Latest news with #BigSmallTalk
The Advertiser
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
No tuning out as influencers reshape political campaign
Young people are turning to social media influencers and commentators to get their news, with politicians warned to either adapt or face irrelevancy. The federal Liberals largely ignored influencers and it stopped them from reaching a large cohort of female voters, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Ms Ferguson, whose channel reached four million individuals during the election campaign, said media giant News Corp had weaponised the word 'influencer' to target progressive young women as part of a culture war. "The agenda is clear - to undermine our intelligence, to paint us as untrustworthy, and to conflate us with green juice and a discount code," she told the National Press Club on Wednesday. "There is nothing wrong with being an influencer, but the label is intended to cause significant reputational damage. The impact is deeply misogynistic." Large media corporations "want to invalidate and undermine a group of powerful young women who developed the ability to communicate with audiences in a way that traditional media can't", she said. Painting every female podcaster with the same brush, depicting them as "friendly, unserious and surface level", sought to delegitimise what they were doing, she added. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used podcast appearances to humanise himself, former opposition leader Peter Dutton had refused to engage, particularly with platforms run by women, she said. "(It) was one small, yet huge, decision in a series of reckless refusals to attempt to communicate with the voter base that would eventually end his political career," she said. People paid for endorsements on social media needed to ensure this was made abundantly clear in all their posts, she said, adding she had turned down political parties offering payments. Ms Ferguson intends to run as an independent for a Senate spot in 2028. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." Ms Ferguson agreed, adding her audience was less concerned about the gritty details of a budget that traditional media would focus on and wanted to know what was in it for them in a digestible way they understood. Young people are turning to social media influencers and commentators to get their news, with politicians warned to either adapt or face irrelevancy. The federal Liberals largely ignored influencers and it stopped them from reaching a large cohort of female voters, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Ms Ferguson, whose channel reached four million individuals during the election campaign, said media giant News Corp had weaponised the word 'influencer' to target progressive young women as part of a culture war. "The agenda is clear - to undermine our intelligence, to paint us as untrustworthy, and to conflate us with green juice and a discount code," she told the National Press Club on Wednesday. "There is nothing wrong with being an influencer, but the label is intended to cause significant reputational damage. The impact is deeply misogynistic." Large media corporations "want to invalidate and undermine a group of powerful young women who developed the ability to communicate with audiences in a way that traditional media can't", she said. Painting every female podcaster with the same brush, depicting them as "friendly, unserious and surface level", sought to delegitimise what they were doing, she added. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used podcast appearances to humanise himself, former opposition leader Peter Dutton had refused to engage, particularly with platforms run by women, she said. "(It) was one small, yet huge, decision in a series of reckless refusals to attempt to communicate with the voter base that would eventually end his political career," she said. People paid for endorsements on social media needed to ensure this was made abundantly clear in all their posts, she said, adding she had turned down political parties offering payments. Ms Ferguson intends to run as an independent for a Senate spot in 2028. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." Ms Ferguson agreed, adding her audience was less concerned about the gritty details of a budget that traditional media would focus on and wanted to know what was in it for them in a digestible way they understood. Young people are turning to social media influencers and commentators to get their news, with politicians warned to either adapt or face irrelevancy. The federal Liberals largely ignored influencers and it stopped them from reaching a large cohort of female voters, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Ms Ferguson, whose channel reached four million individuals during the election campaign, said media giant News Corp had weaponised the word 'influencer' to target progressive young women as part of a culture war. "The agenda is clear - to undermine our intelligence, to paint us as untrustworthy, and to conflate us with green juice and a discount code," she told the National Press Club on Wednesday. "There is nothing wrong with being an influencer, but the label is intended to cause significant reputational damage. The impact is deeply misogynistic." Large media corporations "want to invalidate and undermine a group of powerful young women who developed the ability to communicate with audiences in a way that traditional media can't", she said. Painting every female podcaster with the same brush, depicting them as "friendly, unserious and surface level", sought to delegitimise what they were doing, she added. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used podcast appearances to humanise himself, former opposition leader Peter Dutton had refused to engage, particularly with platforms run by women, she said. "(It) was one small, yet huge, decision in a series of reckless refusals to attempt to communicate with the voter base that would eventually end his political career," she said. People paid for endorsements on social media needed to ensure this was made abundantly clear in all their posts, she said, adding she had turned down political parties offering payments. Ms Ferguson intends to run as an independent for a Senate spot in 2028. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." Ms Ferguson agreed, adding her audience was less concerned about the gritty details of a budget that traditional media would focus on and wanted to know what was in it for them in a digestible way they understood. Young people are turning to social media influencers and commentators to get their news, with politicians warned to either adapt or face irrelevancy. The federal Liberals largely ignored influencers and it stopped them from reaching a large cohort of female voters, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Ms Ferguson, whose channel reached four million individuals during the election campaign, said media giant News Corp had weaponised the word 'influencer' to target progressive young women as part of a culture war. "The agenda is clear - to undermine our intelligence, to paint us as untrustworthy, and to conflate us with green juice and a discount code," she told the National Press Club on Wednesday. "There is nothing wrong with being an influencer, but the label is intended to cause significant reputational damage. The impact is deeply misogynistic." Large media corporations "want to invalidate and undermine a group of powerful young women who developed the ability to communicate with audiences in a way that traditional media can't", she said. Painting every female podcaster with the same brush, depicting them as "friendly, unserious and surface level", sought to delegitimise what they were doing, she added. While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used podcast appearances to humanise himself, former opposition leader Peter Dutton had refused to engage, particularly with platforms run by women, she said. "(It) was one small, yet huge, decision in a series of reckless refusals to attempt to communicate with the voter base that would eventually end his political career," she said. People paid for endorsements on social media needed to ensure this was made abundantly clear in all their posts, she said, adding she had turned down political parties offering payments. Ms Ferguson intends to run as an independent for a Senate spot in 2028. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." Ms Ferguson agreed, adding her audience was less concerned about the gritty details of a budget that traditional media would focus on and wanted to know what was in it for them in a digestible way they understood.
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Pollies told to listen as podcasters muscle mass media
The influence of influencers is being combed over after an election fought as much online as in person, with politicians looking for fresh ways to reach younger voters. Content creators were able to reach a large audience that wasn't typically engaged with traditional media, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Labor had utilised podcasters and influencers to reach young people, including women who are the largest growing audience, Ms Ferguson told AAP. "The Liberal Party's refusal to engage eliminated them, largely, from speaking to women," she said. Criticisms from Liberals about the campaign included not having a coherent communication strategy and failing to sell their message early enough, with few major policies in the field before the election was called. Labor spent consistently on advertising throughout the campaign while the coalition saved its large spend for the final weeks, according to video tracking company Adgile. Labor spent more than $3 million on Facebook election ads while the Liberals spent $1.4 million, according to Meta's ad library. Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, known for its blanket advertising campaigns, spent about $1.5 million in comparison. TV ads still made up the bulk of the federal election video spend with more than $54 million spent - $24.1 million by Trumpet of Patriots, $24 million by Labor and $21 million for the coalition, according to Adgile. The scale of Labor's social media spend was surprising, political communication expert Andrew Hughes said. Labor was more effective in its digital media strategy while the coalition was severely lacking, Dr Hughes said. "I was surprised the coalition didn't utilise it more," he said. There was also a significant surge in spending on YouTube where minor parties focused their ad spend as commercial TV can fail to reach the same volume of viewers or target the right demographics. The Liberals needed to spread their focus and "engage where voters are", Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said. "It's unrealistic to expect they'll come to where we are," she told AAP. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has been an early adopter of using podcasters and content creators to sell the government's message, especially in her women's portfolio. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Senator Gallagher told AAP. "I think we'll never go back to the way it was before," she said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." The influence of influencers is being combed over after an election fought as much online as in person, with politicians looking for fresh ways to reach younger voters. Content creators were able to reach a large audience that wasn't typically engaged with traditional media, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Labor had utilised podcasters and influencers to reach young people, including women who are the largest growing audience, Ms Ferguson told AAP. "The Liberal Party's refusal to engage eliminated them, largely, from speaking to women," she said. Criticisms from Liberals about the campaign included not having a coherent communication strategy and failing to sell their message early enough, with few major policies in the field before the election was called. Labor spent consistently on advertising throughout the campaign while the coalition saved its large spend for the final weeks, according to video tracking company Adgile. Labor spent more than $3 million on Facebook election ads while the Liberals spent $1.4 million, according to Meta's ad library. Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, known for its blanket advertising campaigns, spent about $1.5 million in comparison. TV ads still made up the bulk of the federal election video spend with more than $54 million spent - $24.1 million by Trumpet of Patriots, $24 million by Labor and $21 million for the coalition, according to Adgile. The scale of Labor's social media spend was surprising, political communication expert Andrew Hughes said. Labor was more effective in its digital media strategy while the coalition was severely lacking, Dr Hughes said. "I was surprised the coalition didn't utilise it more," he said. There was also a significant surge in spending on YouTube where minor parties focused their ad spend as commercial TV can fail to reach the same volume of viewers or target the right demographics. The Liberals needed to spread their focus and "engage where voters are", Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said. "It's unrealistic to expect they'll come to where we are," she told AAP. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has been an early adopter of using podcasters and content creators to sell the government's message, especially in her women's portfolio. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Senator Gallagher told AAP. "I think we'll never go back to the way it was before," she said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." The influence of influencers is being combed over after an election fought as much online as in person, with politicians looking for fresh ways to reach younger voters. Content creators were able to reach a large audience that wasn't typically engaged with traditional media, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Labor had utilised podcasters and influencers to reach young people, including women who are the largest growing audience, Ms Ferguson told AAP. "The Liberal Party's refusal to engage eliminated them, largely, from speaking to women," she said. Criticisms from Liberals about the campaign included not having a coherent communication strategy and failing to sell their message early enough, with few major policies in the field before the election was called. Labor spent consistently on advertising throughout the campaign while the coalition saved its large spend for the final weeks, according to video tracking company Adgile. Labor spent more than $3 million on Facebook election ads while the Liberals spent $1.4 million, according to Meta's ad library. Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, known for its blanket advertising campaigns, spent about $1.5 million in comparison. TV ads still made up the bulk of the federal election video spend with more than $54 million spent - $24.1 million by Trumpet of Patriots, $24 million by Labor and $21 million for the coalition, according to Adgile. The scale of Labor's social media spend was surprising, political communication expert Andrew Hughes said. Labor was more effective in its digital media strategy while the coalition was severely lacking, Dr Hughes said. "I was surprised the coalition didn't utilise it more," he said. There was also a significant surge in spending on YouTube where minor parties focused their ad spend as commercial TV can fail to reach the same volume of viewers or target the right demographics. The Liberals needed to spread their focus and "engage where voters are", Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said. "It's unrealistic to expect they'll come to where we are," she told AAP. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has been an early adopter of using podcasters and content creators to sell the government's message, especially in her women's portfolio. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Senator Gallagher told AAP. "I think we'll never go back to the way it was before," she said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table." The influence of influencers is being combed over after an election fought as much online as in person, with politicians looking for fresh ways to reach younger voters. Content creators were able to reach a large audience that wasn't typically engaged with traditional media, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Labor had utilised podcasters and influencers to reach young people, including women who are the largest growing audience, Ms Ferguson told AAP. "The Liberal Party's refusal to engage eliminated them, largely, from speaking to women," she said. Criticisms from Liberals about the campaign included not having a coherent communication strategy and failing to sell their message early enough, with few major policies in the field before the election was called. Labor spent consistently on advertising throughout the campaign while the coalition saved its large spend for the final weeks, according to video tracking company Adgile. Labor spent more than $3 million on Facebook election ads while the Liberals spent $1.4 million, according to Meta's ad library. Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, known for its blanket advertising campaigns, spent about $1.5 million in comparison. TV ads still made up the bulk of the federal election video spend with more than $54 million spent - $24.1 million by Trumpet of Patriots, $24 million by Labor and $21 million for the coalition, according to Adgile. The scale of Labor's social media spend was surprising, political communication expert Andrew Hughes said. Labor was more effective in its digital media strategy while the coalition was severely lacking, Dr Hughes said. "I was surprised the coalition didn't utilise it more," he said. There was also a significant surge in spending on YouTube where minor parties focused their ad spend as commercial TV can fail to reach the same volume of viewers or target the right demographics. The Liberals needed to spread their focus and "engage where voters are", Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said. "It's unrealistic to expect they'll come to where we are," she told AAP. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has been an early adopter of using podcasters and content creators to sell the government's message, especially in her women's portfolio. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Senator Gallagher told AAP. "I think we'll never go back to the way it was before," she said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table."
Perth Now
13-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Pollies told to listen as podcasters muscle mass media
The influence of influencers is being combed over after an election fought as much online as in person, with politicians looking for fresh ways to reach younger voters. Content creators were able to reach a large audience that wasn't typically engaged with traditional media, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Labor had utilised podcasters and influencers to reach young people, including women who are the largest growing audience, Ms Ferguson told AAP. "The Liberal Party's refusal to engage eliminated them, largely, from speaking to women," she said. Criticisms from Liberals about the campaign included not having a coherent communication strategy and failing to sell their message early enough, with few major policies in the field before the election was called. Labor spent consistently on advertising throughout the campaign while the coalition saved its large spend for the final weeks, according to video tracking company Adgile. Labor spent more than $3 million on Facebook election ads while the Liberals spent $1.4 million, according to Meta's ad library. Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, known for its blanket advertising campaigns, spent about $1.5 million in comparison. TV ads still made up the bulk of the federal election video spend with more than $54 million spent - $24.1 million by Trumpet of Patriots, $24 million by Labor and $21 million for the coalition, according to Adgile. The scale of Labor's social media spend was surprising, political communication expert Andrew Hughes said. It enabled them to continue their momentum while also denying the coalition airtime, he said. Labor was more effective in its digital media strategy while the coalition was severely lacking, Dr Hughes said. "I was surprised the coalition didn't utilise it more," he said. There was also a significant surge in spending on YouTube where minor parties focused their ad spend as commercial TV can fail to reach the same volume of viewers or target the right demographics. The Liberals needed to spread their focus and "engage where voters are", Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said. "It's unrealistic to expect they'll come to where we are," she told AAP. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has been an early adopter of using podcasters and content creators to sell the government's message, especially in her women's portfolio. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Senator Gallagher told AAP. "I think we'll never go back to the way it was before," she said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table."
West Australian
13-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Pollies told to listen as podcasters muscle mass media
The influence of influencers is being combed over after an election fought as much online as in person, with politicians looking for fresh ways to reach younger voters. Content creators were able to reach a large audience that wasn't typically engaged with traditional media, Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast Hannah Ferguson said. Labor had utilised podcasters and influencers to reach young people, including women who are the largest growing audience, Ms Ferguson told AAP. "The Liberal Party's refusal to engage eliminated them, largely, from speaking to women," she said. Criticisms from Liberals about the campaign included not having a coherent communication strategy and failing to sell their message early enough, with few major policies in the field before the election was called. Labor spent consistently on advertising throughout the campaign while the coalition saved its large spend for the final weeks, according to video tracking company Adgile. Labor spent more than $3 million on Facebook election ads while the Liberals spent $1.4 million, according to Meta's ad library. Clive Palmer's Trumpet of Patriots party, known for its blanket advertising campaigns, spent about $1.5 million in comparison. TV ads still made up the bulk of the federal election video spend with more than $54 million spent - $24.1 million by Trumpet of Patriots, $24 million by Labor and $21 million for the coalition, according to Adgile. The scale of Labor's social media spend was surprising, political communication expert Andrew Hughes said. It enabled them to continue their momentum while also denying the coalition airtime, he said. Labor was more effective in its digital media strategy while the coalition was severely lacking, Dr Hughes said. "I was surprised the coalition didn't utilise it more," he said. There was also a significant surge in spending on YouTube where minor parties focused their ad spend as commercial TV can fail to reach the same volume of viewers or target the right demographics. The Liberals needed to spread their focus and "engage where voters are", Liberal senator Maria Kovacic said. "It's unrealistic to expect they'll come to where we are," she told AAP. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has been an early adopter of using podcasters and content creators to sell the government's message, especially in her women's portfolio. Influencers were invited to the federal budget lockup at Parliament House for the first time in 2025. This helped the government get its message out to people who otherwise wouldn't have paid attention, Senator Gallagher told AAP. "I think we'll never go back to the way it was before," she said. "It's really clear that new media are going to feature in politics ... and they have a legitimate place at the table."
Perth Now
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Leaders eye election finish line in final-day sprint
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have just one more day to convince voters they should lead the nation, as the election campaign nears the finish line. The prime minister and opposition leader will embark on a last-minute blitz of marginal seats across Australia on Friday, the final full day of campaigning before polls open. Having already visited Western Australia and South Australia, Mr Albanese will look to round off the remaining four states as part of his six-state whistle-stop tour in the election's last days. Meanwhile, Mr Dutton is hoping to gain ground in battleground electorates during his sweep of 28 marginal seats for the frenetic final week. The opposition leader will be out to defy history and the polls to become the 32nd prime minister, with no party having formed government after just one term in opposition since 1931. The coalition has also been trailing in national opinion polls, while a seat-by-seat poll released on Thursday by YouGov revealed the opposition could sink to its lowest seat percentage since the 1940s. While some campaign techniques have stayed the same, the 2025 election has been defined by a shift of party leaders appearing on podcasts, with new media and online influencers having a large role. Hannah Ferguson, Cheek Media Co chief executive and co-host of the Big Small Talk podcast, said 2025 was the first election where political parties realised the influence of large online audiences, which had been untapped. "This is the first time politicians have realised the power of us," she told AAP. "An influencer has a level of engagement where they are talking politics and have a rapport with a dedicated audience who like and trust them." Mr Albanese has made several podcast appearances throughout the year, including with Abbie Chatfield and the Betoota Advocate, while Mr Dutton has been on podcasts with businessman Mark Bouris and Olympian Sam Fricker. Ms Ferguson said podcast appearances were a way to tap into previously unreachable audiences for political candidates. "It's easy to say Generation Z listen blatantly to information, but it's more complex than that. The politicians who bother to show up want to prove they want different voters," she said. "(Audiences) feel like they're opting into receiving communications." The influence of online creators and podcasters has become even more powerful during the traditional media blackout period for election advertising on TV and radio, with online measures not affected. A day out from polling day, Ms Ferguson said the prime minister had made better use of appealing to voters through podcasts and online platforms than his opponent. "He has followed suit with the strengths of Greens and teals with engaging in different demographics and new media, and reaching voters he would have lost," she said.
