February 2026

‘Headliners’ Presented by Nine, In Partnership With B&T

Showcasing the best in publishing, in partnership with B&T

In a world of endless scrolls and shifting algorithms, some stories simply refuse to be ignored. They command attention, spark conversation and stay with you long after the screen goes dark or the page is turned.

Now entering an evolved chapter, Nine has partnered with B&T to showcase the best in print and digital advertising. Whether it's the tactile prestige of a full-page spread or the data-driven precision of a digital masthead, Headliners spotlights the brands that don't just buy media – they own the moment.

Join us as we go behind the creative that captivates Australia.

For our new series 'Headliners', B&T Editor Tom Fogden talks all things publishing with Nine's Ashleigh Thomas, Commercial Director – Publishing Sales, Julia Naughton, Head of Life – Culture, Lifestyle & Travel, and Sarah Norris, Head of Good Food. Whether it's the tactile prestige of a full-page spread or the data-driven precision of a digital masthead, Headliners spotlights the brands that don't just buy media – they own the moment.

Explore the Headliners

Brewing Up a Revolution with T2

To establish T2 Tea’s professional credibility within Australia’s elite cafe culture, the brand partnered with Good Food’s Essential Sydney & Melbourne Cafes & Bakeries 2025 guide. This multi-layered campaign successfully blended the tangible nature of print with rich digital storytelling.

Celebrating Heritage and Horizon with Range Rover

When the Australian Financial Review Magazine marked its landmark 30th anniversary, the theme of ‘Visionaries’ provided the perfect backdrop for Range Rover. This milestone was a unique opportunity to align with the individuals who have shaped the last three decades and those who will define the next thirty.

Want to hear more about partnering with Nine?

Talk to us today.

Consumer Pulse February 2026

WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT

The national mood is relatively stable, however net positive emotions has dropped slightly, while net negative emotions remains consistent. Nine's audience are feeling financially secure with 4 in 5 making bigger purchases, particularly discretionary purchases such as holidays and apparel; all fuelling opinions and conversations this month.

Portrait of smiling adult woman with mother shopping together in boutique and choosing clothes

6 February - 9 February, 2026

Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip

Thoughtful senior man sitting on chair in living room

Mood of the Nation >

Woman smiling and leaning on her freinds shoulder

CONVERSATION STARTERS >

Mood of the Nation

The national mood

The national mood has remained relatively stable, however there has been a slight drop in positive sentiment while negative sentiment has remained consistent and is still dominant.

While the top 3 moods are calm, relaxed and hopeful, people are also feeling anxious, stressed, and frustrated. The contrast between these suggests that while people are hopeful coming into the new year, they are still feeling concerned and uneasy.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Dominant mood indicators

The top 10 dominant moods are an equal mix of positive and negative emotions. The top 3 feelings are positive, with calm, relaxed and hopeful topping the list this month. Negative emotions follow though with anxious, stressed and frustrated the 4th, 5th and 6th positions. The lower half of the top 10 feelings are a mix including optimistic, safe, annoyed and unsure.

This suggests that even as the new year begins that emotional landscape remains consistent with the previous month. A pattern of contradiction remains, as while optimism persists among consumers, anxieties and stresses are sustained from ongoing social and cost of living pressures.

NOTE: For the best viewing experience on mobile, please view landscape.

Conversation Starters

NATIONAL MOOD BREAKDOWN

of the 45+ age group feel calm and relaxed

While the top 3 feelings overall are positive, this varies by age with those under 45 in Nine’s audience showing stronger negative feelings. Around one third of younger audiences feel anxious (35%) and stressed (29%), and one quarter feel frustrated (22%). However, Nine’s audience over 45 show a higher affinity for positive emotions, with around 1 in 3 feeling relaxed (27%) and calm (27%).

Females within the audience report feelings of positivity coming into the new year, characterised by relaxed (25%), calm (25%) and hopeful (24%). Similarly, males express similar feelings with one third feeling calm and relaxed. However, they are also characterised by feelings of frustration (26%).

An employee demonstrates an AI refrigerator inside the Samsung Electronics Co. Innovation Museum at the company's headquarters in Suwon, South Korea, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Samsung is in talks with the likes of OpenAI Inc. and Perplexity AI Inc. to integrate more AI services in upcoming Galaxy devices, seeking a wider range of offerings beyond Google's Gemini. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Brands should position themselves as problem solvers or stress-reducers. Avoid "toxic positivity." Instead, use empathetic messaging that offers stability, ease, and practical support.

Purchase Considerations

are considering an international holiday

Consumers are showing less financial stress, with 4 in 5 considering making a bigger purchase

While a fifth of Nine’s audience are cutting back on spending due to the current high cost of living, consumers are generally showing less financial stress and a higher willingness to consider a major purchase. The top 3 purchases being considered include an international holiday (27%), a domestic holiday (25%) and apparel (23%), highlighting the increase in luxury spending.

This is demonstrated by the slight increase in discretionary spending in comparison to last year, particularly for domestic travel. Investment items that will provide long term benefits have also seen a slight increase with a higher number of consumers considering solar power.

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Brands need to balance high-end aspirational marketing with accessible entry points to avoid alienating the segment still feeling the pinch.

Two young women are preparing for their trip, booking a flight online using a credit card and passport, with a suitcase full of clothes in the background

Luxury Spending

females see apparel as a 'must-have'

Luxury spending remains high, but purchases vary between groups

Under 45 consumers show a willingness to spend, however maintain a level of mindfulness about the high costs, reflected in a preference for a domestic holiday (30%). While those over 45 typically have more financial stability, with 1 in 3 considering an international holiday (27%). Among female consumers, apparel is seen as a ‘must-have’ with 1 in 3 willing to spend on it, while males instead show a preference for an international holiday (30%).

BRAND CONSIDERATION

Brands cannot simply market "luxury" as a monolith; they must align with the specific type of indulgence each segment prioritises.

Woman sitting in boutique admiring dress on mannequin in window

November 2025 Data

Explore Hub

GET IN TOUCH

Want to know more?

Contact your Nine representative directly, or fill out the form and we'll be in touch.

Tell your story in and around the content we know consumers are engaging with most

Explore our brands

State of the Nation with Lauren Sams, Editor, Fin Magazine

Nine Publishing

Independence | stories that matter | commercial with integrity

Lauren Sams - Editor, Fin Magazine

Here at Fin, we create trends, we have influence, and we lead the pack. We think of Fin like a fabulous dinner party, where every guest brings something bold, cool and different to the table. We can’t wait to unpack how your brands can connect with our affluent and influential audiences through the luxury bible pages of Fin magazine this year.

Explore Nine Publishing opportunities

Say hello

Let's talk about how Nine's premium publishing ecosystem can elevate your brand's impact.

READY TO CREATE? //

Print Ad Specs

Digital Ad Specs

CONTACT //

Nine ad enquiries

State of the Nation with Melissa Stevens, Editor, Good Weekend

Nine Publishing

Independence | stories that matter | commercial with integrity

Melissa Stevens - Editor, Good Weekend

Good Weekend is long-form journalism at its best, delivering content with detail and depth to an audience who turn to us for the definitive pieces about the people or issues which are part of the national conversation. In 2026, Good Weekend has debuted a new format with all the crowd favourites returning, plus a brand-new column, Life Lessons, giving sharp and smart solutions to some of the nation’s daily dilemmas.

Explore Nine Publishing opportunities

Say hello

Let's talk about how Nine's premium publishing ecosystem can elevate your brand's impact.

READY TO CREATE? //

Print Ad Specs

Digital Ad Specs

CONTACT //

Nine ad enquiries

The Great Decoupling: Navigating the Post-Click Era of Search – Insights from Stephanie Drabble, Director of Digital Product Commercialisation & Strategy

Opinion

The Great Decoupling: Navigating the Post-Click Era of Search

Stephanie Drabble

Director of Digital Product
Commercialisation & Strategy

For decades, the pact between search engines and brands was simple; brands provided the content, search engines provided the clicks. But as we move through 2026, that pact has fundamentally dissolved. We are witnessing "The Great Decoupling" - a phenomenon where search volumes continue to climb, yet referral traffic to brand websites is in a sharp, structural decline. The catalyst? The rapid ascent of Large Language Models (LLMs) and the evolution of search into a conversational, zero-click experience.

From Keywords to Conversations: The Shift in Consumer Intent

The integration of LLMs into platforms like Google (AI Overviews), ChatGPT, and Perplexity has shifted how people seek information, moving from keyword-based search to natural language synthesis.

In this new paradigm, users want to skip the list of websites and land straight on an answer to act upon. LLMs compress the research phase. They summarise, compare, and recommend directly within the interface removing the need for consumers to embark on their own research journey. The consumer consideration set is now being formed before a single brand domain is ever loaded.

The Zero-Click Crisis: Who is Losing the Referral Race?

The impact on brands is stark but nuanced. When LLMs provide a comprehensive summary, the incentive to click through to a source website evaporates. Whilst “traffic erosion” is being experienced across a broad array of categories, it is most significant when users can get the information they’re seeking within the LLM interface. According to BrightEdge analysis, information and utility based searches result in the highest zero-click rate (77-85%) as answers are provided within top-of-page AI summaries.

For example, across some of Nine's publishing brands, including The Sydney Morning Herald and nine.com.au, search referrals have declined between 20 - 30% in the past 12 months as AI overviews provide audiences with an answer they were seeking. Thankfully, for these brands, most of their audience comes direct, with between 70 - 80% of session referrals starting directly with the brands.

This impact is now bleeding into high-consideration categories such as financial services, retail and travel. Categories that have arguably built a much greater reliance on search referrals. The ability for LLMs to consolidate, synthesise and compare offerings will continue to materially disrupt the purchase journey as we’ve known it.

The Path Forward: Brand Saliency, Trust and the Data Advantage

In a world where brands have limited control over seismic shifts occurring within search, where should we focus? What are the strategies that remain consistent, effective and will ultimately benefit how we navigate the changing landscape of customer referral?

1. Invest in Brand Saliency: The Mental Shortcut

In a zero-click world, the only way to guarantee traffic is through direct navigation. When users search for a specific brand rather than a generic category, they bypass the AI’s "recommendation engine" and go straight to the source.

Recent research from Nine and Kantar shows that brands excluding TV from their mix risk missing out on an average of 39% more total brand effects. High-reach, high-impact video across 9Now, Stan Sport and HBO Max builds the mental availability that ensures a brand is the one users specifically ask for - both in search bars and of LLMs.

When your search query provides you optionality in its response, you’re always most likely to start with the brand you’ve already heard of. Brands with high saliency are not just the ones consumers will gravitate toward, they are also significantly more likely to be featured in AI Overviews as the "definitive" recommendation.

2. Integration with Trusted Broadcasters & Publishers: The “Trust” Moat

The IAB consistently finds that premium media delivers stronger brand lift and more meaningful attention than non-premium placements. And the payoff is real: a decade of Kantar data shows brands with strong equity generate four times more value share than weaker brands.

High-quality content that drives trust, attention and memory also amplifies the cues AI relies on. By integrating with Nine’s premium ecosystem, advertisers not only reap the advertising outcomes of premium media, they gain access to a "Trust Moat" that AI models prioritise.

While brands face volatility from AI summaries and declining search referrals, Nine is a uniquely stable alternative powered by direct audiences and high-intent environments.

3. Leverage First-Party Data to Build Direct Relationships

The ultimate defence against an algorithmic filter is a direct connection with your customer. Brands, more than ever, need to prioritise collecting consented, relevant data on their consumers and use this to connect with them in trusted, influential environments.

The scale of this advantage at Nine is significant. With 22 million signed-in users across a unified data infrastructure, Nine provides advertisers with a direct line to nearly every Australian adult. This ecosystem allows brands to engage with consumers in a logged-in, deterministic environment and measure the impact.

Know your consumer, know what matters to them and find ways to build familiarity, trust and connection so your brand becomes an active choice.

The New Bottom Line

We are moving from an era of efficiency to an era of effectiveness. To survive The Great Decoupling, marketers must shift their gaze from the bottom of the funnel toward the foundations of brand-building. Stop chasing the click; start building the destination.

Explore the Nine Advantage today

OPINION

What 20 Years in Media Taught Me About Surviving Constant Change

Julia Edwards, Director of Programmatic Sales

OPINION

Nine Ad Manager Puts Local Advertisers in Primetime

Todd Fisher, Director - Nine Ad Manager

Looking for more efficient, effective and transparent ways to grow your business? Enquire today.

Growth Isn’t Guesswork, It’s Total TV

The Growth Project is our commitment to working with advertisers to unequivocally prove the power of Nine media in driving business outcomes.

“If growth matters, Total TV is the partner you need.”

Talk to us

Nine's MMM early results

"Growth is nuanced, multi-layered and complicated - much harder than lightweight 'easy sell, dollar in, dollar out' ROI metrics", says Kia's General Manager of Marketing, Dean Norbiato. But there are ways to start understanding how to put a better plan together, and optimise with sharper data more rapidly. "And that gives you a much bigger seat at the senior management table."

Listen Now

Boost sales and brand equity

With an estimated $4BN of profit being left on table through media under optimisation, it's time to shift the focus from mere efficiency to genuine growth and effectiveness.

Download

Five levers for growth

Stewart Gurney, Director of Strategy and Effectiveness, Powered by Nine, details how to deploy Total TV as a high-performance growth engine using five evidence-based levers – from prioritising scale over efficiency to building brands that demand pricing power.

How brands score within the sports broadcast

Stewart Gurney, Director of Strategy and Effectiveness, Powered by Nine, explores why the real prize in sports advertising isn’t perimeter signage, but narrative integration.Data shows that fans are three times more likely to consider brands embedded within the broadcast story - such as "Play of the Day" or live performance data - than those relying on standard TV spots alone.By moving from passive exposure to active participation, brands can turn a fan’s emotional high into a measurable commercial gain.