How is News Corp rethinking content, commerce and AI before publishers get left behind?
What happens when publishers stop thinking about commerce media as a bolt-on — and start treating it as part of the content experience itself?
In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn sit down with Jessica Gilby, General Manager of Digital at News Corp Australia, to unpack how publishers are evolving — and how News Corp is preparing for a world where content itself becomes infrastructure.
From the early days of shoppable media experimentation through to today’s evolving media landscape, Jess unpacks why commerce media still isn’t living up to its original promise — and where publishers fit into the future of content, commerce and discovery as AI reshapes how content is surfaced, consumed and trusted across both humans and machines.
The conversation also dives into the award-winning Mattel campaign — a multi-screen commerce media activation spanning CTV, display, video and interactive catalogue experiences that drove both online and in-store sales uplift.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Why commerce media is still misunderstood: Despite years of industry hype, many brands and publishers still treat commerce media as a simple “buy now” add-on rather than a fully integrated experience to connect inspiration, discovery and transaction in one seamless journey.
Why publishers now need to “serve two masters": As AI-generated discovery grows, publishers are being forced to optimise for both humans and machines — balancing premium audience experiences with content that is AI-legible, discoverable and trusted.
How News Corp is preparing for an AI-first media ecosystem: From embedded AI specialists to large-scale experimentation across metadata, content structures and geo-optimised branded experiences, Jess shares how News Corp is adapting its publishing strategy for the AI era.
What made the Mattel campaign work across multiple screens: The episode unpacks how the Mattel commerce media campaign connected CTV, display, video and catalogue-driven shopping experiences into one seamless journey — driving both online and in-store sales uplift.
The difference between “signals” and “noise” in modern marketing: As marketers become overwhelmed with audience data and intent signals, the conversation explores why the real challenge is no longer collecting signals — but identifying which ones actually matter
Why offsite retail media is the next major growth opportunity: While many retail media networks have mastered onsite monetisation, Jess argues the next evolution will come from connecting retailer data and commerce experiences into offsite publisher environments
Soundbites to listen out for:
Commerce Media Is More Than “Buy Now"
“A lot of the industry is still treating commerce media like a bolt on… like you can take an existing campaign and stick a buy now button on it and call it commerce media. And that’s really not it.”
Collapsing Discovery and Purchase
“The real opportunity still exists in what the original theory was… how can you collapse the entire funnel from the moment someone’s inspired all the way through a transaction with a single experience?"
Why the Industry Still Hasn’t Caught Up
“The biggest gap isn’t about capability. The tech clearly exists. It’s actually about mindset. Brands still brief for awareness or conversion. Publishers still sell on reach or performance. And the industry hasn’t really caught up to the idea that you don’t have to choose.”
Optimising for Humans and AI
“Your consumer or your first reader may not be human. So what we’re starting to talk to clients about is — how do I optimise for both? How do I serve two masters? That’s what clients are really trying to figure out at the moment.”
Don’t Lose the Marketing Fundamentals
"We always get obsessed with the new shiny toy but the marketing principles still apply. Just focus on your marketing strategy and how these tactics can be additive to it”
Offsite Is Retail Media’s Next Frontier
“Retail media is great. They’ve got transaction data, they understand a great deal about customers and segmentation. They’ve got their onsite strategy figured out, but I think there’s a lot of growth still in offsite monetisation.”
About the guest
Jessica Gilby is the General Manager of Digital at News Corp Australia, where she leads digital strategy, partnerships and commercial innovation across one of Australia’s largest premium publishing networks.
With deep experience spanning commerce, performance, publishing and digital transformation, Jess has been at the forefront of helping brands connect content, data and commerce into more integrated customer experiences.
Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn
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