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Cineplex forms new in-house media division
Toronto-based Cineplex Entertainment has announced a new internal division called Cineplex Media. The division combines Cineplex’s CineMarketing sales division and Famous Players Media, bringing together the FP Media editorial, creative, production and sales teams under one division. Famous Players produces in-theatre titles Famous Magazine, Le Magazine Famous Quebec and Famous Kids. The creation of this new division allows advertisers to have a single point of contact across Cineplex’s theatre circuits. Cineplex Media is also expanding its digital pre-show ad network, which was launched earlier this year for its Cineplex Odeon and Galaxy brand cinemas in the GTA. ‘The new ad network allows us to do more targeted campaigns for advertisers,’ explains Pat Marshall, VP of communications and investor relations at Cineplex Entertainment. ‘So instead of just a 30-second spot, [advertisers] can own a segment of a show that looks like Entertainment Tonight.’ The network will be expanded across Canada and will include Famous Players, Cineplex Odeon and Galaxy brands. Roll-out is underway now, says Marshall.
Nielsen Media Research Spend Trend: Smoking/Anti-smoking products
Category spending plummets but stays with TV
The tobacco ad ban has decimated spending in this category over the past four years, leaving marketers of anti-smoking products alone on the field. TV has grabbed 44.6% to 89.3% of the spending but the amount of dollars from 2002 to 2004 is but a mere fraction of its previous glory.
CBC goes high-def on Saturday nights; heads east for Hockey Day in Canada
CBC launches its HDTV broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) beginning Saturday, Nov. 5. Pre-game show Saturday Night will be broadcast in HD, along with the 7 p.m. hockey game and Don Cherry’s intermission segment Coach’s Corner. The first game of HNIC will be broadcast in HD throughout the 2005/2006 season.
The net has also announced that the town of Stephenville, Newfoundland will play host to the sixth annual broadcast of Hockey Day in Canada — with Tim Horton’s as sponsor. The live 13.5-hour broadcast will begin at 12 noon EST on Saturday, Jan. 7 and will be hosted rinkside at the Stephenville Dome by Ron Maclean and Don Cherry. Hockey Day in Canada will air an all-Canuck team triple-header. In between the games, the hosts will look at hockey across different communities across the country. CBC’s executive director of media sales, René Bertrand, has confirmed that sponsorship opportunities are still available. According to the net, in 2004, the broadcast averaged 273,000 between 12-2 p.m. and 420,000 viewers from 5-6:30 p.m.
BBC Canada to air three in December
BBC Canada has added three new series for December. According to Bex begins its weekly half-hour airing on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. The comedy series follows a young secretary as she tries to figure out the male species. Beginning Saturday, Dec. 3 at 9 p.m., the hour-long How Not to Decorate makes its debut. Interior and property experts seek out U.K. homes most in need of their expertise. Finally, Conviction, an hour-long drama series about two detective siblings investigating a murder, airs beginning weekly beginning Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10 p.m.
CanWest’s broadcast marketing group names three new publicists
Sandra Puglielli has left CHUM to join CanWest MediaWorks. Puglielli has been named the new director of publicity (TV and radio) for the net. She held the same title for CHUM’s music and youth channels over the last nine years.
Also new to the publicity team is Yvonne Chiang. Chiang is the new publicist for Global News out of Vancouver and was formerly at Vancouver-based PR firm Wilcox Group. Dan Kenning is the new publicist for CanWest’s specialty networks based in Winnipeg. He was formerly a creative writer for Rogers Broadcasting.
Virgin gets naughty with Vice for the holidays
Virgin Mobile wants Canadian Vice readers to wrap it up. As part of its holiday promotions and just in time for the launch of the mobile brand’s Hot Box, (an all-in-one mobile starter kit complete with its newest phone offering), Virgin Mobile is including ‘super hot holiday’ wrapping paper with the December issue of youth mag Vice. The Virgin Mobile Miracle promo also names cinema chain Famous Players as a partner, with street teams giving out the ‘re-gifting’ paper and other swag at theatres across the country during the month of December.
‘The objective here is to build on the launch of our Hot Box,’ explains James Powell, Senior Manager, Brand and Communications at Virgin Mobile. ‘The theme is ‘have a super hot holiday.’ We’re really playing off Vice readers’ intelligence and [in the future] we’re waiting on more opportunities to work closer together.’
Microsoft gets between the sheets with Chatelaine
Chatelaine has teamed up with online content provider Microsoft Home Magazine (found at www.microsoft.ca/home) to produce a 32-page branded content feature called Holiday Helpbook. The Holiday Helpbook, a collection of tips, articles and advice from the editors of Microsoft Home, will be distributed via Chatelaine‘s December issue, slated to hit newsstands and mailboxes across the country by next week. Other partners on board include brands Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Xbox and Bell. A national online contest launching today and lasting until January 1, 2006 will also be promoted on the chatelaine.com, microsoft.ca and microsoft.ca/home sites with a prize pack consisting of swag from all partners.
‘Every year, our relationship with Rogers gets deeper and deeper,’ says Sue Borden, publisher of Microsoft Home Magazine. ‘This is for ‘broadband moms’ with kids at home. We’re really recognizing women as the CEOs of the home.’ Borden explains that the two brands decided to come together as their audiences were similar. ‘That synergy is important to us. We’re very excited to be working with like-minded properties.’ Holiday Helpbook has been produced yearly by Microsoft Home for three years. The deal was done direct.
RMB touts effectiveness of radio
The Radio Marketing Bureau (RMB) has unveiled a $2 million national advertising campaign to reinforce the effectiveness of radio and its ability to deliver ROI. It launched today with half-page ads in the Globe and Mail and National Post and is sustained with an eight-month presence in trade publications.
The ads focus on the strength of radio, its role in integrated campaigns, and features testimonials from national advertisers Grolsch, Goodyear, and Nestle. The print ads carry headlines like, ‘When Grolsch Turned to Radio, They Got Resultsch,’ and allude to case studies and supporting research that can be accessed at rmb.ca. That theme continues in the radio portion of the campaign. While $300,000 has been allotted for print, the bulk of the advertising will air on radio. Two spots have been created by Bright Red Communications with production by Pirate Radio and Television, both Toronto companies, and can be customized by the local radio stations.
Compose: new channel planning tool launched in the U.S.
Compose, a new measurement tool previously only available in the U.K., recently made its North American debut in the U.S. The software combines research into communications channels with modeling capabilities and channel planning software to help media planners evaluate the true potential of multi-media campaigns. U.S. media agencies Carat (Aegis), Initiative (Interpublic), Mediaedge:cia (WPP), MindShare (WPP), and PHD (Omnicom) have signed on to Compose while Starcom MediaVest Group (Publicis) use rival software system, Media Contact Audits.
Compose spokesperson Hugh White of KMR (Kantar Media Research) in New York says there are no immediate plans to launch Compose in Canada but will consider it if there is enough interest. He says if and when the channel-planning tool makes it to Canada, it will use base data from PMB (Print Measurement Bureau). The idea behind Compose is to ensure that communications campaigns connect with the right people, rather than simply provide opportunities to see the advertising. In addition to traditional media channels – TV, radio, magazines, and newspapers – Compose includes data from online, email, and search; in-store and OOH; direct mail and even word-of-mouth, personal recommendations, price promotions and sampling.
Top TV advertisers: Eloda ad analysis
A heightened social awareness? Perhaps. PSAs topped the charts two years in a row in the Top 3 categories with the most new TV ads for the third week of October. This year sees an increase of 6% over 2004’s figures of 40%. Check out others topping the chart, and which categories had the most new spots and new advertisers. 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
BBM Media Snapshot: Canadians with wills or estate planning
* 2.5 million Canadians (9%) have a will or have used estate-planning services.
* One third of those with wills or estate planning are under 45 years old. When compared to the national averages, seniors 65+ years old are 1.6 times more likely to have will or estate planning.
* 55% of those with wills or estate planning are females.
* The average personal yearly income of Canadians with wills or estate planning is $48,700 (1.6 times more than the national average).
* 27% of those with wills or estate planning are retired (1.6 times more than the national average); 19% have upper management or professional occupations (1.5 times over the national average).
* 93% of Canadians with wills or estate planning are homeowners (1.4 times greater than the national average).
* The average value of their home is $250,000
* They are 3 times more likely than average to have $500,000 or more in savings/investments.
* Their investment portfolio includes 2 times more mutual funds, 2.4 times more stocks, 2.1 more term deposits, 2.5 times more RRIF, and 3.4 times more investment real estate, when compared to the national averages.
* 13% of Canadians with wills or estate planning changed their most often used investment institution during the past two years (1.8 times more than the national average).
* The top three media by yesterday exposures are: radio (88%), TV (87%) and daily newspapers (62%).
* Looking at radio weekly reach, their three favourite formats are: news/talk (25%), adult contemporary (19%), and country (9%).
* The top three television program types watched in an average week by those with wills or estate planning are: news/current affairs (76%), movies 66%, and documentaries (46%).
Source: BBM RTS Canada Fall ’04 / Spring ’04, individuals 12+
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.
Global switches its programming lineup
Global has moved one-hour drama The Closer to Mondays at 10 p.m., bumping Canuck sci-fi series ReGenesis to Wednesdays at 10 p.m. The move takes effect this week. The reasons behind the move? According to net spokesperson, Jackie Feig: ‘We wanted to take advantage of the growth of The Closer and air it in a better timeslot where it will benefit from the huge numbers of Prison Break.’
The net’s sales and research department had placed ReGenesis in its original Mondays at 10 p.m. slot based on preceding show, Prison Break’s target of 25-54 with a slight male skew, says Feig. However, Global has found (through BBM Canada stats) that Prison Break is skewing slightly younger and more female than anticipated. To help that flow, the net’s programming department made the switch. Feig says moving ReGenesis to Wednesdays puts it in a less competitive time period, giving the show a chance to find more viewers with The Apprentice as its lead-in.
Comedy net goes for raw laughs and shares The Colbert Report with CTV
Looks like CTV’s dalliance with MTV is bringing some laughs. The net has announced that it has picked up Daily Show spin off The Colbert(‘Coal-bear’) Report, creating a full-hour of mock news Mondays to Thursdays beginning Nov. 7. The Colbert Report will air at 12:35 a.m. on CTV immediately after Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The show originally debuted Oct. 17 to American audiences. The Comedy Network will air it at 11:30 p.m.
For viewers who like their comedy raw, Saturday, Nov. 12 at 11 p.m. is the premiere of Comedy Network’s new series entitled Sushi TV. The 10-part, half-hour Brit series looks at funny clips of Japanese game shows. The first series sees a clip of a man and a woman in a race to finish six metres of raw fish. Brit comedian Craig Charles hosts.
Showcase rolls out new comedy for 2006
Cameras have started rolling on new Showcase comedy Billable Hours. The half-hour prime time program is slated for broadcast beginning spring 2006. Billable Hours follows bored, over-educated twenty-somethings at a law firm looking to liven up their lives with over-the-top antics.
