Nearly 90% of adults find SMS too cumbersome, difficult to use: Study
A new U.S. study from MRI (Mediamark Research Inc.) doesn’t hold much hope for the use of SMS short code messaging to expand beyond the young demographic. Even amongst 84% of SMS users, this technology – currently being used by many marketers as a response element in advertising and promotions – is said to take too long, is a real hassle to use, hard to remember, or that they had little interest in the offers they see using SMS as a mobile response. MRI tested SMS and a new faster StarStar technique (**) with 600 adults aged 18-65+ using print, TV, and radio advertising with mobile response components. Not surprisingly, younger consumers are more adept at SMS but overall, twice as many participants – 90.8% – successfully responded using the StarStar call number (** plus a couple of digits) than were successful with the SMS text-to-number task. Other findings include:
* Respondents who prefer the abbreviated StarStar technique are, on average, four years older than respondents who prefer the SMS text-ing routine (47.2 vs. 43.2 years)
* Among all respondents who prefer the StarStar approach, 35.4% do not know how to send text messages while 77.8% of respondents who do know how to text (and 78.5% who don’t) prefer the StarStar call technique.
The study was conducted for California-based technology company Zoove Corp. (zoove.com) the company behind the StarStar system. Tim Jemison, Zoove CEO, says that the StarStar technology will transform mobile marketing by broadening its appeal to demos and increasing response rates for mobile campaigns because of its simplicity.
Nielsen Media Research Spend Trend: Gardening
TV blooms with gardening dollars
Spending has been fairly consistent in this category over the past several years with TV getting the bulk of dollars, followed by dailies and magazines with radio a strong fourth contender in the mix.
Popstar lookin’ for love
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb is turning her quest for Mr. Right into a reality TV show. The 37-year-old is single for the first time in 12 years and wants to settle down and start a family. Her quest is chronicled in an eight-part series, #1 Single which will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on the Life Network, beginning July 5.
CHUM hires McCarthy
Jeremy McCarthy has been named affiliate marketing manager, handling all national marketing projects with CHUM’s cable, satellite and wireless affiliates. McCarthy has previously held posts at Alliance Atlantis, Bell ExpressVu and SEGA of Canada.
PMB Factoid
Reward club participation; by gender
http://www.pmb.ca
Christian group leverages DaVinci Code buzz with faith-based media
Campus Crusade for Christ Canada is selling Jesus via a multi-platform campaign that leverages the buzz around the upcoming film, The Da Vinci Code. And while some faith-based groups are advocating a ban on the film, this evangelical group, based out of Langley, B.C., is instead encouraging folks to watch the film as a way to start a dialogue about Jesus Christ. Elements in the campaign include an online blog at discussdavinci.com, DM pieces aimed at church leaders throughout the country, a 20-page magazine, cards touting the blog site, as well as radio, print and theatre ad buys.
Some Canadian kids online as young as three: AOL Canada/Leger Marketing survey
AOL Canada released stats in support of its annual Online Safety week yesterday and found that 22% of Canadian kids 8-12 would rather be online than outside. The poll is conducted every year by Leger Marketing has also found that:
– the average Canadian child is online for the first time at six years old, though 20% of parents say their child was three or younger the first time
– 42% of kids (8-12) want more time online
– 31% of kids spend up to two hours online, but 7% surf for more than three hours
– Online activities for this group include: playing games (85%); surfing fun Web sites (43%); chatting on IM (43%)
The study surveyed more than Canuck parents across the country, in addition to the same number of kids between 8-12 years old.
Entertainment and alcohol are tops with the French – Eloda ad analysis for April 28-May 4, 2006
Last week, English Canada had entertainment as the top category. This week, it’s public service at 25%. Atonement perhaps? The French are making up for lost time with the entertainment category trumping all things at 33%, with alcohol and building products equal at 11% apiece. Check out others topping the charts, and which brands had the most new spots. This info was gathered through Montreal-based ELODA’s online TV ad tracking, auditing and viewing services. All data supplied is based on the ELODA recording grid.
http://www.eloda.com
MI3 ad spots hit the top 10: Top radio ads – Media Monitors for May 1-7, 2006
Paramount Canada’s Wonderland is once again paramount this week in the race for brands with the most radio ads in rotation in Toronto. New to the charts are the spots touting Mission: Impossible 3, which leapt up from number 183 to number six. Other new brands to the top 10 include: Altamira Financial (at number three), Dairy Farmers of Canada (at number five), luxury auto brand Infiniti and ING Direct. Check out others topping the radio charts by category and brand in the Toronto market for the week of May 1-7, 2006.
http://www.mediamonitors.com
Yahoo! bulks up search advertising
Yahoo! plans to start a country-by-country roll-out of its redesigned search advertising platform this fall. The new platform includes a campaign management app that allows marketers to launch search advertising campaigns across the Yahoo! network much more quickly and make management of those campaigns easier.
Features include an intuitive control panel, enhanced geographic targeting, fast ad activation, ad testing, visible quality index, share of clicks forecasting, and goal-based optimization.
Future versions will include additional distribution options and targeting based on factors such as demographic information or online behaviour.
YTV pushes Pandalian on-air, online and on-demand
YTV will be launching Nelvana’s new fantasy cartoon Pandalian on-air, online and on-demand this summer. The move is part of a plan to give Canadian kids the content they want, when they want it and on the platforms they want it. As things get going, Corus, owner of Nelvana and YTV, says it will add further creative such as interactive games, downloads, personality quizzes and themed clips. Following the adventures of Toby, a panda who has been chosen to save his doughnut-shaped planet from an evil king, the series pans out over 26 x 30 episodes. Toby bumbles into action beginning June 7 as YTV debuts an interactive Pandalian webpage offering a sneak peek episode and promotional clip. YTV will air a promotional spot to support the sneak peak as the ep debuts simultaneously on VOD. Then the show will begin in its regular YTV slot Wednesday, July 5 at 3:30 p.m. From June 7 til July 5, Pandalian will be promoted with on-air spots and on YTV.com. After the launch, the webpage will start ‘Next Week’ trailers of upcoming episodes that will also air on VOD.
Frank Duyvelshoff, director, business development at Corus, says ‘We are presenting multiplatform integrated sponsorship packages to clients that we believe fit well with the Pandalian brand. While not confirmed, we anticipate that we will secure a charter sponsor for this integrated, interactive program. The sponsor will receive on-air and on-line support and will receive broadband streaming of Corus Entertainment-developed Flash creative. The sponsor will gain not only a significant level of support, but they will share in pioneering new ways to connect with our respective audiences through this innovative program.’ The demographic is kids six to nine and no media agency is involved.
GOLTV’s dual-platform series, The Contenders, searches for sponsors
Soccer net GOLTV Canada unleashed a new series entitled The Contenders last week in a bid to fan the soccer flames in anticipation of Germany 2006. The six-parter debuted on Thursday, airing weekly at 8 p.m. The Contenders highlights teams’ trek to the qualifiers with insight from soccer experts Paul James and Jim Brennan. Fifteen-minute webisodes are also on offer on goltv.ca for those who just can’t get enough of The Contenders. Chris Doyle, VP, marketing at Toronto-based Insight Sports says, ‘[The webisodes] gives people access to material they just wouldn’t otherwise see. It’s essentially more content that would otherwise be on the cutting room floor.’ He says that the webisodes are supported via ads running during the on-air component. Six more webisodes are in production, and these will be rolled out online on a weekly basis. Doyle adds that sponsor opportunities are available both online and on-air. The series and its accompanying webisodes target M18-34.
Vision unveils times for new series
Vision TV is rolling out two new shows. We’ll see 39 episodes of Healthy Home, at 30 minutes each. The series highlights innovative ideas for making your home a healthier place, such as solar-powered radiant floor heating and the art of creating homemade herbal salves. Healthy Home will air Tuesdays at 10, beginning May 16. Meanwhile, in a six-part series, Gospel Challenge follows choir leaders bringing together aspiring gospel vocalists in Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. They will have just six days to prepare for a televised performance. The show airs in one-hour eps Wednesdays at 8 p.m. and 12 a.m., beginning May 31.
Discovery uncovers the bad guys
In a new series, War Detectives, The Discovery Civilization Channel chronicles some of the more heinous acts of war committed against civilians in the last century. The four-part series looks at a specific conflict each episode and the investigation of the people who were involved in the war atrocities. The series begins June 4 and airs Sundays at 8 p.m.
