven engagement. Collaborating with creators who resonate with their target audience can provide brands with unparalleled access and credibility. And by harnessing the influence of creators, brands can amplify their message, drive engagement, and foster meaningful connections with consumers.

As we navigate this Creator Era, embracing the power of creators will be essential for brands looking to stay relevant and resonate with today’s digital-savvy consumers.

See also: Shae Healey steps up at iProspect as group digital director

Double Parked (iview) is a funny New Zealand comedy about a lesbian couple living in a share house. One of them is trying for a baby through IVF, but after a wild night with their straight housemates, both women end up pregnant.

The great cast includes Antonia Prebble from Outrageous Fortune and Westside (why aren’t these shows on an Aussie streaming service?), Madeleine Sami (thankfully not repeating her Darwin detective schtick from Deadloch), hilarious Kura Forrester from Shortland Street (7Plus), handsome Dominic Ona-Ariki, plus guest star Julia Morris.

Double Parked

Double Parked is the only new show the ABC has this year as a tie-in to Mardi Gras. As the official broadcaster, ABC is airing the parade live (7.30pm on Saturday), but the rest of their Pride programming is a bit lacking this year.

Double Parked part of Mardi Gras week celebration

iview’s Celebrate Pride collection contains the same shows from last year (which does at least still include the must-see Veneno) alongside a handful of new titles like This Is Going to Hurt (Wednesdays on ABC) and Alan Carr’s childhood sitcom Changing Ends (launched in December). 

SBS, who used to host the Parade, appear to harbour no hard feelings over the loss because they continue to curate a huge Pride collection with over 60 titles. 9Now are also on board with a Pride collection, but Seven and 10 are doing nothing, despite having such gay-friendly fare as Grace and Frankie (7Plus) and I Kissed A Boy (10Play).  

SBS is also premiering the best movie I have seen in years, Swan Song (tonight on World Movies). Cult actor Udo Kier plays an aging hairdresser on the run from his retirement home. Jennifer Coolidge is a revelation in a straight dramatic role, while Linda Evans plays a corpse (which must have made her former Dynasty co-star Joan Collins roar with laughter).

Mary and George (Monday on Binge) is a wild new mini-series about some scandalous gay history. King James I, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, is considered to have been gay or bisexual, given the close relationships he had with several men. 

One of his lovers was George Villers (Nicholas Galitzine), 1st Duke of Buckingham, who was pimped out to the King by his ferocious social-climbing mother, Mary (Julianne Moore), Countess of Buckingham.

Julieanne Moore’s presence is enough to make me watch, but the sumptuous costumes and locations seal the deal. More on this in next week’s TV Gold podcast when co-host James Manning gets a look at it.

Welcome to TV Gold: 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: Mea Culpa, Double Parked, Can I Tell You a Secret?, Loudermilk

A Netflix triple-play this week and a quirky New Zealand comedy.
The Netflix productions start with the Tyler Perry movie Mea Culpa with Kelly Rowland as an ethically challenged criminal lawyer. The movie is already #1 on the Netflix movie chart. Next up is Can I Tell You A Secret, a 2-part docudrama about a very creepy UK stalker and how he created chaos for many women and how they ultimately trapped him. Thirdly from Netflix is Loudermilk, 3 seasons of a Canadian sitcom overlooked on Prime and now getting a big crowd on a new platform.
Finally, this week we have another sitcom about two lesbians who get more than they bargained for when trying to have a baby – Double Parked (ABC iview, 8 episodes).

Listen online here, or on your favourite podcast platform.

• Isabelle Silbery grateful for daughter Ruby on Gogglebox 

Nine

A Current Affair

Nine’s A Current Affair put the spotlight on politician Andrew Laming who is stirring up the campaign trail in the local council, bidding for the top job in a Queensland local government area.

RBT

Viewers watched a double episode of RBT titled My Dream and Double Speed.

Australia Behind Bars

One inmate overdoses and it’s up to the officers and nurses to try and revive her; inmate Brittany is doing it tough with her four kids on the outside and a long sentence before her.

World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners

At 6ft 7, Gary Vinter is a convicted double murderer. Now behind bars, he is one of the most feared men in the English prison system. He is a thug for hire, who stabbed a inmate in the eye and gave another brain damage.

Seven

Home and Away

Over on Seven, it was triple the drama on Home and Away! Cash interviewed for a new job while Remi was stuck between a rock and a hard place and John was on a mission to marry. Alf also ran into a shady stranger while Dana got tricked into revealing too much and  Stevie wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

Finally, old tensions die hard for Eden and Levi while Cash balances Stevie’s demands with his own needs and Roo saw red.

The Front Bar: All Sports Edition

Focused on all sports, resident patrons Mick Molloy, Andy Maher and Sam Pang kick-start happy hour at the bar with guest Cathy Freeman OAM.

10

The Project

On 10, The Project welcomed comedian Dilruk Jayasinha to the desk while also detailing the outrage that has taken over Glasgow after a ‘Willy Wonka Experience’ left many parents outraged after they spent $70 to enter a nearly empty warehouse. Actor Paul Connell, who played Willy Wonka joined the panel for a chat via satellite.

The Dog House Australia

On The Dog House Australia, Kelly tried to win over fluff ball Jinglebells while Alessio and Vittorio were at risk of being bitten by an overwhelmed Maltese. Plus Army Major David looked to win the battle to gain Frankie’s affection.

Gogglebox Australia

Our favourite armchair critics sat down in front of the TV to watch Married at First Sight, Paul Hollywood Eats Mexico, Better Date than Never and Netflix’s Boy Swallows Universe.

ABC

7.30

On ABC’s 7.30, the program looked at how former police officer Zachary Rolfe has fronted a coronial inquest into the death of an Aboriginal man. Plus, voters in the suburban Victorian federal seat of Dunkley will head to the polls on Saturday in a crucial by-election.

Foreign Correspondent

Foreign Correspondent looked at how fake fashion is big business. From Gucci to Balenciaga, replica brands are everywhere. The trade is run by crime syndicates implicated in human trafficking and even terrorism.

Grand Designs New Zealand

New Zealander Mark Ahearn and his Australian wife Liz are taking time out from their hectic lives in Perth to build a family holiday home in Abel Tasman. However, their plans soon begin to systematically unravel.

Antiques Roadshow

Fiona Bruce and the team visit Ham House in the London borough of Richmond.

Better Date Than Never (Repeat)

Shy Kento takes on the roller coaster of dating, while Asher navigates the rulebook of culture and religion to find love. Liv and Ben rekindle affection. And transgender farmer Di returns, hoping to find a life companion.

SBS

DNA Family Secrets

Over on SBS, Laura, who was born with disabilities and put up for adoption, decided to look for biological relatives on DNA Family Secrets. Meanwhile, Anthony and sisters Karen and Sally are looking for a half-sibling they believe their father had while stationed as a soldier in post-war Germany.

Australia Uncovered

Anxiety is the most common group of mental disorders experienced by Australians aged 16-85. Could psychedelic-assisted therapy hold the answer to our mental illness epidemic? This is the question explored in this thrilling final instalment in the third season of Australia Uncovered.