Powered by Nine’s Big Ideas Store returns for its fifth year, from Tuesday, May 3, to Friday, May 13, and will ignite conversations around brand activism, the power of reality television to fuel cultural change, and why attention will reset channel planning.
More than 15,000 people attended last year’s Big Ideas Store – either virtually or in-person – and director of Powered, Liana Dubois, says it is now firmly cemented as a must-see annual event that engages the industry and sparks conversation.
“We’re now in our fifth year of bringing The Big Ideas Store to life, and clients tell us it’s one of the events they most look forward to. This year’s theme, the Art of Curation, pays homage to the idea that big marketing moments take a village of experts spanning content, data and technology to have an impact and create a ripple in culture.
“Our two-week lineup will explore each of these fields in detail, and really help brands navigate the changing face of popular culture,” she said.
Bringing this year’s event series to life will be some of the industry’s most respected and thought provoking leaders, including MakeLoveNotPorn founder Cindy Gallop; Rose Herceg, president Australia and New Zealand at WPP; professor Rachel Kennedy from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute; Tara Ford, chief creative officer of The Monkeys; Brand + Story’s Josh Whiteman and Paul Chappell; James Hier, chief growth and product officer at Wavemaker; plus experts from FiftyFive5 and Crowd DNA.
Taking over the panoramic 22nd floor of Nine’s HQ at 1 Denison Street, North Sydney, The Big Ideas Store will take place within an immersive modern art gallery that brings to life a number of the themes from this year’s events, Nine’s content ecosystem, and the work Powered has recently delivered for brands.
Sessions will cover a diverse range of topics from sustainability, data with a conscience, and whether marketing reflects the modern Australian family to the power of influencers, how to create an ad worthy of a $1 million prize, how reality shows such as Married at First Sight are shaping the cultural conversation, and the famous Great Debate and Unboxing Christmas.
Brand new research will be released, including how brands can influence cultural and societal change. In partnership with cultural insights agency FiftyFive5, Powered by Nine will reveal the influence that brands have as champions for change and how taking a stand can be as good for profits as it is for society.
Powered has also partnered with FiftyFive5 on a new insight study that explores whether marketing, media and advertising is reflecting a modern Australian family, while in partnership with Crowd DNA, fresh research will explore shifts in consumer behaviour and what that means for brands this coming Christmas.
Upcoming sessions include:
Cultural conversation: The Revolution will be advertised – Tuesday 3 May, 11.00am
With Australians looking ever closer at how brands behave and what they believe in, we are increasingly aware of the role of businesses in society and their ability to influence cultural and societal change. New research from Powered by Nine, in partnership with cultural insights agency FiftyFive5, explores the influence that brands have as champions for change and whether taking a stand can be as good for profits as it is for society.
Australia’s to do list – Tuesday 3 May, 3.30pm
The United Nations has set out 17 goals for Sustainable Development, including Climate Action, Gender Equality and Sustainable Communities. Director of Powered Enterprise, Michele O’Neill, joins Julie Flynn, CEO of AANA, and Rose Herceg, President, Australia and New Zealand at WPP, as they discuss which challenges are the priorities for Australians. What is at the top of our To Do list, how do we go about finding solutions that work for everyone, and what does that mean for brands that want to engage and be part of those solutions?
Blurred realities – Wednesday 4 May, 11.00am
Do marketers prioritise innovation at the expense of experience and effectiveness? Should our focus be on what works now rather than what might work down the line? While the metaverse is driving conversation and experimentation, it’s yet to demonstrate that it can drive serious traffic or engagement for major brands. Why do so many marketers appear to be chasing a dream that few can clearly define?
Technology exists today that can enhance real-life human experiences from sport to gaming to entertainment – bringing viewing audiences closer to the action and enhancing their connection to both content and brands. Our panel will explore how advertisers can tap into this tech, and still keep track of what lies ahead.
Data with a conscience – Thursday 5 May, 2.00pm
Over the past two years, Australians have willingly exchanged their individual privacy for the safety and security of the wider community. But as we move out of the track-and-trace era, and with new data privacy legislation on the horizon, consumers are increasingly aware of the personal information we share, and its value to brands and publishers.
Our panel of experts will debate the ethics and effectiveness of data collection, and whether ethical data use is the industry’s next big challenge.
Buying under the influence – Friday 6 May, 11.00am
From celebrity stars, social media heavyweights, to nano-influencers and everyday brand fans, marketers are weaving a rich tapestry of ambassadors to broaden awareness for everything from teeth whitening, tan in a can and luxury escapes, to beauty products to achieve that at-home glow-up. Despite vast differences in audiences and followings, the influencer model is rooted in a belief that authentic relationships drive engagement and genuine content inspires action. But just how authentic are the brand results they are delivering?
During this session, Powered Studios’ Anna Quinn and Jessica Parry lead a discussion with PR supremo Roxy Jacenko on how brands have evolved the influencer marketing journey to tell meaningful stories and drive business results. It will also explore the challenges and look to what the future holds.
Attention seekers – Monday 9 May, 11.00am
The measurement of advertising effectiveness is an important tool in every marketer’s kit. Brands and agencies consider the quality of audience engagement of equal importance to the quantity reached. In an over-stimulated world, we need to be asking whether a brand’s ad is simply playing into thin air or whether consumers are genuinely paying attention to it.
New technology – including advanced eye-tracking – can now more accurately measure the attention of audiences to ads. Overlaying an attention lens to reach and frequency will help to uncover which media platforms, content and creative best capture the attention of audiences and therefore stick in their memory longer.
Powered’s director of effectiveness, Jonathon Fox, and director of customer value, Rad Kenig, put a riveting case forward on why it’s time to explore paying for attention in addition to buying an opportunity-to-see.
Cultural conversations: We Are Family – Monday 9 May, 3.30pm
Close your eyes and imagine a typical Australian family. What do you see? Mum, dad, and two children? Healthy, happy, and living somewhere in the suburbs? What does a modern Australian family really look like in 2022? How has it changed over the past few years, and how will it continue to evolve in the coming years? And does marketing to families need to evolve with it?
Powered’s Director of Strategy & Insight, Toby Boon, leads a fascinating panel including Klara de Wit, from audience insights agency FiftyFive5, as they explore “We are Family”, a new insight study from Nine in partnership with FiftyFive5.
The Million Dollar Ad – creativity and how to crack The State of Originality – Tuesday 10 May, 3.30pm
Nothing sums up a nation’s culture better than its television commercials, and over the years many have set the creative benchmark high, transcended generations in terms of appeal, and in some cases become a genuine icon of the Australian way.
As we edge closer to the return of Australia’s richest advertising prize, The State of Originality, where Nine offers brands the chance to win $1 million in advertising inventory for the most original ad to appear in the 2022 State of Origin series broadcast, our powerhouse judging lineup unite to offer their thoughts on the state of creativity in Australia, unpack some of the very best ads in recent times, and share some practical tips they will be looking for when it comes to judging the best ad in Australia.
Our panel includes Russel Howcroft, 3AW Breakfast host; Cindy Gallop, advertising consultant and founder of MakeLoveNotPorn; Tara Ford, CCO of The Monkeys; Paul Chappell, strategic partner and co-founder of Brand + Story; Josh Whiteman, director and co-founder of Brand + Story; and, Liana Dubois, director of Powered.
Exposure therapy – Wednesday 11 May, 11.00am
Long, long ago, love was chaperoned or arranged. Then it was trial and error to feel heartbreak or fall head over heels. Now to hook up, we slide and swipe, we bench and ghost. Reality TV, in particular the social experiment and ratings phenomenon that is Married at First Sight, plays a significant role in culture.
It shines a light on dating behaviour, acting as exposure therapy for the masses. The court of public opinion debates the previously unspoken toxicity of misogyny, racism and violence, while being entertained by the human stories of love and lust that unfold.
Join Powered’s Michele O’Neill as she leads our panel featuring Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn; Alicia Vrajlal, cultural editor of Refinery29; and Adrian Swift, 9Network’s head of content production & development, to discuss the power of broadcast to ignite and amplify some of the hottest conversations in culture.
Unboxing Christmas 2022 – Thursday 12 May, 11.00am
Now in its third year, Unboxing Christmas is Nine’s powerhouse exploration of the trends that will define this coming festive season – from retail to gifting, travel and hospitality. In partnership with Crowd.DNA, Unboxing Christmas will explore fresh research and explore shifts in consumer behaviour, and what that means for brands as we plan for Christmas 2022. Guests who attend this event in person at 1 Denison Street, North Sydney, will be treated to a Christmas lunch as part of the presentation.
The Great Debate: This house believes that the media plan is more important that the creative idea – Thursday 12 May, 3.30pm
The debate of supremacy between the medium and the message is as old as the industry itself, and for once will be put to rest with the return of The Big Ideas Store Great Debate. Join industry heavyweights and our host, Tim Burrowes, founder of Unmade, as the house argues that the media plan is more important than the creative idea.
Dark arts of advertising – Friday 13 May, 11.00am
Advertising is often described as a “dark art”, shrouded in myths of manipulation and mendacity. But when you allow the science of marketing to shine a little light on the subject, things don’t seem quite so dark after all.
So if it isn’t all witchcraft, what are the advertising secrets that really drive consumer behaviour and build stronger brands? Join professor Rachel Kennedy of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and Powered’s director of strategy & insight, Toby Boon, for a myth-busting Q&A. We will explore the facts behind the fables and share the marketing fundamentals that prove advertising is no dark art at all.