Letters
How current are those Snapshots?
Really enjoy the BBM Media Snapshots. Just wondering, though, if you have any that are more recent (if I understand the copyright credit, the info could be one to two years old). If that’s the most recent info, how accurate do you feel it still is? (We have clients who question the current validity because of the age of the study.) Look forward to your response.
Thanks.
Jim Norman, CD, The Norman Agency
Response from BBM
Thank you for your enquiry and kind comments on our BBM Media Snapshots. As product manager for BBM RTS – the survey on which BBM Media Snapshots are based – I am pleased readers like yourself find them interesting and useful. We, the RTS team at BBM Canada, have a lot of fun creating Media Snapshots.
Now to your concern regarding the age of BBM RTS data. As a syndicated survey, BBM RTS is updated every six months making it, to the best of our knowledge, the most up-to-date survey of its kind in Canada. Our current release, BBM RTS Spring ’04/Fall ’04, is made up of data collected between April 2004 and February 2005 and was published in May 2005.
Another point to keep in mind is that most consumer category profiles simply do not change that quickly. Since your enquiry came in on the inline skater BBM Media Snapshot, I’ll use that as an example. In our current release (Spring ’04/Fall ’04) 3% of Canadians participated in inline skating regularly and are split (51%) male and female (49%).
Looking way back to our Spring ’00/Fall ’00 release shows almost an identical profile: 4% of Canadians inline skating regularly and split (53%) male and female (47%). These incidence numbers may seem low but we are profiling just the regular skaters; if you add inline skaters who just participate sometimes the numbers go up to about 16% of Canadians.
Some consumer categories do change more quickly than regular inline skaters and you are right to look at the collection date of any published survey results since any survey is a snapshot in time. In the case of BBM RTS, we believe you have the most up-to-date syndicated media-consumer survey available to Canadian marketers.
Thank you again for your interest and readership of BBM Media Snapshots in Media in Canada.
Craig Dorning, survey product development manager, BBM Canada
Analysis: Media buyers weigh in on fall TV primetime winners: Wednesday nights
This is the third in a series (Part one: MIC June 30/05) that asks broadcast pundits’ opinions on who’s in, who’s out and who doesn’t stand a chance during the most coveted – and competitive – weeknight timeslots of 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Go to www.mediaincanada.com and click on ‘TV Programming Grids’ for visual aids.
‘Personally, I’m not an Invasion [on CTV] person,’ confesses Sherry O’Neill, managing director, broadcast at OMD Toronto about the 8 p.m. slot on Wednesday nights. ‘And I don’t know what (Global’s) The Apprentice: Martha Stewart will look like. By definition, Martha will draw more women and Invasion will go after the younger people.’ She pauses for a minute and then decides: ‘I think Invasion will beat Martha.’
Editor’s pick of the Month: Wasted Youth – Finally, someone got a kid’s magazine right
My son recently forked over CDN$4.96 plus tax to our local Chapters for the premiere issue of a new youth magazine. This is unusual. For starters, he’s 14, and typically more inclined to watch a movie or TV, listen to music, play music, skate, bike, game, draw, hang out online, whatever, than read.
The purchase decision began with the magazine’s catchy size (a bit bigger than a CD), and its name – Wasted Youth – and likely the tag was a factor – ‘the mag about music, skate, anime, art, games, whatever.’ And then there was the cover line ‘FREE wasted music CD included’.
TV nets must change or die: Deloitte report
The death of the 30-second spot has been predicted by numerous industry pundits in recent years. Now a new report goes beyond that, suggesting that conventional television networks are under threat of extinction. The report out of Deloitte’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) industry group says conventional ad-supported TV will go the way of the dinosaur if they don’t become more consumer focused and broaden their cross-platform activities.
Media fragmentation, new formats and devices are again cited as the culprits as consumers pursue information and entertainment content via a wider array of media channels and platforms.
Nokia and House of Blues take an unwired road trip
Ajax, Ont.-based cellular giant Nokia Canada yesterday unveiled its Nokia Unwired tour – a road trip with House of Blues Concerts Canada. The tour targets concert attendees in an effort to get them to try the latest Nokia swag. The Unwired tour will be on-site at several HOB concerts in the Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal markets urging participants to enter sweepstakes where winners nab the opportunity to go on tour with the Black Eyed Peas and record their experience using a Nokia 6670 multimedia phone.
Unwired will also intro the Nokia Chill Lounge where visitors can make free calls using up-and-coming products. A branded listening station will allow concertgoers to hear songs on handsets with mp3 capabilities. And for photophiles, the Nokia Imaging Kiosk provides the venue for their likeness to be captured on the Black Eyed Peas’ album cover.
http://www.nokiaunwired.ca/
Vonage Canada partners with Alliance Atlantis to promo VoIP
Mississauga, Ont.-based Internet telephone company Vonage Canada announced a partnership with Alliance Atlantis yesterday in an effort to promo its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. Vonage’s first-ever national TV ad campaign, created by Toronto-based Brandworks, is currently making its rotation on AAC’s Showcase, Life Network and History Television plus 10 more of the network’s specialty channels. The ads will run on the network until Sept. 4.
‘We chose to go after a wider audience versus a narrow one and Alliance Atlantis allows us to communicate against all demos,’ says Joe Parent, VP of marketing and business development for Vonage. The Brandworks spots were recently aired on large broadcast screens during last weekend’s Molson Indy as well as during the CHIN picnic, both in Toronto. Parent says the company is leaving the door open for more promo tie-ins depending on how well the new partnership with Alliance Atlantis works out. OOH, direct mail and retail tie-ins may be in the works, he says.
Nielsen Media Research Spend Trend: Beer and alcoholic coolers
Nothing says summer like the steady flow of beer-and-babes advertising on TV every year, so it’s not surprising that television is the only medium that experienced increased spending from this category over the past four years. Beer and alcoholic cooler marketers put 47.7% of their total spend into TV in 2001, 54.0% in 2002, moving to a high of 61.4% in 2003 before pulling back slightly last year to 59.3%.
The bulk of the dollars are spent supporting domestic beer brands, ranging from a high of 71.0% of the category spend in 2001 to a low of 58.3% in 2003, rebounding to the 2002 level of 64.4% again in 2004.
Ehm finds a new niche with Yummy Mummy
Erica Ehm is a Yummy Mummy and is showing a new generation of moms how they can be too. The new show, which launched this week on Alliance Atlantis’s Life and Discovery Health networks, focuses on finding balance in life. Ehm, a former MuchMusic veejay and now the mother of two, didn’t want to be defined as just being mom and believes there is a whole generation of young women who also don’t think life ends with parenthood. Discovery, at least, thinks she’s onto something. Yummy Mummy has not only been picked up by Discovery Health in the U.S. for a fall introduction, there are talks of taking it to Europe.
Ehm not only deals with the usual parenting topics as well as picking the right jeans and bras post-baby or the perfect Yummy Mummy-mobile, she also brings in experts to talk about juggling family and career, and shows moms how to have some fun and find time for themselves. The program’s wide range of topics could be a bonanza for a myriad of product categories looking for female consumers as well as product placement and promotional opportunities. The series is still in production and publicist Janine Fawcett says advertisers wanting to explore the possibilities of vignettes and product integration can reach the producer through Alliance Atlantis.
The series consists of 26 half-hour episodes airing Tuesday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Life and Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on Discovery Health.
Debbie Travis looking to hire
Debbie Travis is moving houses. The decorating diva comes to Global next spring with a new show called From the Ground Up, a 10-episode, hour-long program that brings together 12 young Travis wannabes on a major reno and design project. Casting calls for 19- to 30-year-old participants kick off on Aug. 15 when she will begin hitting Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax recruiting young talent for the internship of their lives. The show is slated to air as part of Global’s spring lineup and targets 20-54s.
OCNA names Laidlaw
The Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s Board of Directors has appointed Bill Laidlaw as its new executive director, effective Aug. 2. He replaces Don Lamont who departed the association in April.
Laidlaw’s CV includes stints in general management, human resources and public affairs at such companies as The Bay, Royal Trust and as CEO of St. John Ambulence of Ontario.
Event
Aug. 25
Media for the Non-Media Marketing Professional
The Media Company, Toronto. 416.644.3748. www.the-cma.org
This Canadian Marketing Association conference, expanded to a full day this year, explores the B2B world and focuses on dealing with increased competition, tougher regulations and tighter, more accountable budgets.
Late breaking news: Radio stations appeal CRTC’s satellite radio decision
Canadian radio broadcasters are appealing last month’s CRTC decision to grant satellite subscription radio licenses to Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. and Sirius Canada Inc. Notable amongst the appellants are CHUM Limited and Astral Media Radio who were granted license for a subscription 50-channel terrestrial DAB (digital audio broadcast) service at the same time.
The appeal states that the licensing of U.S.-supported satellite services is inconsistent with Canada’s broadcasting policy. The broadcasters argue that under the Broadcasting Act, broadcast undertakings are to make maximum and predominant use of Canadian resources, serve the needs of Canadians through programming and employment opportunities, and be effectively owned and controlled by Canadians. They believe the two satellite services do not comply with those guidelines.
TIME to partner with Chanel; looking for more
The folks at Time Canada are in party planning mode. Just in time for the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 8-17, and in an effort to augment its editorial coverage of the fest, the famous news mag is planning events (and looking for sponsors) in support of films showing at the festival this year. For the second year in a row, Time is partnering with luxury goods brand Chanel for an intimate and exclusive event held at Toronto’s tony Chanel boutique on Bloor Street. Beverage partners already on board include Skyy Vodka, Grand Marnier and Campari, with all deals done direct. Cadillac has also inked a deal this year, brokered by M2 Universal. To support this year’s event, national marketing director Kris Menon is currently hunting for consumer electronics and furniture sponsors.
Last year’s dinner had the upper level of the boutique outfitted in Philippe Starck-designed furniture while Matt Dusk crooned Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett covers to the crowd of 80 guests. ‘This is a way of bringing our editorial to life,’ Menon says. ‘Attendees at the Chanel event are president level or higher; top-level execs and all are hand-selected. It’s a very high-end demographic. There’s usually a strong celebrity base there but the event is very intimate. Last year, Andy Garcia started playing the piano. We really want to offer something intimate, exclusive and different.’
Park & Pipe to hit high schools in October
The brains behind teen mags, What’s His, What’s Hers is adding another rag to their roster. Park & Pipe, a new snowboarding magazine aimed at teens 13-19 is hitting the slopes in October. The free mag will run three times yearly in both official languages. The English edition will have a circulation of 325,000 and the French will run 55,000 copies. Park & Pipe will be available in more than 1,340 high schools across Canada and in select snowboard and ski parks. The cost of a full-page ad runs at $15,970 with additional opps for marketers. Publisher Nancy Moore promises sponsorship and product sampling opportunities for marketers at major snowboard/ski events. Sneak peeks of Park & Pipe will be available in What’s His, What’s Hers‘ Fall 2005, Holiday 2005 and Spring 2006 editions. The new pub is presented in partnership with the Canadian Ski Council.
