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Ad-ID may come to Canada
Ad-ID, a centralized Web-based system for digitally coding all types of advertising executions, is expected to eventually make its way to Canada. Bob Reaume, VP of media and research for the Association of Canada Advertisers in Toronto, says the ACA will likely be involved in bringing the system to Canada. He says this could be as a subsidiary of or in partnership with Ad-ID (Advertising Digital Identification LLC) in the U.S., which is operated by the Association of National Advertisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies of New York.
Reaume says the ACA has already had some preliminary discussions with the Ad-ID groups in the U.S. and with the Television Bureau of Canada because the TVB’s approval and commercial clearance numbers would have to fit in with the Ad-ID system.
Branded alerts and targeted blogs: appearing on a computer screen near you
How would you like your target to receive a small ad that drives them to your site every time a content-related blog gets updated? That capability is coming later this year, says Royal Farros, CEO of Redwood City, Calif.-based MessageCast.
Currently MessageCast provides branded alerts to a variety of clients, such as Fox Sports, looking to build frequency of Web site visits. When the Jays are playing, the branded alerts provide a mechanism for updating the target market even while they’re virtuously working away at the office. Alerts appear in the bottom corner of computer screens, with updates like ‘Jays 2, Yankees 1, Top 1st,’ and a Fox Sports logo above the message. The message is a link that takes them to Fox Sports’ site where they can get more on the story. If they don’t click, the alert will melt away. Low annoyance factor.
TSN plays street hockey
While the NHL remains embroiled in labour disputes, Canadians will Play On! In TSN’s Official Canadian Street Hockey Tournament. The tourney consists of eight events held across Canada this summer in high-profile downtown locations and culminates with the Play On! National Championship to be held in London, Ont. Sept. 17-18.
The winning team will get a trophy, which will be designed and named via a contest. Winning team members’ names will be engraved on it, and the trophy, their sticks, jerseys and team picture will be placed in TSN’s themed exhibit at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. The national Play On! tour is sponsored by Speed Stick, Sport Chek, allmaple apparel and Powerade. Tour supporters include Hockey Canada and the Canadian Ball Hockey Association. The event will not be televised.
Notes from the Media Landscape
We usually try to get a Canadian angle on things, but there are few borders left when it comes to the wired – and wireless – world, so here are some tidbits thinking globally for those reading locally.
Who knew from podcasting even a few weeks ago, now suddenly it’s everywhere. The latest is an all-podcasting radio station from Infinity Broadcast in which the content is created exclusively from listener podcasts. KYOURADIO will launch May 16 on San Francisco’s Talk KYCY-AM and stream online at www.kyouradio.com.
Then there’s the mobile explosion. Yahoo is next up at the plate with an announcement that it’s going mobile on Nokia smartphones. Millions of Nokia smartphone users can deploy Yahoo’s rapidly developing Internet services, ranging from e-mail to downloadable games to search. Harry Santamaki, Nokia Multimedia VP strategy and business development, described it as ‘a progressive step in facilitating the adoption of an online lifestyle.’ No kidding. www.nokia.com.
And finally Turner Broadcasting System is cutting out the middleman in its attempt to reach young men by creating a new broadband channel called GameTap. It will feature 1,100 video games old and new, right back to Pac Man. Starting in Q4, gamers can download software from www.gametap.com for US$10-US$20 per month. Plans include limited sponsorship opps for advertisers, although Turner declined to elaborate on advertising models.
ComBase Market Focus: 18- to 34-year-old demo in Ontario
The 18- to 34-year-old demo is a very desirable consumer group for many advertisers. As a consequence of this target becoming increasingly difficult to reach using traditional media, a number of new free dailies have been launched (Dose, 24 Hours, Metro) to seek them out.
Eighteen- to 34-year-olds are considered by many to be ‘media grazers’:
* 29% can’t be reached with daily newspapers in Ontario.
* 25% can’t be reached with radio in Ontario.
* 27% didn’t watch TV yesterday/last weekend in Ontario.
But in Ontario, community newspapers reach 70% of 18- to 34-year-olds with weekday editions. Even in the Toronto GTA the reach is 65% (per ComBase Pilot Study – Toronto GTA).
Source: ComBase 2003-2004 Study
ComBase, the Community Newspaper Database, is a syndicated consumer-media survey of more than 400 Canadian markets that provides market-by-market information. It is an initiative of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and its nearly 700 members across the country. For more information, contact Kelly Levson, senior project manager, kellylevson@combase.ca.
Two new for BBC Canada
The BBC has plans for two shows to make their Canadian premieres. Blackpool is a drama/murder mystery that also manages to work in musical numbers and dark comedy. The show will have six episodes, and will air Sundays at 9 p.m., beginning August 7. When it first aired in England in November 2004, it scored 5.3 million viewers.
Meanwhile, Mad About Alice is a comedy about two exes trying to get over each other despite sharing a son, and jealous feelings about each other’s new love interests. The Britcom will run six half hours Thursdays at 9 p.m., beginning June 30. Mad About Alice had 6.6 million for the first episode that aired on BBC1 on Jan. 23, 2004.
Join the race for space
Hauling ass with 500 horsepower around a quarter mile track at speeds over 150 km/hr combine to create the perfect pitch for selling ad space to Canadian advertisers. An Ipos-Insight survey found that there are currently over six million loyal NASCAR fans in Canada. The Edmonton International Raceway caught up to this business opportunity this week when it joined the NASCAR Dodge weekly series. The first race in the weekly event will take place Saturday, May 9 starting at 6:30 p.m. MT. The Edmonton track is the third Canadian venue to join the Dodge Series. Quebec and Ontario both have tracks registered with NASCAR.
Testosterone fuels Global Specialty offerings
Global Specialty is offering up a series of new series on a variety of channels in May. On MenTV, Racing Through Time looks at motor racing history from the high-performance machines to the men behind the whell. It airs Sunday at 4 p.m. beginning May 8. Meanwhile on Xtreme Sports, Concrete & Chaos features the urban extreme sports of skateboarding, luge and in-line skating. The show begins Monday, May 2 and runs at 4 p.m. Another Xtreme offering is Adrenalized High Action Sports. Beginning Saturday, May 7 at 6 p.m., the series brings viewers bungee jumping from helicopters among other adventures.
The demo for all these shows is women 55+ (kidding).
Josh gets Naked for another season
Showcase will air season two of the Canadian-made series Naked Josh in June. The show features actor David Julian Hirsh as the title character. In the series, Hirsh is a young Oxford grad from Ontario who is looking for booty in Montreal.
The series will start Wednesday, June 22 at 9 p.m. and run for eight episodes on Saturday nights in the 9 p.m. time slot.
24/7 hires six staffers
Toronto-based Web ad and permission-based e-mail marketing company 24/7 Canada, of Toronto, has hired Paula Simoes from Cornerstone Group to become director of e-mail services. Her mandate is to grow the business in all areas. Steve Rigney becomes Manager of Client Strategy for new division 24/7 Search (see MIC April 26/05), offering Canadian marketers access to paid search management and optimization technology solutions and services. Rigney has over five years’ experience in search engine optimization and bid management. Diane Pinto joins 24/7 Canada as an account executive for e-mail services. She also hails from Cornerstone.
Katrina Barcelon has been named as the company’s first web advertising technical associate, a dedicated local support person for 24/7’s Open AdStream and Open Advertiser wings, serving technology clients. Kimberley Kenney becomes co-ordinator – marketing & affiliate relations. She is a recent graduate of McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business and will assist in executing promotional and marketing initiatives. And another recent grad, Sean Perkins signs on as account executive, from Ryerson University.
Toyco names Canadian GM
Expanding its sales and marketing resources in Canada, Bandai, the third largest toy company in the world and the master toy licensee of properties such as Strawberry Shortcake and Tamagotchi, has appointed Deborah Cavallo GM of Bandai Canada. Cavallo will oversee all sales and marketing efforts and work closely with Bandai America on managing Bandai’s strategic direction in North America.
Cavallo has over 15 years of experience in sales and marketing most recently at The Walt Disney Company, where she was responsible for the development of marketing and merchandising programs at Canadian retailers.
Events
June 15
Mobile Marketing Association and CTIA presents: Mobile Marketing Roadshow
Yale Club, New York
212-330-8381
www.mobilemarketingroadshow.com
Find out how to reach 176+ mobile consumers. This hands on workshop teaches the latest thinking, strategies, and methods being used in successful campaigns by leading agencies and brands. Skills include, text messaging, ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers and games. Pick up these skills in one day.
PMB Factoid
Males are 16% more likely to shop at a convenience store 11+ times per month.
CanWest Media Sales’ extreme makeover
CanWest MediaWorks is in the throes of an extreme makeover, part and parcel of which entails adding new roles to ensure all the bases are covered in meeting customers’ changing needs, and with an end goal of delivering on the overall growth strategy of CanWest Global. In order to execute this mandate, Joseph Mangione, president of sales and marketing, has let go several sales and marketing execs, promoted 10 staffers, hired three, and is not yet finished the re-org, as more new execs are yet to be announced including an SVP of broadcast sales.
New additions to the organization include Catherine Bridgman as SVP Marketing Ventures. Bridgman has a 25-year media career spanning research, trade and consumer publishing, entertainment marketing and brand development, most recently at CB Media. Prior to that she was with Tribute Entertainment Media Group, Quebecor Media Sales and MIC parent co. Brunico Communications.
Op/Ed: Consensus reached on radio audience measurement; next up? sample size
David Bray is chair of the BBM Continuous/Extended Measurement Committee and SVP of Hennessy & Bray Communications in Toronto.
Some dilemmas require the wisdom of Job. Unfortunately, my name is David. When I took on my role as chair of the BBM Continuous/Extended Measurement Committee, I knew that this issue would prompt a vigorous discussion in all sectors of the radio and advertising communities. Little did I know that ‘extended’ would come to refer to the lifespan of the committee as we sought a compromise position. After more than a year, a series of formal and informal meetings and various presentations, the moment has arrived. Now that we have finalized this matter, we can move on to something simpler like dividing up the Gaza strip.
