PMB Factoid
Sparkling water consumption by city
Everybody’s keeping it real
Summertime (theoretically) and the living is sleazy. Why, you may ask? Because the flow of reality programming is continuing unabated and seemingly no one can get enough. From trailer park inhabitant makeovers to tattooed rocker Tommy Lee going to college, this low-rent fare often pays high dividends to broadcasters and, in turn, advertisers. But is enough enough?
‘Some formats are going to see a bit of a decline because they’ve been around for a while,’ says Doner Canada SVP/media director Theresa Treutler. ‘People are always interested in something new. I’m not confident that Idol and Big Brother will do as well as last year.’
New French-language decorating mag launches
Montreal-based Éditions Gesca will be rolling out a new magazine, which will hit newsstands Aug. 26. Inspirations Manon LeBlanc is named after the popular decorator who contributes to La Presse and will focus on the latest trends. It is being designed as a reference magazine that purchasers will hang on to. The book is seeking to pair high-end editorial with high-end advertising which will be presented as ‘an integral part of the reading experience.’ In addition, several pages will be devoted to work done as part of the television program Manon, tu m’inspires!, which will air on Canal Vie beginning in September.
Cost of a full-page, four-colour ad is $5,500. Readership is aged 30-64, 70% women. More than 60% have a family income of more than $50,000, with 35% making more than $75,000. Seventy percent have post-secondary education. Newsstand price of the mag is $6.95.
They put ads where? NBA considers sponsor logos
Some of the top guns at the National Basketball Association (NBA) want to leap for corporate logos — such as Nike’s swoosh — on team uniforms for the right price, according to an article on Bloomberg.com. Dallas Mavericks head honcho Mark Cuban and New Jersey Nets chief exec Brett Yormark both want to make the logo a go-go, especially considering salaries are rising and sponsorships are falling.
The NBA is lagging in the logo department behind other major sports. If they sew up the deal, sponsors could score more than $20 million a year in free advertising when their logos flash on TV or in print. Even more so with the sale of replica jerseys – making billboards not only of players, but of fans as well.
Golf Town debuts custom mag
Markham-based retailer Golf Town and Laurel Oak Marketing of Burlington tee off with a brand-new custom mag in Golfstyle, an oversized glossy direct mailed to Golf Town’s top tier clientele. The new publication is filled with photography, info on golf trends and tips to help readers retain style on the green. The first issue, released last month, saw a 20% female, 71% male split. In 2005, the publication will launch twice with its second issue hitting mailboxes and newsstands mid-June in all Golf Town locations and select Chapters/Indigo and Shoppers Drug Mart outlets. Three issues are on tap for 2006. Golfstyle carries a price tag of $5 and a one-page ad runs $7,950.
http://www.golfstylemagazine.ca
CASSIES establish Benchmark
The CASSIES Awards announced today that this year’s chair of judging is Daniel Rabinowicz, president of TAXI Montreal. There is a new category of award this year for B2B entries (see MIC, May 3/05). The CASSIES will also introduce a Benchmarking Panel made up of CASSIES judging vets like Arthur Fleischmann and David Rutherford. This new panel will ensure that all cases going forward in the ad race meet the mandate of impressive business results substantially caused by advertising. The awards deadline is set for June 30. The presentation gala is Nov. 24.
NEWAD Research: Music that sells
Fee-based music downloading is quickly gaining popularity among Canadian Internauts, the number of users having doubled from 2003 to 2004, says new research from Montreal-based NEWAD. The research conducted among 12,000 respondents by NEWAD/Ipsos Reid in the Resto-Bars Network in 2004, focuses on music, profiling lifestyles and consumers’ purchasing behaviours according to musical tastes.
Among the profiles identified, Top 40 fans, who are mainly women 18-34, spend 41% more on cosmetics than average. Furthermore, over 24% of rap/hip hop listeners, young men 18-24, plan to buy a new vehicle within a year.
http://www.newad.com/
Nielsen Media Research Spend Trend: Home Renovations
DIY marketers are heavily into TV and newspapers before pubs. With all of the successful decorating/renovation channels and publications in the marketplace, it’s no surprise that this is a big category. There’s a wide range of marketers competing for the DIY dollars but hardware stores and building centres are the biggest home renovation spenders. TV picked up more than half of the ad dollars last year, followed by newspapers with just over 25% and magazines with 12%.
Series examines worst jobs in history
Ever wanna be a ‘groom of the stool?’ According to a survey commissioned by History TV, 17% of Canadians would be willing to claim this title and clean King Henry VIII’s behind for $100,000 a year. The survey has also revealed that nearly half of Canadians (44%) think that the Prime Minister has one of the worst jobs in the country. The survey was conducted by Decima Research as part of a PR move to coincide with the network’s airing of The Worst Jobs in History, a six-part series that takes a humorous and historical look at the jobs no one would ever want. The six-parter, hosted by Tony Robinson, hits screens on Monday, May 30 at 9 p.m. and has a primary target demo of adults 25-54 with a male skew.
Life and love on the edge on National Geo
The National Geographic channel is unspooling two Canadian premiere series in July. Expeditions to the Edge retraces the perilous journeys of scientists, adventurers, and amateurs, while Cliffhangers is the story of a love affair between an Australian wildlife biologist and a rare and engaging group of primates, the Gelada monkeys of Ethiopia. Expeditions will air Saturdays at 8 p.m., beginning July 9. Cliffhangers preems Sunday, July 24 at 9 p.m. Demo for the shows is adults 25-54, skewing male.
Titans set to descend on Teletoon
Studio B has a new project in the works with Class of the Titans, an animated half hour series for kids nine to 12 that chronicles the adventures of a group of teens who are direct descendants of ancient mythology figures. Class of the Titans is a Teletoon Original Production which is scheduled to air on the specialty this winter.
Martinez brings international experience to MPG strategic remit
Maria Martinez, formerly VP, global knowledge management at MPG, the media network of worldwide marketing communications group Havas, has been added to MPG’s Catalyst team as VP, strategic planning at the company’s North American arm. In her new role, Martinez will work closely with MPG clients to develop strategies that will support their brands, and her remit includes all North American offices, including Toronto’s MPG/Maxxmedia. Martinez will also play a role in MPG’s business development, using her knowledge of best practices from around the globe.
She previously worked in MPG’s Paris, Barcelona, NYC and London offices, and now will be based in New York. Media in Canada scored a few minutes with her before she boarded a plane bound for Spain.
MIC: What kind of innovation in strategy do you plan to bring to the North American market?
MM: We put the consumer in the heart of what we do so we can have a holistic understanding of their media consumption. We can understand them better. By working with different client teams, we get beyond basic brand issues and we drill down to the medium and eventually to the messages, which is where we want to be.
MIC: What have you learned from your work in other markets?
MM: I think there’s a lot of value in sharing best practices because challenges are now global. At MPG, we have global account directors in place who are leading the global strategy for a brand. They are there to share info and ensure consistency. We’re all in the process of building on best practices.
New Cossette brass
Suzanne Sauvage has been named president, Canada of Cossette Communication Group, effective June 1. Sauvage has been at the agency in progressively senior positions since 1998. She currently holds the title of president, Cossette Montreal – a post she has had since 2002. In her new duties, Sauvage will be based in Toronto and will take on the management of the agency’s Toronto and Montreal offices in addition to acting as chief liaison between Cossette’s offices in Quebec City, Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa. Alex Sakiz has been chosen to head up the Montreal office as EVP, Cossette Communication Group.
Media exec makes president at Echo
Marilyn Sherman, EVP of media at Echo Advertising in Toronto, has been named president of the agency. Sherman joined Echo in 1984 as media director. She replaces Barry Avrich, who is opening a new shop, Endeavour Marketing and Communications.
