Can Content Become the Commerce Layer? With Jessica Gilby

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 team unpack 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.

About the hosts:

• Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.

• Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.
  
  

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