Minister sues 2GB for defamation | Clive Palmer faces advertising lawsuit | Defence tops govt ad spend | ASIC tries to shut publisher | 26 new jobs | TV's year of shake-ups | Google ad ban bites IT businesses

[View Newsletter Online]( [Mumbrella Newsletter][Mumbrella Newsletter]( You only have two weeks to get those CommsCon Awards entries wrapped up Finalise your [Mumbrella CommsCon Awards]( entries by January 18 for your chance to showcase your years’ work to the entire PR and comms industry this March. There’s a raft of categories ranging from the best B2B campaign, to crowning the PR Leader of the Year, Best PR Employer and more. Get entries checked off of your to do list by [submitting yours today.]( News [NSW government minister Victor Dominello launches defamation proceedings against 2GB]( Sydney-based radio station 2GB is facing another defamation suit, with NSW minister for finance, services and property, Victor Dominello, suing the broadcaster over claims it made linking him to a property development in Ryde. 2GB – now majority owned by Nine – was summarising a news story published in The Sydney Morning Herald (now also owned by Nine) in September 2017, however in its broadcast it bungled the accusations levied against Dominello. [READ MORE »]( News [US band Twisted Sister threatens Clive Palmer over advertising]( Clive Palmer’s bid to return to Australian politics has involved billboards, full-page newspaper ads and TVCs, and now, the threat of a lawsuit. US band Twister Sister has taken aim at Palmer’s TVC in which a vocalist sings “Australia ain’t gonna cop it, no Australia’s not gonna cop it, Aussies not gonna cop it anymore”. The band claims it is an unauthorised use of its song, ‘We’re not gonna take it’, which includes the lyrics “Oh we’re not gonna take it, no we ain’t gonna take it, oh we’re not gonna take it anymore”. [READ MORE »]( News [Defence tops soaring federal government ad spend in 2018 financial year]( Federal government spending on major ad campaigns jumped by over 50% during the 2018 financial year, with Defence the biggest spender despite the same-sex marriage plebiscite. In its annual report on campaign advertising by government department and agencies, the Department of Finance has revealed Defence spent $46.1m in advertising during the financial year, nearly a third of the federal government’s total spend of $157m. [READ MORE »]( News [ASIC launches proceedings against Port Phillip Publishing, proposes business be shut down]( ASIC has launched proceedings against online financial publisher Port Phillip Publishing and its CEO, Kristan Sayce, over articles which promoted an investment strategy allowing consumers to ‘piggyback’ the Australian government’s Future Fund. Sayce, however, says the proposed penalties are “excessive” and “extraordinary” and are proportionately far larger than anything levied at the banks or fund managers after their misconduct. [READ MORE »]( News [ABC's Doctor Who special 'Resolution' secures 394,000 viewers]( The BBC’s decision to shift the traditional Doctor Who Christmas special to become a less-holiday-specific broadcast in the new year gave its local broadcaster, the ABC, a marginal increase in viewers, according to OzTAM’s preliminary overnight ratings. The 2017 Christmas special, starring the then-Doctor Peter Capaldi had 378,000 metro viewers. There was no Christmas special in 2018. Instead, the 2019 special starring Jodie Whittaker screened last night, and had 394,000 metro viewers. [READ MORE »]( SUPPORTED [Inside the five most eye-catching launch campaigns of 2018]( From a chicken dinner-proof Xbox controller to a dramatic pitch to Sir David Attenborough and a video optimised for dogs, Mumbrella asked launch marketing experts Five by Five to nominate and help tell the stories behind some of the most creative promotions for new products and services we’ve seen this year. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [Hannah Gadsby, a royal wedding and a female doctor: in 2018, TV got a shake up]( Despite ongoing rumours of its demise, television had a big, big year. In this crossposting from The Conversation Liz Giuffre reflects on everything from the ‘Honey Badger’ to the ongoing soap opera down in Canberra, and how it all played out on our screens. From ground-breaking to game-changing, rule-breaking to near parliament-breaking – 2018 has been a big year for TV makers and audiences. Here are some of the most memorable moments. [READ MORE »]( News [Google advertising ban bites local IT businesses]( A crackdown by Google on advertising for IT support businesses has sparked complaints from local companies who claim the new rule will kill their industry. Last August, Google announced a wide-ranging ban on advertising which promoted IT support businesses, a move criticised by Sam Walker, co-founder of Sydney-based smartphone repair service Fix2U, as a “knee jerk reaction” that is killing the industry. [READ MORE »]( SUPPORTED [How messaging is more than an extension of your call centre]( In this highly evolved era of business, personalisation can make or break your customer relationships. For many marketers grappling with this problem, the emergence of messaging is solving a lot of tricky problems. When Facebook conducted research that measured how well businesses thought they communicated with customers, and then surveyed customers asking the same question, the results were, perhaps, predictable. Roughly seven out of 10 businesses claimed they were doing a good job, while just two in 10 customers said they could get what they wanted from businesses. [READ MORE »]( News [Aquaman pulls $11m in earnings on first weekend at box office]( New DC Comics film Aquaman achieved $11m in earnings on its first outing at the weekend box office. The film stars Jason Mamoa, Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman, and since its premiere on Boxing Day, the film has made $15.667m. [READ MORE »]( Opinion [The ad watchdog failed adland and consumers in 2018]( The role of Australia’s ad watchdog is to “uphold prevailing community values”, but the list of ads it banned this year – and those which it has allowed to remain on the air in the past – indicate it is wildly out of touch, argues Mumbrella’s editor Vivienne Kelly. In December, [Ad Standards revealed which ads it has received the most complaints about throughout 2018](. [READ MORE »]( SUPPORTED [‘Stop the disconnect between customers’ journeys and your marketing’]( Cooperate is a platform that allows businesses to visualise their path to purchase data, so they can see exactly where their campaigns are succeeding or failing. Here, Justin Cannon, its CEO and co-founder, talks through why integrating the two elements is so important. [READ MORE »]( Features [Mumbrellacast: What on Earth happened? 2018 in review]( It’s been such a busy year for media and adland, can you even remember what happened six months ago? So, before you fully throw yourself into 2019, it’s time to look back at the big events, moments, campaigns, shake-ups, mergers, controversies and successes that shaped 2018 with this special podcast. [READ MORE »]( F1's top marketer in pole position for Melbourne’s Automotive Marketing Summit One of the biggest marketing names in sport and automotive, and one of the biggest speakers Mumbrella has hosted in recent times, Formula 1’s Director of Marketing & Communications is set to keynote at [Mumbrella’s Automotive Marketing Summit]( in Melbourne on March 19. Don’t miss this, [secure those tickets now for earlybird prices.]( A new year is upon us and so comes fresh challenges and opportunities. So if you spent 2018 cold calling to gain industry contacts, say hello to [Mumbrella The Source.]( This subscription-only industry data bank taps into our unrivalled industry knowledge to deliver essential information. If you’re looking for a fresh approach in 2019, [Start your FREE seven-day trial now.]( Jobs [26 new jobs]( MOST DISCUSSED [Vegemite and Cheese Shapes launch with ad featuring Shane Jacobson, Cathy Freeman and Glenn McGrath]( [Nova notifies listeners of data breach]( [ABC's New Year's Eve coverage sheds 249,000 viewers]( [Officeworks kicks off back to school push early with 'They grow so fast' campaign]( mumbrella.com.au Sent By Focal Attractions Pty Ltd 46-48 Balfour Street, Chippendale, NSW, 2008, Australia If you would rather not receive this newsletter, you can [unsubscribe]( or [manage subscriptions here.](