Interplay Media names Scott Hughes to boost NZ publisher ads

Interplay Media has expanded its operations in New Zealand with the appointment of Scott Hughes to lead its publisher monetisation efforts.

Scott Hughes, who will be based in Auckland, joins Interplay Media after more than ten years in the local digital advertising industry. His experience includes senior leadership positions at Scroll Media, the country's largest publisher NZME, and Loyalty NZ.

Hughes is tasked with broadening programmatic advertising services for publishers in New Zealand and spearheading the launch of Interplay Rich Ads, an interactive product aimed at engaging both mobile and desktop audiences in a transparent marketplace. He also aims to attract more global publishers to the New Zealand market.

According to Interplay Media, the company will offer customised solutions across video, display, native, and high-impact advertising formats to help local publishers develop additional revenue streams. Interplay Media currently works with several publishers in New Zealand, including the Otago Daily Times and KidsSpot, as it looks to scale its presence in the market.

The company, which was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Melbourne, provides programmatic advertising and ad operations services to publishers in both Australia and New Zealand. Interplay Media also operates the Zero Digital Sports network in Australia.

James Spinks, Managing Director of Interplay Media and originally from Wellington, described the appointment as a strategic decision to increase support for New Zealand publishers. Spinks stated,

"Scott brings a deep understanding of the NZ media landscape and a strong commercial and technical track record. We believe his appointment will enable Interplay Media to help publishers increase their share of digital advertising spend."

Hughes's mandate includes expanding direct relationships with New Zealand publishers and rolling out the Interplay Rich Ads product, which aims to drive consumer engagement and revenue from both mobile and desktop platforms. He will also focus on collaborating with international publishers entering the New Zealand market.

Spinks explained that after ten years of operating in Australia, establishing a direct presence in New Zealand was a natural step forward for the business. Spinks said,

"The New Zealand media market is open to rich media innovation and advanced programmatic advertising services and we plan to target that opportunity."

Interplay Media has previously collaborated with a number of key publishers and intends to accelerate its activities in the New Zealand digital advertising market following this appointment. Hughes's experience in both national and international advertising roles is expected to support the company's goal of bringing new advertising formats and services to publishers of all sizes across the country.