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Global’s launching new Branson reality series

In the adventure-reality series The Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best, Sir Richard Branson will follow 16 candidates as they experience the trials and tribulations of pursuing a life of luxury. If the assigned tasks aren’t handled in a manner that impresses Branson, they’re eliminated. The two-hour opener premieres Tuesday, November 9 on CH Hamilton, Vancouver Island (8 p.m.) and Global Edmonton and Calgary (9 p.m.).

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Correction

In MIC’s September 28 news brief (Women’s Globe magazine targets women in business) the name of the magazine was reported as Women’s Globe magazine when in fact it is Woman’s Globe.

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BBM Media Snapshot: Health conscious Canadians pop vitamins and herbals

Canadians are attempting to stay healthy by adding vitamins and herbal remedies to their routines. Results of the latest BBM RTS Survey show that average use of vitamins, supplements and herbals is the heaviest in B.C. where 50% of respondents used at least one in the past seven days. In the rest of the country, the Prairies were second on the list at 49%, followed by Ontario with 45%, Atlantic Canada at 38% and Quebec. 34%.
Some of the other findings included:
> 43% of Canadians took at least one vitamin/mineral supplement or natural remedy in the past seven days;
> Females are more likely to use supplements with 59% versus 41% of men popping a supplement in the past seven days;
> Senior women aged 65 or older were found to be the most likely to use supplements at 68% in the past seven days;
> Multivitamins and vitamin C are the top two vitamins used by Canadians;
> Calcium and magnesium and the two most often used minerals; and,
> Glucosamine and Echinacea are the top herbal/natural remedies.
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

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People — Passages, Moves & News

The National Basketball Association (NBA) brings on Dan MacKenzie as director of marketing, in the league’s Toronto office. He will oversee the sales and service of the NBA’s Canadian marketing partners, and manage the relationship with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. MacKenzie re-joins the NBA after spending a year at TSN, where he was responsible for the daily marketing activities for TSN, NHL Network and ESPN Classic Canada.

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Events

With a more than 400 industry professionals attending from Canada, eastern U.S. and Europe, the first Montreal Game Summit should prove to be a prime opportunity to mingle with game publishers and suss out any ad opps. November 3-4, Mount-Royal Center, Montreal. http://www.montrealgamesummit.com
CARF presents the breakfast seminar Product Placement: The cure-all for commercial avoidance with guest speaker Cristel Russell, professor of marketing at San Diego State University. Russell will present her research on measuring the effectiveness of product placements and the factors that influence effectiveness. Oct. 26; 8:30-11 a.m., The Red Room, CTV Masonic Temple. (905) 940-7086.

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ZenithOptimedia splits Nestle’s global media business with Group M

ZenithOptimedia of Toronto is making news around the world as recent co-winner of The Nestle Group global media business estimated at more than $1.5 billion U.S. The agency, which is a unit of France-based Publicis Groupe, splits the account with WPP-owned Group M of London, England.

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New video game network delivers ads to 18 to 34 male audience

New York-based Massive Incorporated has made it easier for global brands to get their ads to young male demographics with a new network that delivers the messages into the top-selling video games. The network spans platforms and genres sending ads via Internet-connected console and computer games.

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Market Meter

Television (Conventional Broadcast) – 4.5 out of 5
Buyers say that conventional avails are typical of previous fall periods with heavy but manageable demand, although Edmonton avails are currently in tight supply. The Quebec, Ontario, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver markets have been very active this fall, according to media execs surveyed by Media in Canada.

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New major media player opens house in Quebec

The Montreal-based marketing agency Draft Quebec and the media planning and placement agency Initiative Canada, two members of the Interpublic Group of Companies, announced the creation of their new brand – Draft Initiative Quebec.
The new brand, which will be housed in the Draft Quebec Montreal location and will now be one of the largest media planning and placement agencies in Canada, will integrate the employees along with their research and analysis tools to offer the Quebec market a broader range of services.

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Four million Canadians like their mobility

Mobile entertainment and communications are ripe for rapid growth during the next three years, as Canadians adopt new technologies like wireless home networks, wireless laptop PCs and enhanced smartphones, says a Toronto-based research group. This comes from a key finding of Fast Forward, an independent research series by the Solutions Research Group, which found that more than four million Canadians (12 years old and up) make up this new trend-setting ‘mobile class.’
This new class has two groups of nearly equal size – the techno-savvy 12 to 24 year olds who grew up with the Internet, and the urban professionals 25 to 49, who place a high value on mobility because of their work and lifestyles. The study also found significant growth in the size of this emerging group, which has grown 50% between 2003 and 2004 and is expected to double by 2007.

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Virtual NHL season hit the ice on the weekend on G4techTV Canada

Although the NHL lockout may have postponed this year’s season, disappointed hockey fans can still get their hockey fix during the video game NHL season airing on G4techTV. On October 13, Comcast-owned G4 TechTV began broadcasting video game versions of all 1,230 regular season games.
Get daily highlights, scores and stats from G4techTV’s virtual hockey season, which directly reflects the originally slated 2004-2005 season, on G4 Sports NHL Updates Monday to Friday at 7 p.m., Saturdays on Pulse at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.

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Survivor: Vanuatu keeps earning high ratings

Thursday night’s episode of Survivor: Vanuatu continues to be a viewer favourite by earning 1.838 (18 to 49 year olds) viewers nationally, with a total 2+ audience of three million.
According to BBM People Meter Data, the reality series earned an 11.2 rating among 18 to 49 year olds in the Toronto market while in Vancouver the episode garnered an 18.8 rating.

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NABS Canada unveils new board of directors and two web sites

The National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS) Canada has announced a new national board of directors headed by their new chair Sunni Boot (President & CEO of ZenithOptimedia Canada).
Other new national and regional initiatives include the launch of two new websites on Monday. One is the re-launch of the NABS Canada website (www.nabs.org), which received its first face lift by Toronto’s Foote Cone and Belding, and now encompasses the new initiatives and services that NABS has to offer (ie. workshops developed to address issues such as stress management and work/life balance). In conjunction with the launch of the NABS home website is the creation of the online information support to the new Quebec branch of NABS – BEC (Bénévolat d’entraide aux Communicateurs).
And for the sixth consecutive year, Zoom Media’s ongoing annual donation to NABS through their Zoom Agency Network has raised total corporate contributions of more than $250,000.
http://www.nabs.org
http://www.bec-nabs.org

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The Walrus scores two IPA nomination nods

The Toronto-based magazine The Walrus has been nominated for two awards – best new title among magazines, and the best cultural and social coverage for their report on Grant Bristow, the CSIS agent who infiltrated white supremacist movements in the U.S. and Canada – in the annual Independent Press Awards for North American magazines.
Other awards for The Walrus have been three National Magazine Award gold medals for articles published in its first two issues in 2003.

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CLX’s PollCast pulls in high response rate from text message campaigns

CLX, the wireless permission-based Atlanta, GA company is using Air2Web’s 2Notify solution to develop and power its opt-in text message application – PollCast. More than 20 instant market intelligence polls have been conducted for major retailers, consumer brands and marketing companies and the subscriber base is providing more than a 70% response rate to the simple text message inquiries.
Marriott International, Bellsouth, EDS and Hydrade are a few of the companies developing and launching pilot programs with CLX. PollCast allows its users to precisely target their audience at any level and analyze the results on their desktop in minutes and hours. PollCast campaigns to date have focused on consumer brands like sports drinks, athletic gear, clothing outlets and current events (the recent presidential debates). The subscriber base for PollCast (called MemberMatrix) is comprised of opt-in users from around the country, who sign up for free and must be 15 years and older. Subscriber responses are compensated by a reward of cash, points (hotel or rental car) or miles (airlines).
http://www.air2web.com