Corus and Comcast give birth to Vortex on demand
Here’s a way to get your brand in front of American kids. In mid-July, Toronto-based Corus Entertainment and Philadelphia-based cable, entertainment and communications giant Comcast will launch Vortex on Demand, a new v-o-d service providing programming for kids ages 6-12. The service will be available at no extra cost to Comcast digital cable customers as part of their kids & teens menu. The partnership grants Comcast access to animated kids’ shows produced and distributed by Nelvana, a Corus subsidiary. Shows that will air on Vortex include: Jacob Two-Two and Pippi Longstocking.
Doug Murphy, EVP of biz development at Nelvana says: ‘Ad revenue is a component of the deal and will be considered on a local and national basis. As the on-demand platform grows, we expect to explore branding and marketing tie-ins as a viable business opportunity.’
BBM Media Snapshot: Canadians and inline skating
* 994,000 Canadians (4%) regularly practice inline skating.
* 71% of regular inline skaters are below 34 years of age; 19% are between 35 and 44 years old.
* Those who regularly practice inline skating are mostly single people, an incidence that is two times higher than the national average.
* Quebec has the highest incidence of regular inline skaters (1.6 times the national average). It is the only region above the national average.
* 75% of regular inline skaters attend live pro sports events. Compared to the national averages, they attend three times more tennis matches, two times more golf events, and 1.9 times more basketball games.
* Besides inline skating, 76% practice ice-skating (2.3 times national average), 64% play billiard/pool (1.8 times the national average), and 62% go bowling (1.5 times the national average).
* At least four of every five regular inline skaters used skin protection/tanning products last year: 64% used sunscreen with an SPF higher than 15; 48% used sunscreen with SPF 15 or less (1.7 times the national average); and 28% used suntan oil (1.5 times the national average).
* Radio (88%), TV (82%), and Internet (65%) seem to be the best media to communicate with inline skaters (for yesterday exposure),
* Based on weekly reach, mainstream Top 40/CHR (21%), news/talk (14%) and classic/mainstream rock are their favoured radio formats.
* Their favourite TV shows watched in an average week are: movies (77%), hockey (when available) (55%), news/current affairs (54%), and in the hotly-contested fourth place – situation comedies, reality shows, cartoons and contest shows, all with 40%.
Source: BBM RTS Canada Fall ’03 / Spring ’04
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.
Notes from the media landscape: Eye-tracking software reads what you read
If all of Belmont, CA-based software company Eyetools’ claims are correct, we’d be able to tell if you read this article. According to an article in AdAge.com, WPP Group’s OglivyOne, which falls under the Ogilvy & Mather umbrella, has struck a deal with Eyetools to test email marketing for its clients. A hidden camera stuck to the sides of computer monitors allows trackers to gauge what’s being read and what’s being skipped over. Eye movements are then transferred to a heat map showing how eyes moved across the email. Eyetools boasts that it has simplified its analysis process so much that results are made available within a couple of days.
http://www.eyetools.com
Genesis loses one to MindShare/mOne
Val Buckley has taken on the role of digital media director of Toronto-based mOne, the Internet media/marketing arm of MindShare. The new role will have Buckley leading one of the largest digital media planning and buying ops in Canada. Prior to joining mOne, Buckley was director of iMedia, Genesis Media’s digital division. She will report to managing partner and director Brian Fitzpatrick.
PMB Factoid
Motorcycling; by education
Analysis: Media buyers weigh in on fall TV primetime winners: Tuesday nights
This is the second in a series (see part one in MIC June 30, 2005) 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 8-10 p.m. Go to www.mediaincanada.com and click on ‘TV Programming Grids’ for visual aids.
‘Close to Home (CTV) is very female, very Judging Amy‘ says Sheila Malanchuk, media strategy manager at OMD Vancouver about the 8 p.m. contenders. ‘Then there’s Bones (Global) which is more forensic drama. With David Boreanaz, it skews female. I think Bones has potential but the pilot could be better. Either of them are a toss up. And when American Idol comes in (on CTV mid-season), it will be a sweep.’
For the 9 p.m. timeslot, Malanchuk is more decisive. ‘The Amazing Race (CTV) will trump (Global’s) House although the House audience is growing. (CBC’s) DaVinci’s City Hall has its loyal audience but the numbers are not quite there. Supernatural (on Citytv) is another one of those for the sci-fi audience but it won’t even come close to Race‘s numbers.’ And at 10 p.m. she says: ‘(CTV’s)Law and Order: SVU though Gilmore Girls (on Global) has its loyal audience. Also I don’t really think that Wanted (Citytv) will last that long.’
Dove flies in W Network’s Beauty Quest doc
No longer just an ad, Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty has been immortalized into a documentary by Toronto producer Telefactory (See MIC May 24, 2005). The doc entitled Beauty Quest, is set to air on W Network on Saturday, July 30 at 8 p.m. and follows fashion photog Arline Malakian as she searches for the defining picture of beauty.
‘We saw the Dove photo exhibit and we were really impressed,’ says Leanne Crouch, CEO and exec producer at Telefactory. ‘So we approached Unilever to see if they were interested in a documentary with the very big caveat that it would be an independent production with no campaign propaganda behind it.’
Hilton takes its upgraded hotel room on the road
The Hilton Garden Inn brought its traveling hotel room to Toronto this week as part of a mobile marketing campaign (in the old school sense). The Evolution Solution Express (ESE) TM, a 72-foot, 67,000 pound truck features a full scale model guest room and a mini display of the brand’s Pavilion lobby entrance. This is part of a cross-country promo push highlighting upgrades to the Hilton Garden Inn brand. The ESE will trek across Canada and the U.S. hitting popular tourist events and destinations.
Look out! Podcasters to number in the millions by 2010, study says
Texas-based tech research firm The Diffusion Group has released a report entitled Podcasting: Fact, Fiction and Opportunity that predicts podcasts will take the lion’s share of the market from less than 15% of portable digital music player owners in 2004 up to 75% by 2010. The study foresees the use of podcasts to have a compound annual growth rate at 101%. The report also includes the research firm’s recommendations on how podcasting will impact the production, promotion and consumption of audio programs.
http://www.tdgresearch.com
Home Depot lends a hand during Quebec’s moving day
Home improvement giant Home Depot helped out on July 1, the province of Quebec’s official moving day with a three-day promo that sent brand ambassadors scouring the city to distribute moving kits. Seven branded trucks and 14 good Samaritans hit Montreal armed with masking tape, cleaning supplies and other useful items for movers, all while lending a hand. The campaign was put together by media agency Initiative and Montreal-based OOH agency NEWAD.
Study reveals tech-savvy gay and lesbian community
Simmons, a New York-based market research company revealed that the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) community has a strong appreciation for emerging technologies. The study points out that GLBT adults are more likely to enjoy buying new gadgets, be the first to have the latest electronic equipment and buy them without regard for cost and are more likely to be asked by their pals for advice when buying electronics.
With respect to online activities, GLBTs are more likely than the total population to search for airline, car and hotel info online, conduct banking, get news and weather and participate in online chat. Moreover, gay men are more likely than heterosexuals to stay online longer and be more frequent online users. Lesbians are more likely than their straight counterparts to access the net using cable or DSL. The GLBT community is estimated to have a buying power of more than $600 billion per year. Full results of the Simmons report will be revealed on September 30, 2005.
http://www.smrb.com
Canadian satellite radio moves towards fall launch
Canadian Satellite Radio (CSR) is another step closer to launching its XM satellite radio service this fall, something that is music to the ears of electronics retailers and car manufacturers looking to ride the satellite wave. The company has started to build its broadcast infrastructure and is currently testing coverage patterns in urban areas to determine the best placement for its land-based signal repeaters. CSR, one of three subscription radio providers licensed by the CRTC last month, plans to put $100 million into the venture during its first seven-year licensing period. This investment includes the development and installation of its repeater and base-station network and staffing, along with original studio and production facilities and the production of Canadian content in both official languages.
CSR projects that if the satellite radio industry in this country develops as quickly as the U.S. market, the Canadian economy will benefit to the tune of $2 billion over the next decade through licensing fees, retail sales, taxes, jobs, marketing spend, Canadian artist development funs and artist royalties. As with the other two subscription services, CSR must offer eight original Canadian channels, two of them French-language, to fulfill its licensing requirements. The rest of the channels will come from CSR’s U.S. partner XM Satellite Radio, the number one service south of the border with more than 4 million subscribers. CSR is Canadian owned and controlled by John Bitove. The other two newly-licensed subscription services are a satellite service from Sirius Canada, a joint venture of U.S.-based Sirius Satellite Radio (20%), CBC (40%) and Standard Radio (40%); and a 50-channel terrestrial DAB (digital audio broadcast) service proposed by CHUM and Astral Media Radio.
Temps start work on Global
A new 10-part hidden camera series The Office Temps is set to debut on Global on Saturday, July 30 at 10 p.m. The series takes a laughable stab at the world of temping when three office temps are hired to work in a fictional office where each employee is an actor. The Office Temps is produced by Toronto’s Lone Eagle Entertainment and targets mass audiences of 18+, ‘with wider appeal for younger viewers who are into Punk’d and Faking the Video,’ says network spokesperson Christine Amendola.
BBC Kids debuts four new series
BBC Kids has picked up four new series, all slated to air on August 29. For the 2 to 5-year olds, Theodore Tugboat, a 15-minute animated series airs weekdays at 6 and 9 a.m. For the same demo, there’s also Postman Pat airing weekdays at 11 a.m. for 15 minutes.
For older kids ages 12 to 17, the network preems Celeb weeknights at 11 p.m. The half-hour comedy series is based on a long-running cartoon strip about a past-his-prime, 50-something rock star. 90 Days in Hollywood hits the screen weeknights at 8:30 p.m. and follows nine wannabe actors trying to make it big in Hollywood.
Hale steps into new post at CHUM
Maria Hale, previously VP, operations at Citytv Toronto has stepped into the newly-created role of VP, content business development. In her new post, Hale will be responsible for identifying new business and revenue opps and exploiting new forms of commerce and distribution on emerging platforms. She will also oversee CHUM’s interactive department. Hale will report to Roma Khanna, SVP content.
