Two years ago, IBM’s $19bn legacy global technology services span out to become Kyndryl, one of the world’s largest startups. But while the case for separation made logical business sense, relinquishing the safety of IBM’s iconic brand and way of doing things was a mammoth psychological ask for 90,000 staffers – a third of which hated the “stupid” new name – and customers comfortable with the IBM way for so long. Not to mention the legacy and reputation for reliability the new company had to leave behind. Leading brand transformation work from the inside out is former IBM US CMO, Maria Winans, employee number three at the new company. Winans is a classic example of an IBM employee, racking up 29 years with Big Blue before opting to take on the task of creating a new brand and strategy. It’s been no cakewalk, but two years in, brand – and financial – metrics are moving in the right direction.
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$16bn forecast: Visit Victoria dominates post-Covid domestic tourism, starts global push off Tourism Australia work for ‘vibes and culture’ brand codes to trump Uluru, Opera House, Kangaroo icons … with The Castle
Melbourne has outmuscled rival Australian cities with their natural and engineered icons in marketshare of domestic tourism dollars post-Covid and now has a forecast from the Federal Government's Austrade that it can grow tourism revenues $16bn by 2028. Outside federal ambitions, Visit Victoria has its own plan, aiming to ride Tourism Australia's global brand push to lift and convert a higher spending and culturally enlightened cohort via a new single, global brand platform. But the two campaigns are almost polar opposites. Visit Victoria boss Brendan McClements – a rare example of a CEO only too willing to talk brand, demand and marketing funnels – says while the global TA campaign taps instantly recognisable Australian iconography, Victoria, lacking such distinctive assets, has tapped Melbourne cult classic film The Castle and gone with "the vibe". He and Visit Victoria CMO Shae Keenan have spent years crafting the plan, with major marketing overhauls along the way. With "hefty targets" to meet, the two – with a little help from Ehrenberg-Bass and an overhauled "agency village" comprising Sayers, AJF Partnership, Principals, OMD and Accenture-owned research outfit Fiftyfive5 – aim to put Sydney, Queensland and the Gold Coast in its own right, in the shade.
World Economic Forum's future of jobs: Media, entertainment, sport set for high churn as 4m new ecom, digital marketing specialist jobs forecast
The World Economic Forum's bi-annual Future of Jobs Report has highlighted the fastest-growing and fastest-declining roles in the job market, mostly driven by AI. Indeed, AI and Machine Learning Specialists lead the list of fast-growing jobs along with heavy machinery operators and e-comm and digital marketing specialists.
Brand Finance' most valuable 100 Australian brands 2024: Woolies still top but down; Qantas drops 22 spots, just pips Jetstar as NRMA Insurance surges, Bunnings up 20%
Brand Finance Australia has unveiled its 'Australia 100 2024' report, ranking the nation's 100 most valuable and strongest brands. The total value of Australia's top 100 brands has seen a modest increase of 2.5% to reach $199 billion. The report reveals a mixed bag of fortunes, with 60 brands witnessing an increase in value, 36 posting declines, and four new entrants to the rankings.
Rising interest rates and early holiday spending lead to sharp drop in CommBank Household Spending Insights Index
The CommBank Household Spending Insights (HSI) Index experienced a sharp 3.9 per cent decline to 137 in December 2023, as rising interest rates and consumers' early holiday spending habits took a toll on consumer spending conditions.
Tourism Tasmania salutes Australia's first Queen of Denmark with quirky campaign
Tourism Tasmania has made the most of the crowning of Australia's first Queen of Denmark, Mary, with a cheeky media and social set of creatives celebrating the born-and-bred Tasmanian's rise to monarchical stardom.
Pearman Media's Steve Allen turns sober on agency ad spend: 2023 full year 'worst in a decade', '24 to lift 3.65%
Pearman Media's Director of Strategy & Research, Steve Allen, has provided a sobering outlook for the media market, hacking advertising spend growth from media agencies for the full 2023 calander year to under 1% and predicting tough conditions into the June quarter.
Digital ad spend wastage hits record $6bn, finds Next&Co report
Australia’s digital advertising sector wasted a record $6 billion in ad spend in 2023, according to Next&Co’s annual Digital Media Wastage report.
Fernwood Fitness hires out-of-category marketer to take up national marketing leadership reins
Former Sigma Healthcare marketer takes over the national marketing reins at Fernwood Fitness and the franchise-based fitness chain looks to drive growth through new customer acquisition in 2024.
DSpark and Visa forge data alliance to unite mobility and spend insights
DSpark, a subsidiary of NCS, has entered into a strategic partnership with Visa, aiming to revolutionise the way organisations view and utilise data.