Ben Lemon

Signs of a strategic refocus or financial hardship? Alquemie Group Group has quietly exited the Australian market when it comes to the National Geographic Stores, despite only launching in 2023. This also follows the discreet sale of Surfstitch (whose website was on Salesforce was down - suggesting a contract lapse or unpaid bill) and Ginger & Smart. This now leaves the LEGO-licensed retail business and multi-brand retailer General Pants as the Group's remaining fashion and lifestyle ventures. In my late teens and early twenties, General Pants was the place to shop. Lately though, I’ve noticed a significant uptick in discounting, a clear sign that trading conditions are tough, and that the multi-brand retail model is becoming increasingly price-driven. In stark contrast is LEGO - a brand that deeply understands its market, consistently innovates, and delivers high-quality product experiences. It commands exceptional customer loyalty, has strong organic demand (low CAC), and doesn’t rely on discounting. The current store roll-out across Australia reflects that success. But there’s a catch: Alquemie Group holds a license, not ownership. That means the rug could be pulled out at the end of the contract term, either by LEGO going direct-to-market or selecting another distributor. Worth noting too: there is leadership overlap between Alquemie Group and Mosaic Brands. That connection adds another layer of interest when considering what the future holds.

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Pairing SEO with paid ads offers Aussie SMEs a cost-effective, measurable growth strategy by reducing acquisition costs, boosting visibility, and building lasting ROI through tailored local tactics.

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Most marketers obsess over surface metrics. But that’s not what drives real growth. Mark Baartse has seen both sides: global roles and CMO gigs for some of Australia’s biggest brands. In this episode of Beyond the Fold, StudioHawk's podcast, Mark breaks down what actually moves the needle in modern eCommerce. You’ll hear: 1. Why most “customer-first” strategies miss the mark 2. How AI is reshaping marketing jobs faster than people expect 3. What sustainable growth really looks like in 2025 4. Why teams burn out when performance becomes the only goal As a business leader and SEO specialist, this kind of conversation is a good reset. Just a reminder to keep it simple. Listen to your customers and good things will happen👂📈 Link in the comments 👇

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Did you know that social is now the #1 way Aussies discover new brands, ahead of search and TV? In the newly released ARA Retail Insights Report 2025, Meta's ANZ Director of Retail, Kate Box, breaks down how social platforms are driving discovery and growth for Australian retailers. She unpacks how AI-powered personalisation and omnichannel performance will define the future of retail marketing. Find out more about how Meta’s Omnichannel Optimisation is already helping physical retailers like Mecca compete and win against digital-first players, achieving a 6.2× ROAS by bridging online and in-store conversion strategies. Dive into the report: https://lnkd.in/gcnaB2Vz #RetailInsights #GrowthMarketing

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With the release of the State of Advertising report for Australia, we continue to see advertiser confidence up this year: 87% of advertisers have increased their TV investment in 2025. McDonald's, Harvey Norman and Youi are the top advertisers in Australia. We also saw brands taking starkly different strategies in each industry. For example, Aldi boosted TV by 52%, leaning into its long-running brand campaign "Good Different," while Woolworths decreased TV by 19%, shifting its focus toward building out its retail media arm, Cartology. For a closer look at the TV spend and strategy by company and vertical, download the State of Advertising report. Or better yet, talk to Yasmin Sanders :) #advertising #tv #data #australia

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As we build into 2026, I am sharing with you my perspective of the year that was 2025 with a filter on where we are currently within the Australian market in terms of Retail Media that was published by AdNews Australia prior to the break. The key themes: 🔌 Retail media isn’t a plug-and-play revenue stream — most retailers underestimated the internal business transformation required to build and scale a functioning Retail Media Network (RMN). 📊 While retail media revenues have boomed (Australia’s RMN market ~$2bn+ and growing), top-line numbers alone aren’t enough — the real focus in 2026 will shift to margin and profitability, not just revenue. 💸 Smart retailers are recognising RMNs as high-margin profit engines that should be run more like a core business than a marketing channel, with finance leadership increasingly involved. 👥 Expect more strategic hiring and expertise imported from more mature markets such as the US as Australian retailers refine their RMN operating models and avoid early missteps You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/grfGnTY2 #retailmedia #retailmediaAPAC #yearinreview

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Thanks AdNews Australia for sharing Luke Brown’s perspective on a topic the industry doesn’t discuss often enough: why so much modern media advice sounds smart, yet fails to deliver growth.     We’ve never had more tools, more data or more dashboards. Yet penetration gains are stubborn and the link between media activity and commercial outcomes continues to weaken.     The issue isn’t advertising. It’s how we’ve started interpreting effectiveness.     Reach is treated as the outcome. Attention becomes the proxy. Reporting becomes the story.     Luke’s piece explores how a handful of persistent myths are quietly distorting decision-making.     If effectiveness is meant to mean growth, not just activity, it’s well worth the read. https://lnkd.in/gSwAsvvt 

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Many Australian brands are contemplating building their own "in-house studios," but the world's largest brands are already adopting a smarter model and many are rapidly dismantling or recalibrating their inhouse capabilities. My latest article uses a simple analogy to explain why partnering for content production, rather than going it alone, is the key to unlocking agility, consistency, and global scale. Don’t get me wrong, Inhousing still has a very important role to play - but I believe many brands are making some big mistakes when it comes to what roles to inhouse and where to partner and outsource. Discover why the smartest brands are letting go of the operational headaches to focus on what truly drives growth. #hogarth #contentstudios #productionstrategy

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A new type of leadership - flexible, accountable, impactful. Some great insights from AdNews Australia from fellow marketing leaders. I find Fractional CMO leadership works best when marketing is seen as the growth engine of the business. Marketers are commercial leaders who centre every action around the customer. Our job is to connect the dots between brand, performance, and commercial impact, setting strategies that drive measurable outcomes and real growth. As a Fractional CMO, I enjoy the diversity of challenges this brings - from presenting strategy to the Board, driving innovation, to media recommendations, refining the content calendar or optimising CRM journeys. It’s about building and leading teams, having the tough but necessary conversations, and shining a light on areas that need focus and alignment. It’s incredibly rewarding to work with great people and organisations where values are shared, growth is the goal, and results speak for themselves. https://lnkd.in/gd_2ZpTR Janice Lee-Fu Alexandra (Ali) King Stephanie King MBA Vivian Oppl

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How do you find a $107 billion market opportunity that your competitors are too scared to talk about? You look for the taboo. Up to 40% of Australian adults deal with digestive issues, but it's a conversation often had in whispers. My latest Handpicked podcast guest, Rudi van der Vlies, turned his personal battle with Crohn's disease into a thriving business by stepping directly into this uncomfortable space. He co-founded the scientifically-backed gut health brand TUMME, and our conversation is a masterclass for any entrepreneur looking for a competitive edge. In this episode, you will learn: * The playbook for taking a "taboo" topic and making it mainstream. * Why your traditional SEO strategy is dead (and how to optimise for AI language models instead). * Guerrilla growth tactics for a saturated e-commerce market when you can't afford a massive ad spend. * The critical mindset shift required when moving from distributor to a direct-to-consumer brand builder. This isn't just a chat about gut health; it's a deep dive into finding opportunity where others see awkwardness. Listen to the full episode now (link in comments) and get the insights. Plus, Rudi generously offers a discount on Tumme products for all my listeners. What "taboo" industry do you think is ripe for disruption next? #Handpicked #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #Marketing #DTC #StartupStrategy #HealthTech #Innovation #NaomiSimson

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53% of Australian consumers will pay more for a purpose-led business. If your brand hasn’t clearly defined what you stand for, and what you stand against, you’re leaving real value on the table. As brands scale from $10M → $60M, the challenge shifts. You’re no longer just selling products, you’re selling meaning. Here are three steps to align your brand with purpose 👇 1. Clarify your “why”, beyond profit. Ask: Why do we exist? What change are we here to make? If your team can’t answer this in one sentence, your customers won’t either. 2. Make it authentic and relevant. Australians can spot tokenism a mile away. Your purpose should connect directly to what you do, not what’s trending. Audit your campaigns, partnerships, and actions: do they prove your purpose? 3. Embed it across the experience. Purpose isn’t a tagline. It’s visible in hiring, pricing, partnerships, and the stories you tell. When employees believe it, customers feel it. Takeaway: At this stage of growth, brand purpose isn’t fluff. It’s differentiation, loyalty, and pricing power in one. Half of your market already pays more for purpose-led brands. The question isn’t if you lead with purpose, it’s how consistently you do. Your turn: What’s one brand you think embodies its purpose, and how can others learn from it? If your brand’s purpose feels unclear or disconnected from your strategy, operationalise purpose, aligning it to growth, people, and profit. #BrandStrategy #GrowthStrategy #Leadership #BrandPurpose #AustralianBusiness #MarketingLeadership

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What’s wrong with this image? To most people, probably nothing. But to the core audience of this high-end biking brand - it’s a massive face palm moment. This image was on said brand’s homepage. An AI generated visual of a $20k ebike. With the gears on the FRONT HUB! Instant credibility hit. AI is being adopted inside #ecommerce at pace. But this is a classic example of ‘adopt first, think later’. Unlike most tools, AI isn’t just another bolt-on. It impacts the very DNA of your brand. Tone. Trust. Transparency. Product representation. Customer experience. Use it, but deploy it responsibly. Build with intention. Protect brand equity. This isn’t an ethics issue. This is a commercial issue. -------------------- These are the kind of ideas we bring to the table at Override - and we want you to join the conversation. Keep an eye out for future events - coming soon

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The tech fix fashion didn’t see coming. B2B. UX. ROI. FYI: She rewired it. This week on AdChat: The Creative Woman’s Perspective, we sit down with Alice Fitch - founder of Whola, a platform transforming how independent retailers across Australia buy, plan, and manage stock. After a decade running a fashion agency, Alice saw firsthand how outdated the wholesale model was - from manual workflows to showroom bottlenecks. So she built Whola: a smart, scalable B2B solution, designed from the inside out. We talk about product–market fit, user-first design, leadership in male-dominated verticals - and why emotional intelligence might just be the most underrated tool in tech. Tune in for a sharp conversation with a founder reshaping the retail stack - with clarity, conviction, and code that actually works: Tune in now, with Melinda Parent & Teresa Robinson: 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gCiS2A8R 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/geMdaWHG 🎧 Oranje: https://lnkd.in/gs4BTH3a #adchatpodcast #alicefitch #whola #fashiontech #b2bplatform #femalefounder #productthinking #creativeindustries #retailreform #techleadership #empathydrivendesign #smartwomenspeak #oranjecreative

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Our 2026 Wedding Industry Report is out. If you work in or follow the Australian wedding industry, it’s a must read. A huge thank you to the thousands of couples and suppliers who shared their planning and business insights, and to the Easy Weddings team for producing another standout report. 🙌

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Rua Bioscience FY 25 results are out. With over 500% YoY growth in revenue, here are some of the wins the team have put in place to accelerate Rua and my lessons as an observer: 1. Home Grown Genetics, Distributed Worldwide - Rua's strategy of taking our unique Tairāwhiti genetics and then partnering with distributors to give access to patients globally. 2. Partnerships With Key Clinics In Australia - Rua has created pathways to align the Rua brand to connect both patients and clinics in Aussie 3. Growth in Germany - The product portfolio of Rua-branded products has become widely available in a rapidly growing market 4. Increased Our Local Product Range - We've increased our product range locally and supported this growth with a digital strategy to keep Rua top of mind Input, lessons and tactics as an observer: 1. We're connecting people who are interested in medicinal cannabis with clinics: > If you are in NZ, Aussie or UK and looking for alternatives to standard pharmacological interventions, then you will have seen Rua in your social media and news feeds > We're running CEO, founder & community-led creative that speaks to the people who want to support a kaupapa Māori company locally and internationally on how we're giving back > Most cannabis companies talk about science and quality - we're focusing on what makes us different, around our social impact & giving back 2. We're focused on what makes us unique > People buy from people who have the best story about and we have a story that people love and care about > Rua has a story that no one else can replicate, and we're focusing on making this a pillar of who we are as a company > Storytelling beats out the competition when everyone else is selling the same product > Being different often equates to something special, which is what Rua has 3. Resourcefulness drives growth > When you are resource-constrained, you often find the most efficient pathway for growth. > We've reduced our burn rate while increasing growth 500% YoY this has come from doubling down on the most effective growth levers we've got > The capital that has come into the company is being cycled through into product to drive growth, following the flow-on effect from finding the most efficient levers we have Lastly, shout out to the entire Rua team Competing in a cash-strapped environment and economy while producing results like this is are testament to how hard the team is working If you want to read more about our growth and the FY25 results, check out the link the comments below:

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The latest IAB Australia numbers are a wake-up call for anyone building creative, digital or marketing teams. Digital ad spend is up 9.7 per cent, but the real story is where the money is going. ↳ Video now makes up 73 per cent of all display spend ↳ Video grew 16.7 per cent year on year ↳ Social video exploded, up 29.4 per cent ↳ Traditional display continues to shrink This matters because hiring plans often lag behind where budgets are actually shifting. Clients tell me they want stronger performance, better creative, and more measurable output. Yet many teams are still structured around skill sets that belonged to the market five years ago. If your next hire doesn’t reflect these trends, you’ll feel the gap quickly. Key capability areas that will matter most in the next 12 months: • People who can create short-form video end to end • Paid social specialists who understand creative, targeting and optimisation • Performance marketers who can link creative with measurable growth • Video editors and motion specialists who can produce at pace • Search specialists who can support a full-funnel strategy • Creative teams who are comfortable working across CTV, YouTube and social These aren’t ‘nice to have’. They’re where the spend is going. If you’re planning to hire, a useful question is: Does your current team map to where advertisers are moving their budgets, or where they used to be? If you want an outside view on capability gaps or hiring priorities, I’m always up for a conversation.

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