UberX boost as ACT government legalises ridesharing
The ACT government has moved to legalise ridesharing by introducing regulation from October 30 this year.
The ACT is the first Australian jurisdiction to attempt to bring UberX into the fold, as opposed to the backlash seen elsewhere.
Consumer group CHOICE welcomed the decision. They had taken a closer look at UberX's services last week, reporting it was "safe, reliable and 9 out of ten times cheaper than taking a taxi by 40%".
UberX drivers will now have to get accreditation, undergo criminal and driving checks, as well as have their vehicles assessed for safety.
The new rules will also block the type of surge pricing that comes about during emergencies and insist upon full insurance for all drivers.
For their part, taxi drivers will see their licence fees halved on the above date, with a further 50% reduction the same time next year.
UberX has made headlines in the past - among other things - for its kitten delivery stunt in six Australian cities in February, as well as for its UberEats food delivery service in the US.
AdRoll claims 130% lift reach after going on Safari
Retargeting firm AdRoll has introduced a new utility to reach users of Apple's default Safari browser, one that has seen an average 130% lift reach figure being achieved.
Retargeting had not been available previously as third-party cookies are barred by Safari, but this new AdRoll service allows site visitors to easily choose to receive advertising germane to them.
AdRoll describes it as a "game changer", with 99% of users choosing to opt in.
AdRoll has also released its global campaign data insights report 'Facebook by the Numbers'. This shows a 31% year-on-year increase in advertiser average spend, with a 64% boost in clickthrough rate when clients add mobile functions to Facebook retargeting campaigns.
You can view the full report on AdRoll's site.
303Lowe Perth promotes Berney to ECD
Richard Berney, creative director at 303Lowe Perth, has been promoted to executive creative director.
Creative founder Lindsay Medalia, the incumbent, will move into a part-time role at the agency, while still remaining on the management team. Berney describes Medalia as "his mentor for the last decade", and has worked in Sydney, London and Amsterdam before coming back to his home town, Perth.
Berney will assume the role immediately.
Media shares take a plunge
In one of the worst Australian Securities Exchanges trading days in two years, the ASX All Ordinaries index fell 3.63%, wiping around $55 billion off the market value and taking some big media players south with it.
News Corp took a hit of 4%, while Nine Entertainment dropped 2.51%.
TV networks took the most swingeing blows, with Ten and Seven West Media dropping 5.13% and 4% respectively.
Customer engagement firm Salmat was one of the few to buck the trend, by bumping up 4.03% by close.
Elsewhere, REA Group saw a dip of 3.4%, with South Cross Austereo and Fairfax Media falling 2.21% and 1.7%, respectively.
Promotions and a new face at GPY&R Sydney
Lucielle Vardy has been promoted to executive planning director at GPY&R Sydney, while senior planner Waqas Tahir has come on board to join her team.
This takes the Sydney planning department at the communications firm to a scale almost comparable to its creative and business management teams.
This news comes on the back of the announcement of Miranda Bryce being promoted to group account director.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.