BBM Commercial GRP Tracking: Montreal Franco January 2005-2006
Please click on the link below to view BBM’s Commercial Television GRP Trending by week and broadcast month for Montreal Franco covering the broadcast months of January 2005 to January 2006 inclusive.
Smart Cell Phone preparing to battle PPM in the U.S.
Arbitron’s PPM may be in for some competition south of the border as testing of The Media Audit/IPSOS Smart Cell Phone continues to get positive results. The first series of tests conducted by RAJAR, the industry organization that manages radio measurement in Britain, found that the ability of the Smart Cell Phone to pick up codes inserted on a cross section of music and talk format stations met the same thresholds as did that of Arbitron’s Portable People Meter. The Smart Cell Phone (SCP) – like the PPM – has been designed to be a multi-media measurement tool to read embedded audio signals in radio, TV, and the Internet in addition to OOH via its GPS component.
New York-based Arbitron says studies of how consumers use cell phones show that too many people do not have their cell phone with them all the time or do not have their cell phone turned on all of the time. It also says that less than 30% of consumers keep their cell phones with them at home. Cell phone on/off times and carry times vary widely by age and in the prime demo of 25 to 54 year olds, off times increase with each 10-year age group. While 61% of those aged 18 to 24 have their cell phones on all the time, that figure drops to 53% amongst 25-to-29-year-olds, 43% with those 30 to 44, and 39% with 45-to-59-year-olds. (Source: ‘Ownership and Usage Patterns of Cell Phones: 2000-2005’, by Peter Tuckel, Hunter College, CUNY and Harry O’Neill, NOP World, February 2005.) Arbitron contends that the option for consumers to turn off their phones would greatly bias radio survey results. On the other hand, the company says its PPM is always on and always listening. As far as compliance, Arbitron says its market trials show that people do carry the PPM consistently across all age groups.
The Media Audit of Houston, Texas is a syndicated service of International Demographics, a multi-media and marketing survey conducted in 85 cities across the U.S. It will begin field tests of its passive cell phone system in the U.S. mid-2006. With the omnipresence of cell phones today, The Media Audit believes the SCP will encourage a greater degree of compliance by panel participants because it’s an item they are likely to carry with them normally. Arbitron, which has been refining, researching and testing the PPM for the past 10 years, believes a cell phone would actually work against the device and is citing research to back that up.
BBM Media Snapshot: Canadians and figure skating events
* 1.9 million Canadians (7%) attend live figure skating events either regularly or occasionally, when in season.
* 57% of figure skating attendees are 55 years old or over (1.5 times more the national average).
* Only 25% of figure skating attendees are male.
* 7% are regular figure skating attendees.
* When analyzing their favourite clothing stores, those who attend figure skating events are at least 1.5 times more likely to shop at Talbot’s, Laura (any), Cotton Ginny, La Senza Girl and Reitman’s.
* Figure skating event attendees’ top specialty channels watched in an average week are A+E (36%), Discovery Channel (32%), the Weather Network (31%) and CBC Newsworld (28%). They are also 1.5 times more likely to watch WTN (The woman’s Network).
* Their top four media by yesterday exposure are: TV (90%), radio (86%), daily newspaper (59%) and Internet (56%).
* Figure skating attendees are 1.6 times more likely to prefer adult standards, when comparing their favourite radio formats to national averages.
Source: BBM RTS Canada Fall ’04 / Spring ’05
The preceding information is from BBM RTS, a syndicated consumer-media survey of over 60,000 Canadians, conducted twice a year by BBM Canada. For more information contact Craig Dorning of BBM Canada: cdorning@bbm.ca.
YTV gets in the spy zone with new series
The X’s, an animated Nickelodeon spy series aimed at the 6-11 set, makes its debut on Thursday, April 6 at 4:30 p.m. The series follows four of the best secret agents in the world. Then, on Friday, April 7 at 10:30 p.m., Case Closed will be making its debut. The anime series chronicles the adventures of Jimmy Kudo, a famous detective still in high school. The show targets 14+.
Life Net puts Women on Top and gets X-Weighted
Life Net is putting Women on Top beginning Monday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. The weekly, half-hour show chronicles 13 women in drool-worthy jobs. On Tuesday, April 11, X-Weighted makes its debut at 9 p.m. In the vein of The Biggest Loser, X-Weighted is an hour-long chronicle of Canucks fighting their fat.
Billable Hours debuts on Showcase
The comedy series that follows the young, overeducated and bored, Billable Hours, makes its debut on Showcase on Sunday, April 16 at 9:30 p.m. The show takes place at a law firm and follows young lawyers spicing up their lives to avoid the mundane.
National Geographic to premiere Mad Labs
Canadian series Mad Labs debuts on National Geographic, beginning Sunday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. and unmasking the geek in all of us. The half-hour show unveils germs that can make you fat and fish that use flatulence to communicate. Fascinating stuff.
Tapp moves up at OBN; hires one
The Outdoor Broadcast Network (OBN) has promoted Judy Tapp to the position of VP, advertising sales from her previous post as general sales manager. Tapp will be responsible for the management of the sales team and for growing sales revenues for the net. Tapp has also hired Rachel Tan as national account manager. Tan was previously at Starcom Worldwide where she held the broadcast investment buyer post for that company’s film and home entertainment sector.
PMB Factoid
Korean-made car owners; by household income
On the MIC with Saatchi’s Kevin Roberts: Do you Sisomo?
New York-based Saatchi & Saatchi CEO, worldwide, Kevin Roberts’ new book Sisomo: The future on screen, outlines what he ‘calls the biggest and most exciting opportunity to connect with consumers since TV.’ Namely, he speaks about how marketers should and could capitalize on the fact that screens surround us – in-store, in cars, on mobile phones and so on. A term invented by Roberts, Sisomo stands for ‘sight, sound and motion’ and is meant to connote what brings a screen to life. Roberts, who has worked as a senior marketing executive at Gillette and P&G and was also once CEO of Pepsi Canada, has enlisted Brett Channer, CEO/ECD at Toronto-based Saatchi & Saatchi, to act as an early adopter for the rest of the network, because ‘in places like Canada, this revolution will take place in the year 2006.’ For his part, Channer says he’s already been working towards this goal, and cites the Toyota Uncle Yaris campaign, and a new two-minute Toyota Camry ad that will run during the Academy Awards and push consumers online, as recent examples. Strategy editor Lisa D’Innocenzo caught up with both men in Toronto to hear more.
Yellow Pages and Transcontinental to launch hybrid ‘magdirectory’
Montreal-based Yellow Pages Group and publishing giant Transcontinental are set to launch a hybrid guide that combines a glossy magazine with a yellow pages directory in mid-March. Annie Marsolais, director of corporate communications says: ‘This is a ‘guide’ – it’s not a magazine, and it’s not a directory. But it’s a brand new thing [combining both].’ The guides will be available in the Toronto and Montreal markets, and the first issue will be themed around home renovation specifically. The hybrid pub will be branded as special editions and bundled with Transcontinental titles Style at Home (in Toronto) and Décor (in Montreal). The front half of the book will be dressed as a 100-page glossy mag, with the back half boasting 120 pages of home reno-specific Yellow Page directory listings. Marsolais says 40% of the advertisers signed on to the project are new clients and both companies’ ad sales are being kept separate for the editorial section and the Yellow Pages listing, respectively. Marsolais adds: ‘this provides different, more targeted vehicles for advertisers.’ The guides will be available door to door (via a list culled from prior research targeting neighbourhoods most likely to do home renos), through subscriptions, and at newsstands. Another guide is slated for September of this year themed around caring for aging parents. Marsolais says the companies will gauge response from the two pilot issues to determine frequency.
MTV to launch flagship series
MTV is prepping the Masonic Temple in Toronto to house its flagship series, MTV Live. The hour-long show promises to be a live and interactive one, with folks from across the country invited to speak their minds on topical issues in person, via phone, by email and online through webcams, instant messaging and blogs. The all-Canadian MTV Live is positioned to anchor the MTV schedule and will be filmed before a live studio audience from the Masonic Temple. Show elements will include animation, clips from MTV nets across the globe, contests, field pieces and live performances. The show’s hosts, launch date and timeslot have yet to be announced.
Corus launches DIY TV ad service
Calgary-based Corus Custom Networks has launched a Create Your Own Ad service. The service invites Canucks in the western regions to place their own ads on the TV Listings Channel for approximately $20-30 per week for a guaranteed 140 times per week on-air rotation in exclusive rural locations. The web-based ad sales service can be used for selling vehicles, rental properties and small business promos. Online instructions guide would-be advertisers through ad copy to the upload of images and logos.
2 Mag searches for advertorial sponsors
Couples are getting the makeover treatment at 2 Magazine and brands are invited to come along. The mag’s spring issue, slated to hit the stands in March, features products from primary sponsors Club Med, Crest Whitestrips Premium Plus, Redken and Biotherm. ‘The themes are driven by the location, the season, the primary sponsors, and our readers’ interest in certain lifestyle topics. Our readers have a high interest in travel, so the spring 2006 makeover [included] a travel experience to Club Med in Turks & Caicos,’ says Diane Hall, publisher of 2. Hall says that the mag is currently searching for brand sponsors for its summer installment, which will feature a city versus country theme, complete with road trip, a spa weekend and city nightlife, ‘providing opportunities for a Canadian resort destination, car brand, oral care, hair, beauty, fashion, sportswear, bottled water, luggage, petrol, etc.’ She adds that 2 is also investigating a first-time homebuyer’s theme. Costs for sponsorship range from $2,500 to $25,000 and the mag guarantees category exclusivity. 2 targets urban couples aged 25-34 with a household income of nearly $90k. Sponsorship deadline for the summer issue is March 31.
