Hot n’ heavy broadband

April 1, 2007 by Annette Bourdeau

Three big names – AOL Canada, Vice and Heavy.com are all rolling out new Canadian-specific offerings surrounding their online content.

Vice has just launched VBS TV, an online broadcast network featuring content ranging from music videos to hipster travel shows. There will be unique Canadian content and

geo-targeted ad opps. Customized sponsored content opps that ‘go beyond product placement,’ like an auto brand sponsoring a cross-Canada road trip starring a Vice personality will be possible. Vice’s original site, viceland.com, gets 70,000 monthly Canadian uniques. The average Vice reader is 26, with a HHI of $64,000.

Meanwhile, Heavy Canada launches on April 1, complete with an original Canuck show called ‘Canadian Contraband,’ which will integrate the Virgin brand into the content. It will follow several emerging Canadian bands as they compete to win stage time at Toronto’s V-Fest in September. It kicks off on the May long weekend at Vancouver’s V-Fest.

Heavy has an average monthly Canadian traffic of 1.2 million unique visitors. It houses edgy video content, both user-generated and professional. ‘The difference between Heavy and YouTube is that we provide a filtration process,’ explains David U.K., Heavy Canada’s VP/GM. Heavy reaches a largely male demo (85%), with 60% 18-34 and 40% 35-49. Heavy Canada will be accessible via a redirect at Heavy.com.

While Vice and Heavy both boast a stronghold in the urban, tech-savvy twentysomething crowd, AOL offers access to a more mainstream audience. ‘It’s really a broad demo because the product offerings range from Neil Diamond to Snoop Dogg,’ explains Jennifer Stothers, national sales director at Toronto-based AOL Canada.

AOL’s new channel, www.aol.ca/sessions, which launched in March, features over 100 intimate, exclusive performances. A special Canadian session will be highlighted each month with artists like Eva Avila, Feist and Bedouin Soundclash.

AOL is offering sponsorship packages that include a 100% share-of-voice for the Canadian session. Stothers says advertisers can expect to pay anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 for a three-month sponsorship.