MediaWorks' Wendy Palmer, Draper Cormack's David Cormack (with daughter Greta), MBM's Lee-Ann Morris, Sherson Willis' Trish Sherson, Mango Communications' Claudia Macdonald and 818's Chris Henry.
In part 3 of our four-part Media Insider summer series, six senior media industry leaders - including the boss of MediaWorks - answer five questions for 2025, revealing the lessons they have learned over the past 12 months and what they’re expecting this year.
A top PR agency leader has spoken of the grim task of assisting Warner Bros Discovery with the announcement of the closure of Newshub - while another believes more attrition is to come in the media industry.
Draper Cormack managing partner David Cormack says the work behind the scenes on the Newshub announcement - with the loss of several hundred jobs - was “the grimmest, most intense and sad work we’ve ever done”.
He believes a number of issues - externally and internally - have to be resolved for the media industry to avoid more carnage. “Something has to change or it’s going to break in a bad way.”
He and other media leaders touch on a common theme of this year’s Q&A series with media leaders - the need for far greater collaboration between New Zealand media companies, and for them to identify who the real competitors are, in the form of overseas tech giants.
And Mango Communications’ Claudia Macdonald says: “Sadly I think there’s still some attrition to come but I am hoping it will bottom out soon. Then optimistically I hope to see it rise like a phoenix from the ashes, but delivered across new platforms.”
Both she and Sherson Willis’ Trish Sherson emphasise the importance of balanced, trustworthy journalism.
“I’m a great believer in the role of journalism in a strong well-functioning democracy,” says Sherson.
“No one has a crystal ball, but my hope is that our key institutions in New Zealand including media hold true to their values and continue to serve us all well, looking out into the rest of the world and recognising we’ve got a lot to be grateful for and that we all have a role to play in our country’s success.”
As part of our Media Insider summer series over the past fortnight, we have heard from the leaders of TVNZ, RNZ and The Spinoff as well as NZME, Stuff and Are Media and a number of PR and advertising agencies.
The four-part series wraps up this Friday, when we hear from more leaders including those from Sky TV, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBR, PHD and One Plus One.
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Anticipation. Or, to replicate our Rova mission, “let’s play” (yes I know that’s more than one word!)
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
Re-launching rova.nz has been a standout. We now have a platform that is made for Kiwis, by Kiwis, that pulls together all live music and entertainment from all our brands into one location along with all custom playlists, exclusive podcasts, news, videos and competitions. It is early days but one way or another it has redefined internally how our people have to think about the content we make, how we engage audiences and then how we sell it - we’ve had some fantastic feedback from our audiences and customers so far!
In terms of rival initiatives, I don’t tend to think of the competitors for eyes, ears and dollars as just being media companies - it’s anything and everything across the spectrum of entertainment. On that basis, I would say what has impressed me the most is the launch of Auckland FC. The cut-through it has achieved in such a short space of time has been immense, and in addition to the success of the team, it’s also a credit to the various media companies and partners they have worked with to leverage its presence and make it so compelling.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media - what would be a game-changer for your company?
2024 has been the year of resilience - it’s been incredibly tough for the whole industry. In 2025, I‘d love to see more collaboration and partnerships. It’s cliche, but in surviving 2024 we need to thrive in 2025 and I truly believe that requires us all coming together a bit more to reinforce the power and reach of local content – for audiences and for customers. That, I think, could really change the game.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
That the advertising market has changed faster than any of us could have anticipated. Our need to adjust to advertisers’ requirements involves strategies not only in terms of audio and out-of-home, but multi-media partnerships. The industry as a whole needs to avoid being too internally focused and keep its customers and audiences at the heart of its decision-making.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Family, friends and sunshine...
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Fluid.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
The best initiative in my business was actually just the support we gave each other. My company was called on to lead the comms for the restructure of Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, and the shutdown of Newshub, which was the grimmest, most intense and sad work we’ve ever done. We’re a three-person shop and so it was a pretty big deal, but the three of us all supported each other, helped make sure that all our clients felt love and we got through something pretty difficult together.
I’m still continuing to work with WBD ANZ on other projects, and the morale and culture of those there is pretty great given what they’ve been through. We love all our clients of course, but they’ve had a hell of a year and the people are working so hard and so cheerfully.
It’s been a weird year for the comms industry as a whole. It got pretty tight in the third quarter of the year and there have been some big names tumble, but we’ve also seen a lot of innovation from companies to keep themselves afloat. There hasn’t been any one act in particular that I’ve seen and gone “Wow, that’s amazing”, but especially down here in Wellington a lot of comms companies had to pivot away from helping government agencies with the way the economy has gone and the vibes towards contractors and consultants. Special PR’s Vanilla Ice campaign was pretty rad. I’m balls-deep in corporate stuff so don’t get to play in the consumer space, but if I did, I would have liked to have worked on that.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
Something has to change or it’s going to break in a bad way. And whether that’s from state intervention, the people in the major media companies recognising that they are not competing with each other, but with the Metas and the Googles of the world, or advertisers returning to NZ-owned media instead of investing all the money with offshore companies, something has to change. There isn’t one reason why our media sector is so damaged, and there isn’t just one solution. It’s going to require a lot of changes across a bunch of issues. But collaboration and collectivisation are going to be central to it.
And look, as a lefty I have a pretty simplistic view that collectivising is nearly always good.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
I’ve learnt the importance of human connection, to be honest. It’s been super tough on me mentally this year, particularly the WBD gig, but I’ve leant on my fabulous business partner Lou, our incredible employee Tasmin, some close friends and whanau, and made some new friends along the way that have really helped me through.
I’m a pretty misanthropic sort of guy and so the idea of opening up to other people is hard. But it’s absolutely been what got me through. Also, I got an amazing therapist: cannot talk highly enough of having one. I’m lucky enough to be able to afford it - and we need to get better mental health treatment for everyone - but at the very least talking to a third party who has no skin in your game is incredibly cathartic.
The biggest lesson that PR/comms people need to know is that we can’t do cookie-cutter comms. And we can’t be inauthentic. Every client has different needs, and they all need tailored work that meets what they need. And more importantly, be yourself. My firm is sweary, loose, fun, but we are very good at what we do. And our clients love us for it. Most of them anyway. Work is so much better when you can relax and be yourself, and you build better relationships with your clients.
Also, the big revelation I’ve had this year is the idea of communications isn’t what I was taught. We don’t help people say what they want to say, we help them be understood by the people they want to reach. So often what we say is very different to how it’s heard. That’s the gap we bridge.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Running a service provider company tends to mean you only get a break if your clients allow it. So as long as none of my clients do something horrific, I’ll chill. I think we’ll probably stay in Wellington; it’s gorgeous over the Christmas period, when everybody leaves and nobody comes here for tourism. Though when a cruise ship shows up, the line for the cable car is bananas.
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Grateful.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
In 2024, our primary focus was on establishing a ‘Centre of Excellence.’ We anticipated a slow economy, so we dedicated our efforts to integrating processes and products, ultimately creating 14 workstreams aimed at identifying and addressing areas in need of improvement. These initiatives encompassed automation, standardisation, celebration, and the enhancement of our data and analytics capabilities. As a result, we are well-positioned to tackle the challenges of 2025, but not without enjoying a well-deserved break first.
An impressive initiative from a competitor (not really a competitor, but still counts) was the launch of Youdooh by Richard Pook and Bram Stevens. Well done!
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
I am hopeful that 2025 will bring some level of stabilisation to the New Zealand media landscape. 2024 was a challenging year, witnessing our friends and community endure such unsettling times, particularly with the decline of local news and journalism.
For MBM, a game-changer lies in our ongoing development in the data and analytics space, especially in advancing our first-party data capabilities. However, the most crucial asset remains our people. Regardless of how advanced our technology becomes, it is our talented team who will interpret the data, make sense of the technology and collaborate with clients to navigate this complex landscape.
[In 2024], a crucial lesson I learned was the importance of avoiding complacency and never taking anything for granted. Reflecting on the challenges the industry faced, it became clear that these obstacles were not limited to media and marketing but affected every sector. The key takeaway is that resilience, learning, and evolution are continuous processes.
Looking ahead to 2025, one major mistake that media, marketing, PR, and advertising professionals should avoid is prioritising short-term results over long-term growth. It’s crucial to build sustainable strategies that deliver lasting value. It’s surprising that this remains a topic of conversation in 2025, but it underscores the ongoing need to shift the focus toward long-term thinking. By achieving this balance, you will establish a framework that allows adaptation to where media has been and where marketing is headed.
I promised myself I would avoid all the media and marketing jargon – rereading this, I clearly failed!
What are your plans for the summer break?
My daughter heads off to university in February (we are going to be empty nesters!), so I am going to make the most of every moment with my family! I’m coming for you Mia!
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Equanimous (well, that’s the goal).
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
This is a shout-out to everyone in our industry and the industries we work with. One of the privileges of what we do is seeing how great New Zealanders lead through upheaval and uncertainty. This year it’s been inspirational to see courageous leadership, extraordinary resilience, people boosting each other to create new opportunities, take on new challenges and do stuff differently. Most importantly – keeping their sense of humour through it all.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
I’m a great believer in the role of journalism in a strong well-functioning democracy. No one has a crystal ball, but my hope is that our key institutions in New Zealand including media hold true to their values and continue to serve us all well, looking out into the rest of the world and recognising we’ve got a lot to be grateful for and that we all have a role to play in our country’s success.
The past five years have been the toughest and longest in a generation. It’s human nature that we want to turn the corner as soon as possible and each year since 2020, we’ve all hoped that the next year would get easier. New Zealand is still in a tight spot economically, 2025 will be about finding our confidence again to invest, grow and celebrate success.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
Anything can happen at any time, and we are not immune.
Being disconnected from your audience/customers.
What are your plans for the summer break?
To enjoy being unplanned. How great are those long summer days where you wake up, open your book, and read until someone calls you for dinner?
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Anticipation. For the first time in 29 years I will not be returning to Mango after the Christmas holidays having decided it’s time to step away leaving the agency in the very capable hands of my senior team. Other than travel, I have nothing planned so am keen to see what the year brings.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
Launching our Takitoru Cultural Uplift programme that saw half of the group’s staff – over 100 people - complete te reo and tikanga Māori courses. Part of my role this year has been to champion inclusion and diversity and this programme has been a game changer in how we both understand and represent te ao Māori to all New Zealand. Workwise, I continue to love what we do for McDonald’s, from recyclable tents at Rhythm & Alps to the Grimace tour of Aotearoa and activations at Phoenix and Auckland FC games. It’s a great client doing work that is truly Kiwi.
The haka world record organised by Pead and partners was extremely high profile and succeeded in getting coverage pre, during and post the attempt, including around the world. Sometimes the classics done well are the best.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media – what would be a game-changer for your company?
Sadly I think there’s still some attrition to come but I am hoping it will bottom out soon (2025?). Then optimistically I hope to see it rise like a phoenix from the ashes, but delivered across new platforms.
The worst scenario for us – and the world! – would be the end of intelligent, independent, trustworthy journalism. With so much disinformation, there is an even greater need for voices we can trust. I also think we’ll see the rise of more organisation-owned media which people will trust more than what they see on social platforms.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
Personally, it’s feel the fear and do it anyway (I think someone famous said that!). Deciding to leave after so long has stimulated a rollercoaster of emotions, but I’ve learned to trust others to do it well, their own way. From a communications perspective, I would say don’t be lazy. Mango has always been a high-performing agency and that’s because we’re not satisfied with good enough. Good enough really won’t cut it now because there’s so much competition for attention that you absolutely have to stand out.
What are your plans for the summer break?
Booking our trip to Italy in April.
What’s the one word to sum up your mood heading into 2025?
Optimistic.
What was the best initiative/project/campaign in your own business in 2024 – and one you thought a rival did well?
I’m really proud of all of the work that the team has done this year as we celebrated 10 years in business and in particular, our work across major events. 2024 has seen us work on events that have brought hundreds of thousands of people into the city (such as the ASB Classic, Synthony and Pearl Jam to name a few) and these have had a significant positive impact on our local economy. The feeling of the buzz of the city full of visitors and locals alike enjoying these events, there isn’t anything quite like it.
In terms of rivals, I have a solid man crush on Kelly Grindle and the work that he and the Special PR Team do in the market. Their work on Pizza Hut’s 50th birthday and the return of the ‘All you can eat buffet’ was incredible and hit me right in the nostalgic feels.
How do you think 2025 will play out for New Zealand media - what would be a game-changer for your company?
It’s no secret that [2024] has been a very challenging time for media, and I don’t unfortunately think the storm has necessarily passed.
In 2025 I hope we can keep educating both our clients and audiences the importance of supporting our media, in whichever way they need. The relationship between media and PR should always demonstrate that we are all on the same team and that the work we do in tandem can benefit all.
What’s one crucial lesson you learned in 2024 – and as a follow-up, what’s the biggest mistake media/marketing/PR/advertising people need to avoid in 2025?
This year has taught me how important it is to turn up as we work to build collaboration across our whole industry. We have so much to gain when we all work together and I am really excited about continuing this into 2025.
In terms of mistakes, I think the biggest one we see in PR is respecting what is news and a fit for an outlet, and what is not. Now, more than ever, we are dealing with media who have such limited time and if we all took just a minute to think of the real value of the angle that is being pitched, and the suitability of the proposed home for it, we could cut the clutter for media and achieve a much more collaborative balance.
What are your plans for the summer break?
I’m lucky that our work will see me enjoying all the epic events Tāmaki Makaurau has to offer this summer. You will find me courtside at the ASB Classic as we kick off the New Year and then will wrap out January with the Black Foils taking the win at SailGP at Wynyard Point. End of January will see my partner and our dog heading to Kinloch on Lake Taupo for some well-needed swimming, eating and napping!
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
The bosses of NZME, Stuff, Are Media and three agencies answer five questions for 2025.