Driving commercial success at Nine: George Hulley on the art, science, and storytelling of client strategy

As part of Nine’s specialist commercial division, George acts as a strategic conduit between sales, studios, and partnerships teams, shaping integrated campaigns that leverage the full power of the Nine ecosystem to drive major business outcomes.

We sat down with George to discuss his journey to Nine, how the media landscape is shifting, and what it takes to find the perfect balance between art and science in modern client strategy.

Finding strategy through curiosity

George’s path to Nine began across the Tasman, where he first cut his teeth in the media industry.

“I have an agency background, beginning in New Zealand, learning the ropes of the industry there,” George shares. “During those client service roles, I was exposed to strategy and found myself drawn to the blend of creativity, data, and storytelling it requires. From there, I knew I wanted to follow that curiosity.”

After landing his first official strategy role on the agency side, it was the sheer scale and quality of work coming out of Nine that ultimately caught his attention.

“Seeing the calibre of creative output on display in Powered hooked me into my client strategy role here.” 

Defining a great client strategy

In a fast-paced media world, the word “strategy” can take on many different definitions. For George, a great strategy is rooted in a simple but powerful piece of advice he received early in his career.

“Great strategy requires walking around with your eyes open,” George explains. “That sounds simple, but the best strategy is found when unique connections are made between things that others may have overlooked, then packaged in a compelling way that heroes the brands’ business aspirations.”

To sum up this approach, he points to a classic quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “In the work of geniuses, we recognise our own rejected thoughts.”

Balancing art and science in a shifting landscape

At Powered, bridging the gap between big creative ideas and big commercial results requires a constant balancing act.

“It is a balance between art and science: stress-testing your idea with other people and data, while also trusting your gut.Often, the ideas that get realised, and that are commercially successful, are the ones you have the most belief in because clients can sense that belief and buy into it. Clients aren’t interested in stories without outcomes, but metrics without a story are just numbers. There’s a balance to find there.”

This perspective has become even more vital as the broader media landscape continues to evolve. With rising media fragmentation making audiences harder to track, data has become the essential foundation for any successful campaign.

“Agencies are demanding more data-driven solutions, and hard metrics are winning briefs and market share,” George notes. “I think the best work right now shapes data into a solutions-focused story. Storytelling will always be so important, no matter what the industry is doing.”

He emphasises that creativity and data are entirely symbiotic, noting that too much focus on either can produce the wrong outcome. “It’s crucial for us to understand our role for clients when it comes to data, which is to provide insight into our audience and how they consume content across our ecosystem, and how that relates back to our clients’ business. That’s the most effective way to bridge our partnership and prove why we are the right solution for them.”

Navigating a powerful media ecosystem

One of the unique advantages of working at Nine is the sheer scale of its total television, audio, and publishing ecosystem. However, turning that vast network into a single, seamless campaign requires immense focus.

“There is a powerful ecosystem at our disposal so tempering it into a cohesive campaign is one of the most challenging parts of the job,” George admits. “The key is getting familiar with the client brief and exactly what they are asking you to do.”

Thankfully, he does not have to do it alone. Every project the team tackles requires them to act as a true extension of the client’s business, regularly transforming standard campaigns into deep strategic partnerships. “I’m fortunate to work with people who are incredibly talented in their discipline, so working closely with the wider team helps craft our solutions into cohesive campaigns.”

A collaborative culture built on trust

It is this exact collaboration and collective intelligence that keeps George motivated to push boundaries every day.

“Working with remarkably intelligent and curious people who are passionate about solving problems helps an awful lot,” George shares. “I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by the team at Powered, and the wider sales group, who pioneer cutting-edge thinking and have a trust in each other that each of us are experts in our respective disciplines.”

For those looking to join the team at Nine and help shape the future of media integration, George believes success comes down to a few core traits.

“Curiosity and a willingness to learn are key. The pace of change in our industry is hard to keep up with, especially with AI entering the conversation in recent years. I would recommend staying adaptable, learning how to tell a good story, and remembering to have fun with it. Your best work is found on the other side of enjoying it along the way.”