HGTV is launching three new home decoration web series to entice viewers to extend their experiences to online. The new shows also offer up new ad opps.
The home and garden channel’s online presence has room for pre-roll with companion ads, integration within a custom microsite, video centre tab sponsorships and newsletter sponsorships.
The Canwest channel is putting so much emphasis on online because their target market of women, 25 to 54 years old, is increasingly looking to the web to learn how to improve their homes, Christine Geddes, director, online content, HGTV.ca, tells MiC.
‘We know that the HGTV audience enjoys design programming,’ Geddes says. ‘The web series offer these fans hands-on design tips and ideas in a short format that’s available any time.’
To promote the new shows, there will be on-air bumpers, but mostly HGTV will be relying on its own website with home page promotion, a video centre presence in the ‘new’ tab, blog posts, and footer ads throughout the site. There will also be mentions on the HGTV Facebook and Twitter pages. All the work was done in-house for the promotions.
‘We’re launching these web series to offer our site users and HGTV fans exclusive and compelling content that complements the on-air show themes and programs,’ says Geddes.
The first of the three shows started Wednesday. Model Home Showdown shows Cheryl Torrenueva (Superstar Design Challenge, Colin & Justin’s Home Heist) and Andrew Pike (Superstar Design Challenge, Design Rivals) as they design and decorate a model home in just one week for Empire Communities in Brantford, ON. The week will be cut into five four-minute webisodes, with a new one available each Thursday.
The next show, starting in November, will be The Switch with Samantha Pynn, in which the host tackles one part of a home, from a whole bedroom to a dining table to a window treatment, in each of the six short episodes.
In the new year, the third show, Starting Point, will begin. The host, Anita Wiklém, will design a space while outlining key interior design principles for viewers.
All the shows were produced in-house except The Switch with Samantha Pynn, which was produced by WestWind Pictures in Toronto.
