2015 Annual: The year that was – September
2015 was another year of major change and transformation in the media and marketing world. Mumbrella’s Nic Christensen andMiranda Ward provide a month-by-month recap of the most read and biggest stories that affected the industry.
Media agency UM was named Australia’s best workplace with fewer than 100 employees by Fairfax’s BRW. UM topped the “under 100 employees” category of the Best Places To Work survey, with fellow media agency Maxus 23rd in the category, while technology company Amobee was fifth.
In order to stay within the under 100 staff category, UM says it put forward only its Sydney office, and did not count staff from centralised services offered by the agency’s parent IPG Mediabrands company.
A hacker took control of the University of New South Wales’ Facebook page, posting images of semi-clad women and headlines including “the best sex he’s ever had” during the university’s open day. Facebook refused to comment on why it took more than three hours to respond to the hacking.
Droga5 announced the closure of its underperforming Sydney office. David Droga, creative chairman and founder of Droga5, said: “We see little value in continuing to operate in this market with an office that, sadly, no longer consistently represents the Droga5 brand.”
Related: ‘A slow motion car wreck’: The unravelling of Droga5 Sydney
Hackings were a theme in September – electricity and gas comparison site Goswitch.com.au was hacked by a disgruntled website developer claiming they were owed almost $3,000 by the owner of digital agency Dcodr. Visitors to the site were greeted with the message ‘Pay Up Jamie’ emblazoned across the home page.
Bauer Media announced it would close its struggling lads mag Zoo Weekly amid crumbling sales. The publisher said the October 12 issue would be the magazine’s last, with Bauer blaming “tough retail conditions in the men’s market”.
Comedian Ricky Gervais fronted more ads for Optus, spruiking the launch of the new iPhone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su6h866DrK4
Daily Telegraph columnist Annette Sharp was labelled as shallow and irresponsible over an article arguing that model Jesinta Campbell and mentally ill AFL player Buddy Franklin should put their wedding on hold.
Sharp’s column listed 13 reason why the couple should postpone their marriage. The reasons included the Sydney Swans player’s mental health problems and a claim that Campbell’s allure to men will be halved when she is no longer single.
Radio and TV presenter Jules Lund launched a new app which he said could create a new “micro-endorsement model” allowing marketers to harness everyday influencers as well as celebrities. Lund raised more than $750,000 from investors and assembled a team of startup veterans to bring Tribe to life.
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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Annette Sharp
annual
Bauer Media
Best Places To Work
BRW
Daily Telegraph
Droga5
Goswitch
hacked
Jules Lund
Optus
Ricky Gervais
Tribe
UM
UNSW
Zoo Weekly
