Who: Kim Haveman, group broadcast manager, Initiative Media, Toronto.
Claim to fame: Haveman heads up the S.C. Johnson broadcast business at Initiative, where she is known for her innovative ideas around multi-brand executions and brand-specific promotions, including integrated promotions with W Network for some of the S.C. Johnson brand launches.
This talent was also seen in her last couple of campaigns for Edge Shave Gel. One aligned the brand with the Star Racer series on Discovery Channel, with Edge sponsoring the Star Racer online pool, Edge Ahead Star Racer Pool, in addition to 30-second brand sell, opening and closing billboards, promos and force tune spots, plus a program integration segment that aired throughout multiple episodes of the program.
The other campaign – the Killer Edge Road Hockey Experience with Doug Gilmour – took place in Toronto’s Yonge/Dundas Square in April 2006. The integrated promotion included in-store and on-site signage, customized promo and contest spots and an online component with a viewer game, as well as event highlights airing on Sportsnet’s Hockeycentral and its website.
Background: Haveman took the advertising and media program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont. After school, she got her first taste of the biz during a four-and-a-half-year stint at OMD. She joined Initiative in October 2003.
What brand is getting it right? ‘The one I’m enjoying right now is Capital One. The creative is very funny and memorable. Every time I turn on the TV, I’m seeing it, and no matter how many times I do, it makes me laugh. Capital One is a very youthful company and that comes across in its creative and placement. I think the audience connects with it as well.’
Which brand, other than your own clients’, would you most want to work on and why? ‘What’s really catching me, as someone on the buying side as well as a consumer, are the new Dove ads. They’re portraying a very strong, positive image for women at any age, at any life stage and I really relate to that. They’re connecting with women and making us feel good about ourselves.
‘And because they’re promoting such as a strong female image, it would be interesting to see if they work with any not-for-profit organizations dealing with women’s issues or supporting women in their growth – like shelters or eating disorders, any sort of organization that works with women in building their self-esteem. Because they’re really powerful with that in their ads.’
What common industry belief or practice do you think should be trashed? ‘Trashed is a bit harsh – but I would say changed. A lot of times, buyers are brought in at the last minute, at execution time. But as buyers, we’re in the market, we’re dealing with stations with new opportunities all the time. We have a lot of information and background that we can offer at the beginning stages of a plan.
‘So I really think that all parties should be brought to the table at the very beginning and truly make it a team effort, versus coming in at the very end and being told, here’s what we have, here’s what we’re thinking – go and buy it.’
What media vehicle or media tactic is going to be the next big thing and why? ‘Consumers right now want media on their own terms and on their own time, so broadband, MobiTV, SMS messaging. I think that’s going to become very prominent because it’s going to allow consumers to get the information they want, when they want it.’
