TLDR
News Corp Australia has launched its Think Again dementia awareness campaign for a second year, running across its national mastheads and news.com.au during Dementia Action Week, 21 to 27 September 2026. Specsavers Audiology has returned as a named commercial partner after the first campaign produced a 252% traffic surge.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A commercial renewal with a public-health hook
News Corp Australia has activated its Think Again dementia awareness campaign for a second consecutive year, dedicating editorial inventory across news.com.au, The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail and The Advertiser to coincide with Dementia Action Week, which runs 21 to 27 September 2026.[3] Specsavers Audiology has returned as the campaign's named commercial partner.[5]
Year one produced a 252% traffic surge tied to the Specsavers partnership, giving News Corp a live data point to bring to advertisers considering cause-led sponsorships.[6] That figure puts Think Again in the category of premium publisher inventory paired with a health message, rather than a charity gesture.
Why hearing loss and why now
Dementia was Australia's leading cause of death in 2024, accounting for nearly 18,300 fatalities, almost one in ten deaths across the country.[1] The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that 43% of dementia's disease burden is attributable to six potentially modifiable risk factors, hearing loss among them.[2]
Natasha Lee, General Manager of Client Partnerships VIC at News Australia, said the first campaign revealed a genuine knowledge gap. "Many Australians did not know how hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia, and that the condition can be addressed through intervention," Lee said.[6]
The clinical voice behind the campaign
Professor Tanya Buchanan, Chief Executive Officer of Dementia Australia, offered the bluntest corrective to common assumptions about the disease. "Dementia isn't a normal part of ageing," Buchanan said.[3] Dementia Australia organises Dementia Action Week each year as its flagship awareness push, aiming to reduce stigma and prompt earlier diagnosis.[3]
Specsavers Audiology's decision to recommit for a second year, backed by the year-one traffic result, gives other prospective brand partners a benchmark. The 252% surge is the number News Corp's sales team now brings into the room when pitching cause-led inventory across its national, state and community mastheads.[4][6]
SOURCES & CITATIONS
- Deaths due to dementia, AIHW Dementia in Australia
- Dementia disease burden, AIHW Dementia in Australia
- Dementia Action Week, Dementia Australia
- News Corp Australia media interests, ACMA
- News Australia launches Think Again dementia awareness campaign, Mediaweek
- How Specsavers and News Australia drove a 252% traffic surge, Mediaweek
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Think Again campaign?
When does Dementia Action Week run in 2026?
Why is hearing loss linked to dementia?
What traffic result did the first campaign produce?
Xaviery Malinao writes for Prompt the Market on how brands and agencies are adapting to answer engines, drawing on Bushnote's work with clients across search, AI search and content.
