Drivers who love their cars don’t necessarily care about the latest stats and models, but they may still want to read stories about them. To address the changing role that driving plays in people’s lives, the Globe and Mail is relaunching its Auto section this week, expanding both target demographic and advertising opportunities in its print, online and mobile properties. The new GlobeDrive.com debuts today, while print section Globe Auto – currently only available in Ontario – will be replaced by Globe Drive on Thursday.
Traditionally the Auto section has targeted a more affluent demo of car enthusiasts skewing older in age, but Globe Drive will also attempt to appeal to women and younger demos, partly through a shift in editorial focus. The new section will feature more lifestyle pieces about drivers’ relationships with their cars, auto accessories, family driving and roadtrips and a ‘Mr. Fix-It’ column.
‘We recognized the role that driving plays in many Canadians’ day-to-day lives, and that there were more topics we could be addressing,’ says Jo-Anne Visconti, director of sales – Toronto, Globe and Mail.
New advertising opportunities include mobi-banners for iPhones and smartphones, including a new iPhone app-sized ad (320X48). New ad positions in print have also been developed, such as the centre double-truck banner on pages A10 to A12 occupied last week by Bell, Visconti tells MiC. More pre-roll video advertising with adjacent big-box ads is also touted, as it is a popular feature.
Another section that’s being re-invented to reflect advertiser and readership needs is Small Business. Starting Nov. 19, the section, which runs in Report on Business, will be renamed Your Business and tailored to target entrepreneurs to the various stages of their business – from start-up to growth to sell.
‘This market is important to advertisers since they are often busy and hard to reach through other platforms, although they hold great influence and are coveted by B2B marketers,’ says Visconti.
With media buying by Toronto’s Gaggi Media and creative by Toronto’s Naked, both of the sections will be promoted through consumer marketing campaigns this month within the Globe‘s online and print properties, as well as search engine marketing. According to September ComScore stats, the Globe website, which underwent a redesign earlier this year, receives about 2.8 million unique visitors per month.
