Vudoo appoints former News Corp digital leader Paul Blackburn as chief strategy officer

Adtech agency Vudoo has named News Corp’s former commercial data and eCommerce director, Paul Blackburn, as chief strategy officer, as it looks to sharpen its positioning and drive growth across the retail media and commerce landscape.

Blackburn joins Vudoo with more than 25 years of digital media experience, including senior leadership roles at News Corp Australia, where he helped shape the publisher’s commercial data strategy and drive ecommerce innovation. He is credited as one of the architects behind News Corp’s pioneering Moët shoppable video initiative and has been a prominent voice in Australia’s commerce media conversation.

Vudoo CEO Nick Morgan said Blackburn’s expertise would play a critical role in strengthening the company’s position in an increasingly competitive digital commerce market.

“We are delighted to welcome Paul to the team. His work straddles innovation and practical application, with a strong focus on leveraging data and AI to deliver impactful commercial outcomes,” Morgan said. “We believe Paul’s strategic input will be invaluable to us in aligning short-term revenue generation with long-term strategic positioning, ensuring Vudoo remains an innovation leader.”

Blackburn said the digital advertising ecosystem had become fixated on the wrong metrics and needed to refocus on delivering business outcomes. “Advertising has always been about outcomes, yet so much of today’s digital ad ecosystem focuses on the wrong metrics,” he said.

“Vudoo is leading the charge by creating a direct path from inspiration to transaction. Consumers expect immediacy – if they see something they love, they want to interact with it and act on it now. Vudoo enables brands to deliver that seamless shopping experience, turning passive engagement into action and optimising for effectiveness instead of impressions.”

Blackburn said his focus would be simplifying Vudoo’s value proposition and making it easier for brands, retailers, publishers and agencies to adopt commerce media solutions. “It’s time for brands to stop optimising for eyeballs and clicks and start optimising for engagement and transaction,” he said.

Blackburn is also the host of the Commerce Media Matters podcast and has built a reputation as a thought leader in commerce media and digital marketing strategy. His appointment comes as advertisers and publishers look to redefine digital media performance amid increasing pressure on marketing budgets and growing demand for more measurable outcomes.