The Television Bureau of Canada (TVB) has named longtime Shaw Media executive Kathy Gardner as vice-president of media insights, adding to a revamped senior leadership team that also includes vice-president of marketing Laura Baehr.
TVB president Catherine MacLeod, who joined the organization in April, said the appointments will enable the Toronto-based organization to plan and execute its mandate as a “trusted resource” for marketers and agencies.
In her new role, Gardner will be responsible for the strategic direction and expansion of all research planning initiatives at TVB, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies and media consumption. She will also serve as the organization’s key point person for media agencies.
She has spent the past 13 years at Shaw Media (previously Canwest) where she was responsible for developing research insights supporting advertiser investment in its portfolio of TV and digital assets.
Prior to joining Shaw in 2002, Gardner was executive VP, media director at Bates Canada.
In a release, Gardner said she was excited to be joining the TVB at a “pivotal” time in the organization’s history. “Television has more to offer than ever before, and I am looking forward to applying my expertise to help advertisers and agencies harness [its] power to drive their marketing objectives with innovative and thought-provoking research and insights.”
Gardner has held numerous board and executive committee positions in the industry, including past chair of the Numeris board of directors and television executive committee.
She has also served on the Canadian Media Directors’ Council and the Broadcast Research Council, and has spoken at events including Digital Day, the annual Staying Tuned conference and the Vision Critical NY Summit.
The TVB revamp comes at a key time for the television industry, which has seen its position as the country’s leading advertising medium undermined by digital in recent years.
TV accounted for 29.9% of advertiser spending in 2014, according to the most recent figures from ZenithOptimedia, trailing behind the internet (34.8%). The report predicted TV investment to slip to $3.1 billion in 2017, down from a high of $3.5 billion in 2011.
