In a change that would have profound implications for the $13 billion digital advertising industry, the Federal Government is looking to define what counts as “personal information” in its overhaul of the nation’s privacy laws. Experts say the proposal in its most recent Discussion Paper, however, would include any digital identifier that is assigned to a specific user – even if the user isn’t explicitly named. That could cover most post-cookie ID initiatives currently being developed and even Facebook and Google’s audience matching platforms. Salinger Privacy's Anna Johnston, Bird & Bird partner Sophie Dawson, ADMA's Sarla Fernando, Luxury Escapes' Willem Paling and Guardian Australia's Dan Stinton weigh in on what brands, agencies and media should know. 

Qantas has quietly restructured its marketing team and appointed a new CMO to replace former chief Jo Boundy, now at Commbank. Petra Perry has been named CMO of both the airline and its loyalty program after almost two years leading the latter. Former CMO and current Qantas Chief Customer Officer Steph Tully told the ADMA Global Forum yesterday the airline pulled out all the stops to stay afloat during Covid with new - and used - products flying off the e-commerce shelves. The flightless airline shifted pyjamas, bar carts, sold out of round trips to nowhere and made $10 million ads on shoestring budgets. It kept its magazine going so its publishing partner, News Corp-owned Medium Rare, could do the same, selling ads and staying connected with frequent flyers. Tully says Qantas is not yet out of the woods but there is optimism.

Across every category and every channel, marketers are struggling to keep pace with runaway demand for content. The choices are pay a premium locally, offshore cheaply or hand over to the machines. Hogarth Worldwide CEO, Justin Ricketts, thinks Australian brands are "at a tipping point" when it comes to outsourcing and creative automation. Only those that completely rebuild creative planning processes will succeed, he warns, while retailer media ups the ante.

A year on from Apple's privacy pinch, more than 70 per cent of Australia's Apple users have rejected being tracked by advertisers. Meanwhile, Facebook fallout will continue as small businesses suffer big losses in ad effectiveness, suggest SMB search specialists. The ad industry should prepare for further headwinds, warn data and privacy experts, as government gives regulators more resource to intervene and consumer advocates smell blood.

Coles’ new brand and digital chief has fired the starting pistol on a $100m-plus holdco scramble to prove who has the ultimate integrated model across just about every key marketing-CX-media discipline as it bids to catch Woolworths. Where and when it ends is anyone’s guess, including theirs, but consolidation at the top end of town now appears a confirmed trend.

YouTube is marching towards a $2bn revenue milestone in Australia if the latest figures from PwC and IAB are worth their salt. 

Veteran Mindshare CEO Katie Rigg-Smith will exit the media agency she started at as an intern two decades ago to become WPP’s Australia and New Zealand Chief Strategy Officer, replacing Rose Herceg who was recently appointed WPP’s ANZ President. The hunt is on for her replacement, which GroupM CEO Aimee Buchanan said would not necessarily be another woman. Rigg-Smith will stay in the role until her replacement starts. 

Amazon grew its Australian advertising business 3x in 2021 – and agency ecomm execs think the juggernaut is starting to roll. They predict it will triple again in 2022, putting it on track to take $180 million in ad dollars by year's end. Amazon is already the biggest 'publisher' behind Google, Meta (aka Facebook), and YouTube, and its mountain of first party data makes it largely immune to privacy and mobile app tracking changes. But where is the money coming from? The answers may be surprising. 

Work from home recommendations lifted this week, and some bosses are keen to get everyone back in most of the time, but don't want to force people. So how to do it? Let staff write their own rules, or tell them they can work wherever or whenever they want seems to be paying off – for those that make the office "so bloody good people want to come in". Chris Howatson, Aimee Buchanan, Tom Frazer, Laura Nice, Sian Whitnall, Nick Behr and Virginia Scully on how they're tackling living – and working – with Covid.