Category: General

Consumer Pulse December 2024

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WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT

December 2024

The national mood has weakened as feelings of frustration rise; cost of living has impacted expenditure on food-related expenses, while digital subscriptions to news, music and video services are holding firm as ‘must-have’ items are all fuelling opinions and conversations this month.

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29 November - 2 December, 2024

Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip

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Mood of the Nation >

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CONVERSATION STARTERS >

Mood of the Nation

The national mood

The national mood has declined to the levels of May 2024, with a higher net negative mood. Australians are feeling more frustrated and unsure in the current times. Overall, net negative emotions are ahead of positive emotions, following a more positive outlook last month.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Dominant mood indicators

The top 10 dominant moods are a mix of positive and negative emotions. The top 3 feelings are positive, with relaxed, calm and hopeful topping the list this month. Feelings of being frustrated, anxious and stressed are the 4th, 5th and 6th most dominant moods, with a relatively large increase in the proportion of Australians feeling frustrated as we move into the tail end of the year.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Cost of Living

Australians still feeling the pinch

Fewer than half of Nine’s audience are feeling financially comfortable at the moment, although this figure has shown small improvements in the past six months. One in three Australians feel like they are “just managing”, and one in five are “feeling the pressure” when it comes to their personal finances.

Most are being affected by the rising cost of groceries (77%), utilities (68%) and insurance premiums (68%). The rise in petrol prices (43%) is having less impact than this time last year, with 18 fewer Australians saying they are affected (down 18 percentage points).

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Conversation Starters

'MUST HAVE' Expenses

Digital subscriptions to news, music and video services.

Australians cut back on food-related expenses while digital subscriptions hold firm

The top three categories where people have already cut back are dining out/takeaway/deliveries (56%), followed by apparel and accessories (53%) and grocery items (45%).

In contrast, the top three categories deemed as “must-have items” where expenditure reductions are unlikely are internet/telecommunications (66%), utilities, being energy/gas (59%) and petrol/transport (59%).

Despite cost-of-living pressures, digital subscriptions to news, music and video services remain stable in the proportion of Australians regarding them as a “must-have”.

Unrecognised young ordering subscription boxes via laptop. Online shopping and e-commerce.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

While subscriptions remain stable, brands should monitor for early signs of churn or downgrades. Use proactive retention strategies, such as targeted campaigns for at-risk users or flexibility in subscription tiers to mitigate cancellations.

Summer habits

Of Nine's audience under-45s will browse the web over the summer.

Over the summer, Nine’s audience will be spending time watching free-to-air TV (including free streaming), browsing the web and listening to radio

Digital is strong among under-45s (browsing web (81%), accessing social media (68%) and streaming music (63%)) while watching FTA TV will be strong throughout summer for all age groups.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

With audiences consuming free-to-air TV, digital and audio, ensure your campaigns are tailored to maximise cross-platform reach. Use cohesive messaging to create a unified and memorable brand presence.

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Insuring the Future: Balancing Heritage and Innovation in Customer Experience

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Episode Six

Insuring the Future: Balancing Heritage and Innovation in Customer Experience

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Insuring the Future: Balancing Heritage and Innovation in Customer Experience

'Doing the basics brilliantly' in the insurance category

Michelle Klein, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of IAG, prides herself and her team on “doing the basics brilliantly” while providing an innovative experience for customers. 

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Customer expectation

Speaking to Nine CMO Liana Dubois on the latest episode of the Talking Media podcast, Klein said: “The experience and expectations a customer is looking for in your brand or business to deliver are usually quite straightforward.”

She noted that customers want clear information, and the ability to trust that a brand or company will deliver on its promises and provide excellent service.

Escalator theory

Klein explained that the relationship with customers is an “ongoing exchange and interaction” and built a picture of customer expectations as an escalator. 

“Just as you think you’ve defined the ultimate experience for a customer in your category, something changes in technology or the world that makes that expectation go one step up on the escalator. 

“Now you can book a taxi on your phone, you can see the world’s greatest hotel network in Airbnb on a single app, and easily live in somebody’s house without having to ever meet them. Even though we’re in insurance, those expectations of the experience apply. 

24/7 job

“We’ve got to start by fundamentally looking at what we do, what we say we’re going to deliver, and do it really, really well.” 

Dubois acknowledged that customer service “is a 24/7 job” and every touch point and engagement contributes to the consumer’s experience of a brand. 

Klein agreed and noted that consumers now have greater access to businesses through innovative tech and social media channels where customers can share feedback and frustrations.

She said: “It’s trying to think about the life of the customer that’s 24/7 and also digitalised, so adapting your business model delivery towards that is so important.” 

 

Human touch

Dubois pointed out that, unlike her category of media and content, “insurance is low interest until it’s high emotion”. 

Klein agreed and emphasised the importance of the human touch for customer experience in the insurance category. 

She noted that insurance can be a “set and forget”, “transactional and rational” purchase until it is needed, which pivots the customer experience to a human and highly emotive one. 

“I’ve been talking about this quite a lot lately, the conversation around AI and AI-enabling and simplifying and making things more efficient and effective. In those moments, that’s really where you want to speak to a human being. You don’t want to talk to a chatbot.” 

Transparent and authentic

Dubois asked Klein about finding the balance and boundary between leveraging data effectively and efficiently to create personalised experiences while being mindful of privacy legislation, particularly as an insurance company.   

“If people understand why you’re collecting their information and how it’s going to make it better for them, ultimately it’s easier for them to want to give it over to you,” Klein replied. 

She noted filling out forms and saving the information so that it is pre-filled for next time as an example.  

She also cited being upfront and transparent about why this information is being collected, and positioning some of the marketing consent as a benefit, like being informed of special offers or new products. 

“I think it’s really important to create the usefulness around data collection and privacy standards that you are living up to. It’s also about making sure that people understand that a personalised experience is the expectations escalator.  

“When you use Netflix, Apple Music, Amazon, it’s highly personalised to you, and therefore if you can look at your business and say, well, how might we explain why personalisation in our business is more impactful for the customer experience, you can create a net positive, and that exchange becomes more valuable.” 

Dubois and Klein also discussed transparently and authentically showing up for consumers, referencing the NRMA Insurance's broadcast partnership with Nine of the Olympics and Paralympic Games. 

 

 

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Art Meets Science: Can Data and Creativity Coexist in Modern Marketing?

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Episode Five

Art Meets Science: Can Data and Creativity Coexist in Modern Marketing?

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Art Meets Science: Can Data and Creativity Coexist in Modern Marketing?

MMM and data that proves growth vs. common sense and optimising to remarkable outcomes over risk reduction

Mutinex co-founder Henry Innis and transformation consultant Tom Goodwin go head to head on “dirty” data, market mix modelling, channel planning and optimising to backside covering, versus relying on common sense, customer insight, context and risk taking to drive growth. They agree on one thing – but not much else.

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Harnessing data at the start

Mutinex co-founder Henry Innis is rapidly scaling a media mix modelling platform that gives marketers a better read on how their marketing investments are driving incremental growth.  

The alternative, for the last decade or two, has been marketing’s “obsession with shiny metrics” that he says are essentially meaningless. “When you correlate them to the P&L they do absolutely nothing, and that has caused huge issues with marketing’s credibility.” 

Transformation consultant Tom Goodwin agrees that the “obsession with measuring absolutely everything we can” is a problem: “We’re just looking at dashboards, we’ve lost interest in our consumers’ lives, lost interest in the broader context.” He thinks there is “enormous value … in knowing what data to ignore” and not becoming reliant on data to justify decisions at the expense of common sense – and a degree of risk taking. 

Innis says the key to harnessing data is using it at the start of a process, not the end. 

“That is really important. I’ve seen a number of great creative campaigns that tested well, but they didn’t have enough media [investment] behind them to cut through – and that was the fundamental reason why they didn’t perform,” says Innis.  

“It’s very helpful to have that sort of conversation, because it’s very easy to misdiagnose why things didn’t work and then react in a way that probably takes you down the wrong path. So use data to ground you at the start. Don’t use data to define where you go at the end.” 

Data success has many fathers...

Goodwin’s not convinced that mining data can pinpoint why a brand is growing. 

“My sense has always been that there are so many variables, and such poor quality of data collected about things that really matter, that while it’s possible to aggregate it. And while it’s possible to try and control for those variables, it’s pretty much impossible to get much meaningful data in terms of causality or inference or correlation from that stuff.” 

A fabric softener, for example, will be sold into shelf space with some extra above-the-line spend. “They might have new packaging at the same time, a sponsorship of a sports team, then they might have a bit of a price promotion going on. The reality is, you’ll end up in this situation where there are perhaps 10 or 12 different variables. For instance, the economy, their competitor might do a price increase, a famous person they work with goes to prison,” says Goodwin. 

“I’ve been in so many marketing meetings where 25 people will take credit for all of the success, but the moment something terrible happens it’s always the weather’s fault, or the macro economy. 

“Most of the data we get is not particularly high resolution. Most of it is measured in fairly different ways. Most of it’s quite dirty. I think it’s possible to find lines of best fit, and it’s possible to infer things from it, But I don’t know if the quality of that data is so sufficient that we wouldn’t have been better off just drawing upon our own common sense.” 

Innis is entirely “pro-common sense” but disagrees. Across the 65 large brands the firm works with in Australia, data may be non-standardised, but “most data isn’t that dirty”. 

“I agree that causality is really hard to find in in any kind of correlation-type approach, but any kind of market mix model is an observational technique where we’re looking at one week, the next week, the next week, and at what happened in that week, what didn’t happen – things like that,” says Innis.  

“If you get enough observations of something, you generally get a pretty good idea of what’s working and what isn’t . Could you do that 20 years ago with a regression model out of Excel? Of course not. But the world has moved on considerably.” 

Juice versus squeeze

Speaking more broadly – i.e. not squarely about market mix modelling – Goodwin questions whether marketers might have lost sight of the woods for the trees. 

“We can pay a lot of money for extra data, a lot of money in fees for platforms, a lot of money to technology companies to allow us to do new things. 

“We now have all these meetings where we’re asked to present our data before we make any decisions. If you took all of that as a holistic approach and compared it with really good marketers 20 years ago, are they doing a better job? I’m not entirely sure they are, that the juice is worth the squeeze,” says Goodwin.  

“People are afraid to make decisions. People feel like they need to create entire presentations full of data supported arguments to do things which are quite obviously common sense. And I think we’re entering an environment where we’ve lost quite a lot of intimacy with consumers. Instead, people spend all day looking at dashboards and making promises about what the return on ad spend will be. 

“We’re in an environment where any discussion with data behind it looks more sophisticated, robust and progressive. I’m not too sure we should be  confident that those arguments are more enlightened and more likely to lead to successful outcomes.” 

Channel stupidity

But both Innis and Goodwin agree that talking about single media channels versus the plethora that actually contribute to growth is a fool’s errand. 

“The thing I consistently see is it’s not one channel. Advertising is a cumulative effect of many things being active to then change a result over time,” says Innis.  

Meanwhile, he believes the Mutinex data consistently shows the folly of overspending on lower funnel “performance” media to try to drive sales, “particularly when times get tougher”. 

“In order to capture demand efficiently, you have to generate it efficiently,” says Innis, i.e. with brand investment. “What the MMM shows quite consistently is that if you just chase the bottom of the funnel it’s generally a pretty dangerous road to go down to generate long-term sustainable growth.” 

Goodwin thinks music is the best analogy for ad campaigns, with media channels the various instruments that make up the whole. 

“When you realise that marketing campaigns are like music, you realise that quite a lot of the conversations we have are quite stupid. It’s a bit like saying, ‘which is more important, the lyrics or the sound?’” he suggests. 

“Someone says, ‘I think the lyrics are more important, so we should have twice as many lyrics,’ which is ridiculous. 

“So the difference between streaming video and broadcast video [for example] is of no meaning whatsoever. A much better way to think about the modern media environment would not be to think of the media channel. It would be to think of the moment of the context of consumption. Are people sitting back? Are they paying attention? Are they open to new ideas? Does it feel premium? Are they trying to do something? Is it a place where they’re trying to do transactions? We need to think much more in terms of the broader context of the media, not the channel itself”. 

Optimise this

Goodwin continues, saying: “My concern is that, generally speaking, the industry is much happier to make terrible music that appears to have followed all the best practice, appears to have been liked by all the focus groups, appears to stick to the same logic and the same rules of the past. 

“For a lot of people it’s better to do something logically and in a way where they have something that’s not them to take the blame than it is for them to just make better music and to have taken a risk.”

That annoys him. 

“We’re moving towards an environment where we’re trying to optimise for the reduction of risk, rather than optimise to do something remarkable.” 

 

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Nine’s End of Year Ratings 2024

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The 9Network has cemented its position as the No. 1 metro network in 2024 year-to-date, leading across all key demographics and Total People.

The 9Network’s audience went from strength to strength this year, seeing year-on-year audience growth across all screens and for all key demographics and Total People.

9Now continues to hold its spot as the top CFTA BVOD platform nationwide, dominating with all key audience segments and Total People.

Nine is home to the biggest shows
in Australia

No.1 reality television series - Married at First Sight

No.2 reality television series -The Block 

No.1 light entertainment series - Travel Guides

No.1 metro M-F News - 9News

No.1 daily current affairs program - A Current Affair

No.1 weekly commercial free-to-air current affairs program - 60 Minutes

No.1 afternoon game show- Tipping Point Australia

Source: TVMAP VOZ Analyser, VOZ Data 5.9 © OzTAM Pty Limited [2023], NATIONAL, Nine Content, Seven Content, 10 Content, SBS Content, ABC Content, Foxtel Content, 01/01/2024 - 16/11/2024, Average Audience, Reality Television, Light Entertainment, News/Current Affairs, Total People,Total TV, Consolidated 28; Metro 5 city (excl Spill) 9News & Seven News M-F, 1/01/2024 - 26/11/2024, overnight

For the sixth consecutive year, the 9Network has reaffirmed its status as the top-rated network with People 25-54, 16-39 and Grocery Shopper + Child in the five major capital cities, capturing the audience segments most valuable to advertisers.

Furthermore, the 9Network can also lay claim to being No. 1 with Total People across the 5 City Metro for calendar year 2024.

This exceptional performance highlights the 9Network’s dedication to providing unparalleled entertainment, news and sports content that resonates with audiences across Australia.

200722_Nine_Executives_Michael_Healy_0736

Michael Healy, Nine's Director of Television, said: “Nine is incredibly proud to have once again delivered Australia’s most engaging content. The Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics were pivotal to our success, showcasing 9Nework’s ability to bring Australians together for some of the most culturally significant moments of the year. With exceptional, multi-platform coverage, our broadcast set a new benchmark for immersive sports storytelling, creating unforgettable experiences for viewers across the country."

The 9Network’s news and current affairs remains a foundation of our success. 9News, A Current Affair, 60 Minutes and Today have been vital in driving viewer engagement.  9News has become the most watched 6pm bulletin in 2024 across the Metro markets for the first time since 2015. Nine’s flagship news and current affairs programs lead the conversation on crucial issues facing our communities, reinforcing our commitment to independent and trusted journalism.

This year also marked the launch of our exciting new game show, Tipping Point, which has significantly grown viewers and dominated its timeslot throughout the year with its engaging format. 

In 2024, our sports coverage also achieved remarkable success, with massive national audiences tuning in for the State of Origin Series, the NRL Grand Final and the Australian Open. These events solidified the 9Network’s reputation as the home of Australia’s most-watched live sport, delivering exhilarating moments that captured the passion of sports fans nationwide.

Through quality, diversity, and innovation, we deliver the stories and moments that unite Australians, cementing our place at the heart of the nation’s media landscape.

Broadcast Television – Network commercial shares 6pm to midnight - 2024 calendar year (Jan 1 - Nov 26)

Network
Network
Network
25-54 42.5% 33.5% 24.0%
16-39 44.4% 32.2% 23.4%
GS+CH 43.5% 33.7% 22.8%
Total People 41.1% 38.8% 20.1%

 

Source: OzTAM VOZ © 2023, TVMAP VOZ Analyzer, 2024 Calendar YTD (up to 26/11), S-S 1800-2400,  Metro 5 City (excl. Spill), Broadcast TV Total,  When Watched, Commercial Share %

Broadcast Television – Network commercial shares 6pm to midnight - 2024 calendar year (Jan 1 - Nov 26) Excluding Olympics (Jul 27 - Aug 12)


Network
Network
Network
25-54 40.6% 34.5% 24.8%
16-39 42.0% 33.5% 24.5%
GS+CH 41.5% 34.8% 23.7%
Total People 39.6% 39.7% 20.6%

 

Source: OzTAM VOZ © 2023, TVMAP VOZ Analyzer, 2024 Calendar YTD (up to 26/11) excluding Olympics  27/07 - 12/08, S-S 1800-2400,  Metro 5 City (excl. Spill), Broadcast TV Total,  When Watched, Commercial Share %

Broadcast Television – Network commercial shares 6am to midnight - 2024 calendar year (Jan 1 - Nov 26)


Network
Network
Network
25-54 43.0% 36.0% 21.0%
16-39 45.8% 33.2% 21.0%
GS+CH 44.0% 35.6% 20.4%
Total People 42.3% 39.1% 18.6%

 

Source: OzTAM VOZ © 2023, TVMAP VOZ Analyzer, 2024 Calendar YTD (up to 26/11), S-S 0600-2400,  Metro 5 City (excl. Spill), Broadcast TV Total,  When Watched, Commercial Share %

Broadcast Television – Network commercial shares 6am to midnight - 2024 calendar year (Jan 1 - Nov 26) Excluding Olympics (Jul 27 - Aug 12)


Network
Network
Network
25-54 41.0% 37.2% 21.8%
16-39 43.5% 34.6% 21.9%
GS+CH 41.9% 36.9% 21.92%
Total People 40.8% 40.1% 19.1%

 

Source: OzTAM VOZ © 2023, TVMAP VOZ Analyzer, 2024 Calendar YTD (up to 26/11) excluding Olympics  27/07 - 12/08, S-S 0600-2400,  Metro 5 City (excl. Spill), Broadcast TV Total,  When Watched, Commercial Share %

Our outstanding performance extends into the Broadcast Video On Demand (BVOD) space, where 9Now continues to lead as Australia’s No. 1 platform across all key demographics and Total People. This year, 9Now has seen phenomenal year-on-year growth, reflecting Australians’ increasing preference to engage with our content on their own terms — whenever, wherever, and on whichever device they choose.

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Michael Stephenson, Nine’s Chief Sales Officer, said: “The future of television is Total TV, combining broadcast, live streaming, and on-demand. At Nine, we meticulously license, produce and schedule content to optimise viewership across these platforms, ensuring audiences have seamless access to our content in real time or on their schedule. The impressive growth of 9Now is essential to our advertising partners and demonstrates the evolving habits of viewers who are shifting towards more flexible, on-demand viewing options.”

As Australians embrace the freedom to consume content on their own terms, 9Now remains at the forefront, offering a viewing experience that aligns with the diverse needs of modern audiences. With its strength in BVOD, 9Now not only enhances audience reach but also solidifies its position as the choice for advertisers looking to connect with engaged, on-demand viewers.

Broadcast Video on Demand commercial shares
2024 calendar year (Jan 1- Nov 26)

25-54 50.6% 34.2% 15.2%
16-39 53.3% 32.2% 14.5%
0-39 53.0% 32.2% 14.9%
0-54 50.9% 34.0% 15.1%
Total People 48.9% 35.9% 15.2%

 

Source: OzTAM VOZ © 2023, TVMAP VOZ Analyzer, 2024 Calendar YTD (up to 26/11), S-S 0200-2559,  National, BVOD  Total,  When Watched, Commercial Share %

Broadcast Video on Demand commercial shares
2024 calendar year (Jan 1- Nov 26) Excluding Olympics (Jul 27 - Aug 12) 

25-54 46.5% 37.0% 16.5%
16-39 49.1% 35.0% 15.9%
0-39 48.6% 35.1% 16.3%
0-54 46.8% 36.8% 16.4%
Total People 45.0% 38.6% 16.4%

 

Source: OzTAM VOZ © 2023, TVMAP VOZ Analyzer, 2024 Calendar YTD (up to 26/11) excluding Olympics  27/07 - 12/08, S-S 0200-2559,  National, BVOD Total,  When Watched, Commercial Share %

Nine’s highest rating program of the year was the 2024 State of Origin Series decider which recorded a Total TV audience of 3.6 million. It secured a streaming audience of 864,000 on 9Now - the largest for a rugby league game in history.

Our next highest rating program of the year was Game 1 of  the 2024 State of Origin Series, which recorded a Total TV audience of 3.4 million (including 760,000 on 9Now). Game 2 was the network’s fourth highest rating program of the year with a Total TV audience of 3.2 million (including 739,000 on 9Now). This year’s State of Origin Series recorded an average Total TV audience of 3.4 million and enjoyed year-on-year growth of 50% in BVOD and 14% in Total TV.

The 2024 Women’s State of Origin was the most successful to date. The decider saw the highest result for a Women’s Rugby League match with a Total TV Audience of 1.1 million (including 181,000 on 9Now). The 2024 series recorded significant year-on-year growth across all screens: 58% on Broadcast, 160% on BVOD and 69% on Total TV.

The NRL Grand Final between the Melbourne Storm and Pentrith Panthers was the 9Network’s third highest rating program of the year with a Total TV audience of 3.4 million (including 762,000 on 9Now). This year’s NRL season boasted year-on-year growth of 29% in BVOD and 2% in Total TV.

The Vegas Opener of the 2024 NRL season was a major success, recording a Total TV audience of 806,000 with growth of 22% in BVOD and 6% in Total TV.

The Australian Open Men’s Final recorded a Total TV average audience of 2.1 million, with a BVOD Audience of 327,000. The Men’s Final saw year-on-year growth across BVOD of 34% and 6% in Total TV.

The Block - Winner Announced is the highest rating overnight commercial non-sports program of the year and recorded a Total TV audience of 2.1 million.

Enjoying a remarkable 20th season, The Block achieved a Total TV average audience of 1.5 million per episode. An average of 336,000 viewers watched each episode on 9Now. This year’s series of The Block recorded year-on-year growth of 13% in BVOD and 3% in Total TV. 

Married at First Sight continues to be the highest rating entertainment show of the year, achieving a Total TV average audience of 2.2 million per episode. An average of 814,000 viewers watched each episode on 9Now. This year’s series of MAFS recorded year-on-year growth of 22% in BVOD and 8% in Total TV.

Tipping Point Australia dominates as Australia’s #1 afternoon game show, recording a Total TV Audience of 888,000, and growing the timeslot 42% year-on-year. The program has seen a BVOD Audience of 64,000 up 126%.

Nine’s drama series Human Error saw a Total TV Audience of 713,000, with a BVOD Audience of 129,000.

Lego Masters achieved a Total TV average audience of 1.1 million per episode. An average of 163,000 viewers watched each episode on 9Now.

Travel Guides achieved a Total TV average audience of 1.5 million per episode. An average of 212,000 viewers watched each episode on 9Now. In 2024, Travel Guides achieved year-on-year growth of 15% in BVOD and 16% in Total TV.

The Summit achieved a Total TV average audience of 695,000 per episode. An average of 129,000 viewers watched each episode on 9Now.

Big Miracles secured a Total TV average audience of 644,000 per episode. An average of 133,000 viewers watched each episode on 9Now.

Love Island Australia is once again a smash hit on 9Now, averaging over 350,000 viewers per episode on the BVOD platform. Season 6 of the series has seen significant year-on-year growth of 27%. The launch of the season has recorded the highest ever BVOD audience for the program, with 452,000 people tuning in.

9News is the No. 1 Total TV Metro weekday news, and the No. 1 National weekly BVOD News. 9News (M-F) has seen a Metro Total TV Audience of 815,000 (up 10% year-on-year). In the BVOD space, 9News has dominated its opposition, winning every single week of the year. Each night, an average of 84,000 viewers stream 9News via 9Now, compared to 54,000 streaming 7News on 7Plus. 9News on BVOD has grown 73% year-on-year.

Today has also completely dominated its breakfast opposition in the BVOD space. Each morning, an average of 34,000 viewers stream Today via 9Now, compared to 28,000 streaming Sunrise on 7Plus. Today on BVOD saw year-on-year growth of 41%.

Source: TVMAP VOZ Analyser, VOZ Data 5.9 © OzTAM Pty Limited [2023], NATIONAL, Nine Content, 01/01/2024 - 26/11/2024 v 01/01/2023 - 28/11/2023, Average Audience, Married at First Sight, The Block, Lego Masters, Tipping Point Australia, Human Error, Big Miracles, The Summit, Travel Guides, Total TV, Love Island Australia, Total BVOD, Consolidated 28 as at 26/11/2024; 9News M-F (Metro 5 City), Australian Open, State of Origin, NRL, Women’s State of Origin, 9News, Today (BVOD Live) 1/01/2024 - 26/11/2024 v 1/01/2023 - 28/11/2023, Total TV, overnight.

For more information

Terry Stuart
Senior Communications Manager
tstuart@nine.com.au

Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager
amotte@nine.com.au

Contact us for more information on how your brand can leverage the power of premium content on Nine to deliver real business outcomes.

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VOZ and VOZ Streaming: The Future of TV and Streaming Measurement

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Episode Four

VOZ and VOZ Streaming: The Future of TV and Streaming Measurement

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VOZ and VOZ Streaming: The Future of TV and Streaming Measurement

'We changed the way we engage with the marketplace': OzTAM CEO on getting the industry on board with VOZ Streaming

"We knew there was resistance to the change of VOZ because systems weren’t ready and people weren’t confident. There were a number of different obstacles,” Karen Halligan, CEO of OzTAM, told Nine CMO Liana Dubois on the Talking Media podcast. 

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Getting everyone on board

OzTAM announced that VOZ will become Australia’s trading currency on December 29, 2024, following its introduction in January. TV network annual rate negotiations for CY25, which start in Q4 this year, will be based on VOZ Total TV data. 

Halligan explained that the OzTAM team spoke to the agencies resisting the change and listened to their concerns, particularly about the new system’s readiness. 

“We asked them what they would need for this to be a success and how could we get them on board. I think my consultancy days helped. It was a bit of good old basic change management,” she added, referring to her time at KPMG. 

Halligan noted that the feedback has been great and applauded the efforts made by the MFA, its member agencies and leaders – Sophie Madden and Linda Wong, for their support through training and change management workshops. 

“I was thrilled earlier this year when we had the photo shoot with the MFA, the IMAA and quotes from Josh Faulks from the AANA and our partners that influence the success of this supporting the change.” 

Actions speak louder than words

Halligan said contracts for VOZ Streaming were sent out to people and agencies looking to get involved in the first trial before Christmas. 

“We had one contract back in less than 48 hours remote from one of the Holdcos in their enthusiasm to get involved in VOZ Streaming. 

“They say actions speak louder than words. We’ve got another signed this morning from another Holdco, so that suggests what we’ve been doing is working and the interest is definitely there.” 

The future of measurement

As a self-professed television enthusiast, Dubois asked if it was a watershed moment in moving past legacy measurement structures with television into the future. 

“I really agree with that,” Halligan said. “Even if I just crystallise the fact that we’ve been working with an open market third-party software supplier where all of our data goes into multiple partners and agencies get to choose how they use our data and how they evaluate for better decisions.  

“It means that we can now run reach frequency across linear and BVOD together. Before we could do that, but we had to upload files manually.” 

Halligan noted that OzTAM is in one of the few countries that have collaborated with multiple partners in the distribution of this data, unlike the USA which defaults to Nielsen and the UK with Kantar.

“Here in Australia, we’ve got a different approach. That means agencies can pick the best way to receive the data and the information in real-time with partners that suit their needs, and they can make better buying decisions quickly.” 

Advice to marketers

Dubois asked Halligan what her advice was to marketers or people in media looking to diversify their skill set and embrace the change. 

Halligan directed them to the education assets and training modules on the VOZ website for self-education. 

“Our role as OzTAM is to serve the industry. So if people have any questions, if you want presentations, we have been trying to cover as much ground as possible, road-showing out to the market and talking to as many people as we can.” 

The discussion also saw Dubois and Halligan talk about the impact and application of having greater granular data on the creative process and where AI is in the VOZ and VOZ Streaming discussion. 

 

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Power of Audio: The Art and Science of Sonic Advertising

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Episode Three

Power of Audio: The Art and Science of Sonic Advertising

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Power of Audio: The Art and Science of Sonic Advertising

‘An authentic-sounding audio ad is far more powerful than a visual ad’: The secret to engaging listeners through sound

There's one key secret to the success of Ralph van Dijk and Andy Maxwell from Earmax Media, a pioneering business helping brands leverage audio and podcasts to engage and build loyalty for brands. 

Your ears don't lie to you. 

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Intimacy of Audio

During a fascinating conversation with Liana Dubois on the Talking Media podcast, the trio explore the power of audio, particularly in advertising, and how sound engages listeners on a deeper, more intimate level compared to visual ads.  

"Our ears are our best bull**** detectors," van Dijk told Dubois. "And in an environment where authenticity is such a vital currency in communication, an authentic-sounding audio ad that is engaging and relatable is far more powerful than a visual ad because the audience is actually the co-author. 

"They're listening, they're involved, they're creating pictures in their mind, so you've got them. They're participating. That's if the creative is good, obviously." 

Sonic cues to build brand recognition

Van Dijk, who is also the founder of Resonance Sonic Branding, gives examples of some of the most successful sonic cues which have helped to build brand recognition and trust in some of Australia’s most iconic brands. 

Brands like McDonald’s, Woolworths and Bunnings use distinct sonic branding to immediately trigger brand recall in the listener’s mind.  

That power extends even when listeners are distracted, because our ears are still tuned to the sonic cues.  

“The poster child for this industry is McDonald's,” van Dijk told Dubois. “So I probably don't even need to hum it. 

“In Australia, Woolworths have been extremely consistent, so we work with them and we're updating the Fresh Food People melody in all sorts of genres.” 

He added: “Bunnings is an incredibly consistent brand. [There was a] crazy idea to use that instrument in that way, but we don't think of it anymore, we just instantly know it and it's been the most consistent brand.” 

Focused and engaged

This idea of trust through sound is also built through podcasts and the unique relationship in this one-on-one medium where listeners are highly engaged. 

This creates a more receptive environment for advertising. 

Maxwell explained that podcast listeners actively choose content they want to consume, and they tend to be more focused and engaged. 

“This is content that people are actively seeking out,” he said. “It's not like you're choosing between TV channels. It's a very specific thing that you want to know more about or you want to engage with a host.  

“There are endless options out there, so to pick out your favourite five podcasts you're really going out of your way to find that content, and 75% of people listen to learn something new.  

“So these are people that are super-engaged, really attentive, and that is why in going back to the creative it's so important that you reach them - one in the right context and two with a creative that is not shouty. 

“I feel like some radio ads are designed to cut through the other radio ads that you're kind of forced to listen to.  

“...whether it's through an authentic host-read or 30 second ad or slightly longer ad, if it's in the right place contextually and it's a good creative, you do typically give it a chance.” 

Ad samples

In the podcast, the three experts then go on to highlight what works with sound in adverts and podcasts and the ways brands and individuals can connect authentically with listeners, build lasting brand memories, and engage their audiences in a very personal, very focused way. 

 

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Context Drives Effectiveness

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Nine Audio launches new short form solutions

We know your message resonates deeper when it reaches audiences in the right context. That’s why Nine Audio has launched a full suite of contextual short form advertising solutions, designed to guarantee attention and maximise your ad's effectiveness.

Building on the success of the Nine Traffic Network, we have expanded our range of audio verticals to create NEW opportunity across ‘lean in’ listening.

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Drive consideration
Concise, expert financial insights when our listeners need them most — from market updates to breaking business news.

Talk to: High income professionals, investors, real decision makers.

AudioSport Dark

Tap into the power of passion
Keeping our listeners up-to-date with quick highlights, top headlines, the latest scores and expert commentary.

Talk to: Loyal sports enthusiasts, engaged fans, active consumers.

AudioTraffic Dark

Be part of the journey
A trusted source for real-time, up-to-the-minute traffic updates, ensuring our listeners commute is smooth and stress-free.

Talk to: Highly engaged commuters, time pressed professionals, local audiences.

AudioWeather Dark

Help listeners plan and adapt
Reliable, timely weather updates that keep listeners informed and prepared when planning ahead.

Talk to: Everyday Australians, farmers, families, outdoor enthusiasts.

Context drives effectiveness

Where you place your messaging matters. Research indicates that context increases purchase intent by an impressive 37%, while ads served in the right environment are 22% more likely to be remembered by listeners. Pair the right creative with the right context and you can double attention, amplifying the impact of every dollar spent.

By aligning your brand with content that resonates, you don’t just reach your audience, you connect with them in moments that matter most.

Source: Nielsen Catalina 2024, Radiocentre Hear and Now study, Context, Creative and attention PXYZ .

Frequently asked questions

Enhance your audio strategy

Ready to join the conversation, in the right context? Send us an enquiry and a member of our team will be in touch to start planning your campaign.

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Consumer Pulse November 2024

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WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT

November 2024

The national mood is recovering; international holidays and clothing are top purchase considerations; strong support for $16B student debt reduction plan; parenting and dining out expenses are all fuelling opinions and conversations this month.

Young woman laughing and removing high heel from female friend's leg in 2nd hand vintage retail store

1-4 November, 2024

Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip

Woman in her 30's on home visit to parents sitting at table enjoying meal with her parents, smiling and laughing, enjoyment, togetherness, bonding

Mood of the Nation >

Happy female friends having dinner at home together

CONVERSATION STARTERS >

Mood of the Nation

The national mood

The national mood has recovered, having dipped since August 2024, and has returned to a higher net positive mood. Australians are currently feeling more relaxed and calm; overall, net positive emotions exceed negative emotions.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Dominant mood indicators

The top 10 dominant moods are a mix of positive and negative emotions. The top three feelings are positive; with relaxed, calm and hopeful leading the list this month. Feelings of being anxious and stressed are the fourth and fifth most dominant moods. 

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Purchase Consideration

International holidays top purchase considerations

An international holiday is the top purchase consideration for the month (26%) followed by clothing (25%), gardening (23%) and a domestic holiday (23%). Gardening had the largest increase since August 2024 (up 8 percentage points), likely an effect of Spring. The largest increases since the same time last year were for international holidays (up 4 percentage points) and domestic holidays (up 3 percentage points), signalling Australia’s desire to spend on travel, despite continued cost of living pressures. Overall, purchase consideration on all major categories is up 2 percentage points QoQ and consistent YoY.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Conversation Starters

Strong support for student debt reduction

support the federal government's plan to wipe $16B from student debt.

Strong support for $16B student debt reduction plan

Our latest poll among readers of The Sydney Morning Herald found that nearly 75% support the federal government’s plan to wipe $16 billion from student debts. Support is particularly strong among the 65 and older cohort, with almost 8 in 10 backing the plan.

Rear view of a group of students going to the high school in the morning on their first day.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

For brands whose purpose aligns with these values, this is an opportunity to authentically champion fairness, opportunity, and education—fostering genuine connections with an audience that prioritises meaningful social impact.

Parenting expenses

Of Nine audiences believe spending under $200 is appropriate for hosting a baby shower.

How we feel about baby showers and other pre-baby expenses

Among Nine’s audience, 5 in 10 believe spending under $200 is appropriate for hosting a baby shower, particularly strong among those aged 45 and older. Of those aged 35-44, 4 in 10 think that spending between $200 and $499 is appropriate for a baby shower.

We’re spending the most on these pre-baby expenses; prams, medical expenses, car seats.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Brands can consider positioning themselves as a go-to for high-quality, essential pre-baby items, offering reassurance and reliability during a pivotal time in consumers' lives.

Four girlfriends on baby shower party

Dining out expense

Families among those aged 45-54 are cutting back on dining out due to the rising cost of living.

Dining out is the expense most family households are cutting back on at the moment

Family households are cutting back on dining out due to the rising cost of living, particularly among those aged 45-54 (nearly 5 in 10). Expenditure on take-away and home delivery food is also one of the top items for cost cutting.

In contrast, only 10% say they are reducing expenditure on extracurricular activities such as sport, dancing etc.

Happy family eating breakfast while staying in a hotel. Focus is on boy.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Brands can consider reframing the dining experience. Positioning dining-out promotions or meal kits as cost-effective, family-friendly alternatives. Brands can showcase value without compromising on quality or convenience.

October Data
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Revolutionising Creativity: How Media and Tech Collide

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Episode Two

Revolutionising Creativity: How Media and Tech Collide

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Revolutionising creativity: how media and tech collide

How to use generative AI beyond efficiency: just talk to it for half an hour every week – OK Tomorrow founder Nilesh Ashra

OK Tomorrow founder Nilesh Ashra is convinced AI can unlock the creative floodgates, and has some cracking examples covering customer, product and HR. But media and marketing appear to be running headlong for efficiency. The renowned technology strategist has a simple request and solution – both simple. 

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Take a walk with AI

From hardcore developer at Poke in London, then Director of Creative Technology at Wieden + Kennedy. Now, Nilesh Ashra makes his living scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and their implications for creative opportunities.  

In a world now grappling with AI’s impact, the OK Tomorrow founder and creative technologist has a simple suggestion for pretty much anybody.  

That is, take a weekly walk and spend half an hour telling everything that is on your mind to ChatGPT – and then let generative AI do some of your thinking for you, or at least help with organising those thoughts, fears and curveballs. 

You’d be surprised at the outcomes. Ashra says brands, agencies and media companies can apply a version of that approach to customer service conversations – as well as their internal resource planning and staff development.  

Generative AI, he emphasises, is far more than a means to find efficiencies – it’s a tool to unlock creativity at scale, and make such tasks as customer service, marketing and HR more fun, inventive, wide-ranging and better informed. 

Ashra cites fintech automation firm Ramp as a standout. 

Turn complaints into podcasts

“Ramp gets a few thousand customer service calls a day and gets those transcribed into text and put it into a large language model. But they didn’t just say ‘summarise this’. Although that would be useful, they said, ‘summarise this, and then turn it into an entertaining five-minute podcast script’,” Ashra explains.   

“Then they fed that into OpenAI’s Whisper model that turns text into audio. And so they created a pipeline in the company where they can go from customer feedback to a five-minute podcast episode,” he continues. 

“The audience for that podcast [are] the marketing team and the product team. But what they now have is a way to constantly tune into the voice of the customer in a way that is entertaining, truthful and insightful,” says Ashra. 

“I just think there are hundreds of opportunities like that for marketing organisations to create little mini-utilities in the pursuit of better thinking." 

AI talent planning

Ashra thinks companies could take the same approach and apply it internally to better understand employee thinking – and where their otherwise untapped talents may lie. 

“Have everyone in your organisation take a 30-minute walk. The brief is ‘just talk about everything you feel that you are creative and knowledgeable about that has nothing to do with your job’,” says Ashra.  

“If you took 100 of those transcripts, you could create a phenomenal view of all of the potential in your team … We don’t know what we’re leaving on the table … So I think the ability for [generative AI] to extract what is true from us, and give us a view on that, should be pretty exciting to most bold leaders.” 

De-siloing creativity

Adopting such approaches could also help democratise creativity, says Ashra. He thinks making innovation more accessible and attainable to all will help businesses and individuals get much more rewarding outcomes and growth – personally, collectively and financially.  

For too long, he says, creativity has been falsely perceived as the preserve of a select few with “art and copy” backgrounds and the official creative department. 

“Those constructs really don't make that much sense today. We should just feel fine deleting the stuff that doesn't matter any more, encouraging participation in the ideas from people with extremely weird backgrounds.” 

Synthetic cohort exploration

For marketing and media, there is potential to push beyond outdated cohort demographic studies. Says Ashra: “You know, ‘Everything Gen Z Doesn’t Want To Do’, or ‘All The Ways Millennials Are…’ those documents just haven’t changed.  

“[Now] you can use Claude or ChatGTP or any of those large language models to create really interactive personas … and take these really elaborate deep dives into people … You can run mini ethnography simulations … You can invent people … There is no question it can’t answer.” 

Creativity > efficiency

Thinking about generative AI as purely an efficiency tool is wasting its potential, Ashra declares – it’s about exploring new avenues, and letting curiosity take the lead. But that opportunity “is completely being missed, mostly by the industry”. Which is likely why the prevailing narrative is negative – largely around AI replacing jobs.  

His advice: “Choose to think about it as more than just something that can make you more efficient.  

“[Currently] the [AI] conversation around marketing and media starts at the middle and then only goes to the end. There's very little conversation about the first part of creativity, which really is where the table is set for creative excellence. The middle and back half is like, ‘well, what if we could take these assets … and then make a thousand more assets and automate that’.” 

But that kind of efficiency is neither creative, nor anything really new. “The things to use [AI] for are to enrich your own learning,’ says Ashra. 

“We've got a million libraries of Alexandria now just waiting for you to ask the right unique question, to go on your own walk through an encounter with your own intellect. And if that isn't an exciting prerequisite to great ideas, I don't know what is.” 

Just remember, he reiterates, “book 30 minutes in your calendar for a walk with ChatGPT. It is so good at helping you organise your own thoughts … Think about it as a concept or imagination engine.” 

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Consumer Pulse October 2024

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WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT

October 2024

The national mood is on the decline; Australians are valuing health and enjoyment; destination and duration are key when booking a cruise; expedition activities and food/dining options on cruises lead enjoyment are all fueling opinions and conversations this month.

Girl (10-12) leaning on rail of cruise ship, parents in background

4-7 October, 2024

Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip

Young male candidate feeling pain in his head while being on a job interview in the office.

Mood of the Nation >

Mature African American couple, standing and leaning on railing on deck of a cruise ship, looking off into the distance.

CONVERSATION STARTERS >

Mood of the Nation

The national mood

The national mood has declined further, returning to the same levels experienced in March 2024, with a higher net negative mood. Australians are feeling more overwhelmed and pessimistic in the current times. Overall, net negative emotions are ahead of positive emotions.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Dominant mood indicators

The top 10 dominant moods are a mix of positive and negative emotions. The top 3 feelings are positive, with calm, relaxed and hopeful topping the list this month. Feelings of being anxious, frustrated and stressed are the 4th, 5th and 6th most dominant moods.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Australian Values

Health and security become top priority

Nine audiences value their health primarily. The top three values continue to be led by health, enjoying life, and family security when compared to six months ago.  Wishes for national security, true friendship and a spiritual life saw increases compared to 6 months ago, while drops were seen in Nine’s audience looking for self discipline and self respect.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Conversation Starters

Cruising priorities

Note destination as important when booking a cruise.

Destination and duration are of top importance when cruising

Among Nine’s audience, nearly 4 in 5 note the destination as important when booking a cruise, while 3 in 5 nominated the duration of the cruise. Duration rises particularly in prominence of importance among the 35-44 year old audience. 

The activities available and being family friendly also rise in importance among the 35-44 age group while the over 65s audience place added importance on the size of the cruise ship.

Couple relaxing and drinking wine on deck chairs in an over water bungalow. They are holding the wine glasses

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Targeted offers based on the specific values of each age group can create a more personalised experience. For example; family vacation packages and multi-generational experiences for the 35-44 year olds and luxury, relaxation, and larger ship experiences for the over 65s.

Favourite onboard activities

Enjoy sightseeing activities and food/dining options when being on a cruise ship. 

Cruising people enjoy a vast array of activities onboard 

Among Nine’s audience, the majority enjoy sightseeing activities and food/dining options when being on a cruise ship - with these rate as being the most enjoyed aspects for items across all age groups and genders.

Among other activities the female audience particularly enjoys watching live shows and spa/wellness offerings compared to males while the audience under-45 show higher enjoyment in the pools/poolside areas.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Brands should consider offering packages or itineraries that allow guests to customize their experience based on their preferences. Such as wellness-focused cruises, adventure and sightseeing tours, or food and dining-themed voyages, to ensure broad appeal across these enjoyment categories.

Couple Playing Shuffleboard on Cruise Ship

Repeat customers

Intent to do another cruise in the future.

Nine’s audience with previous cruising experience intent to return

Among Nine’s audience that have been on a cruise in the past, 7 in 10 intend to do another cruise in the future with the majority of this group planning an international cruise.

Intent to cruise again is highest among those between the ages of 35-54.

Retired couple entering cruise ship after spending time at their stop

BRAND CONSIDERATION

With intent to return high for cruise people, brands should focus on nurturing customer loyalty. Offer exclusive repeat-customer benefits, such as early booking discounts, loyalty rewards, or exclusive onboard experiences for returning guests. Highlight these benefits in targeted communications to encourage repeat bookings.

September Data
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