Astral Media has announced the creation of a division responsible for licensing, merchandising, online advertising and sponsorship for its English-language TV networks.
The six-person unit, named Astral Media Integrated Solutions (AMIS), is being headed by director Holly Chapman.
Toronto-based Astral, which counts The Movie Network (TMN), Viewers Choice and Family Channel among its English-language TV services, says AMIS will provide advertisers with marketing solutions that utilize broadcast and online assets, as well as merchandising and grassroots efforts.
“We’ve been doing some of this stuff ad hoc—a little bit of promotions, a little of licensing and merchandising—but this is really pulling all the pieces together and organizing under one umbrella,” says Dominic Vivolo, senior vice-president of marketing and sales for Astral Television Networks. “We’re looking for truly integrated ways to solve (clients’) problems.”
AMIS’s maiden venture was a licensing and merchandising deal with retailer La Senza Girl based on the popular Family Channel series Zoey 101. Last fall, Astral partnered with La Senza on a line of back-to-school Zoey 101 apparel and accessories for fall/winter 2006 that was carried in more than 60 La Senza stores. The launch was supported on-air and online through a promotion on the Family Channel website (family.ca) called the Zoey 101 Chic Boutique Contest—which drew 180,000 unique entries.
“If you have a media partner that is actively involved, then the retailer is more open to discussion because they know if the product goes on the shelf, it’s not just going to sit there and the onus isn’t just on them to let the public know it’s there,” says Chapman.
The division also created a campaign for Mattel Canada’s movie trivia game Scene It? using TMN, themovienetwork.ca and print ads to create awareness.
AMIS is also developing sponsorship opportunities for TMN’s interstitial fashion and beauty series “Movie Style” and consumer events such as Family Channel’s “Spring Break-Out Mall Tour.
