
Mall media research helps pinpoint shoppers
Clear Channel Outdoor has launched new research to help advertisers target consumers by individual mall according to demographics and product usage. Advertisers can choose mall locations based on age and income of the shoppers as well as details on purchasing habits by product category or frequency of purchase.
Right now the database contains information for 17 high-profile malls, including the Toronto Eaton Centre, plus product usage data for 22 categories such as automotive, clothing, food, financial services, media and household products and services. The national research is ongoing and will be expanded with the addition of more malls, product categories, and data. The research was developed by Pascam Media and Abraxoft and involved in-mall interviews.

MIC pic: Potential buyers get the poop on Saturn
That new car smell has a different scent in selected hot spots across the country. The in crowds at bars and restaurants are getting a good glimpse of the interior of the new Saturn ION from inside bathroom stalls. Cossette Media worked equally with NewAd and Zoom Media to wrap the enclosed space with a 360-degree decal of the ION’s interior, giving patrons a few minutes by themselves to examine the car from the driver’s perspective.
‘It was important to portray Saturn’s innovative background. Surprising our demo in a unique place such as Zoom Media’s resto-bar environment enabled us to boost the impact of our brand and ensure that our message got across,’ said Corinna Matteliano, a media planner with Cossette Media. The campaign is running in selected venues across Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

24/7 debuts Search
Toronto-based Web ad and permission-based e-mail marketing company 24/7 Canada is launching an Internet marketing search service, 24/7 Search, in Canada this week. The new business unit will be powered by proprietary technology Decide DNA.

BBM Media Snapshot: Frequent Canadian Tire and Home Depot shoppers
* 25% of Canadians shopped at Canadian Tire for home improvement items seven or more times last year.
* 17% shopped at Home Depot for home improvement items seven or more times last year.
* Canadian Tire and Home Depot shoppers share some demographics:
* Around 65% of the shoppers are 25-54 years old.
* Males are more frequent shoppers (56%).
* Income and spending habits differ between the two stores’ shoppers. Although both of them are above Canadian averages, Home Depot shoppers’ averages are higher:
* Canadian Tire shoppers have an average personal yearly income of $35,400 ($30,000 national average) and spent on average $5,000 ($4,000 national average) on home improvements during the last two years.
* Home Depot shoppers have an average personal yearly income of $38,700 and spent on average $6,000 on home improvements during the last two years.
* 62% of Home Depot frequent shoppers are also frequent shoppers at Canadian Tire; 42% of Canadian Tire frequent shoppers are similarly frequent shoppers at Home Depot.
* Canadian Tire’s and Home Depot’s heavy shoppers share similar media habits.
* The top three media for yesterday exposure are: television and radio followed in third place by newspapers or Internet
* The favourite radio formats (weekly reach) of heavy Canadian Tire and Home Depot shoppers are: news/talk, adult contemporary and classic/mainstream rock.
* Their top television program types watched in an average week are: movies and news/current affairs. Third place is heavily contested by hockey (when in season), home improvement shows and suspense/crime dramas.
Source: BBM RTS Canada Fall ’03 / Spring ’04
The preceding information is from BBM RTS, a syndicated consumer-media survey of over 55,000 Canadians, conducted twice a year by BBM Canada. For more information contact Craig Dorning of BBM Canada: cdorning@bbm.ca.

E-Commerce growing by leaps and bounds
StatsCan announced last week that e-commerce spending in Canada grew by 50% in 2004. The average amount spent annually by a Canadian online shopper last year was $453. The report also indicates steady growth for online purchases into 2007.

TSN rounds up basketball, hockey
This spring TSN will broadcast the most NBA playoff games in its history. Coverage will include up to 30 games, following action in the first round, conference semis, conference finals, and capping the season with the NBA finals. The post season started April 23 with first round games. Conference semi-finals will start Wednesday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. Conference finals are scheduled to start Tuesday, May 24 at 9 p.m. The first game of the NBA final is set to begin on Thursday, June 9 at 9 p.m. Leading up to each game of the NBA finals beginning June 9, TSN will present an hour-long pre-game show at 8 p.m. The net will televise the playoffs in HD on TSNHD.
Meanwhile, hockey is imminent. With the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Austria TSN will air 17 games (the most ever for the network), from Vienna and Innsbruck starting Saturday, April 30 when Canada opens the tourney against Latvia. Semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 14 starting at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The bronze medal game will go Sunday, May 15 at 10 p.m., and the gold medal game will be played Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

New management, new structure at CHUM TV
CHUM has restructured its television division into three function groups under three VPs, each of whom reports to Jay Switzer, president and CEO of CHUM Limited.
Roma Khanna, former VP of CHUM Interactive, has been named SVP content, and is responsible for content creation and program acquisition. Khanna will also oversee independent and in-house production and the interactive and creative services units. Peter Palframan becomes SVP operations. Palframan was previously VP, finance and administration. David Kirkwood remains EVP of sales and marketing for CHUM’s conventional and specialty as well as integrated media opportunities.
David Johnson, director of creative services for CHUM Television, heads up a new centralized on-air promotions and creative services unit.
In addition, Marcia Martin, former VP/GM of specialty services Star, FashionTelevisionChannel, and SexTV, is now VP production for CHUM Television. Ellen Baine, VP of programming CHUM TV, now oversees all programming acquisitions, scheduling, and staff for all local and specialty stations.
Paul Gratton has been moved to a new VP entertainment, Specialty Channels position, and adds responsibility for all specialty services except for music services to his current duties for Bravo, Space, and Drive-In Classics.
David Kines stays in charge of CHUM’s music specialty services but gets a new title, VP music and youth specialty channels.
Nigel Fuller, formerly VP/GM of The New RO has been appointed Regional VP, CHUM Television, Ontario. Al Thorgeirson had been COO of Craig Media but is now Regional VP for Alberta/Manitoba. Brad Phillips continues as Regional VP, B.C.

Wasserman adds two media staffers
Wasserman & Partners Advertising of Vancouver has added two new members to its media department. Deadee Liu joins as media manager and Nelson Lee becomes media co-ordinator. Liu is responsible for planning, buying and maintaining media for London Drugs and Credit Union Central of BC among others. She comes from BBDO/OMD in Toronto. Lee, a graduate of the BCIT Marketing Communications program, provides support to the media department and assists with the maintenance of media buys.

Event
May 12
The 21st Annual NABS Gala & Fundraising Dinner
Kool Haus, Toronto
416-962-0446 x221
www.nabs.org
More than 500 senior advertising and media industry executives will attend this highlight of The National Advertising Benevolent Society’s year. The fun includes dinner, a silent auction and a live auction.

PMB Factoid
89% of 18- to 24-year-olds shopped at a convenience store in the past six months.

Viewers find specialty TV relevant and engaging
Viewers find specialty TV relevant and engaging
With advertisers looking to target their consumers through media that interests and engages them, Alliance Atlantis has released a new study that shows that specialty TV does that and more. The ‘Channel Affinity Study’ was one of the highlights of the broadcaster’s second annual Spotlight on Specialty Television forum held yesterday in Toronto, copresented with strategy and Media in Canada.
The study presented by The Strategic Counsel president Chris Kelly, shows that not only does specialty capture a large percentage of TV viewing time, its audiences are loyal, have an affinity for its programming and advertising, and consider specialty programming to be high quality. HGTV drew high scores across the board, being the number one favorite channel among a group of stations regularly visited, in relevancy and quality of information.

Corus Radio podcasts up and running
Corus Radio has launched podcasts of its popular music doc programs ‘The Ongoing History of New Music’ and ‘Legends of Classic Rock,’ which are now available for download across Corus’ new rock and classic rock stations.
Chris Sisam, VP of sales, says the company’s goal is to match listeners and downloaders with advertisers. ‘However with new technology, we are also going to be developing new ways of advertising. We’ll work with advertisers to do what’s appropriate for their program. For example, we might do opening and closing billboards.’

CTV, Globe opt for deeper polling
Bell Globemedia announced a new alliance with Toronto-based polling firm The Strategic Counsel on Tuesday. CTV News, and the Globe and Mail will now have exclusive access to in-depth data on Canadian’s public opinions collected by the polling firm.
The Strategic Counsel, an independent market research and public opinion firm with offices in Ottawa and Toronto, has a reputation for incisive analysis of public opinion trends. ‘It’s more than just the numbers,’ said chairman, Allan Gregg in a release. ‘It’s the why and the how behind the numbers – and what they mean for today and tomorrow. The texture and feel that tell us not just what Canadians are thinking – but why they’re thinking it.’

ComBase Market Focus: Women in Ontario
Community newspapers reach women in Ontario, an audience that is much sought after by all types of advertisers since women are the key decision makers and purchasers of a number of product categories. Although women are an extremely important target for media buyers, they are becoming harder to reach because of their declining use of other media:
Declining television viewing:
* 39% are light TV watchers, at less than 9.5 hours weekly.
* 23% didn’t watch any TV yesterday or last weekend.
Declining daily newspaper readership:
* 31% cannot be reached with dailies.
Declining radio listening:
* 31% can’t be reached with radio.
In Ontario, community newspapers reach 78% of women, weekday or weekend, and in the Toronto GTA, reach remains strong at 73% (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.