Toronto’s GlassBox Television has written the latest chapter in one of the more intriguing stories in Canadian media with the appointment of former Shaw Media marketing executive Jennifer Mason as its marketing and communications director.
Mason has more than 10 years of experience in broadcast marketing. Most recently she was senior manager, marketing strategy for specialty television with Shaw, overseeing marketing and communication strategies for channels including HGTV, History Television, Showcase and TVtropolis. She also helped develop the launch strategy for the Global Reality Channel.
She has also held marketing roles with the Canadian Film Centre and CBC Television, where she developed marketing plans for the arts and entertainment and the children’s and youth divisions, including the rebranding of Kids’ CBC.
Mason described GlassBox, which owns and operates the specialty channels Bite TV, AUX TV and Travel + Escape, as an “up and comer” in the Canadian media industry.
“I saw GlassBox as real innovators where media and entertainment are concerned,” she said. “[CEO] Raja Khanna and [president and chief strategy officer] Jeffrey Elliott really bring a lot to the table as far as experience in the Canadian media landscape. I thought it would be a great company to be a part of.”
Mason will oversee a four-person marketing and communications team at GlassBox, and pledged that the company will be “more innovative” in its marketing approach. The first marketing program under Mason’s direction, focused on the new season of the Bite TV series Stand Up and Bite Me, is expected within a month.
“I definitely feel that strong marketing and a push behind great programming is going to put us on the map,” said Mason. “You’re going to see a lot more of us in the coming months.”
Last month GlassBox announced that Blue Ant Media, a new company controlled by former Alliance Atlantis head Michael MacMillan, had acquired an initial 29.9% stake in the company with plans to assume a minimum 75% interest in the company pending CRTC approval.
At the time, Khanna described the emergence of GlassBox as a “story in its early chapters,” noting that the company’s goal was to be number one in both online and mobile for each of its content pillars.
