News Analysis

Competition boss Rod Sims says the regulator is aware that moving to a more transparent pro-consumer privacy regime and the collapse of the third party cookie economy in 2022 risks handing Facebook and Google more market power than they have today. 

In the 12 months since joining Woolworths' in-house media unit, Cartology, MD Mike Tyquin says it's ready to prove the value of retail media, taking lessons from North American players including Wal-Mart, Amazon and Target, and moving on the FMCG ad dollars that go to "legacy media like TV".

Ex-WPP global boss Martin Sorrell appears to have his sights set on Australia once more, with S4 Capital's digital production and creative group MediaMonks scouting for top creative and growth directors in Australia - adding to its existing local martech and CX acquisition BizTech and the launch of S4's programmatic unit here last year, Mighty Hive.

With 96% of his people currently working from home, WPP AUNZ boss Jens Monsees is turning his attention to accelerating the group's transformation strategy and campus model. While industry signals a desire to start a return to work spaces, Monsees is eyeing other opportunities to enhance his campus approach with a 'virtual campus model' and broader plans to save costs.

"No frills" telco Amaysim and its CMO Renee Garner are remaining committed to its always-on brand building strategy, despite the trend to pull and push advertising in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite pausing a major campaign, the challenger brand has looked to online video and social media strategies to remain contextually relevant while also maintaining its acquisition marketing.

Optus CMO Melissa Hopkins says digital advertising and the way brands have collected and used data has forced marketers to become "incredibly lazy". She says the recent "spamming and spraying" by companies throughout COVID is a perfect example of the impact that it has had on effective consumer engagement.

Brands are reporting extreme growth in online traffic and sales, with data from Rakuten Advertising affiliates reporting a near 50% leap in online order volumes in 2020. But Anna Samkova, GM of Digital for The PAS Group, which operates 250 stores and holds the APAC rights for Lonsdale, Everlast and Russell Athletic, says marketers still need to "call a spade a spade" - the COVID e-commerce boom isn't enough to offset retailer's omnichannel strategy.

A world-first, end-to-end programmatic advertising investigation piles more pressure on the stubbornly opaque digital advertising supply chain as Australian industry prepares submissions to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's adtech inquiry.