“Stop The Fight Now!”: Kurt Burnette & Natalie Harvey On All The Biggest News From Seven’s Upfronts
Seven West Media Group’s Upfronts on Tuesday saw a number of major announcements across content, partnerships, and opportunities for brands.
B&T sat down with network sales director Natalie Harvey and chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette to discuss the biggest announcements of the Upfronts.
For Harvey, Seven’s tech investment through the launch of CODE 7+, its new media trading platform, is particularly significant.
“We’re moving into a new, evolved world for television buying and trading and delivery. And when I say television, I mean broadcast and digital, transmitted through, in particular, connected television,” Harvey explained.
“That, I feel was the most significant [announcement] not only from a cost perspective but the opportunity it brings brands and agencies to evolve into the future.”
CODE 7+ will be supported by the very latest in CRM technology from Salesforce, as well as other leading technology vendors.
On the partnership with Salesforce, which uses the Salesforce’s Media Cloud, Burnette said: “For the first time, you can buy audience across broadcast and digital together in an automated way, and for our customers it means that it’ll be incredibly fast and efficient. It’ll allow for the integration of VOZ and REDiQ…it allows advanced audience trading. It’s setting up for now, but also for the future.”
He described the partnership as a “long term technology play”.
Harvey added that, in Seven’s client surveys, “speed and delivery are two things that come up every time, in particular for linear trading of television.”
One of the other significant announcements from the Network was the unveiling of 7Shop and 7Rewards, which will be integrated with Seven’s audience intelligence platform, 7REDiQ.
7Shop allows viewers to instantly buy the products shown on the programs they stream, while 7Rewards is a partnership with The Entertainment Group, which produces the Entertainment Book.
“What this brings is a whole new element to that content, which is enjoying watching the content, being inspired by the content, and [shopping] what you see in the content,” explained Burnette.
“Television is generally known for brand building. We will be brand-building, plus we have the ability now to drive e-commerce strategies.”
7Shop, Burnette said, was in part a response to the eCommerce boom, which has undoubtedly been stimulated by the pandemic.
“We’re not creating a new consumer behaviour here. We’re getting in the flow of that consumer behaviour – it’s important that we don’t break that. That’s why we think it can be successful. That model…we’re not a marketplace, we’re not creating a new marketplace,” he said.
“It’s an enabler, so whatever brand wants to come with us with an existing eComm strategy or an online trtding strategy, we will be the window and the gateway to making people directly purchase with them.”
On 7Rewards, Burnette explained the potential possibilities – for example, the opportunity for viewers to be rewarded with two for one tickets to see James Bond by watching more 7Plus the day before, or by watching different shows.
“That’s an engagement strategy for your audience…but it’s also a brand proposition where we can put brands in that…then it’s [also] a data capture piece. It does a number of things.”
Content was also key to the Upfronts, with significant announcements such as the return of Australian Idol and My Kitchen Rules.
Seven’s core entertainment slate, The Voice, Big Brother, SAS Australia, Farmer Wants A Wife and Dancing With The Stars: All Stars will continue into the new year, and be joined by a new program, The Voice: Generations.
When asked about what the biggest show of 2022 will be, Harvey was clear: The Voice.
“I think The Voice will be the biggest linear and BVOD piece, because I think the linear will continue to be really strong, and I’m also gonna say, I think the Olympic Winter Games will surprise everybody with just how big that will be, particularly from a digital perspective.”
Burnette agreed, pointing to The Voice as the most successful show-based programming.
But, like Harvey, he was confident about the success of the Olympic Winter Games.
“Stop the fight now! The Winter Olympics will be the biggest digital, most-streamed event full stop,” he said.
“That’ll be the biggest out of anything in 2022, that’s a guarantee.”
“The Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games [also announced at the Upfronts]; those events are a continution of this really great feeling that came from the Tokyo Olympics…from a business perspective it just creates fantastic audience, brand new audiences coming in that help launch your next lot of shows coming through.”
Both Harvey and Burnette shared their key learnings from the Tokyo Olympics, with Harvey pointing to the release of VOZ, which co-incided with the Games.
“We were able to use the biggest digital event in history to mine the VOZ data.”
She also pointed to the success of the Olympics as a platform for other programs.
“The ability to launch new content out of the back of such a big event – we’re going to see that again next year with the Olympic Winter Games, the Commonwealth Games, the AFL. All the big cultural moments we have are used as promotional vehicles for our other content, so it has a pretty significant halo on the rest of the schedule.”
For Burnette, one of the most significant effects of the Olympics was the “education” of the consumer in transitioning seamlessly between the linear Seven channels and the 7Plus app.
“It’s the first time we’ve really seen that agnostic movement across screens, and the viewer was quite willing to move across those screens seamlessly, and that’s a very powerful thing to do,” he explained. Harvey agreed, citing the “exceptional” production team.
Finally, it would remiss to discuss the Upfronts without mention of sport outside of the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games.
Seven was sure to highlight the cricket and AFL offerings, as well as its recent landmark deal with Racing Victoria, Racing NSW, Racing Queensland and Racing SA for thoroughbred horse racing.
When asked about whether the network will pursue rights to the NRL – currently owned by Nine – Burnette played coy.
“I think James [Warburton, CEO] has gone public [that] the fact is, we’re interested in major codes in this country. We’ve got two of them, cricket and AFL, and we’d be interested in the NRL, but everything has to make sense as well.”
“If we can make sense of it, I don’t think anything’s off the table.”
Please login with linkedin to comment
kurt burnette Natalie Harvey Seven Network Seven Upfronts Seven Upfronts 2022Latest News
X Defends Record On Removing Child Abuse Content As It Promises A Safer Environment For Advertisers
B&T warns this article references the murky & sordid world of online child abuse. Plus, the murky & sordid Elon Musk.
Thursday TV Ratings: Seven Just Beats Nine With The Chase Coming Out Top
Is there a study into the correlation between Thursday's diminished TV numbers & the increased sale of pub schnitzels?
Indie Agency Communicado Raids Thinkerbell For Its Two New Associate Creative Directors
Thinkerbell duo depart for rival agency Communicado. Leaving speeches were said to be convivial but restrained.
“Utterly Irresponsible!” Sportsbet Slammed For Near-$20m Marketing Blitz As Gambling Ban Approaches
Smokers have been picked on for 30 years, now it's time for the gamblers. And the drinkers should start getting nervous.
Casella Appoints Dig As Creative Agency On Yellow Tail Wine
There's three givens at B&T's Friday staff drinks - the Yellow Tail, the Cheezels and the incessant bickering.
Seven Prioritises The Matildas Over The News AND The AFL In Extraordinary Decision Ahead Of The Women’s World Cup Quarter Final
Scott and Charlene's wedding now under serious threat as Saturday's Matilda's game threatens to smash all TV records.
News Corp Earnings Down Across The Board Despite Jump In Subscribers
Rupert can't find a coin for his ALDI trolley as News Corp earnings drop calls for renewed round of belt tightening.
Despite The Outrage & The Bans, The Sports Bet Category Remains Adland’s Zaniest (See This!)
The Guardian may no longer be running sports bet advertising, but as you'll read here, B&T has far less morals & ethics.
Last Chance To Buy Tickets For This Year’s B&T Women In Media Awards!
B&T's not giving away too many secrets to the Women In Media Awards suffice to say two words - chocolate and fountain.
The Trade Desk, Magnite & LiveRamp Deliver Growth, PubMatic Flat In Q2 Earnings
B&T's calling this your Q2 earnings wrap. We even considered wheeling out "must read" to help it along a bit.
Cinema Chain Spoofs Classic Movies In Wonderfully Funny Work To Entice People Back Into Theatres
Call it the Barbenheimer effect, but cinema's suddenly cool again. Yet, absolutely no uptick whatsoever for drive-ins.
Mediabrands Launches Internship Program For Aspiring Media Professionals
Mediabrands are on the lookout for young, enthusiastic go-getters for its internship program. But then, aren't we all?
Nike Celebrates The Matildas & Young Aussie Female Athletes In New Work By Conscious Minds
In what can be best described as a rare treat, it's a localised Nike ad. Kinda like finding the milk's not out of date.
Why Your CX Technology Should Focus On Connections
This expert opines it's not about your newfangled tech stacks, it's about your customers. Even the ones you detest.
WPP & Optimizely Partner To Bring Informed Digital Experiences To Brands & Consumers
Often think WPP's a 'canary in the coal mine' for industry trends? Well, avoid the black lung reading this latest.
Dylan Alcott & Hnry Team Up To Relieve Aussie Sole Traders Of Scary Tax Admin
Can the effervescent Dylan Alcott make tax admin even remotely interesting? Watch as he gives his best shot here.
D&AD Shift With Google Sydney Announce Class Of 2023
Need to poach some hot young agency talent? Poach away here, but just don't rat on B&T for the heads up.
Digital Media Agency Bench Rebrands To The Digital Disruption Agency
You could say Bench has been benched, as agency rebrands to the Digital Disruption Agency.
Seven Appoints Indie Creative Agency Emotive To Reshape Broadcaster’s Brand
Seven planning a brand zjoosh and spring clean. Although the offical corporate red and the number 7 is off limits.
Elon Musk Says The ABC Prefers “Censorship-Friendly” Social Media
It appears the ABC's found a new enemy in Elon Musk. However, News Corp remains entrenched at the top of the enemy list.
Wednesday TV Ratings: The Chase Just Beats The Block To Entertainment Win
Nine wins Wednesday night. However, Seven tells rival you'll get that and more come Saturday's Matilda's match.
B&T’s Best Of The Best Technologists, Presented By Finecast, Part Of GroupM Nexus
Somewhat ironically, this top 10 technologists list wasn't written with any help from ChatGPT or AI whatsoever!
Former Woman’s Day Editor Fiona Connolly Appointed Head of News’ Lifestyle Network
You could say ink runs in the veins of women's magazine veteran Fiona Connolly. And sponge cake recipes.
X Adds Brand Safety Tools In Bid To Bring Back Ad Dollars
Elon back contemplating the colonisation of Mars after finding this whole Twitter thing one huge headache.
ACMA Rules Kyle Sandilands’ Monkeypox Comments Breached Decency Rules And Were Offensive To Gay Men
Watchdog rules Kyle offended gay men. Punishment includes listening to Barbra Streisand & Céline Dion CDs on repeat.
Ozzy Osborne Bites Off More Than He Can Chew With Banned PlayStation Ad
Ozzy Osborne continuing to surprise. No more so than the fact that he's actually still alive and kicking.
Swisse Wellness Wheels In the Celebs To Stop Late Night Doom Scrollers
Is your sleep routine two Quaaludes and a swig from the sherry bottle? There's tips here for a more blissful night.
“All Good Things Must Come To An End, Well This One Barely Got started!” Jerker Fagerström Quits Thinkerbell After Eight Months
Thinkerbell fridge sans all smörgåstårta & pickled herring as Jerker Fagerström heads for the utgång (exits).
Footballing God Cristiano Ronaldo Bumbles His Way through New Work For Fan App Zuju
This ad proves Cristiano Ronaldo is just one of the guys. Just a filthy rich one of the guys, that is.
Samsung Ads’ Marj Hetherton On Why CTV Is The Most Exciting Area Of Advertising
Samsung Ads' Marj Hetherton says CTV is the most exciting area of advertising. That and nine-hour client lunches.
CommBank Matildas REMOVES Tim Tam TikTok Following B&T Story
If Tim Tam's marketing team wants to send B&T some freebies for this free press we'll take any flavour but mint or dark.
Tinder’s New Global Campaign Says Online Dating Need Not Be An Unrivalled Hell
If there were truth in advertising, these spots would feature a drunk bloke with poor hygiene who lives with his mother.
ADMA Adds New Speakers For Upcoming Global Forum
ADMA confirms speaker line-up for upcoming Global Forum. Also, 300 arancini balls locked-in for the networking drinks.
IMAA Census Predicts Growth In BVOD/CTV, Digital Video And Podcasts
The IMAA census is like a finger on the pulse of Australia's adland. And we all need a solid finger now and then.
Prestige Brands Targets Gen Z With Racy Billie Eilish Perfume Ad Via Spark Foundry
Billie Eilish the latest celeb to release a fragrance. Meanwhile, B&T still waiting on an Angus Young eau de toilette.
The Australian Women’s Weekly Celebrates Its 90th Birthday
The Weekly celebrates its 90 birthday. B&T believes the first-ever copy is still in our GP's reception.