Hot takes, human connection and crafting viral headlines: Everything we learnt at Content Summit Australia 2025
Venturing to Brisbane for a full-day content summit wasn’t always on our bingo card for 2025. But taking the trip to the Brisbane Powerhouse in March 2025 to attend Content Summit Australia was very much worth the 5 am start.
From learning how to make stats sexy to figuring out how to get a C-suite on board with your brand strategy, there were tonnes of juicy insights we couldn’t keep to ourselves. So, we’ve packed up our highlights reels from Content Summit Australia into one jampacked blog.
Grab a cuppa and settle in. If you’re interested in brand, content, and all things marketing, you won’t want to miss this.
Why beige decision-makers (not beige brands) are the real challenge content marketers face
By Lucinda Starr, Founder and Director at Starr Studio
What do insurance, financial services and physical security have in common? They’re all industries my team and I write for every single day — and they tend to fall into the category of ‘beige brands’.
That’s not to say they’re boring, far from it. From speaking with leading subject matter experts to bringing an unconventional tone of voice to life, we help these brands find an edge in a sea of generic, cookie-cutter content. But it does take a little extra elbow grease to capture and convert their audience.
When I saw this panel discussion on ‘Building a distinctive brand in traditionally beige industries’ on the Content Summit line-up, I knew what room I needed to be in. Bonus points for being one of the few events with an all-female panel (including Kirsty Bond from businessDEPOT, Bec Manley from Stanwell Asset Maintenance Company, Lindsey Rogers from Chello and Brittanie English from The Content Divison).
I walked away with exactly what I’d hoped for: tips, tricks and examples of how to differentiate brands, earn attention and use human-interest storytelling to hook audiences. But what I didn’t expect to hear was this: the hard part isn’t working with beige brands, but coming up against beige decision-makers.
The real challenge content marketers (and agencies like us) face is dealing with stakeholders who are resistant to experimentation and challenging the status quo. Brilliant campaigns and daring ideas come with some level of risk.
But after five rounds of revisions and feedback from 10+ decision-makers, we often see the best creative content watered down to the point of missing the mark entirely.
I get it: it’s daunting to try something new and venture off the well-trodden path. However, doing what everyone else is doing is only going to produce another generic piece of content that ticks a box and blends in with the masses online.
I don’t have a perfect solution or grand proposal for how to fix this dilemma. But I do know this: the more decision-makers trust their creative teams, the better work (and outcomes) they’re going to generate as a result.
The ins and outs of content that actually connects
By Maddy Stewart, Content Writer at Starr Studio
Content Summit Australia was a reminder for me that in a fast-paced, content-heavy world, clarity, heart, and having a point of view is what really wins. What I took away was that content isn’t about flashy trends or structured strategies; it’s about connection.
My biggest takeaway was that you should be brave enough to have a perspective and share it in a thoughtful, conversational way. It’s easy to fall into the trap of what we think we should post or say, but the speakers at the summit challenged us to share what we would say behind closed doors. In my opinion, this is what builds both trust and brand.
Here are my ins and outs that I’ll be taking back to our content after attending the summit:
IN:
Saying something real, even if not everyone agrees with it
Real-life stories over statistics
Building community, not just reach
Personality and a real-life point of view
Creating before overthinking
Letting your brand move with the times
Bravery over beige, always
Connection, not perfection!
The “Pub Test” - what you’re telling your friends over beers at the pub is what you really think
Branding as a verb
OUT:
Saying what everyone else is saying because you think you should
Playing it safe for the algorithm
Tick-box messaging
“Neutral” branding
Strategy without heart and evolution
Letting fear hold your brand back
Chasing attention without meaning
Something I wrote down that I haven’t stopped thinking about is when Rachael Sarra asked, “When did we forget we do have the power to make the world better?”
We shouldn’t be waiting for someone else to start the change. If you’re building a brand, writing a caption, or sharing a meaningful story with your audience, your voice matters. So use it!
What good content really comes down to
By Zoe Ng, Content Writer at Starr Studio
I headed to Content Summit Australia in Brisbane not really knowing what to expect, but I can say with confidence that I left with a few reminders that felt simple, human, and worth holding onto. The kind of stuff that doesn’t just apply to content but to how we communicate with each other in general.
Erin McEniery’s talk about asking “Why, though?” was a standout. Erin leads visitor experience at the Natural History Museum in London (very cool) and shared how her team uses a product mindset to create content that actually resonates with over six million people a year. The takeaway? Stay curious. Keep asking questions. Why are we saying it? Why would someone care? How are we adding value to their experience? It’s easy to get caught up in formats, workflows and frameworks—but at the end of the day, it’s all about connecting with people and making things easier for them.
Analiese Stitt from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed how raw data doesn’t have to be dry. Her team has spent the last decade turning statistics into digestible—and even fun, God forbid—pieces of content. It was a refreshing reminder that with a little bit of creativity, and maybe a few (okay, a lot of) pop culture references, even the driest content can connect.
And, of course, the Betoota Advocate session was a crowd favourite—equal parts hilarious and surprisingly strategic. Antony Stockdale and Wendell Hussey broke down how their very not-serious tone is built on a solid content strategy: crafting headlines that stop people mid-scroll, building community, and knowing exactly how to speak their audience’s language. It was smart, honest, and fun.
A quote that stuck with me was: “If you want to connect with the human experience, then you have to have someone who has it.” Not groundbreaking (like florals), but true. The best content doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s clear, consistent, and grounded in real personal perspective—and that’s what makes it work.
Did you make it to Content Summit Australia 2025? We’d love to hear your thoughts, takeaways and standout moments. 💬