Australian Marketing Institute CEO Bronwyn Heys Departs
The Australian Marketing Institute announced that CEO Bronwyn Heys is stepping down to become a chief marketing officer elsewhere, with Kathryn Illy named Acting CEO. Heys’ four‑year tenure saw steady membership growth, a revamped brand, and the launch of a digital competency framework. Illy, a former CMO with senior roles at Destination NSW, PwC, Macquarie and Commonwealth Bank, will ensure continuity while focusing on member value. The board highlighted Heys’ role in making AMI more commercially disciplined and future‑ready.
OpenAI Co-Founder Sam Altman Accused of Sexual Abuse by Sister
Sam Altman's sister, Annie Altman, has filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was sexually abused and raped by him between 1997 and 2006 in Missouri. A federal judge dismissed most claims due to the 2008 statute of limitations but allowed...
We Asked a Lawyer to Unpack Jackie O’s $82m Case, and Where It Could Land for ARN and Kyle
Jackie ‘O’ Henderson has lodged a full Statement of Claim in the Federal Court, seeking more than $82 million from ARN Media. She alleges the broadcaster ignored repeated complaints about Kyle Sandilands’ on‑air behaviour, breached the Fair Work Act’s general protections,...
Taboola’s DeeperDive AI Hits 7 Million Monthly Users in 8 Months
Taboola’s generative AI answer engine DeeperDive has amassed nearly 7 million monthly active users just eight months after launch. The tool is live on major publisher sites such as USA Today Network, India Today and BuzzFeed Asia, with up to 17%...
Where to Watch: The Masters 2026
Nine Radio has secured Australia’s exclusive audio rights to stream The Masters 2026, delivering live coverage from Augusta National Golf Club via pop‑up channels on its 2GB, 3AW, 4BC and 6PR apps. The service will run each round from midnight...
TPB Wins WeThinkMedia to Streamline Trans-Tasman Programmatic Buying
The Programmatic Bureau (TPB) has named WeThinkMedia as its exclusive Australian sales representative, giving Australian advertisers a single gateway to New Zealand programmatic inventory across DOOH, CTV, audio and display. The partnership aims to cut the fragmentation that has traditionally complicated...
Curious Nation Adds Two Hires as Activation Demand Drives Trans-Tasman Growth
Curious Nation, the independent activation agency, announced two senior hires to strengthen its trans‑Tasman operations: Christina Crawford as senior producer in New Zealand and Anna Smith as account manager in Sydney. Crawford brings over two decades of global event‑production experience, while...
Aussie Indie Crashes US Podcast Charts, Takes on NYT and NPR
Mashed Pumpkin Productions, a Queensland indie, has entered the U.S. podcast arena with its series “What I Survived,” reaching #31 on the overall Apple Podcasts chart. The show also topped the Documentary chart and placed fourth in Society & Culture...
Seven News Anchor Mark Ferguson Drops Thursdays After ‘Shake-Up’
Seven News veteran anchor Mark Ferguson will no longer present the Thursday 6 p.m. bulletin, reducing his on‑air schedule from five nights to four. Co‑host Angela Cox is making the same cut, while Michael Usher and Angie Asimus will front the...
From Priming to Performance: The Omnichannel Multiplier
Atomic 212° demonstrated that pairing digital audio with programmatic digital out‑of‑home (DOOH) creates a measurable priming effect, boosting long‑term memory encoding by roughly 17‑18%. The combined media sequence drove a 5.2‑times increase in conversion efficiency when retargeted through Yahoo DSP....
Sydney Zoo Appoints Sandbox Media to Its Media Account
Sydney Zoo has appointed Sandbox Media to manage its digital and above‑the‑line media planning and buying after a competitive pitch. The partnership leverages Sandbox Media’s decades of experience in attractions and ticketing, aiming to boost visitation through data‑driven, locally relevant...
Ciaran Davis Exits ARN with $2.17 Million Final Pay
Former ARN Media chief executive Ciaran Davis left the company after a 16‑year tenure, receiving a final remuneration package of $2.17 million AUD (about $1.43 million USD), up from the previous year. The payout includes a sizable termination payment and reflects his...
Sea Cleaners, JCDecaux Target Litter as Brand Risk
Sea Cleaners and JCDecaux have launched Reverse Media Schedules, a model that treats littered branded packaging as negative outdoor advertising. The system blends litter audits, audience data and media modelling to estimate how many people see branded waste and its...
AOOA’s ‘Get Drizzling’ Returns with Chef-Led Push to Drive Olive Oil Usage
The Australian Olive Oil Association has relaunched its ‘Get Drizzling’ campaign for Autumn 2026, running from mid‑March to mid‑May. The two‑month, social‑first initiative pairs paid digital media with short‑form creator content to make olive oil a finishing step in everyday...
Acast Signs Abbie Chatfield Podcast in Multi-Year Deal
Acast has inked a multi‑year exclusive partnership with Australian media personality Abbie Chatfield, bringing her podcast “It’s A Lot” back to the platform. The show already attracts over 500,000 monthly listens and has amassed nearly 40 million downloads since its 2020...
‘It’s About Showing up Better’: Herd MSL and Publicis Groupe Unveil Elevate AI Search Offering
Australian agency Herd MSL, together with Publicis Groupe ANZ, has launched Elevate, an AI‑driven search visibility and authority service. Elevate combines category‑level search intelligence, AI‑optimized content structuring, and earned‑owned authority building to help brands shape how they appear in AI‑generated...
Nine Completes QMS Acquisition
Nine Entertainment has finalized its purchase of QMS Media, adding the outdoor advertising specialist to its portfolio. The deal brings QMS’s 300‑staff network in Australia and New Zealand under Nine’s umbrella while keeping it as a separate division led by CEO...
Are Media Taps Rachel Fountain as Head of Vodcasts
Are Media has created a new Head of Vodcasts position and appointed Rachel Fountain to lead it, signaling the publisher’s accelerated push into video‑led storytelling. Fountain, a former ABC, News Corp, Deadset Studios and Nine executive and founder of Fountain...
Eminem Trademark Fight with Swim Shady Heads to First Hearing
U.S. rapper Eminem, legally Marshall Mathers, is fighting Australian beachwear startup Swim Shady over the similarity of the latter’s name to his Slim Shady moniker. A first hearing in Australia is set for 1 April, while parallel opposition and cancellation proceedings continue in...
Brent Smart Steps Down as Telstra CMO
Brent Smart is leaving his role as Telstra’s chief marketing officer after nearly four years, during which he drove a high‑profile creative turnaround and won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Film Craft. His "Wherever We Go" platform helped lift...
Tackling the ‘I Don’t Watch TV’ Myth
Kath Sroka of Nine argues the "I don’t watch TV" claim is a myth, noting that viewers still consume premium long‑form content on smartphones, laptops and shared screens. The shift is driven by live sport, reality shows and on‑demand series,...
Vogue vs Dogue: Why the Fashion Bible Is Suing a Doggy Magazine
Condé Nast, publisher of Vogue, filed a federal lawsuit in December 2025 alleging that the Los Angeles‑based dog fashion magazine Dogue infringes Vogue’s trademark. Dogue, which began as an Instagram parody in 2019 and launched a print edition in 2021, sells roughly 100...
IMAA Spotlight: Kyle Czech on Building Czech Group and the Indie Edge
Mediaweek’s IMAA Spotlight features Kyle Czech, managing director of Czech Group, an independent strategic media planning and buying agency. Czech emphasizes a full‑cycle approach that blends strategy, buying, and activation under a single senior operator, eliminating siloed handoffs. The agency...
News Holds Attention: Why Journalism Beats the Infinite Social Scroll
In an era of endless social feeds, journalism is emerging as the rare medium that captures genuine attention. Research shows 75% of Australians enter a focused state when consuming news, and advertising alongside reputable journalism delivers 6.4 times higher brand...
Havas Media Adds Molly Blacker as National Head of Strategy
Havas Media has created a National Head of Strategy role and appointed Molly Blacker to lead its strategy team. Blacker, who spent eight years at Slingshot and five at UM Australia, will work within Havas’ integrated “Village” model to drive...
EXCLUSIVE: Karl Stefanovic Takes His Podcast to the Streets with ‘Ridiculous’ Billboard Push
Karl Stefanovic’s eponymous podcast, The Karl Stefanovic Show, launched in January and is now backed by a bold out‑of‑home campaign across Queensland. Partnering with outdoor agency Bishopp, the show’s team installed a series of irreverent billboards that mirror the program’s...
Mardi Gras Drives Audience Surge Across QMS Sydney Network
QMS reported a 9% rise in audience across its City of Sydney digital street‑furniture network during the 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, with interstate viewership up 16%. The Oxford Street precinct saw a 23% overall increase and a...
TV Still Pays Best but PR Now Runs the Newsroom
Television journalists remain the highest‑paid segment in Australia, with 51% earning over AUD 100,000 (≈ USD 66,000) in 2025, up from 44% a year earlier. Podcast reporters are close behind, at 48% crossing the same threshold. Salary gaps persist, favoring metropolitan and government‑funded...
LinkedIn and INVNT Launch AI Skills Sprint Sydney for Recruiters
LinkedIn partnered with experiential agency INVNT to host a four‑day AI Skills Sprint in Sydney, drawing over 270 talent‑acquisition leaders. The immersive event showcased LinkedIn’s AI‑powered Hiring Assistant through live demos, prompt‑engineering challenges, and AI myth‑busting exercises. Participants reported an...
Ex-ARN Boss Lauren Joyce Heads Back to Audio
Abe’s Audio has hired former ARN chief strategy officer Lauren Joyce on a project basis, branding her role as a “Gun For Hire.” The partnership aims to accelerate new client partnerships and steer the company’s next growth phase through high‑impact...
Tubi Rolls Out New Ad Takeover Formats in Australia with Samsung Galaxy S26
Tubi has introduced two premium advertising products in Australia – Thematic Takeovers and Title Takeovers – with Samsung Electronics Australia debuting the formats for its Galaxy S26 launch. Thematic Takeovers grant advertisers 100% share of voice across a chosen genre,...
‘Audience There for the Taking’: Matthew O’Reilly on SCA’s Sydney Push
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) attributes its strong Survey 1 2026 ratings to a steady programming lineup and a laser focus on the 25‑54 demographic. Minimal changes from 2025 to 2026 allowed the network to double‑down on local breakfast shows and locally‑led...
Smooth Surges to Record Highs as Nova Builds Momentum
smoothfm recorded a historic 13.5% share in Sydney, cementing its position as the city’s top FM station. Nova Entertainment saw audience lifts in both Sydney and Melbourne, with Nova 96.9 adding 141,000 listeners and its breakfast slot rising to 8.4%...
BBC Expected to Name Matt Brittin as Director General This Week
Matt Brittin, former head of Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa operations, is expected to be named the BBC’s next director general this week, succeeding Tim Davie. Brittin, a Guardian Media Group non‑executive and former Olympic rower, has long expressed...
Legend Jason Bennett on His ABC Move, Seven & a Rookie Ricciardo
Veteran Australian sports commentator Jason Bennett has been ousted from Seven Network after a corporate rights reshuffle and is now leading the ABC’s new VFL broadcast. Bennett’s career spans two decades, three continents, and stints at Fox Footy, ESPN, and...
Jacinda Ardern to Headline 40th Melbourne Writers Festival
The Melbourne Writers Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary with a four‑day program from 7‑10 May 2026, featuring more than 150 artists across the city. The festival’s theme, Visions & Revisions, invites writers and thinkers to explore imagined futures, personal narratives,...
Vodafone Swaps Product Demo for Moshpit in Samsung Launch
Vodafone unveiled its new experiential platform, “First Night Only,” in partnership with Howatson+Company, turning the Samsung Galaxy S26 launch into an underground live show featuring Genesis Owusu in Sydney. The event highlighted the phone’s 200MP camera with bespoke lighting and...
Casting Guild of Australia and Showcast Reveal First Nations Acting Finalists
The Casting Guild of Australia and Showcast have announced the 20 finalists for their inaugural First Nations Acting Initiative, a program designed to elevate Indigenous performers across Australia. The finalists, ranging from 15 to 80 years old, will each receive...
Amazon Ads and Spotify Expand Partnership in Australia
Amazon Ads and Spotify have integrated Spotify’s premium audio and video inventory into Amazon’s demand‑side platform in Australia. The partnership lets Australian marketers buy across connected TV, display, audio and video through a single programmatic workflow, leveraging Amazon’s shopping and...
Mamamia Out Loud Holds February Podcast Top Spot
The Australian Podcast Ranker, now powered by CRA and Triton Digital, shows Mamamia Out Loud retaining the February top spot with 982,235 listeners. New Demos+ tools expand audience metrics beyond age and gender to include spending habits, travel frequency and...
Australian Podcast on Leadership and Workplace Culture Joins iHeartRadio
Culture Capital, an Australian podcast exploring leadership, accountability and workplace culture, has joined the iHeartRadio network. Co‑hosted by human‑rights lawyer Prabha Nandagopal and BlackCard CEO Mundanara Bayles, the series blends legal, executive and First Nations perspectives to expose the gap...
Oprah Podcast Reveals Twist to Coldplay Kiss-Cam Saga
Former Astronomer chief people officer Kristin Cabot revealed new details about the July 2025 Coldplay kiss‑cam incident in an on‑camera interview with Oprah Winfrey. Cabot disclosed that both she and former CEO Andy Byron were separated from their spouses, and...
CMO Spotlight: Netflix ANZ’s Tony Broderick on Creative Risks
Netflix ANZ’s director of marketing Tony Broderick champions "uncomfortably exciting" creative risks, exemplified by the large‑scale Wednesday Island event that turned Cockatoo Island into a fan festival. He emphasizes a title‑led strategy where bold cultural moments drive broader business metrics,...
‘Dad Was and Is My Hero’: Robert Irwin Opens up to Anderson Cooper
Robert Irwin sat down with Anderson Cooper on the *All There Is* podcast to discuss his late father, Steve Irwin, and the emotional legacy he left behind. The 22‑year‑old conservationist described how he still feels his dad’s presence, especially after...
Scape Student Living Turns Bondi Rooftop Into Live Brand Moment with Noisy
Scape Student Living teamed with the creative agency noisy to stage a surprise rooftop activation at the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. The pop‑up sunset party, featuring live music by Ben Gerrans, sold tickets at three times the venue’s...
Nine Digital Leader Alexander Needs to Depart After 24 Years
Senior media executive Alexander Needs announced he will leave Nine Entertainment after a 24‑year tenure. His career at Nine evolved from ACP magazine publishing to live‑TV roles on A Current Affair and Today, culminating in leading the network’s digital video and social...
Australians Taking Longer to Buy Cars as AI Becomes Major Influence
Australia’s Car Buyer Report 2026 shows the vehicle purchase journey is stretching, with 63% of shoppers backtracking and 34% pausing their search. Cost‑of‑living pressures are shifting priorities toward value, making “good value for money” the top driver across generations. For...
Houston Group Delivers Inclusive Makeover for Plan Partners
Houston Group completed a full brand repositioning for disability services provider Plan Partners, unveiling the empathetic positioning “For you and your care team”. The refresh responds to recent NDIS policy shifts and replaces a corporate image with a human‑centred, accessible...
QMS Adds 24 Digital Sites Through New AOM Outdoor Media Deal
QMS has signed a new agreement with AOM that adds 24 digital out‑of‑home assets and three premium static sites to its national network, effective 1 May. The rollout spans New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, with additional Sydney static...
Has the Ad Industry Stopped Speaking Up? Innocean Launches Cost of Quiet Audit
Innocean Australia has introduced the Cost of Quiet Audit, a research initiative aimed at measuring whether progress on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is stalling in the advertising sector. Partnering with activist group FckTheCupcakes, the pilot launches in March to...
