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Friday 18 December
Goodbye to 2020, hello 2021! What a year it’s been! Read our Q + A with key team members across Bench on their highlights, challenges and advice moving forward. 2020 has been one of the most impactful years in terms of shifts in consumption habits. Read our final channel trends and insights for the year, which includes what we’ve seen across media channels this month, as well as predictions for the summer. IAB Australia has released its December Nickable Slides with the most recent Australian digital ad revenue and media consumption statistics. Also, have a read of the top 5 trends to be across for 2021. Rising indie agencies? Innovation as success? Read the predictions from industry leaders on how 2021 will pan out. Australian marketing experts explain how to prepare for what’s next, and how businesses can feel empowered to face the future. iOS release updates How will Apple’s iOS 14 release impact your Facebook ads? Clearly, the social media giant isn’t happy about the upcoming updates. The upcoming iOS changes are expected to spark ‘a wave of acquisition activity from gaming companies‘. Channels: CTV The future of TV was reshaped by 2020, and this will continue to have lasting industry impacts. TV is evolving by the day. Here’s three ways to make CTV and OTT more accessible. In other news… As Covid vaccines are rolled out, Atlassian is pushing ahead with its policy to work from anywhere.Friday 11 December
Data and privacy Has publishers’ first-party data become a prerequisite to programmatic ad sales? An overhaul of the Privacy Act poses a huge threat to customer data and advertising as we know it. The demise of third-party cookies has dominated headlines this year. As we enter a new era of data, what are the predictions for 2021? In review: the year that was According to Zenith’s latest Forecasts, the global ad market has recovered more rapidly than expected this year. It is now forecast to shrink by 7.5% across 2020, instead of the 9.1% forecast in July. Memes of 2020: Instagram’s review captures the mood of the year. Netflix Australia has revealed its most popular shows of 2020. oOh!media looks back at the top campaigns of the year. Channels: audio Is the biggest podcast mistake brands make thinking, ‘if we build it, they will come’? With the development of RadioMatrix, audio and radio will see continued growth. In other news… IAB Australia is now taking applications for its 2021 Mentorship Program.Friday 4 December
Industry news Salesforce has acquired messaging platform Slack for $US27.7 billion. Verizon Media launches its new unified ID solution, Verizon Media ConnectID, built for the cookie-less future. Channels and social Could Facebook Ads be reaching saturation point? Samsung has quietly launched its TV Plus streaming service in Australia. Betting company Tabcorp has been fined for posting illegal advertisements that encourage gambling on Instagram Stories. Digital advertising: the year that was, and moving forward It’s been the year of the pivot. How have brands adapted their strategies? IAB Australia asks industry leaders to reflect on digital advertising in 2020. SpotX has released its 2021 Global Trends Report for Video Advertising. In other news… Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand have released Aotearoa, the 8th Wonder of the World, a new safety video that promotes domestic travel.Friday 27 November
Shopping season: Black Friday is here! McKinsey charts the rise of Black Friday, and the interest in other global consumer events such as Amazon Prime Day and Cyber Monday. Australian retail brands are keen to engage in Black Friday events to ‘put a marker between the pandemic economic downturn this year’. Payment provider Klarna has expanded in Australia in time for the shopping season. In order to create brand awareness and convert leads during the sales, it’s important to make sure that Black Friday aligns with brand values. Change, growth and forecasting The digital habits of Australians are constantly evolving. Browsing and purchasing online will increase even more during the holiday season, so how can brands connect with consumers by responding to these emerging trends? The pandemic has brought with it a jagged wave of change. This long read explores the ups and downs. PwC has released its Australian Entertainment & Media Outlook 2020-2024. As you’d expect, this year’s Outlook highlights the impact of the pandemic on consumption habits, and consumer and advertising revenue. Channel trends IAB Australia investigates the growth of the Australian CTV market, with a focus on ad fraud and how media buyers can ensure they get what they intend to buy. It’s often said that linear TV is dying, but it’s time to get back to the facts. Introducing Spotlight. Snap Inc. launches its new entertainment platform for user-generated content within Snapchat.Friday 20 November
Brand studies From one iconic shape to four. PlayStation 5 takes over the London Underground. Is your e-commerce brand missing the mark? Now is the time for creative bravery. Think with Google explores how brands keep it real, value passion over programming and engage with experimentation. Ad verification company DoubleVerify is launching a tool to assist advertisers with brand suitability and safety. Summer movement and consumer trends Our webinar Summer Movement in Digital Media, hosted with Foursquare and VMO, unpacked the latest consumer insights and trends in order to understand how marketers can harness the power of movement. Read the key insights. This year the pandemic has introduced huge shifts in consumer behaviour. This year’s holiday spending is up for grabs. Channels: social It’s been revealed that advertisers using Facebook’s conversion lift studies tool were fed faulty data for 12 months. As consumers increasingly turn to YouTube, the platform has introduced audio ads to connect brands with audiences. Parents and guardians can now guide their child’s experience on TikTok through Family Pairing. In other news… SBS has unveiled its exciting 2021 content line-up, including new series and old favourites for NITV.Friday 13 November
Australian tourism, movement and branding Destination NSW and Tourism Tasmania are major sponsors for the annual 52 Weekends Away issue of Good Weekend. Virgin Australia’s new campaign, You Can’t Keep A Good Thing Down, is all about bringing the excitement of flying back to life. A new study has revealed that Australians favour brands that have cultural relevance, and are involved in local culture. Channel trends: Audio and TV Audio continues to rise as advertisers embrace it as an effective digital ad platform. The listening hours for SCA live radio streaming have increased by 30% YoY and unique listeners have jumped 58% YoY. Nine is launching Stan Sport, an on-demand sports package for Stan users, with initial content to involve its new partnership with Rugby Australia. Nielsen is adding connected TV data to its TV ratings currency for the first time. In other news… advertising this festive season Dan Murphy’s has the ‘Holidays Handled’ this season. ‘All I want for Christmas… is a Covid-free Christmas ad.’ This year, Santa is looking to Salvos Stores to give back and to embrace a more sustainable gift-giving approach.Friday 6 November
Social media and the US election The US election has dominated media this week. At the time of writing, there’s a lot of uncertainty, which extends to paid media strategies. Social media platforms Twitter and Facebook have introduced emergency measures to halt false claims of victory as results are awaited. Channel updates oOh! media is using data to showcase a new campaign for Movember, which aims to raise funds and awareness for mental health issues, as well as prostate and testicular cancer. Tourism Whitsundays has reported a huge boost in sales due to a new Wavemaker and Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) campaign, which features Apple’s Siri. A new whitepaper by YouGov explores how the gaming market is thriving amid the pandemic. Facebook Australia has partnered with NAIDOC to launch a new initiative that celebrates Indigenous people and stories for NAIDOC Week, including Instagram Story templates designed by Indigenous artists. Spotlight: Bench’s webinar on summer movement Marketers are now more open to trying and testing new methods for campaign success. Next week, Bench will be hosting a panel discussion to unpack how marketers can rethink plans this summer as trends predict that an additional 600,000 Australians will in the country due to Covid-19. Don’t forget to register! In other news… The Australian Government is rolling out a new campaign, How’s your head today?, to raise awareness about how Covid-19 can impact mental health.Friday 30 October
Spotlight: Bench’s webinar on summer movement Register for Bench’s upcoming webinar to find out how increased movement in Australia this summer will impact digital media. Channels OOH company Big Outdoor has announced its new programmatic capabilities, which will be powered by Vistar Media. Subscription TV service Foxtel is offering a free version of Kayo to attract more advertisers and viewers to the sports streaming service. Shopify and TikTok have teamed up. With the TikTok channel for Shopify, e-commerce businesses can reach new, highly engaged audiences. Industry news: advertising solutions Google announced that it is increasing investment into Campaign Manager as a standalone ad server to combat gaps in measurement and add additional third-party integrations. The Trade Desk and LiveRamp have formed a partnership to allow publishers access to Unified ID 2.0. Buyers will now be able to transact across multiple environments including display and connected TV. In other news… Kazakhstan’s tourism agency, Kazakh Tourism, has used Borat’s famous catchphrase in a new campaign to highlight the nation’s food, culture and scenery. Very nice!Friday 23 October
Channels: TV Seven and Foxtel have showcased their upcoming content line-ups for next year through Upfront events. Australian ViacomCBS executives claim that the new content and streaming assets of Network 10’s new US parent company will ‘terrify’ its local competitors. Mobile-only streaming service Quibi has shut down after just six months. Channels: DOOH Due to ongoing travel restrictions, more Australians will be staying in the country over the festive season. What does this increased local movement mean for marketers and digital media? Tune into Bench’s upcoming webinar to find out. Programmatic continues to disrupt the OOH space as it dials up the ‘wow factor’. VMO believes its automated trading solution will enable marketers to utilise digital measurement in real time. OOH leader JCDecaux has developed a new campaign that uses live timetable data to prompt commuters to access money via MyPayNow while waiting for the bus. Big Tech: Facebook As the US election draws closer, Facebook has pulled 120,000 posts from its site and on Instagram that were intended to ‘obstruct voting’. Facebook has launched its ‘Supreme Court’ as an oversight board to review posts, but as it has a 90-day window to start reviews, it is unlikely to make decisions before Election Day. In other news: retail The pandemic has brought shopping timelines for the festive season forward. How can marketers prepare for the November sales season?Friday 16 October
Channels: OOH VMO (Val Morgan Outdoor) sets a new benchmark in OOH measurement with hourly audience planning at screen level as part of its revolutionary tool DART R&F. OMA (Outdoor Media Association) has launched an industry campaign, Spring into Out of Home, to celebrate the return of people to outdoor spaces. Domestic movement: Tourism Australia Tourism Australia has released a new campaign, Holiday Here This Year, to encourage Australians to support local tourism operators by booking a domestic holiday this season. Flight Centre has partnered with Tourism Australia to release a new campaign using its ‘Wake Up’ messaging to turn attention to domestic travel. Facebook and attribution Facebook recently announced that it will be phasing out its 28-day attribution window, but it now appears they have reversed the decision after advertiser feedback. Have a read of Mi3’s opinion piece on this move. Industry diversity The latest Think with Google Rethink podcast episode explores diversity and inclusion in the industry. ‘Can advertising walk the talk?‘ In an already tough-to-break-into industry, has COVID-19 hindered the advertising industry’s ability to attract diverse new talent? In other news: shopping shifts After its delay due to COVID-19, Amazon Prime Day hit Australia this week. Perhaps, it will stay in October moving forward to signal the start of the shopping season.Friday 9 October
Social and Big Tech Facebook announced that it will be phasing out its 28-day attribution window. Stay tuned. The US House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust has released a new report that includes criticism of the big four tech giants: Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Google. It calls for a more competitive market for smaller businesses. A recent social media census by L&A Social has revealed that the average time Australians spend on social media has increased by 30% during the pandemic. Instagram turned 10 this week! Read how the social media platform is ‘pushing culture forward’ in its birthday message. Channel trends JCDecaux has partnered with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) for its #MySydney2000 social campaign to highlight memories from the 2000 Olympics. Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has launched two digital audio attribution products. SCA Footsteps will measure footfall attribution to provide insights on the movements of listeners, and SCA Soundcheck provides information for brand and campaign effectiveness. TV networks are predicting that Q4 2020 will see a surge in TV advertising, as BVOD viewing has increased 46% YoY since March this year. Industry insights The latest IAB Australia Ad Tech Matters briefing covers CTV standards, trafficking automation and more. It’s available now for members. Christmas will feel a little different this year, and as such, influencers can deliver great value for advertising solutions.Friday 2 October
Ad effectiveness and channels What drives ad effectiveness and attention? Think with Google explores. Global gaming advertising company Frameplay has partnered with advertising platform Magnite to provide programmatic in-game ads. Leading video advertising company SpotX has seen an increase of over 900% in political advertising spend across its OTT and CTV channels since April this year. “Tech years are like dog years, and a decade might as well be a century … But the more some things change, the more they stay the same: Marketers still need some convincing to spend on mobile and in apps.” Big Tech: Facebook spotlight As the US election approaches, reflect on Facebook’s issues with targeted campaign ads. This week, Facebook made a controversial decision to ban a ‘sensational’ ad by period underwear brand Modibodi, as it didn’t fit in with strict advertising standards. In other news: B&T Awards 2020 The B&T Awards 2020 shortlist has been revealed, and Bench is in the running for Best Digital Services. Fingers crossed!Friday 25 September
Data and identity The Verizon Media DSP now offers Integral Ad Science (IAS)’s contextual targeting and contextual avoidance capabilities across programmatic ad buying. “How much should advertising cost by screen and platform?” An Australian beta trial with a standard measurement linking active ad attention to CPM pricing aims to find out. IAB Australia has announced plans to future proof audience measurement in the industry, and the IAB Ad Effectiveness Council’s new paper ‘Beyond the Cookie: Mapping the Future of Marketing Measurement’ aims to help marketers understand the impact of moving to a cookie-less future. Channels: TikTok spotlight TikTok has launched its first Australian brand campaign, ‘It Starts on TikTok’, which focuses on local creators as the social media platform continues to expand into the Australian market. In other TikTok news, the company’s latest Transparency Report revealed that it took down 104 million videos in the first half of 2020 for violating its Community Guidelines. Industry news: B&T Women in Media B&T has revealed its Women in Media Awards 2020 shortlist, and included in the list of amazing women is Bench’s Head of Client Services, Natasha Nuckchady. In other news… “Is 30 too old to work in media?” A chief executive at one of the world’s top advertising agencies has apologised after sparking controversy over ageism.Friday 18 September
Death of the cookie “The countdown to the end of cookies is on. And with that, third-party data will cease to exist. As one door closes, this could finally be the opportunity for publisher first-party data to take center stage.” Learn more. It’s about “re-architecting the entire process”. Here’s how Vice is planning to tackle life after the cookie. Big Tech news Facebook has announced that it will start limiting how many ads can run on a page at any particular time in order to improve ad performance. Technology company Oracle has taken over Microsoft in the bid to partner with TikTok in the US. Channels Nine has announced Audience Match, its new data partnership with Adobe, which will allow marketers to activate people-based audiences across all of Nine’s properties using Adobe Audience Manager. oOh! Media has launched a Melbourne campaign that showcases meaningful contemporary works by Australian artists from art gallery STATION to reach the city’s commuters and essential workers. In other news… Now is the time to start planning your festive marketing. IAB Australia has asked advertising experts for their advice on preparing for the silly season. Actors Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds have paired up to create a hilarious advertisement for Jackman’s Laughing Man coffee.Friday 11 September
Data and identity “In the cola wars, it was Coke vs. Pepsi. In the battle of the coasts, it’s New York vs. Los Angeles. Rap? Tupac vs. Biggie. And of course, Google vs. Facebook in the battle for identity supremacy.” How can we move forward in the identity wars? Google has introduced Consent Mode to help advertisers effectively measure conversions, without compromising on user consent choices. According to new research, 55% of Australians have viewed Google’s campaign against the proposed News Media Bargaining Code on its homepage. IAB Australia has released its latest Digital Device and Usage Report. Channels This month, OOH leader JCDecaux is using VR technology to continue the conversation for R U OK? day. Music consumption is surging globally on connected TVs, and now, music video streaming service Vevo is available on Telstra TV. Consumers COVID-19 has altered how consumers behave across all aspects of life, and marketers must engage with this shift. In other news… At Bench, we understand the importance of mental health in and outside the workplace, and that a simple conversation can be life-changing. For this year’s R U OK? day, the theme is, “There’s more to say after R U OK?”. It can be as simple as showing support by starting a conversation.Friday 4 September
Big Tech: Facebook and Apple spotlight Facebook has caused a huge stir by revealing that it will prevent publishers and users from sharing news on its platforms in Australia if the proposed News Media Bargaining Code goes ahead. What does Facebook’s strategy for the iOS 14 update mean for developers? Plus, Apple is now delaying its iOS 14 privacy rule that will require permission for the gathering and tracking of user activity. Insights and data Global advertising company WPP has come out of an economic low point to announce dividends. What does this signal for roadmaps to prosperity in the wider industry? The anticipated death of the cookie will shake up entire digital marketing approaches. It’s time to rewrite the rules. Webinars Don’t miss IAB’s upcoming webinar on the growth of online retail and e-commerce. In other news… How has remote work blurred our work-life boundaries? “Digital, or Slack, presenteeism isn’t new but thrown into sharp relief now the future of team communication and company culture, without a physical headquarters, is being reconfigured.”Friday 28 August
Insights and opinion Growth in the Australian digital advertising market has declined by 12% in Q2 this year due to the impact of the pandemic. Read IAB’s latest report. Do some ad tech companies create confusion to oversell AI-powered solutions? Channels During lockdown, audiences have gravitated to the biggest screen in the house. BVOD viewing has lifted 48% and it’s here to stay. Snapchat has created new lenses to be used for viral TikTok dance challenges. In other news… B&T has released its Women in Media Power list for 2020, which includes our Commercial Director Esther Carlsen. Nike’s new Mamba Forever ad by creative agency Wieden+Kennedy honours basketball player Kobe Bryant.Friday 21 August
Insights According to a new study, Australians are watching more ads than they think. 51% of ads tracked had “eyes on screen”, which is double the time participants believed they spent watching ads. PubMatic’s latest report on trends in the mobile space has revealed that mobile ad spend is skyrocketing with a 71% increase over the last year, and that publishers are increasingly turning to programmatic tactics. Channels: VOZ The Total TV database VOZ promises the first true all-screen, cross-platform picture of national TV viewing. “But the question remains: will it deliver as the final piece of the measurement puzzle?” Big Tech This week, Google posted an “Open Letter to Australians” claiming that new government regulation will “hurt how Australians use Google Search and YouTube”. The ACCC, however, has accused Google of spreading “misinformation” about the new rules. Read additional commentary here. In other Google news, many of its services including Gmail and Drive were down due to a mass outage on Thursday. Mi3 argues that the “Stop Hate for Profit” Facebook boycott needs a more meaningful and sustainable solution as many businesses “won’t be able to operate for long without switching this advertising back on”. There’s another strong bidder for TikTok as it was revealed that software company Oracle is in talks with the Chinese-owned social media platform.Friday 14 August
Publishers, channels and effective advertising Google is introducing programmatic audio to Ad Manager, which will allow publishers to monetise their podcasts and other audio content. The Facebook advertising “boycott” may now be over for some, but the social media platform is still combating hate speech. “How much time does an ad need in front of a user or viewer to be effective? On average around 50% of ‘time-on-screen’ has no viewer attention paid at all.” “Attentive” seconds may be the answer. Don’t miss IAB Australia’s upcoming webinar on the revenue models available for new and niche publishers with a focus on the role of digital advertising. Data and consumer insights A new report by Almeida Insights has found that 42% of respondents worry about their data privacy but feel like they can’t do anything about it, and that 83% use social media at least daily. “Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Australian consumers have consistently been more concerned and cautious than consumers in countries that were far less effective at handling the health crisis.” McKinsey looks at Australia’s cautious consumers. In other news: rethink and listen “Rethink is an investigative journey into the biggest issues facing marketers today.” Check out the new marketing podcast by Think with Google.Friday 7 August
Programmatic spotlight Programmatic has been the biggest disrupter of digital marketing. And as current trends point out, it’s the way of the future. Read our take on the evolution of programmatic. Google’s upcoming changes to its search ranking algorithm may mean that slower programmatic ads could impact SEO. IAB has revealed that programmatic advertising is expected to reach 68% of digital ad spend worldwide this year. By 2022, 8% of podcast ads are expected to be traded programmatically in the US (double the amount this year). Social media: news and updates Google and Facebook will be forced to pay for news as part of new mandatory code of conduct developed by the ACCC. This code aims to support traditional news media and address the power imbalances in the market. Snapchat has launched a new marketing campaign, The Snapchat Generation, to connect brands with its unique community. Introducing Instagram Reels. The social media platform has released “a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos” in a move that appears to take on popular social media app TikTok. And speaking of TikTok… there’s a lot happening in this space. Earlier this week, shares of Microsoft rose nearly 5% (around $US77 billion) after the company confirmed that it’s continuing discussions to purchase the social media platform in the US. Discussions are still ongoing. Listen: discussions on OOH OOH was arguably the media hit the hardest by the pandemic, but the recovery is well underway. Listen to this deep dive by Mi3 with global industry leaders.Friday 31 July
Innovation and strategy
As large holding groups have shed jobs, many agencies in the indie marketing sector have retained staff. Now, it’s time for them to take on the global groups.
Unilever has overhauled its advertising strategy, and it’s here to stay for the post-COVID world.
The pandemic has widened the gaps between the ends of economic profit. According to this report by McKinsey, “Companies with resilient, future-ready business models positioned to ride these trends have pulled further away from their industry peers.”
Privacy and data issues
Apple’s privacy announcements for iOS 14 have caused a stir recently. IAB Tech Lab lays out what advertisers need to know.
According to the ACCC, Google misled Australian consumers in order to obtain additional personal data to use in targeted advertising.
The Deloitte Australian Privacy Index for 2020 has revealed that 83% of consumers are concerned about their activity being tracked online for marketing purposes.
Sign up to IAB Australia’s upcoming webinar on how the removal of third-party cookies and other identifiers will impact publishers.
Audio and video
In the US, podcast advertising revenue is nearing the US$1 billion mark. Expect to see the Australian market to follow suit, too.
Facebook has announced it’s launching officially licensed music videos for artists, in a move that will present a significant challenge to YouTube.
In other news: Big Tech
The CEOs of Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Google testified to defend their companies’ behaviour and power in the market. Listen to the latest episode of Wall Street Journal’s The Journal, “The ‘Emperors of the Online Economy’ Testify”, for more.
