Welcome to an audio-led edition of Unmade.
Today’s edition features the panel discussion at Unmade’s Sydney Compass event, featuring Simone Gupta from Supermassive; Leah Jackson from Goodman Fielder; Lauren Joyce from ARN; and Henry Innis from Mutinex.
Unmade’s paying members get a free ticket to Compass, which returns later this year. They also get discounts on our other events, including our AI-focused HumAIn and retail media gathering REmade. Upgrade today.
Reflections and projections: What the industry doesn’t usually discuss in public
Unmade’s first Compass event took place in Sydney back in November, with the panel reflecting on the year just gone and looking forward to the year ahead.
The conversation opened with the panel asked to nominate topics usually discussed privately but not on stage. Supermassive’s Simone Gupta raised the question of why more isn’t being done to protect staff from bullying and harassment; Mutinex’s Henry Innis countered by asking why the trade press is not being braver in publishing what they’ve heard.
ARN Media’s Lauren Joyce warned of a mood of fear for jobs across the industry.
The fast moving discussion ranged across under appreciated regional markets; what media companies need to do to bring back advertisers - Goodman Fielder’s Leah Jackson would like to see better reporting ; the challenges the panellists had to overcome in they year just gone, and the generational gap in motivations around working from home versus returning to the office.
The Compass series was sponsored by Circuit from Cashrewards. Those interested in supporting the 2024 cycle of Compass should email doug@wethinkmedia.com.au
The Unmade Index slips back towards 600
The Unmade Index sagged on Wednesday, with real estate platform Domain dropping below a $2bn market capitalisation after a 3.31% share price fall.
Meanwhile, ARN Media lost 5.15%. Most of that came at the end of the trading day, a few minutes before the market was informed of an update from The Takeovers Panel over its takeover bid for Southern Cross Austereo.
The complicated ruling relates to ARN’s existing 6.83% stake in SCA. It means that ARN may be forced to vote those shares against its own proposal if SCA’s board favours an alternative bid. However, ARN won’t have to sell its SCA stake.
Editing was courtesy of Abe’s Audio, the people to talk to about voiceovers, sound design and podcast production.
Next week’s podcast will feature the panel from Compass Melbourne
Time to leave you to your Thursday. We’ll be back with Best of the Week on Saturday,
Have a great day.
Toodlepip…
Tim Burrowes
Publisher - Unmade
tim@unmade.media
Live at Compass: Is WFH about avoiding work?; Will better reporting mean ad dollars?; Why won't trade press tell readers what they know?