- Australia’s largest media owners band together to reveal the true value of premium content to advertisers.
- Premium Content Alliance: Foxtel Group, Foxtel Media, Network 10, News Corp Australia, Nine and Seven West Media
- ThinkTV's Kim Portrate is CEO. News Corp's Michael Miller is chair.
- NewsMediaWorks will become ThinkNewsBrands. Current CEO Peter Miller will be a senior strategy role.
Australia’s biggest commercial media companies across television, radio, print and digital, have banded together to convince advertisers that premium content is the superior way to reach customers.
Foxtel Group, Foxtel Media, Network 10, News Corp Australia, Nine and Seven West Media have formed the Premium Content Alliance to “inform, inspire and educate” advertisers and their agency partners about the true value of premium media.
The alliance, whose members together reach four out of five adult Australians, was born as a response to advertisers asking questions around multichannel planning -- broadcast, digital and news media -- and a desire by premium content owners to demonstrate value to the market.
The new organisation will work through three arms: ThinkTV, ThinkPremiumDigital, ThinkNewsBrands (currently called NewsMediaWorks).
NewsMediaWorks CEO Peter Miller will join the alliance in a senior strategy role.The Readership Works (emma) will continue under the ownership of ThinkNewsBrands.
ThinkTV, already an established and highly visible industry group, will provide the CEO for the alliance, Kim Portrate.
The alliance follows the model of ThinkTV, formed in 2016 with commercial and subscription television coming me together for the first time to champion the effectiveness of television advertising.
“What we’re launching today is so much more than an organisation,” says Portrate. “We’re launching a crusade to protect something beloved by our community.”
Portrate will maintain her role as the operational head of ThinkTV as well as her new alliance responsibilities. She describes the alliance as “largely a marketing advocacy research business”.
The initial focus will be research. “The market understands that premium content delivers better business impact,” says Portrate.
“I think this is a real opportunity for all of us to stand together and to reignite that conversation around the value of premium, locally-produced content ... it's premium that actually does drive a better impact. What we need to do is provide the market with the confidence, and that's largely based on empirical evidence.”
The alliance’s budget hasn’t been released. Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, the inaugural alliance chair, says: “We're well resourced.”
He says the alliance will provide advertisers, agencies and marketers with clear evidence of how best to use media combinations for their product or service.
“Media companies today are multi-media businesses, and Australian advertisers are seeking media partnerships that provide wholistic marketing solutions,” he says.
"Marketers require campaigns that bring together effective combinations of broadcast, digital and news media.
“The Premium Content Alliance will support companies to utilise trusted media and premium content to grow their reputations, customers and businesses.”
Portrate: “It takes a while to get really good, quality research, but we certainly will be doing that from day one. And then once that research is available, we'll be sharing that broadly with the markets, particularly focused on advertisers and their agency partners.”
Paul Anderson, Network 10 CEO and Executive Vice President ViacomCBS Networks Australia & NZ: “Marketers and brands need a trusted voice when planning campaign investments. The Premium Content Alliance brings together Australia’s leading media companies to demonstrate the power trusted, proven media have in this process.”
Hugh Marks, Nine CEO: “Proven media delivers results for brands. The creation of The Premium Content Alliance enables domestic publishers to speak with a united voice on the benefits for marketers and agencies in working closely with The Alliance's members to deliver real results.”
James Warburton, Seven West Media CEO: “Expanding on the important work that ThinkTV has delivered, this initiative will bring this same attention to the power of premium content across proven media to grow brands and businesses, in the face of unregulated digital giants.”
Patrick Delany, Foxtel Group CEO: “When Australia’s leading content owners and producers first came together in partnership under ThinkTV, it was incredible to see the size and sophistication of the audiences they drew. With the launch of The Premium Content Alliance, we are breaking new boundaries and breathing life into even more opportunities for marketers and advertisers keen to maximise engagement with the right audiences and get the most out of their investments.”
Premium Content Alliance board members:
● Patrick Delany, CEO, Foxtel Group
● Paul Anderson, CEO, Network 10 and Executive Vice President ViacomCBS Networks Australia & NZ
● Rod Prosser, Chief Sales Officer, Network 10 and ViacomCBS Networks Australia & NZ
● Michael Miller, Executive Chairman, News Corp Australasia (Inaugural Chair)
● Damian Eales, Chief Operating Officer – Publishing, News Corp Australia
● Hugh Marks, CEO, Nine
● Michael Stephenson, Chief Sales Officer, Nine
● James Warburton, CEO, Seven West Media
● Kurt Burnette, Chief Revenue Officer, Seven West Media
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