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Research conducted by News Corp on behalf of commercial partner YouGov has found that nearly one in three Australians exposed to the Back Australia campaign are now willing to pay more than 10 per cent extra to support local businesses and services.
The findings arrive as the campaign marks Australian Made Week with fresh content and expanded industry support.
Wikipedia states, “YouGov is an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia–Pacific.”
While the announcement advocates for the promotion of Australian manufacturing, it’s also being used as a major ad-revenue driver by News Corp who, in return for organising and promoting the campaign, is selling sponsorship to major Australian organisations (including major climate deniers) in return for a positive association with it.
Shifting spending habits
The YouGov research found that 86 per cent of respondents exposed to the campaign are now likely to redirect up to $100 per week towards Australian businesses, representing a 16-point increase from pre-campaign levels.
Purchase intent for Australian-made products over the next few months climbed to 79 per cent, up 15 points following campaign exposure.
YouGov Senior Research Manager, Jo Lynn Lee, described the results as pointing to a shift that goes beyond simple awareness.
“Australians who have seen the campaign are more likely to prioritise Australian-made purchases, feel confident identifying local products, and indicate a greater willingness to shift spending towards Australian businesses,” Lee explained.
“This points to a campaign message that is resonating beyond awareness and into more tangible expressions of support.”
From awareness to action
News Australia Client Partnerships Managing Director, Lou Barrett, pointed to signs that the campaign is driving genuine behavioural change among consumers.
“We’ve moved beyond awareness to genuine behaviour change. Australians aren’t just reading this content, they’re acting on it,” Barrett told reporters.
“The research validates what our partners are seeing: when you give people compelling reasons to choose Australian, they will.”
Barrett added that brands now have a clear opportunity in front of them.
“For brands, this is an opportunity to demonstrate their contribution to Australia’s future with proven consumer support behind it.”
Renewed focus on national sovereignty
Back Australia is returning with a focus on national sovereignty across manufacturing, energy, health, fuel, technology and defence sectors. The renewed push comes as recent global events have reinforced Australia’s need for greater self-reliance in key industries.
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The campaign will roll out over the next three weeks across the News Corp network – its exclusive media partner.
Industry partners old and new
Returning partners for this phase of the campaign include Harvey Norman, Australian Made Campaign, Westpac, Bunnings, Coles, TechnologyOne and R.M.Williams.
Several new supporters have also joined the effort, including climate-change deniers, The Minerals Council of Australia, Australian Forestry Products Association and the gas-industry’s APA Group.
News Corp says, the expansion of the partner base signals growing corporate interest in aligning with the buy-local message, particularly as supply chain resilience and domestic manufacturing capacity remain prominent in national policy discussions. However, the joint campaign is also a significant for-profit exercise by the publisher.
While the motives behind the campaign may be murky, its stated goal is not unworthy. It’s also arguably understandable for publishers to seek innovative revenue streams in an ad-funded industry that has been poleaxed by the malfeasant activities of Google, Meta and the media buying industry.
Research methodology
The YouGov findings are drawn from a pre and post campaign evaluation commissioned by News Corp Australia in April 2026. The pre-campaign survey of 1,140 respondents was conducted between 20 and 25 October 2025, while the post-campaign survey of 1,080 respondents was conducted between 10 November and 1 December 2025. Content impression data was sourced from internal reporting via Verity and Emplifi covering the period from 26 October to 9 November 2025.
For more information visit News Corp’s microsite at backaustralia.com.au.
Last Updated on May 18, 2026 by Nick Ross
