Buoyed by the success of the mixed-media direct response campaign that launched its PC banking service last spring, Canada Trust used a similar method in December to introduce EasyWeb, its new service offering that lets customers conduct banking transactions over the Internet.

In addition to in-branch collateral materials, the EasyWeb lead generation campaign included the use of direct response radio and television spots, along with Internet banner ads that began appearing on advertising-supported Web sites in late December and which continued through the first half of this month.

The direct response radio commercials, created by Cormark Communications of London, Ont., featured the popular ’60s song ‘Wipe-Out!’ as its theme music. The spots began airing Jan. 2 and continued for three weeks in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Kitchener and London, Ont.

Media Buying Services of Toronto did the broadcast media buy.

According to Canada Trust’s vice-president of target marketing, Dominic Mercuri, the target audience was adults aged 25-54 with above-average education and income. Banner ads were also run in The Globe and Mail during the launch period.

Among the Web sites carrying the Canada Trust ads were the Toronto Star, Fund Library and DoubleClick sites, Canoe (Canadian Online Explorer), the home page of Internet service provider Hook-Up Communications, and the Lycos search engine.

‘Our initial plans were to build awareness and generate some user volume,’ says Mercuri, adding that Canada Trust did most of the site selections on its own ‘to gather some learning.’

Mercuri, who says the EasyWeb launch accounts for Canada Trust’s largest Internet advertising effort to date, adds that some of the site selections would change during the campaign run, depending on the actual responses generated from each site.

‘We’re basically applying some good old-fashioned direct marketing techniques by doing some testing, tracking the results and making changes as we move forward.

‘We’re still trying to understand the total impact of Internet advertising,’ he says, adding that the London, Ont.-based financial institution has had a Web site up and running since 1995.

Mercuri says the fact that Canada Trust has a much smaller retail distribution network than most of its major competitors underscores the important role that on-line banking will play in the company’s push to increase its customer base.

‘This campaign continues our strategy to try to exploit all distribution channels available to us,’ says Mercuri, pointing out that Canada Trust has been a leader in developing alternative distribution channels for its financial services and products, including telemarketing, pc and Internet banking, and direct mail.

‘We’re very well-positioned to take advantage of the changes taking place across the financial services industry,’ he says, adding that the results of the EasyWeb launch will be evaluated in an effort to develop an integrated marketing approach in which all electronic marketing communications tools will be supported by more traditional vehicles.

Canada Trust was the first Canadian financial institution to release pc banking nationally, with the launch of CT Connect last May.

Since then, the big five banks have released their own versions of pc banking, with the exception of Scotiabank, which is widely expected to unveil its on-line service in the coming months.