Media expert Antony Young rounds up media news from beyond Aotearoa in a regular column for StopPress.
This week:
- Plaudits are coming in thick and fast for Motion Sickness after their double Cannes Grand Prix win this week.
- YouTube could join the list of banned social media channels for under 16s in Australia’s proposed ban.
- An interesting stat: direct mail has the highest return of investment, beating email and digital ads, according to a North American study.
- The UK is reluctant to impose a levy on US streaming services for fear of Trump
- Meta is set to introduce ads on Whatsapp, a platform that has long been resistant
- Check out Emma Kramer’s podcast and column for helpful marketing advice.
International media heap praise on NZ Herpes Foundation Cannes winner
A huge congratulations to Auckland-based agency Motion Sickness and Sydney production company FINCH for picking up the coveted Grand Prix for Good at the Cannes Lions Festival. International media outlets have been heaping praise on the “Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes” campaign.
Yesterday, the BBC’s website wrote, “the irreverent humour running through the campaign has struck a chord with audiences.” The Guardian described the campaign as “unabashedly [using]humour to tackle a challenging subject and stigmatisation,” while Contagious praised its strategic brilliance: “flip the narrative… humour as a Trojan horse helped break down taboos.”
In LBB Online, Droga5’s Christie Cooper, said, “It made me laugh, made me think and made me weirdly proud to be from a country that would actually run with an idea like this.”
Amazing. Well done Motion Sickness!
YouTube could also face Australia’s social media ban
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is urging the federal government to include YouTube in its proposed ban on social media platforms for children under 16, citing new research showing it is the most-used platform by young people and a major source of online harm.
While platforms like TikTok and Instagram are already set to be restricted, YouTube was initially exempted due to its educational value. However, Inman Grant argues that harmful content – including misogyny, violence and eating disorders – is rampant on the platform, affecting over a third of young users. She has formally recommended removing YouTube’s exemption and called for clearer guidelines for platform exemptions.
Study says direct mail delivers the highest ROI – beating email and digital ads
Here’s an unexpected story, but relevant in a world saturated with digital media. According to a North American study, 84% of marketers agree that direct mail delivers the highest return on investment of any channel they use.
The reason? Tangible, personalised mail pieces create a physical connection with audiences that digital formats struggle to replicate. While upfront costs may seem higher, research shows direct mail consistently outperforms email and display ads when it comes to engagement and long-term results. You can access the full report here.
Fear of Trump stopping UK from introducing levy on streaming services
Director Peter Kosminsky has accused the UK government of being “supine and terrified” of upsetting Donald Trump, claiming ministers are refusing to impose a 5% levy on US streaming services – funds he believes are essential to support UK-focused television.
Warning that vital public service dramas like Three Girls and Mr Bates vs the Post Office are now at risk due to funding shortfalls and international market pressures, Kosminsky argues British broadcasters like the BBC and ITV are struggling to back locally resonant stories. He urged the public to pressure ministers into protecting the UK’s public service broadcasting legacy, which he says is threatened by the government’s fear of potential US trade retaliation. Notably, Kosminsky pointed out that 17 other countries have already introduced similar levies on streaming platforms to safeguard local content.
Meta to introduce ads on WhatsApp
Meta will begin showing ads in WhatsApp’s “Updates” tab – home to features like Status and Channels – as part of a broader strategy to monetise the platform and fund investments in AI. The ads, which won’t appear in personal chats, will be broadly targeted using location, language and followed Channels.
WhatsApp will also introduce paid subscriptions for Channels, allowing creators to offer exclusive content to paying users. Initially, Meta won’t take a cut but plans to charge 10% eventually. This marks a major shift for WhatsApp, which long resisted ads and aligns with Meta’s growing push to diversify revenue streams.
Tips for new (and experienced) marketers
What do new marketing leaders get wrong – and how to fix these management mistakes? Emily Kramer, who runs a marketing advice podcast and column, offers some helpful advice. When I worked in a holding company agency in New York, one of the biggest mistakes I saw was clients neglecting internal marketing, i.e. failing to educate the rest of the company on what marketing does and why it matters.
As leaders become more senior, internal communication becomes critical to align on the key strategies, manage expectations and reduce unproductive requests. Emily provides some helpful tips in the last part of her podcast.
