Nova Entertainment launched a suite of new tools, capabilities and partnership opportunities at its 2026 Infronts in Sydney yesterday.
The highly entertaining two-hour marathon, thanks largely to Nova Network’s hilarious host Joel Creasey, unveiled new measurement framework ‘Path to 11%’, a new conversational listening platform, the Audio Planning & Optimisation Platform (APOP), the launch of creative intelligence division Alchemy, and an expanded programme for Nova’s Red Room.
Other announcements included a new partnership with the retail media arm of Westfield parent company Scentre Group.
Key themes of the evening included Nova’s pledge to help brands and agency partners prove performance; simplify planning, buying and measurement;
“We truly believe that there needs to be an evolution, and that is about making it easier to plan by and measure, proving its effectiveness and earning its role on your plan. And ultimately, that really does require seriously changing the operating model,” Nova Entertainment’s chief commercial officer Nicole Bence said.
“Advertisers are operating in a market where performance is under more scrutiny than ever, yet the ecosystem around planning and measurement has only become more complex. Our focus has been on simplifying that. By connecting cultural intelligence, real audience behaviour and a clearer view of total audio reach across broadcast, streaming and podcasts, we’re helping brands and agencies plan with greater confidence and ultimately unlock stronger commercial outcomes from audio.”
Key announcements
Leading the announcements was Path to 11%, a new program designed to give advertisers the confidence to move more investment into audio. It follows research from CRA’s HEARD that audio is underindexed and should, on average, account for an 11 per cent share of media budgets rather than the 7 per cent mark it is at today.
Nova is introducing an eight-signal measurement framework designed to complement the tools clients and agencies already use – closing gaps, strengthening evidence, and giving brands a clearer view of audio’s effectiveness. Participating advertisers will also be able to access Nova’s new $1 million innovation fund to invest in improving their own measurement signals.
Nova also launched a new conversational listening tool, providing marketers with a deeper insight into what audiences are talking about, sharing and engaging with across audio, social and cultural conversations. This capability is designed to deliver brands real-time cultural intelligence and inform more responsive creative and partnership strategies.
A key announcement is Nova’s investment in a new Audio Planning and Optimisation Platform designed to help brands and agencies plan, optimise and measure audio campaigns with greater precision.
By connecting listening data with real-world behavioural audience signals via Landmarks ID, the platform will give planners a clearer view of who they are reaching and how to maximise reach across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. Development and beta testing began earlier this year with a brand partner, who is now testing with live campaigns.
Nova also launched their new intelligence division, Alchemy, led by Siobhan Siegert. Designed to bridge the gap between insight, strategy and execution, Alchemy brings together audience intelligence, cultural insight, and creative strategy, to help brands unlock more impactful, insight-led audio partnerships.
“There’s no shortage of data out there. We’re not looking to add to the proverbial pile or compete where we can’t compare. Our focus is on doing more with what we already have and extracting greater value from it for our partners,” Siegert said.
“That has always been the measure of any alchemist: the ability to transform raw, ordinary elements into something extraordinary. In future, what sets us apart won’t just be what we know, but what we can turn it into.”
What buyers said
Media agency leaders and buyers were broadly positive about NOVA’s Infronts event, although felt that it could have run a bit tighter.
“It was a really positive event, with a dynamic format showcasing the unity of the on-air talent, giving the presentation a strong sense of optimism and momentum,” Nunn Media Sydney managing director Chris Walton told B&T, adding that he would have liked seeing a “tight hour focussed on the key messages”.
“Overall, the energy in the room was strong and the tone felt optimistic, collaborative, and forward-looking,” he added. “Don’t underestimate the value of this alone right now. And with the live talent bringing the network’s collaborative easy-to-connect proposition to life, I left feeling good about them.”
PHD’s Sydney head of investment Emma Wood praised Bence’s “powerful introduction” to set the scene.
“The event felt accountable, transparent and spoke to real challenges we are faced with in the current media landscape.”
There were a few standout announcements that caught the attention of media buyers in the room.
They are Nova’s new planning tool, conversational listening and the tie up with BrandSpace, the retail media arm of Westfield’s parent company ScentreGroup.
“I’m interested to understand how Nova’s Audio Planning & Optimisation Platform can complement Omnicom’s planning tool Omni to help further enhance our clients’ ad spend and deliver the most informed and powerful planning capability in market,” Wood said. “In a similar vein, the partnership with Scentre Group also enables us to maximise reach across multiple formats with a single brief.
“The fast follow on from CRA’s Heard conference and incorporation of the path to 11% by Nova highlighted their ambitions to drive the Heard agenda further. Nova’s development of the eight-signal measurement framework helps navigate the challenges of today’s measurement complexity.”
Culture & chemistry
Walton said the new planning tool and partnership with Scentre address a real need in the industry: “arming agencies with the tools to effectively include audio within their channel mix, while offering a cross-channel solution that we know can deliver a multiplier effect.
“I also like the key themes of simplicity and chemistry that ran through the session. Simplicity is something audio needs to be better associated with if it is to achieve the fast-becoming-mythical 11% share figure. And chemistry/authenticity is their secret sauce when it comes to achieving this.”
He said a sharper focus on the planning tool, Scentre partnership and ”their exceptional talent” would go a long way helping NOVA prove why they deserve an 11 per cent allocation.
“Nova gives a feeling of unity and authenticity that is pretty much second-to-none in the market. What is interesting is that this culture that I’d sum up as being serious about audio, but not about themselves, emanates across the entire business. You get a sense of unity from the top talent right the way down to the most junior rep in sales,”he said.
“This is very hard to achieve and maintain, so well done to them. More so when you contrast with the divisive nature of issues facing some of their competitors right now.”
In a fireside chat with Nova’s agency sales lead Ashley Earnshaw, Accenture Song MD Sam Geer said that Nova’s planning tool should provide another proof point of audio’s efficacy beyond the current reliance on MMMs, which he said that radio often falls victim to because the channel doesn’t have sufficient spend.
“I challenge the agency people in the room today that if you are sitting there and making decisions purely based on MMMs, you-re actually diluting the role of an agency in the future,” he said.
“AI driven analytics and decision making will not just become ubiquitous, but parity…if the same AI measurement tools and computers are making decisions for us and that’s the way that we are making our money and driving value for clients, we’re not driving very much value.”
Geer also believes that contextual listening and targeting in audio, which hasn’t been done before, could tap into the power of Nova’s “incredible suite of talent”.
He believes Nova’s on air talent provides it with a compelling opportunity to tap into the burgeoning creator economy.
“If I was [Nova], I would be going after a greater share of the creator economy and really dialing up the influence. I’d be asking brands to create products with your talent, and getting even deeper,” he said.
“The more places, the more multiple channels and formats that our clients can show up, the greater compound creativity and effectiveness you have on the back end. With Nova you can go to one place to get access to consumer promotions, ideation, physical street teams, events, audio, broadcast, podcast and now retail media, all with one partner. In terms of cost effective, creative effectiveness, there’s very few places better to go.”
After Geer’s Fireside and an episode of The Joel Creasey Show with Nova’s on air talent, guests were ushered out for a quick drink, and then onto a bus to go and watch Keli Holiday perform at Nova’s Red Room.
