Welcome to SWOT by Sound Story, your inside track on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats looming for the creative industries.
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⚡ Trending: Netflix saves Sesame Street from the Trump monster. Words by Nathan Jolly. Source: Mumbrella.
🎵 Music: UNIFIED Music Group has announced a trio of senior promotions as the company enters its next phase of growth, reinforcing its leadership across people and culture, legal, and operations. Words by Jade Kennedy. Source: The Music Network.
📰 Media: ASX-listed Vinyl Group has appointed Tahlia Phillips head of publishing at Vinyl Media, following the company’s acquisition of Concrete Playground earlier this year. Source: AdNews.
💰 Advertising: White Glo responds to complaints about “Make the white choice” ad. Words by Soaliha Iqbal. Source: Instagram.
📲 Tech: Greg Attwells, director of the 36 Months campaign that led to legislation restricting children under 16 from setting up social media accounts, explains why YouTube should not be included and the likes of Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat should. Words by Arvind Hickman. Source: B&T.
📜 Government: ‘A big shift’: Australia has elected its most diverse parliament. What impact will it have? Words by Krishani Dhanji. Source: The Guardian.
🌶️ Spicy: Mexico is seeking compensation from a production company that worked with YouTube celebrity Mr Beast, accusing it of using images of the country’s ancient archaeological sites to advertise a chocolate brand. Source: The Guardian.
Strength: What Next for the Arts and Communications?
It’s official. We now know who will be in charge of the Arts and Communications portfolios in the second Albanese Labor Government, and there’s a significant opportunity to get a lot done, given the party’s historic romp to victory.
👉 Tony Burke has retained his position as Minister for the Arts, however he’ll be a busy man given he’s also: Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, and Leader of the House (as well as being the member for Watson).
👉 The music industry largely reacted positively to Albanese's re-election, with the likes of ARIA/ PPCA, Vote Music, and APRA AMCOS among those issuing statements of congratulations/support.
👉 Anika Wells, meanwhile, takes on the Communications Minister role, after her stint as Aged Care Minister in Albanese's first term.
👉Previous Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, becomes Attorney-General, a position which requires its holder to have a law degree.
👉Both Ministers face significant challenges and unfinished business – from what to do about Australia’s live music and screen industries, to media ownership laws, local content quotas, and community sentiment towards betting ads.
Weakness: Rebrand Nightmare(s)
Lots of business and communications moves can be ‘branded’ as a rebrand in 2025: a seemingly-simple logo change, a repositioning of the brand narrative/ purpose, or a full-on name change. Sometimes though, you can go a little TOO hard on the changes…
👉 There was so much hype when the studio behind hits such as Game of Thrones and White Lotus were shoring up their plans to launch downunder.
👉 Max finally landed in Australia earlier this year, further shaking up the content streaming landscape. It already had so much brand currency and recognisable smash hits, so why is there now so much brand confusion?
👉 Well, largely because it’s changed names so many times. It was HBO, then HBO GO, HBO NOW, HBO Max, then just Max, and now we're back to HBO Max after just weeks in the Australian market as ‘Max’.
👉A spokesperson tried putting this spin on the re-return: “It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”
👉 The brand is certainly trying to embrace the humour on this one, but it might want to settle down on the branding meetings and focus on the product for a while.
Opportunity: Don’t Dismiss New Media
The Federal election, social media spats and a recent National Press Club address have really put the spotlight on social media influencers, online political commentators, new media brands, youth consumption habits, and where they all intersect.
👉 Nothing perhaps exemplified this moment in time more than Cheek Media’s CEO Hannah Ferguson addressing the National Press Club about everything from the weaponisation of the word ‘influencer’ through to regulation around paid political content, media power and accountability, and even a potential Senate run.
👉 The media’s take on Hannah’s take on the media was certainly mixed, and worth an exploration if you have time.
👉Headlines such as ‘Leading influencer says the term ‘influencer’ is ‘deeply misogynistic’’ did feel a bit like rage-bait though, enticing commenters to say the exact things Hannah was seemingly railing against.
👉 The debate is likely to continue, with new takes emerging almost daily, whether it be ‘News Corp isn’t dead. Progressive new media is helping it thrive’, or ‘In the age of the influencer, does the political backing of News Corp matter anymore?’
👉You can listen to one influencer expert break down the opportunities and complexities here, and there’s definitely a lesson in here about not being too dismissive of new platforms, personalities and products.
Threat: Defamation Distraction
Sometimes it can feel like the media is so tied up in defending its actions, that its focus is pulled away from doing what needs to be done.
👉 Such is the case with the protracted years-long battle between Nine and former decorated soldier/ war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith.
👉 Roberts-Smith lost his defamation battle against a number of Nine publications and journalists back in 2023. He then went on to appeal this loss, only to lose again.
👉 As Unmade pointed out: “The years-long distraction has robbed many Nine journalists, including the admirable Nick McKenzie, of time covering their beats.”
👉 Very high-profile names are tied up in and around the case, with Seven West Media’s proprietor Kerry Stokes potentially on the hook for up to $13 million, and Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart refusing to rule out financial support for BRS.
👉 And the threat may not be over yet, with Roberts-Smith somehow paradoxically saying that while he accepted the recent decision of the Federal Court, he would seek to challenge it in the High Court.
The Fun Stuff
Quote of the Week: “We’re not saying Tropfest is about to make an epic comeback. We’re just saying if something big were brewing behind the scenes, you might want to stay tuned,” short-film fest Tropfest hints it may be returning.
🎙️Podcast of the Week: The Moment It Changed: Touchdown is a new LiSTNR podcast which features former contestants, judges and producers of music competition programs lifting the lid on music reality television. It's nostalgic and a reality check, confronting and heart-warming, and deeply listenable. You can listen to it here.
🏆 Client Tidbit: Sound Story client Untitled Group, alongside TEG Live, has announced Dom Dolla's first-ever stadium show in Australia and the largest headline concert of his career. It's taking place in December, and you can read all about it here.
