Astral Radio has migrated all 83 of its stations onto the same interactive platform while allowing each to have unique content and branding, opening up a new world of ad opps.

It provides local and national advertisers with new tools to work with, Hugues Mousseau, manager, corporate communications, Astral Media, tells MiC.

‘It’s become a multi-platform approach,’ he says. ‘Astral already offers the speciality television platform, the radio platform and the outdoor platform in Ontario, Quebec, and BC, and this is upping our game in the digital environment as a key extension of our brands.’

The new platform, which is costing $6 million over five years and was developed by Emmis Interactive in Chicago, allows companies to advertise online locally to a specific target, or send their message out nationally, covering all the demos the radio stations and their websites attract. The content management system also offers audience measurement reporting, geotargeting and online events.

There are new ways for the stations to engage their audiences, too. The company’s NRJ network in Quebec attracted more than 428,000 viewers on its website for a create-your-own video contest, which featured 140 videos. In Calgary, another station had 5,500 registrations and 570,000 users during its Cutest Baby Contest.

‘It’s really taking our brands to a new level and enabling announcers to have multiple touchpoints with their clients and listeners,’ says Mousseau. ‘Our objective is to maintain our on-air presence and also online and on-location.’