Mumbrellacast

18 September 2025 Expert marketer Mat Baxter rolled out a tattoo luxury skincare line, Skingraphica, after finding that popular cosmetic brands didn't supply products specifically for tattoo skincare. He spoke with Hal about the new venture, and revealed the unorthodox marketing practices he's going to deploy for it. Meanwhile, Mumbrella360 2026 has been officially announced. "Catalyst" is the theme for Australia's top media and marketing event, and our head of curation, Cat McGinn, is here to share what delegates can expect. The government has elaborated on the under-16s social media ban, publishing guidelines that explain how digital media platforms can successfully enforce the ban. The question is not so much what's in the guidelines, but what's left out. Earlier, Asha Dooley, the president of Funerals Australia, chatted with Hal about how she goes about marketing a distressing business. It's something no one wants to face, so how does Dooley make it work? Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Cat McGinn a

11 September 2025 Youtube marked its 20th birthday by gathering 600 industry personnel in Sydney and dazzling them with its own version of a TV upfront. The video streaming platform shared its latest products with the crowd, and Hal was there to see if it was all worth it. The latest radio ratings are in, and Nine Radio climbed back in Melbourne. Kyle and Jackie O have also gained some ground in the Victorian city. We go over the results to see who's currently on top. In this week's Upfronts season, Mamamia announced a refreshed strategy spanning shows and written content. We examine the network's stated strategy shift to a "house of brands". Meanwhile, Omnicom's Eleven has officially absorbed Mango Communications Sydney, and TBWA named Kimberlee Wells as its Australian CEO. Freelance journalist and old friend of the show, Lauren McNamara is back to give a rundown of what happened on both fronts and what this means moving forward. Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara and Nathan Jolly for a lo

4 September 2025 The bosses of the Australian TV industry flooded Canberra this week to lobby the government for tax relief and to put an end to gambling ad restrictions. Tim was there too, and he's here to share all the details of the event - and the conversations he had with the industry's most powerful people. Upfronts season has finally arrived and SBS is the first out of the gate. We discuss what the country's multicultural public broadcaster has up its sleeves, and if it'll be enough to wow media buyers. Meanwhile, fresh off delivering its full-year financial results, Vinyl Media has made just under 10% of its workforce redundant, including its head of editorial and head of publishing. The media giant described the move as "a small adjustment", but with a looming deadline to break even only four months away, we have to ask: will Vinyl Group make breakeven by its deadline of December? Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes and Nathan Jolly for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbr

28 August 2025 Nine's finances for FY2025 were released this morning, and the combined weight of the Olympics, Stan and Domain helped the media organisation stay upright. But should Nine be celebrating? Meanwhile, rivals ARN and SCA have released their own financial results, while rumours of Nine being interested in buying SCA continue. Nathan is here to break down the numbers and share what SCA CEO John Kelly said of the rumours during their recent chat. The Australian Association of National Advertisers released a report that stated most people say junk food advertising doesn't affect them. The University of Wollongong's professor of public health nutrition Bridget Kelly criticised the findings. Hal sat down with her to learn why she rejected the findings out of hand. Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Nathan Jolly and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

Media and publishing group Hardie Grant has made a major investment in the communications space, acquiring PR agency Keep Left. We discuss if Hardie Grant made the right move, and what prompted Keep Left to sell after 23 years. The country's sole independent newswire, Australian Associated Press, has struck a deal with Google to feed its news into the Gemini app. Does the deal make sense? Meanwhile, Ooh Media released its half-yearly results this week — and the numbers were strong. Tim spoke with the company's outgoing CEO, Cathy O'Connor, earlier. Plus, Nathan shares how the out-of-home sector is performing according to the Outdoor Media Association's latest research. Earlier this month, Skydance's US$8 billion purchase of Paramount made it one of the largest media deals of the century. Now, Paramount's ex-owner Shari Redstone has revealed what she really thought of the process, and the controversial payment to Donald Trump. With Tim Burrowes, Hal Crawford, Nathan Jolly and Abe Udy.

Global performance consultancy Ebiquity oversees US$160 billion of advertising spend for the majority of the world's top brands. CEO Ruben Schreurs sat down with Mumbrella's Hal Crawford for a wide-ranging interview that ran the gamut from agency disruption, to advertiser news avoidance, Elon Musk, outdoor, the rise of Publicis and a personal attack on Schreurs that almost cost him his life.

SBS has announced that its managing director, James Taylor, is gearing up to leave the broadcaster after 13 years to become the boss at Ooh Media. But is it the right move for both the outdoor company and the long-time media leader? And who should replace him? At the same time, Seven released its full-year financial results, and the numbers are sobering. We dissect them to see where the business lost ground and where it may actually be rebuilding. We include a snippet from Hal's full-length interview with Ruben Schreurs, CEO of marketing effectiveness and media efficiency platform Ebiquity. Schreurs spoke on the impact AI summaries will have on web publishers, but also a great deal more -- stand by for the full interview later this week. To wrap things up, we also say goodbye to a certain Mumbrella associate editor and frequent Mumbrellacast contributor as they enter the next stage of their career. Get the latest episode every Wednesday. Podcast edit by Abe's Audio.

6 August 2025 Dentsu ANZ dropped a bomb this morning, revealing that its CEO Patricio De Matteis is leaving the business with the company's New Zealand boss, Rob Harvey, stepping in as his replacement. We discuss what this means for the holdco. News Corp released its full-year financials, and despite declining revenue for its Australian operations, the media giant's results are strong. Hal dissects the major numbers and the reasons for them. Meanwhile, the radio industry has been buzzing with ARN's plans for the Christian O'Connell Show. Nath and Tim discuss the "national live" launch that doesn't seem to live up to its name. Last week, Atlassian's Scott Farquhar called for the country's copyright laws to be changed — a move that the Productivity Commission supports with a recommendation that a fair use provision be introduced to allow companies to use copyrighted material to train large language models. Is this the right move? Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara, Nathan Jolly and Abe Udy fo

30th July 2025 Over the weekend, Google ramped up the under-16s social media ban fight by sending at letter to the Australian government with legal claims for exemption (which it has just officially lost). We analyse Google's arguments to see if the tech juggernaut has a case or if it's shouting at a wall. Hal interviews executive director of media and data at Spinach Advertising Ben Willee about the commercial impact of the under-16s ban on Google. Meanwhile, Solstice Media announced it is acquiring a majority shareholding in Australian Traveller Media — and it's not the only business decision the indie media company has made in recent weeks. Tim dissects Solstice's latest moves and answers Hal's burning questions. Also, a storm of media activity will lash the industry in the coming weeks. Tim gives four clear predictions about what's going to happen. Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

23 July 2025 The restructure of Omnicom's Oceania operations has dominated the trade press this week, particularly with the confirmation that Nick Garrett will be returning to lead the new organisation. Is Omnicom just aligning with the rest of the industry or is there something different afoot here? Meanwhile, Nathan spoke with ARN's chief audience and content officer, Lauren Joyce, about FM station Gold trumping Nine Radio's AM talkback in the Melbourne radio ratings. We break down the latest radio survey data to see who's gaining traction and who's slowing down. Also this week, Tim chats with Private Media CEO Will Hayward about his purchase of rival publisher, Pinstripe Media. Was it money well spent? Nine's $1.4 billion sale of real estate business Domain is fast approaching, and with the broadcaster intending to pay half of that money to its shareholders, we discuss what the company should do with the remaining funds. Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara, Nathan Jolly and Abe Udy for a

16 July 2025 Southern Cross Austereo's chief content officer, Dave Cameron, is leaving the business after three decades, and with the network recently selling its regional TV licence and doubling down on an 'all about audio' ethos, it's made us wonder: Did he jump or was he shown the door? This week has also seen the publication of independent studies from TRA and Cubery that capture what ads Australians find memorable. Telstra took the crown as the "most unforgettable" brand advertiser, and also the most hated. But is hate such a bad thing? Performance PR platform Linkby's CEO Chris Wirasinha – best known for co-founding Pedestrian – says AI is revolutionising the publishing industry. Most notably through the "new world" of generative engine optimisation. Is the media leader correct? And if so, what can brands learn from this? Join Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara, Nathan Jolly and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

14 July 2025 During the Covid pandemic, a serious accident left Naked Communications Australia co-founder Mat Baxter with serious injuries, forcing the agencyland leader into 12 weeks of recuperation — while trying to fill his role of chief executive officer at global consultancy Huge in New York. But the tragedy became a cornerstone moment for Baxter, who now holds an equity stake in Tmrw, a disruptive healthcare start up that aims to revolutionise wellness via data and AI. In this special interview edition of the Mumbrellacast, Mat Baxter reveals why and how he bought into Tmrw and cemented himself as its “disruptor in chief”. Join Hal Crawford and Mat Baxter in this special episode of the Mumbrellacast.

9 July 2025 The Commonwealth Bank has the industry and consumers talking about its latest ad campaign. But it's not just the 90-second whirlwind of a TVC featuring cars, several Matildas, and even a biplane that has captured people's attention — it's the 'Australian first' media strategy leveraging a 48-hour roadblock across BVOD. We break down the work to answer what everyone's asking: how effective is it? Mitsubishi Australia and creative agency Richards Rose spent serious cash to secure the rights to AC/DC’s ‘It’s a Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)’ for the former's latest campaign. Was the expense worth it? Meanwhile, Erin Patterson's mushroom murder trial attracted the world's attention, and generated several media gaffes. We discuss the fumbles, including those of a well-known shock jock. Recently, Hal had a chat with one of Australia's most successful media agency executives, Mat Baxter, on his life in advertising and the future of marketing. What does the Naked Communications Aus

2 July 2025 As of yesterday, the South Australian government has banned junk food advertising on its own properties, a move that advertising bodies are none too happy about. Lauren breaks the situation down — and reveals the South Australian government's sharp jab back at advertisers. Meanwhile, Cloudflare, an internet backend provider, is moving to default blocking of AI bots scraping websites. Some of the world's largest publishers have voiced their support for the move, but why should we care? This week, Tim is on the ground at Madfest — a UK marketing expo held in a brewery car park — and he's sent us some insights into the annual event that brings together more than 10,000 marketers. Following in the wake of her legal victory, Antoinette Lattouf has spoken at length about her fight with the ABC, revealing what it felt like in the court and calling for a personal apology. Join Hal Crawford, Lauren McNamara and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

25 June 2025 After months of battling the ABC in court on the grounds that she was unfairly dismissed from her radio gig over her views on Israel and Gaza, the Federal Court ruled in favour of journalist Antoinette Lattouf. What did the judge say and what does the verdict mean for the ABC? Overseas in the United States, the FTC officially approved Omnicom's acquisition of IPG — a deal that will create the largest ad holding company in the world. Tim unpacks the details of the merger and Australia's position in the matter. Julie Inman Grant, Australia's eSafety commissioner, spoke at the National Press Club in Canberra yesterday, arguing that Youtube shouldn't be exempted from the under-16's social media ban. Is she right? Meanwhile, Google's payments to several small publishers will be ending, despite the parties involved believing the deals would extend to 2027. Has Google gone too far? Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

In this special interview edition of the Mumbrellacast, Hal Crawford speaks with VP of Hubspot Media Jonathan Hunt about ways of finding an audience in a world that has become a lot tougher for content creators. Hunt covers Linkedin's recent push for video and how it has created an opportunity, Reddit as a traffic source, and an AI workflow that can increase subs to newsletters.

18 June 2025 Telstra and creative agency Bear Meets Eagle On Fire won the Film Craft Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. It's one of the most prestigious awards in adland — Lauren breaks down the win and shares an update on other awards the Australian industry has secured. Clemenger Group's changing of the guard continues with the announcement that its CEO Les Timar handed in his resignation after spending more than two decades with the business. Jonathan Hunt, head of content at HubSpot, had a chat with Hal about what platforms are working for content marketing. Where do you go if you need to find an audience now? Finally, the University of Canberra's Digital News Report 2025 found that women are far more likely to avoid the news than men. Is that really the case or is there more than meets the eye? Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

Former Fairfax CEO and Free TV Chair Greg Hywood has moved out of the media world for the first time in 50 years. Mumbrella editorial director Hal Crawford talks with Hywood at length in this interview edition of the Mumbrellacast, covering Hywood's career, the nature of journalism and journalists - and, intriguingly, his view on whether the Nine Fairfax merger he engineered seven years ago has worked. Credit to Abe's Audio for another brilliant edit.

11 June 2025 Two long-running television shows, ABC's Q+A and Ten's The Project, have officially been axed at their respective networks. Q+A is being replaced by documentaries, while The Project is being replaced by an investigative news and current affairs program. We discuss what these major changes mean for Australian TV. Meanwhile, a new Women in Media Industry Insight report has uncovered the key workplace issues women are facing in the media sector. Should we be surprised by the findings? Last week, former Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood announced he would be departing media by stepping down as chair of Free TV. Hal spoke with him about the move — and learned what the long-time media expert really thinks of Nine. Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.

4 June 2025 Last week, iconic Australian adland figure David Droga announced he would be stepping down from Accenture Song. Since then, M+C Saatchi’s APAC CEO, Justin Graham, and Dentsu Creative ANZ’s chief creative officer, Ben Coulson, also revealed they were moving on. They’re just a few among the many major talent movements in the industry — we go over them all and examine the root of all the turmoil. Optus’ ex-digital product boss Clive Dickens is officially setting up his own AI consultancy. With a track record like his, people are paying attention. Yesterday, Hal sat down with Mamamia’s CEO Natalie Harvey and chief content officer Zara Curtis to learn more about the network’s new video strategy. Is it up to par? Join Hal Crawford, Tim Burrowes, Lauren McNamara and Abe Udy for a look at everything under Australia’s media and marketing umbrella.