Southern Cross Media : SCA LAUNCHES TOM AND OLLY’S GUIDE TO LOCKDOWN

SCA today announced a new smart speaker experience for the Hit Network, with Tom and Olly's Guide to Lockdown. A voice activated way to get inspiration and information on fun activities that can be done at home, the guide is curated to appeal to a wide audience.

Smart speaker users will find a range of ideas on the guide from cheesecake masterclasses, jogging through Egypt, live penguin shows, and clay creations.

The smart speaker skill is a spin-off of SCA's The Locals' Guide, following a successful trial in Queensland across metro and regional markets. The Locals' Guide is an Australian-first, interactive, voice activated guide accessible through Google and Alexa enabled devices for information on local community events.

By simply asking a smart speaker or smart assistants on phones to launch Tom and Olly's Guide to Lockdown, users will be able to choose their own adventure as both Tom and Olly serve up inspiration for cooking to craft, family and fitness.

Tom and Olly jumped at the chance to be involved in the concept: "We cannot wait to be in the homes of Aussies! Not literally of course that'd be weird….

"Our list of lockdown activities will keep you company and entertained, we promise they are much better than the first draft of this list which included sorting out sprinkles and staring at colourful walls."

Jeanna Manifold, Head of The Studio at SCA, Brisbane, said: "We know Australians are engaging with smart speakers like never before. Ownership of smart speakers across the country has increased 53% year on year and the SCA audience significantly outpaces general population smart speaker ownership - 41% versus 26%. More than two in three people who consume news through their smart speaker listen to SCA branded content, so it makes perfect sense to leverage this trust and credibility into our entertainment brands as well."

Tom and Olly's Guide to Lockdown is now available nationally and will be promoted in markets currently under restrictions. Listeners will also be offered the chance to recommend virtual events and contribute to the content of the skill itself.

To hear the skill in action, simply say "Alexa, Launch Tom and Olly's Guide to Lockdown" or "Hey Google, ask Tom and Olly's Guide to Lockdown"

Catch up with Tom and Olly's Hit Network Late Nights podcast on LiSTNR.

Source: SCAiQ Smart Audio Study | March 2021

About SCA (Southern Cross Austereo)

Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) is one of Australia's leading media companies reaching more than 95% of the Australian population through its radio, television, and digital assets. Under the Triple M and Hit network brands, SCA owns 99 stations across FM, AM, and DAB+ radio. SCA provides national sales representation for 23 regional radio stations. SCA broadcasts 94 free to air TV signals across regional Australia, reaching 2.8 million people a week, with 10 Network programming and advertising representation across Australia's East Coast, Seven Network programming in Tasmania and Darwin, and Seven, Nine and Ten programming in Spencer Gulf. SCA also features Sky News Regional in 17 markets across regional Queensland, southern NSW, and Victoria. SCA operates LiSTNR, Australia's free, personalized digital audio destination for consumers featuring radio, podcasts, music, and news. SCA provides Australian sales representation for global open audio platform SoundCloud and Sonos Radio. SCA's premium brands are supported by social media, live events and digital platforms that deliver national and local entertainment and news content.