TORONTO – They don’t say so directly, but The Movie Network’s upcoming marketing campaign meant to support its upcoming free preview weekend will also likely swallow up the launch of its new competitor, Super Channel.
Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 9 and running until Sunday, November 11, the pay channel’s free preview event will showcase the network’s Hollywood-hit movies, HBO and Showtime programming as well highlight its on-demand and high-definition features.
“There is no better way for a potential subscriber to experience the value and entertainment of The Movie Network than to sample it for themselves and The Movie Network Free Preview Weekend does exactly that. With the support of our affiliate partners, this is an excellent opportunity for us to target non-subscribers and give them a weekend-long peek at The Movie Network’s unique offering,” said Domenic Vivolo, senior vice-president, marketing and sales, Astral Television Networks, in the press release. “From a marketing perspective, the free preview event gives us a platform to communicate a strong call to action and push our sell message, all while viewers are sitting right in front of their television sets.”
(Super Channel, as featured here in an exclusive Cartt.ca feature, launches this week.)
In order to raise awareness of this special event and drive tune-in over the free preview weekend, The Movie Network is launching an extensive marketing campaign in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to raise awareness and drive tune-in over the weekend.
Similarly, The Movie Network has contracted Markham’s Capital Networks to handle the delivery and execution of customized affiliate-specific program streams during the free preview broadcast. A rotation of image spots as well as a call-to-action spot that includes a hard-sell message will air repeatedly between movies and series episodes including a customized offer messaging per affiliate.
Promotional initiatives for The Movie Network Free Preview Weekend include on-air, radio, print and online elements developed in-house by The Movie Network’s marketing and creative services departments. The print creative features a montage of select programming images in a key hole – inviting viewers to take a “Free Peek” of The Movie Network’s unique offering. The creative highlights information about the free preview event and channel numbers for all participating affiliate cable and satellite providers.
Promotional initiatives for The Movie Network Free Preview Weekend include print, radio, out-of-home, online, affiliate and promotional elements as follows (the cost of the campaign was not disclosed):
Print Advertising – Beginning November 1 to November 9, four-colour double page wraps, banners, half page and full page ads will appear in a number of urban dailies, weeklies and newspapers including the Halifax Chronicle Herald, Halifax Daily News, The Coast (Halifax), Hamilton Spectator, Kitchener Record, Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Metro (Ottawa and Toronto), 24 Hours (Ottawa and Toronto), Ottawa Xpress, Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, National Post, Oakville Beaver, Burlington Post, NOW Magazine and Eye Weekly.
Radio Advertising – A 30-second spot will air on key radio stations in Halifax, Ottawa, Hamilton, Barrie, Kitchener, London and Toronto.
Out-of-Home Advertising – The Movie Network Free Preview Weekend will be advertised on a 56’x47’ wrap at the intersection of Dundas and Spadina in Toronto from October 22 to November 11. A 15-second ad will run on digital video boards in high traffic areas including Hamilton’s Main/Dundurn intersection and Toronto’s Yonge/Bloor, Yonge/Richmond, Yonge/Dundas, Yonge/Adelaide, Yonge/Eglinton, John/Richmond, Spadina/Dundas intersections as well as on the Gardiner Expressway at Bathurst and the Exhibition Place. In addition, print advertising will be displayed in various cities through wild postings in Halifax (8 locations), Ottawa (12 locations) and Toronto (90 locations) as well as outdoor max billboards and zontals in the GTA. From October 29 to November 11, GO Train’s Lakeshore and Brampton lines will showcase a 15-second spot on their digital video boards and over 400 interior posters will be placed in GO Trains’ interior cards.
Online Advertising – From October 22 to November 11, leaderboards, big box and skyscraper web banners will be placed on targeted websites through Google network, Casale network, Gorilla nation, Tribal Fusion, Sympatico-MSN.ca and yahoo.ca. The web banners will be directly linked to The Movie Network Free Preview Weekend mini-site (www.themovienetwork.ca).
Sharp Electronics Promotion – In partnership with Sharp Electronics, The Movie Network will have a contest that will offer one new subscriber of each participating cable and satellite provider with a chance to win an HD package that includes a 46” Sharp AQUOS 1080P LCD TV and AQUOS Blu-Ray player.
Affiliate Promotion – The Movie Network has targeted subscribers and non-subscribers through affiliate vehicles including bill inserts, direct mail, affiliate newsletters, customer service on-hold messaging and a half-page cover skit on Bell ExpressVu’s November issue of Show magazine.
Affiliate Trade Road Show – The Movie Network’s Affiliate Sales and Marketing team will be on a trade road show to create awareness and excitement among customer service representatives (CSRs) at the affiliate call centres promoting the free preview weekend on The Movie Network.
Grassroots Promotion – The Movie Network will be rolling out the red carpet in key locations across the Toronto downtown core and will be handing out The Movie Network Free Preview-branded microwave popcorn.
The Movie Network Free Preview Weekend will be available through every major cable and satellite provider in eastern Canada including PersonalTV from Rogers, ExpressVu Digital TV from Bell, Cogeco Digital Cable and Digital Cable from EastLink. In addition, The Movie Network will also target high-definition viewers, by hosting the event on dedicated high-definition channels via PersonalTV from Rogers and ExpressVu Digital TV from Bell.
