Toronto-based Astral Media of Toronto has rejigged its marketing and sales department for The Movie Network and Family Channel. Holly Chapman becomes the inaugural director of sales promotion and sponsorships where her focus will be developing partnership and promotion deals. She was previously manager of Viewer’s Choice event programming and marketing. Russell Ward has been named to the new post of director of consumer marketing for Family Channel and the company’s Toronto-based movie services. Ward joined Astral’s Family Channel five years ago. Meanwhile, Richard Bartrem will be developing programs for Family Channel and the movie services as part of his new position as director of affiliate marketing. Bartrem also joined Astral five years ago, as sales director.

Luc Granger has joined the association Les Hebdos du Québec as manager of the marketing department. The appointment was effective March 7. Previously, Granger was director of media research and special projects for Cossette Communication Group.
His responsibilities at Les Hebdos will be to increase the market share of weekly papers in Quebec, to boost ad spending and promote the effectiveness of advertising in weeklies.
http://www.hebdos.com

March 31
Internet Marketing 2K5: Serving your Market with Intelligent Coding
Ontario Club, Toronto
905-764-3334
cadno@itac.ca
http://www.itacontario.com

The Alliance of GTA IT Associations presents this breakfast meeting about the evolution of Internet marketing and commerce, and the opportunities and challenges they present. Topics include the use of e-mail to support business development and client retention, as well as legal and technical issues that can hamper this medium. Speakers include Kevin Jackson, co-founder of Biz-Bone Internet Group, creator of CanadaOne.com, an Internet business channel that attracts more than 60,000 users monthly with no offline marketing.

March 31
Canadian Marketing Association – Manitoba Lunch & Learn Workshop #3
Inn at the Forks, Winnipeg
204-284-5642
http://www.cmamanitoba.com

The topic is ‘Privacy and How it Relates to Marketing,’ presented by lawyer Brian T.D.Bowman, who reviews PIPEDA one year later.

30% of 18-24 years olds drink coolers in the spring/summer.

General Motors’ review of its US$3 billion+ buying and planning business south of the border will have no affect on its Canadian agency M2 Universal, a sister to the Interpublic Group incumbents involved in the review.
Hugh Dow, president of M2 Universal, says General Motors of Canada directs and selects its advertising and marketing partners independently from the U.S. corporation.
The U.S review involves GM’s national and regional dealer group buying now handled by Mediaworks of Warren, Mich. and New York – a separate GM agency formed by IPG – and LCI in New York. They will be facing off with GM’s media planning and research agency GM Planworks of Detroit, a unit of Starcom MediaVest Group. There is speculation that the review will lead to consolidation of GM’s buying and planning with one agency group.
A second Toronto-based media management firm, MPG/Maxxmedia, has also escaped unscathed by upheaval in the U.S. where 60 layoffs across MPG North American offices came about after its loss of Intel, estimated at US$300 million, and the Volkswagen of America media account valued in excess of US$400 million.
David Chung, president of MPG/Maxxmedia, says the cuts are strictly in the U.S. and there have been no changes in the Canadian office, which still handles the Volkswagen and Audi business.

A profile of American Express Gold and Platinum Cardholders

* 716,000 Canadians claim an AmEx gold or platinum card either in their own name or jointly with someone else.

* 53% of gold and platinum cardholders are between the ages of 35 and 54.

* Gold and platinum cardholders are more likely to be men (65%) than women (35%).

* They are twice as likely as the average Canadian to have a yearly household income of $125,000 or more, and five times more likely to have a personal yearly income of $150,000 or more.

* Gold and platinum cardholders are 2.5 times more likely than the average Canadian to be a senior manager or professional.

* This elite group is pretty much evenly spread out by region, although Quebec is slightly under-represented in the AmEx gold/platinum cardholder segment.

* The top four media for reaching AmEx gold and platinum cardholders in terms of yesterday exposure are: radio (89%), TV (88%), daily newspapers (65%) and the Internet (62%).

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.