The 2025 edition of Mediaweek’s “Innovation 20” offers a curated look at 20 standout individuals, teams and organisations that are driving change across Australia’s media, marketing and technology landscape.
The list is designed not just to recognise new tools or trends—but to highlight those who are transforming creative ideas into real‑world impact.
What Sets These Innovators Apart
According to Mediaweek, to make the cut into Innovation 20 you must demonstrate:
- Clear evidence of creative problem‑solving rather than incremental tweaks.
- A willingness to blend technology + human insight, not simply automating for the sake of it.
- Real business outcome or audience impact (not just conceptual potential).
Exemplars of the List
Here are three sample profiles that illustrate the breadth of innovation recognised:
- Luca Lavigne (Chief Operations & Product Officer, Mamamia): Led deployment of "Mai", a generative‑AI co‑pilot that spans editorial, commercial and operations. Under his guidance, it reportedly lifted deal values by ~30 % year‑to‑date while honouring an ethical framework around AI use.
- Cameron Price (Co‑Founder & CEO, LeadStory): Created “Ask”, a conversational‑video search platform allowing users to query news footage with natural language. This turned passive video content into interactive experiences across devices.
- Willie Pang (Country Manager & GM ANZ, Amazon ANZ): Under his leadership, Amazon Ads in Australia re‑positioned to link commerce, streaming and advertising via advanced AI‑driven signals and CTV ad formats—showing how media and commerce are colliding.
Why It Matters for Creators, Brands & Media Teams
- For creators and content teams: The list reinforces that innovation isn’t just new effects or flash tools—it’s about changing workflow, distribution or audience engagement.
- For brands and marketers: Seeing how people like Caroline Oates at Google ANZ bridge creative, measurement and AI signals gives a map of where investment is headed.
- For media‑tech entrants and startups: The emphasis on execution—not just ideation—makes this list a useful benchmark for what it takes to scale in markets like Australia.
Key Takeaways
- Innovation is multi‑dimensional: It involves product design, operational change, cultural mindset and business outcome.
- Ethical and human‑centred frameworks are increasingly vital as tools like generative AI become mainstream.
- Media, marketing and tech are no longer separate silos—they’re converging ecosystems where content, commerce and platforms interact.
- Even smaller players can lead: Independent publishers, medium‑sized platforms and local startups feature alongside large incumbents.
Closing Thought
The Mediaweek 100: Innovation 20 (2025) list doesn’t just celebrate difference—it charts the direction of change. For anyone building in content, marketing or media operations, it offers both inspiration and a practical lens on what “innovation” looks like in action today.
