It’s war – or e-war, anyway.
Canada’s online news and information providers are locked in a desperate struggle. The object: to be the first place consumers stop when they venture out into the wilderness of the Internet.
The latest offensive in this battle comes from Quebecor-owned Canoe, which has just launched a national multi-media campaign designed to increase awareness both of the brand itself, and of its numerous information resource offerings, which include Slam! Sports, Jam! Showbiz, CNews and Lifewise.
The campaign, which was created by Montreal-based Bos, is the most ambitious marketing effort Canoe has mounted since its launch, says Rosanne Caron, vice-president of marketing and research for the online service.
"We have 4.7 million unique visitors on a monthly basis, but there are still a lot of people who aren’t familiar with Canoe," she says. "So part of this is simply getting people to come to us."
The ads are running in this country’s top 10 major markets, primarily in print and television. While individual executions spotlight particular offerings, such as Slam! Sports, all work to reinforce the overall Canoe brand as well, says Claude Carrier, Toronto-based vice-president for Bos, which won the assignment in February.
Where Canoe’s previous campaign (created by Ambrose Carr Linton Carroll) stressed content, the new creative puts the focus on users themselves. Each ad features the image of an individual meant to represent a typical "Canoer." He or she clutches a paddle – the visual signifier for the brand – and is posed in a manner that suggests his or her personal area of interest: news, sports, entertainment and so on.
The ads also include a scroll bar graphic that gives the names of the various Canoe sub-brands, and highlights the particular offering promoted in each execution.
Another small but important element of the campaign is the change of Canoe’s tag from "Canada’s Internet network" to "Your Internet network." Caron says the new line was deemed more appropriate, given that Canoe is looking at expansion into the U.S., and it serves as well to underline the idea of personalization.
The online environment, she adds, is a challenging one in which to do branding at present. "There’s a real proliferation of brands," she says. "And with new things developing every week, you have to be prepared to move very quickly."
