Rogers Wireless adds AskMeNow ad opps
Rogers Wireless Blackberry users can now know it all with AskMeNow, a mobile information service providing content such as headline news, sports scores, weather, stock quotes, directory assistance, directions, flight times, and hotel information. Darryl Cohen, CEO of AskMeNow, says the company is already working with Canadian ad firms, and marketers interested in advertising will soon be able to access a sign-up page from its Web site (askmenow.com). AskMeNow is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ocean West Holding Corporation in Irvine, CA.
As much Canadian content as possible is being added to the system. Temperatures and distances are metric; sports scores for the NHL and the CFL; Canadian postal codes for directory assistance and directions as well as stock quotes from the TSX are already available. AskMeAnything is a proprietary Internet-based feature of the service that allows users to literally ask anything (in natural language) via text messaging – and it’s available to customers roaming in one of any 80 countries. The answer is sent back and the 75-cent fee for each question is added to their monthly Rogers statement. A text ad message one or two lines long accompany each question answered. No ads are sent independent of an answer and are only sent in the body of an answer, and therefore only when a user has opted to receive an answer. All advertising featured on AskMeNow in Canada will either be from Canadian companies or from multinational organizations that target consumers in Canada. Content sponsorship opportunities are available but currently ads can only be text format. Video capabilities will be added within the next 12 months.
Transcontinental moves in-store with Enixa digital displays
Transcontinental has purchased a majority interest in in-store digital advertising company, Enixa Media of Montreal (enixamedia.com). With the influx of cash, Enixa will be expanding from 400 in-store digital ad displays to approximately 2000 flat screens across Quebec over the next two years. Enixa displays are currently in 45 Metro and other grocery outlets but expects to be in about 200 grocery and other retail stores at the end of its growth spurt.
Edmonton gets a new Avenue
Edmonton will boast a city magazine of its own in mid-August. Odvod Publishing, producers of Calgary’s Avenue magazine, will produce an Edmonton version boasting the same name. Publisher Orville Chubb says planned circulation is at 30,000 and copies will be distributed as an insert in the National Post, as well ‘as a free pickup throughout the city.’ Avenue will publish six times a year and Chubb says their goal is to increase frequency once they’ve determined advertisers’ and readers’ level of interest. The new mag targets 35-55 stylish urbanites and will likely net a slightly female skew. A full-colour ad page costs $3108.
Nielsen Media Research Spend Trend: Apparel
Dailies and TV neck-and-neck in race for fashion dollars
Except for 2003 when TV grabbed more than twice as many ad dollars as the dailies, the two media have pretty much shared the lead in the apparel category. Magazines have also been strong in this category over the past several years, particularly in 2005 with nearly 24% of the ad spend pie.
Bravo! unveils new Friday night movie strand
Bravo! is introducing a new Friday night movie timeslot beginning May 5 at 9 p.m. Movies on tap include Secretary on May 5, and the Ben Kingsley feature Sexy Beast among others.
OLN to produce doc series on oil rigs
Production has started on a new, half-hour, 13-parter doc series that explores life on an Albertan oil rig. The series, entitled The Rig, chronicles the members of the rig as they risk life and limb. A broadcast date is yet to be announced.
Brem joins St. Joseph Media
Toni Brem has been appointed as the new communications manager at St. Joseph Media, where she will manage communications, sponsorships and marketing initiatives for FASHION Magazine, FASHION18, Wish, Gardening Life, WEDDINGBELLS, and MARIAGE Québec. Prior to this post, Brem was promotions supervisor for Citytv and CP24.
PMB Factoid
Video game systems in the home; by occupation
BBM’s S1 2006 radio survey: Erin Davis and Mike Cooper boost CHFI in Toronto
Satellite what? Terrestrial radio ratings are still healthy, according to the new radio survey released by BBM yesterday. The report is based on the results of BBM’s S1 2006 survey which was conducted January 9-March 5, 2006.
Corus to create immersive online worlds for fall kids shows
Toronto-based Corus Entertainment is producing a bevy of new series-driven online destinations for younger viewers. Slated for fall release on Teletoon is animated fantasy-adventure Di-Gata Defenders, a half-hour show about four young heroes fighting the forces of evil, targeting boys 6-12. A Di-Gata immersive site and game for the web and mobile are also on tap. ‘We’re creating an immersive online world [for the series],’ says Scott MacMillan, senior manager, licensing at Nelvana, the animation studio creating the series. ‘We’re giving kids a chance to get involved with the characters and simulate a journey so they can be Di-Gata Defenders themselves.’ MacMillan says producers are going this route because ‘kids want to experience entertainment in multiple ways.’ He adds that brands are open to sponsor elements of the Di-Gata online world and sees opportunities for quick service restaurant brands and consumer packaged goods tie-ins. The site will launch in the fall.
YTV is also getting immersive for Erky Perky, a half-hour animation series aimed at the 6-11 set, which has brand extension plans that include an offer for fans to script, direct and edit an ep on ytv.com. The show is about bugs that are forced to survive in the scary land of Kitchen. For plugged-in pre-schoolers, This is Emily Yeung will offer customized games and activities – such as avatar and environment creation — in addition to its fall airing on Treehouse. A spokesperson from Corus says that there are no plans in place to pursue product placement online or on-air for these titles, however YTV is open to exploring advergaming opportunities and sponsor streamed video on YTV.com. YTV has just revamped its website, adding 12 new online games, with new game titles every month. Brands currently working with the net include Weston, Parmalat and Great Wolf Lodge.
Fashion 18 releases digi-mag; searches for sponsors for special editions
Fashion 18 is sporting a new look for spring with the launch of a revamped website at fashion18.com and a new digital magazine housed there. The spring edition of the digi-mag, which features Degrassi:The Next Generation stars, launched April 3 and went out to 10,000 F18 e-newsletter subscribers, as well as to the more than 500,000 degrassi.tv subscribers. As a result, page views on fashion18.com were up 11% to 613,000, with a 9% increase in uniques.
‘Digital is new for us this year and we’re doing this to increase our offerings for our clients and readers,’ says publisher Sarah Bull. She says the impetus was that teens in F18’s demo (girls 12-17) spend seven hours a week online (according to PMB research). Bull says the digi-mag will be published four times a year with two spin-off editions that brands can sponsor. In the works is a Back to School Beauty edition and later, a Fall Entertainment edition. Bull says that the mag will also have a mobile offering in the future, ‘maybe in the last quarter.’
Retail and entertainment vie for top spot – Eloda analysis for March 31-April 6, 2006
The retail and entertainment categories are at a dead heat last week in the race for category with the largest variety of TV ads for the week of March 31 to April 6. Retail pulled in 16% of the pie, while entertainment followed closely behind at 15%. 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
The Bay tops the charts: Top radio ads – Media Monitors for April 3-9, 2006
Retailer The Bay begins its spring push, topping the charts as the brand with the most spots on rotation in the Toronto market for the week of April 3-9. Leaping up the charts is The National Home Show, jumping from number 146 to number two. The bronze medal goes to the new Lord of the Rings musical, moving up from the number 48 spot. Check out others topping the radio charts by category and brand in the Toronto market for the week of April 3-9, 2006.
http://www.mediamonitors.com
Blogs and online reviews: Canadians do it daily, says Yahoo! Canada poll
Seems Canucks really want to be heard – from recommending favourite restaurants to sharing photos. Especially online. In prepping for its March launch of Yahoo! Canada 360, a social networking site with blogs, photo sharing and avatars, Yahoo! commissioned Leger Marketing to conduct a national poll. Key findings include:
* 97% of Canadians use the Internet to communicate with friends; 78% do it several times a week, and 48% do it daily.
* 38% visiting a blog site at least once a week.
* Nearly half (at 46%) personalize the Internet or participate in an online community (44%).
* 41% of Canadian Internet users contribute a comment or write an online review at least once a week, and 18% do it several times per week, with 10% who do it daily.
* 71% of Canadian Internet users share views and information with others at least once a week; 38% do it several times per week and 19% do it daily.
The survey polled more than 1000 households with Internet access across Canada.
