IMAA Launches Television 101, A Channel Course From IMAA Academy

Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has launched Television101 (TV101), the first of its ‘deep dive’, channel-specific learning modules as part of its landmark new IMAA Academy.

The IMAA Academy, launched in March, is the most comprehensive learning platform for the media industry, aiming to educate the sector on the foundations of media, to upskill staff and attract new talent to the independent media agency sector.

TV101 is the first of seven “deep dives” into media channels, with courses on cinema, out-of-home, audio, publishing and news, regional and digital to come later this year.

The TV101 online learning course was created in partnership with ThinkTV and television broadcasters with the content divided over two modules – Certificate I and Certificate II, covering the broader TV landscape, fundamentals of planning, buying, and booking a Total TV campaign, and measuring success.

Registered users will also have access to an educational podcast on TV and video, with tips and advice on how to plan and buy TV from leaders in the industry.

The TV101 module follows the release of the academy’s first-ever course, Media101, in March, which attracted more than 350 participants from independent media agencies, their clients and IMAA media partners. Last week the IMAA celebrated the first cohort of graduates from Media101 in Melbourne with graduates attending a breakfast to celebrate their achievement.

ThinkTV CEO, Kim Portrate said the TV101 module offered users a chance to explore and understand Australia’s TV landscape.

“TV is part of the fabric of Australian life with 16.8 million Australians choosing to watch their favourite programs in any given week. This makes Total TV a huge opportunity for advertisers to reach their customers. To get the best from today’s TV it’s critical that media planners and buyers get the opportunity to understand how successful TV campaigns are planned, bought and delivered to drive results for their clients,” she said.

“This module has been designed by TV industry experts, for the industry, with a focus on strategy, planning, processes and timelines for buying, measurement tools, and a thorough examination of the current TV landscape in Australia. I’m confident users that complete the module will have the skills to successfully execute future TV advertising campaigns.”

Seven West Media chief revenue oOfficer, Kurt Burnette, said: “The IMAA Total TV media training is critical to the success of not just TV but the total media industry. As the market evolves at phenomenal speed, the need for and importance of training on the planning and buying of TV and BVOD – Total TV – cannot be underestimated. We applaud the IMAA for its initiative and investment in the future.”

Nine director of sales – total television, Richard Hunwick, said: “The benefits of advertising on television, in all its forms, have been demonstrated time and time again – and the most recent work from Kantar and ThinkTV again demonstrates how effective it is. But it’s a rapidly evolving landscape. The growth of BVOD, the introduction of VOZ and the new opportunities for clients within the landscape are growing the role of Total TV within an advertiser’s media mix.  It’s important that agencies and their people are educated, encouraged and empowered to take advantage of these opportunities for their clients, and we applaud the excellent and exciting initiative being taken here by the IMAA. Bravo!”

Rod Prosser, chief sales officer, Paramount Australia and New Zealand, parent company of Network 10, said: “We congratulate IMAA on developing this contemporary course that unpacks the intricacies of our industry providing participants with knowledge and insights to harness the full power of Total TV.

“The media landscape continues to change at pace so it’s important we educate the next wave of industry professionals on the opportunities we provide and empower them to effectively collaborate with us on campaigns that deliver results.”

Foxtel Media CEO, Mark Frain, said: “In an environment where delivery, service and competitiveness have never been more critical, the IMAA training program will provide agencies and their clients an edge to fully harness the power of TV and stay ahead as the market transitions to an increasingly dynamic video landscape.”

IMAA CEO, Sam Buchanan, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to launch the first of our dedicated channel ‘deep dive’ learning modules. It’s an opportunity for independent media agency employees, media partners, students and clients to get a holistic understanding of Australia’s TV landscape from people who intimately know the market, including the recent announcement of VOZ measurement.

“The IMAA Academy has been designed to address the skills and training issues facing our industry – these deep dive modules aim to upskill current agency staff by offering them further training in all facets of the media industry, while also attracting new talent keen to learn. We anticipate that this important educational initiative will become a vital part of the media industry’s education and training space.”

The IMAA Academy syllabus includes eight e-learning media course modules, rolled out every six weeks, along with videos and podcasts featuring industry leaders and channel specialists. Each of the modules is IMAA-certified, with participants receiving a course badge once they successfully complete an exam for each course.

Participants can access the TV101 learning module via the IMAA Academy’s all-inclusive training package, which includes access to all media course modules and Business in a Box – a training subscription offering 21 additional courses – or via individual module sign-up.