Épisodes

  • Dentsu’s Rob Harvey on why bigger can be better in the AI age

    Dentsu’s Rob Harvey on why bigger can be better in the AI age
    May 4 2026
    Rob Harvey is CEO of Dentsu across Australia and New Zealand – it’s one of the biggest ad agencies in the world, and Rob is notable for the length of time he’s spent leading it locally. In an industry notable for executives burning bright then shifting up, down and sideways, Harvey has been a deeply committed constant. He’s led the Aotearoa business since 2013 – before Netflix landed here – and last year took over the Australian operation too, meaning he now oversees more than 1000 staff across its various brands. Dentsu is notable for a number of reasons. It’s one of what used to be known as the “big six” ad agencies, now the “big five” after the merger of Omnicom and IPG. They’re known as the “holdcos” within advertising, and the term can be used derisively by some, as a synonym for mercilessly squeezing and flattening in a way which doesn’t necessarily deliver the best for its people or clients. However Rob offers a persuasive defence of the model, saying the name no longer well-describes his business at least. Dentsu is also the only one of the “big five” from Japan, which has a legendarily specific and singular business culture, so we talk about how that flows through its offices. Dentsu has endured a tough few years in this part of the world, with Australia recording a massive $500m paper loss in 2023, in part due to a bet on competing with the consultancies on broader business strategy work. None of that happened on Harvey’s watch however, and the business is considered to be well into a turnaround. Finally, because this episode is recorded in partnership with the Communications Council – of which Harvey is president – we discuss their excellent event Media Spotlight, happening in late May. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 min
  • Why are indie agencies thriving in a semi-broken advertising economy?

    Why are indie agencies thriving in a semi-broken advertising economy?
    Apr 27 2026
    Sam Stuchbury is the executive creative director and founder of Motion Sickness, and Lee Lowndes is the chief executive and founder of Daylight. Each of them run independent creative agencies, each is under 40, each took home golds at the recent Axis Awards, and - most importantly - each has a very differentiated conception of what an agency is in 2026. They have each found a way to thrive in an era where many of the big ad agencies feel defined more by their challenges than opportunities.Motion Sickness is on some kind of hot streak, and has just made the decision to rebrand as a creative company over an ad agency. That hasn’t stopped them taking home a raft of advertising awards. Cannes Lions have called them one of the top five global independent agencies this year, they took the Grand Prix for their herpes work, and were just named agency of the year at Axis for their Māori roll call, and their brilliantly original work helping bring people back to Karangahape Road.Daylight, meanwhile, defines itself as a “creative and technology studio”, meaning it builds digital products then wraps campaigns around them to get those apps to the right audiences. Its most recent output is Billy, a highly sophisticated tool to get consumers onto the best energy plan, with a major media campaign to help build awareness of it. They’ve also built platforms for media organisations like the Pacific Media Network and Fiji Sun, along with continuing their work for the World Health Organization.Duncan Greive is a shareholder and co-founder of Daylight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 min
  • The five biggest stories in NZ media right now

    The five biggest stories in NZ media right now
    Apr 20 2026
    Glen Kyne returns to The Fold to catch up on all the biggest stories in recent times. We look at the existential challenge the BSA opened up, and try and figure out what’s really going on with Troy Bowker and Stuff. Then we look at the recent NZME workplace review, and contrast it with a much more substantial effort from Mediaworks a few years ago. We assess the early returns from Tova O’Brien’s arrival at TVNZ and John Campbell at RNZ, before finally weighing in on the Tom Phillips documentary controversy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 min
  • Exclusive: How Mike Minogue partnered with TVNZ+ on podcasting

    Exclusive: How Mike Minogue partnered with TVNZ+ on podcasting
    Apr 13 2026
    He’s very familiar as the star of Wellington Paranormal, and a radio host with Hauraki – but Mike Minogue’s greatest achievement might be Frank, his burgeoning agency. Frustrated with the quality of talent representation in Aotearoa, Minogue started Frank to bring a different approach to the established players. But he added speaker representation and, crucially, podcast representation to Frank’s mix – and in so doing set it up for a landmark deal.Today, The Fold can reveal that Frank is the exclusive supplier of podcasts to TVNZ+ – a milestone for the form, and one which brings TVNZ into line with Netflix and YouTube, each of which is making a big play to make podcasts a big part of their strategy. Minogue joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to explain his motives for starting Frank, and why he is betting big on podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 min
  • The story of the 21st century is all about the end of trust

    The story of the 21st century is all about the end of trust
    Apr 6 2026
    Richard Edelman was deeply prescient, when he responded to the “battle for Seattle” by commissioning an annual global survey of institutional trust. For a quarter century the trust barometer has revealed the extent to which countries and societies have grown insular and mistrustful, and catalogued the downstream consequences. basically, it’s not just media, it’s everyone.New Zealand is no different, and Acumen, which runs the research locally, has the numbers. Chief executive Adelle Keely joins Duncan Greive to discuss what it shows, and what (if anything) can be done about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 min
  • The BSA chooses to face its existential dilemma head on

    The BSA chooses to face its existential dilemma head on
    Apr 1 2026
    After six months of careful deliberation, and six years after it first floated the idea, the broadcasting standards authority decided that it definitively does have jurisdiction over platforms like The Platform. This set off a firestorm stretching across politics, law and media, with the regulator having the temerity to suggest that one, relatively tiny corner of the internet was within its bounds. In a reversal of typical roles, Toby Manhire hosts Duncan Greive to break down this story, at once arcane and enormous. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 min
  • First t-shirts, then podcasts, now the world: the story of YOUKNOW

    First t-shirts, then podcasts, now the world: the story of YOUKNOW
    Mar 30 2026
    Joe Webb was working as a coder when he printed a t-shirt at a mate’s house. Within a few years YOUKNOW had become a ubiquitous brand, thanks to their knack for creating social content which created a real sense of community. Then in 2023 he repeated the trick in a whole new paradigm, launching The Morning Shift as a daily podcast to overnight success. He joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to talk about the challenges of running these two businesses, what made each click – and why the future of the media side is aiming global. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 min
  • The Spotify paradox: why hundreds of fans can beat millions of streams

    The Spotify paradox: why hundreds of fans can beat millions of streams
    Mar 23 2026
    Joel Gouveia is a music supervisor, artist manager and booking agent, with a Substack. Earlier this year he wrote a series of posts, each more successful than the last, which drilled into the streaming music economy in a vivid and challenging way. He talked about bands with millions of streams that sold a dozen tickets, while others with comparatively tiny audiences could sell out tours. He looked some of the economic and cultural failings of music streaming and shone a bright light on them, basically – and those posts were the most popular pieces on the whole Substack network, showing just what a chord he struck. He joins Duncan Greive on The Fold from his office in Toronto to explain his thinking, and why he started speaking out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 min