ComBase Market Focus: Ontario
Ontario adults are strong community newspaper readers:
– 77% – or 707,400 readers – report reading any community newspaper (weekday or weekend).
– 58% (535,000 readers) report reading any daily newspaper (weekday or weekend).
– 29% are exclusive community newspaper readers. This represents almost 266,000 Ontario adults who only read the community paper and not a daily.
– Exclusive Ontario community newspaper readers tend to be women between 25 and 49 years old.
When it comes to other media in Ontario:
– 25% of adults admit they didn’t listen to any radio yesterday;
– 11% report listening to non-commercial CBC stations; and
– 38% of adults report watching less than 9.5 hours of television in the past week. That’s less than an hour and a half a day.
Source: ComBase 2003-2004 Study
ComBase, the Community Newspaper Database, is a syndicated consumer-media survey of more than 400 Canadian markets that provides consistent and accurate, market-by-market information to assist in the buying and selling of community newspaper advertising space.
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.
http://www.combase.ca
TVA eyes sports, sitcoms for T1
Now that he’s got it, Serge Bellerose still isn’t sure what to do with Toronto 1. But that’s okay, he says, no rush. There won’t be any real changes at the struggling station until fall, which gives him and the other brass at Quebecor a bit of time to figure out what went wrong and how to set it right.
TVA and Sun Media, both arms of the Quebecor empire, bought the station from CHUM late last year and will spend the better part of 2005 running market research in the Ontario capital, he says, examining public perception of the station and its programming, which failed to attract significant viewers or advertisers after an ambitious launch in late 2003.
CIBC Stars in first-ever page-one ad
Sunday marked a first for CIBC, ZenithOptimedia and The Toronto Star. ZenithOptimedia managed to swing a deal to place the first ad on the front page of the Star in the 112-year history of Toronto’s largest circulation daily. Although Sunday’s ad focused on RRSP season, the page-one slot will be a long-term Sunday position, with ads on different topics, says Michael Fielding, group account director of ZenithOptimedia.
He says the unique positioning was key because the shop is ‘always looking for ways to make clients stand out – a premium position and being one of the last papers in Canada [to offer that spot] made it that much more valuable.’ He adds: ‘Newspaper is a large battleground for the financial industry. We were looking for a premium position, uncluttered, in a medium we’d use naturally.’ Fielding says the deal took approximately two months to complete. He says: ‘The Star‘s a great paper’ and ZenithOptimedia was able to convince it to sell the page-one space by ‘leveraging our current relationship, what we’ve always done historically and what we plan to do in the future.’ Asked if this has opened the floodgates for the Star, Fielding replies: ‘quite possibly, because they’ve got six other days available.’ He adds that negotiating one of those days for another client would be considered if it were appropriate for that client.
La Presse offers tween access with new subsection
On Jan. 16, Montreal’s La Presse launched its new ‘Oups’ subsection, which will be inserted every Sunday into the newspaper’s first section. Targeted to eight- to 14-year-olds, the colour pages present articles and columns on topics of interest to the tween set, like music and video games. Jean Durocher, VP, sales and marketing, says this will give advertisers special access to an increasingly important group of consumers. Marc Bourassa, senior director of national advertising, says there were no advertisers in the first edition because it’s brand new and people wanted to see what it was going to be like, but his department is ramping up efforts in such tween-friendly categories as video games and milk.
‘Oups’ has also gone online at http://www.cyberpresse.ca/oups. Updated daily, the Web component will develop original interactive synergies for young surfers and include advertising. La Presse is the leading daily newspaper in Canada’s French-language market. It’s published seven days a week and has a readership of 840,000.
Canadian Idol welcomes back L’Oreal
With the announcement last week of Canadian Idol‘s massive countrywide talent search, L’Oreal and CTV also inked a deal for the cosmetics company to return for its third season as the show’s lead sponsor. The sponsorship will be similar to previous years with L’Oreal products and stylists featured during the show (as well as at the auditions) in addition to traditional media spots.
L’Oreal is moving the focus away from product placement to organic integration. The use of specific L’Oreal products will evolve as the show does with stylists working with the contestants to produce unique looks characteristic to each performer. L’Oreal will also have a strong backstage presence with its in-house stylists providing self-help beauty expertise so that each performer and audience member can recreate the looks at home using L’Oreal products.
Expedia ties in for Apprentice-themed cruise
One word: finally! Those who have been waiting with bated breath for something to come along that captures their love of pseudo-celebrities, The Apprentice, and big boats needn’t wait any longer. The eight-night Apprentice cruise, launched by Expedia.com and Trump World Magazine, will travel from New York to the Virgin Islands and will feature autograph sessions and photo opportunities with Apprentice cast members as well as a ‘behind the scenes’ Q&A session.
On-board competitions similar to those performed on The Apprentice will be held for cash prizes as well as a grand prize of $15,000 and a luxury trip to Seattle to spend a day as Expedia’s CEO. Cruise participants will have the opportunity to attend a send-off party ‘featuring’ Donald Trump, though no word yet as to whether they will be allowed to make eye contact with him. For a small, added expense, travelers can play golf with the cast members or even hit the town with them for a pub crawl in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cruise is scheduled for Sept. 26, with prices starting at around $2,000 per person.
Web to standardize ad sizes
The Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB Canada) has launched the Canadian Universal Ad Package (CUAP), the first phase in a program that aims to lower ad costs and reduce production and media planning problems by standardizing online ad sizes. Phase two, due later this year, will cover rich media and video streaming standards.
A similar successful foray in the U.S. sparked the initiative.
http://www.iabcanada.com.
BBM CMR
Open the attached link to view the first three months of BBM’s Commercial Tracking information for Montreal Franco incorporating PPM Ratings
http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20050118/Toronto_CMR_Chart_Dec_29.pdf
http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20050118/Vancouver_CMR_Chart_Dec_29.pdf
TSN getting into the reality television game
I’d Do Anything, an ESPN original one-hour series, is coming to TSN Mondays starting Jan. 24. IDA tests the limits of contestants’ pain, shame and good conscience to win ultimate sports fantasies for their friends and loved ones. Dispelling the laws of common sense, contestants will participate in feats of incomprehensible stupidity such as playing basketball with wild Mexican bulls and returning a punt against a pro football team with no blockers. The show’s prizes include a qualification into The World Series Of Poker, a round of golf with Tiger Woods, and a chance to spend time with an NFL team during training camp next season. TSN will air IDA Mondays at 7:30 p.m. (except for a pre-emption in the third week) and will televise encore presentations on Sundays at 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
TSN to air full day of non-NHL hockey coverage
On the heels of the CBC’s announcement last week that the network will not air the fifth instalment of its popular annual Hockey Day In Canada broadcasting, TSN has decided to broadcast its own version titled, Hockey Lives Here: Canada’s Game on Saturday, Feb. 18. CBC claimed that, due to the lockout, airing the full-day broadcast simply would not be viable, and so the torch was passed to TSN which, in conjunction with RDS, NHL Network and ESPN Classic Canada, plans to air a full schedule of amateur hockey events.
In total, TSN will air six hours of exclusive hockey content, including coverage of the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, a CIS men’s hockey game between the University of Western Ontario and Lakehead University, a re-cap of the 2004 World Junior Championships, the fourth annual World Pond Hockey Championships, and various special reports ranging from how to build an outdoor rink and a report from the Canadian Women’s hockey training camp. To complement TSN’s coverage, ESPN Classic Canada will broadcast 24 hours of classic hockey games, RDS will provide French-language coverage of the days events, and NHL network will also dedicate its Saturday schedule to celebrating hockey in Canada.
Miss Marple back on CBC
CBC plans to air four new whodunit films featuring Agatha Christie’s original independent woman, Miss Jane Marple. Beginning Sunday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. with The Body In Library, and followed by Murder in the Vicarage and 4:50 From Paddington later in the month, the films include popular British film and television stars such as Joanna Lumley from AbFab and Simon Callow from Shakespeare in Love. A Murder is Announced, the fourth film, is set to air later this season.
MacDonald moves up at Discovery
Ken MacDonald has become the new VP of programming for Discovery Channel in Toronto. MacDonald replaces Jill Offman who has moved to Discovery U.K. Since last January, MacDonald has held the post of executive producer for Discovery’s in-house programming. His new appointment is effective immediately.
Events
AMA (Toronto) presents marketing leadership panel
Marketing veterans like Richard McLaughlin, VP marketing, RBC Financial Group and Frank Maw, president of Motorola Canada, will be coming together for a panel discussion on Thursday. ‘Marketing Leadership in the Branded Enterprise’ is presented by the American Marketing Association (Toronto) at the Ontario Club in Toronto.
The execs will discuss how marketing leaders must ensure that all of a company’s products and services are consistent with the brand, in an environment where consumers are increasingly influencing the direction of the business. The event runs 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. To register, call (416) 465-0070 or e-mail ama-tor@allstream.net. Requests must be received by tomorrow.
Fundamental shift in signage sparks summit
Strategy Institute is presenting ‘Digital Signage Advertising Revolution’ Feb. 8-10 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. From the mini Times Square effect evolving at Toronto’s Dundas Square to small displays in retail stores like Roots, organizers say digital signage is a fundamental change transforming advertising. Highlights of the summit include case studies by Neiman Marcus and other organizations at the forefront of this technology.
Strategy Institute is an independent Canadian-based research organization.
Quebec’s Media Awards open for entries
The fourth edition of a competition honouring the best in Quebec media strategies has issued its call for entries. The deadline for The Media Awards is Feb. 11. Media buying agencies, advertisers and the media can offer submissions in any of eight categories: television, radio, Internet, O-O-H, daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, mixed-media and media innovation
This contest is organized by Infopresse in collaboration with the Council of Media Directors of Quebec (CDMQ). Jury chair is Caroline Gagnon, VP and director of media services at Marketel. A gala will be held at the end of April and the results will also be published in a special edition of Infopresse and at http://www.infopresse.com/prixmedia/.
PMB Factoid
18- to 24-year-olds are three times as likely to drink flavoured vodka.
Tabloid rumours denied, but change afoot
Don’t stop the presses just yet. While The National Post categorically denies ongoing rumors about any wholscale conversion to tabloid format, there are some changes afoot.
Jennifer Bronsema, manager of retail advertising at the paper, says the Toronto section of the Post‘s Saturday edition will launch as a tabloid January 29. The section will combine movies and entertainment with the TV Times for a seven-day keeper expected to be a minimum of 64 pages. In addition, the Saturday Post, a national broadsheet section of the Saturday paper, will revert back to its previous name, the Weekend Post.
